The Diary Of An Internet Marketer

My name is Yvette Stokes and I have owned http://www.ysdata.com– an information processing services for 11 years. I just started blogging at the beginning of the year and wondered why I didn’t start sooner. However, I usually start my work day at 10 A.M. by checking my emails. Once I’ve done that I log on to the office site (if I’m at home) and check who hasn’t come to work.

Since my blog is so new, I tweet and search for new topics of interest. Once I find a topic I usually began writing my content and researching links to support the post. After I’ve made my daily post to the blog www.ysdata.com/bloglog I open the mail for the day and make phone calls.

After lunch, which is normally 2 pm I check my traffic stats to all of my online sites and the revenue that they have generated. If I see a post has really taken off, I write a follow-up post.

It’s usually around 4 P.M. when I check blogs that I follow – just to see what’s going on. During this entire process I’m funneling calls, emails, and staff. Once I closed the office I have dinner with my daughter which is between 6-7 P.M.

At 9 pm I changed into night clothes and go over the books. If I’m still not sleepy, I will start another blog post or read someone else’s blog. I usually fall asleep around 12-1 A.M. and then do it all again.

I usually roll out of bed around one in the afternoon. I’m a hard worker, but not an early riser by any means.

Once my internet marketing business started taking off, thanks to regular multivariate testing, I decided that there was no reason for me to stay put anymore, so I’m currently in Panama on a year long trip around the world.

This isn’t vacation, though.

As soon as I wake up I check my e-mail and messages on various forums.
Next I check my stats through Conversion Doubler (my multivariate testing software) to see if I have any completed tests or anything unusual going on (like more traffic than expected).

After that I start plowing through my todo list.

I do things based on how important they are and how much I feel like doing them. I figure that it’s better to be passionate about working on a “2″ priority than being bored working on a “1″.

After getting warmed up I’m usually ready to tackle anything, though.

Around 3pm my roommate and I head to Mireya’s, a vegan restaurant here in Panama. Lunch usually takes about an hour.

From 4 until 7 I continue working. I also maintain three blogs (just for fun, not for work), so I follow my posting schedule and write at least one entry each day.

At 7 I work out. I follow Crossfit, which is a fantastic free workout program for everyone from football players to grandmothers. Staying in top shape and in great health keeps my energy up for all the work I do.

Between 8 and 10 I do more work. Having these breaks every two or three hours helps me jump out of my work and take a minute to reprioritize if I need to.

For dinner my roommate and I go to a place called “Casa Vegetariana”.
It’s another Vegan restaurant that has the best fresh squeezed orange juice I’ve ever tasted. If you’re ever in Panama, definitely check it out.

After dinner I have my best work period. Fewer e-mails come in to distract me, and there’s usually nothing pressing. This where I can put in serious chunks of time to program new features into my software, design new landing pages, or write huge chunks of copy.

I’ve made some videos recently, one to attract affiliates, and seven to show my software in action. Here in Panama the taxis and buses are so loud that 3-5am is the only time that it’s quiet enough to actually record. You wouldn’t believe the amount of horn honking that goes on at 5:30am!

I go to sleep somewhere between 5am and 7am usually. I’m a night owl and I usually work until I can barely keep my eyes open. Usually during the late night I get super engaged in a big project and I just can’t go to sleep until I finish it.

That’s a lot of work. If you take an hour off for chatting with my roommate or calling friends back in the US, I guess I average about 12 hours a day. I don’t take weekends off, either.

The key to working this much is to LOVE what you do and to hold yourself to your own standards rather than regular standards.

I used to focus on making money, but now I focus on producing excellence.

My current project is called Conversion Doubler, which is basically the highest quality multivariate testing software ever created at a very low price. I spend around half of each day improving it and adding new features.

If you’re interested in multivariate testing, or just want to know what it is, I’ve created a really cool short ebook about it which you can get for free at www.conversiondoubler.com/landing.php.

And just for fun… if you’re interested in reading about my travels around the world, check out www.lifenomadic.com.