Here’s a talk sponsored by FOWA starring Mr. Kevin Rose that describes taking your website from 1 to 1,000,000 users.

1,000,000?! That’s the number. Check it out…

Taking your Site from One to One Million Users by Kevin Rose

Click here to view the embedded video.

Overview:

The 10 Ways

1. Increase self-worth (or stroke the ego).
2. Simplify features.
3. Build & Release.
4. Hack the Press.
5. Connect with your community.
6. Have a great team of Advisors.
7. Leverage your user base to spread the word!
8. Provide value for 3rd party sites.
9. Analyze your traffic.
10. Look at the entire picture.

He provide no clear, exacting vision about the 1 to 1,000,000 equation. Mr. Rose give solid advice, but I wish the title was a more accurate reflection of the content.

I tweeted wefollow.com. (If you watched the show up to 19:00, then you know what I mean, eh?!)

Names and Websites

This can be a confusing topic, especially when you’re starting out.

I want to focus on owning your own, personal Domain Name and Hosting Your Website.

For many people it’s the same, so that adds confusion.

We are not talking about having a website on someone else’s website… that’s really called a subdomain. You know, like soandso.wordpress.com or martial-healing-arts.blogspot.com. Those are websites of a different sort and they can serve powerful purposes (like link wheels). But it’s like keeping your notebook in someone else’s house. It’s (sort of) your notebook, but it’s not your house. Such websites are still cool and valuable though.

We’re talking about owning your own name and owning some hosting property: keeping your ids and notes in your back pocket, and making a commitment to your vision, your business, and your art.

Many website hosts provide the service of recording your domain name. Again: that confuses the issue. And, personally, I think it’s a little shady because they get people signing up names right before hosting… and before understanding the difference. Then you’re trapped. You may technically own your stuff, but someone else has possession of it.

So split it up.

If you’re really going to grow, you’ll have extra security if you put your name in one box and your stuff in another.

Here’s all you need to know (it’s easy):

• The Domain Name is one thing.
• The Website Host is another.
• Then get companies to handle each.

Separate Domain Name and Website Host

Think of it this way: you have an identification and you have a body. One says who you are; the other keeps all your stuff in order (memories, stories, etc).

The same goes for your website. You get a name and you get a place to keep your stuff.

Again, many website hosts provide the service of domain name management. That’s great if you get a reliable, awesome, fast, and flexible host. But there’s a lot of hosting companies out there… some may not be as reliable as you think.

Here’s how to hedge your bets:

• Put your Domain Name with one company.
• Host your Website with another.

That way, if either service goes bad, you won’t be held hostage by a company who will have lots of control over your valuable information. (It’s happened to me.)

(Later, there’s other technical advantages if you own more sites.)

Here’s What I Do

I keep my Domain Names registered with SustainableDomains.com

Some of my websites are hosted with HostRocket.com

Others are hosted with Midphase.com

[Full disclosure: I use affiliate links...but I only pick the best. Still, if you're saucy, read my privacy policy.]

I already have the group Real Taiji at LinkedIn, so I want to remember to read 8 Tips for Managing a LinkedIn Group.

I want to get a firm grip on marketing.

I saw the picture over at SEOLinkwheelers.com and I figured that the link-wheel concept could be extended beyond backlinks.

We’ll see.

I reconfigured how my many sites link to one another. For example my Facebook only goes to my Twitter; my Twitter links here, and I link this site to LinkedIn. LinkedIn goes to Facebook. Each of the sites point to RealTaiji.com and UBagua.com, my main work.

We’ll see if it changes anything…

(Oh one other things: if you decide to link to this site, I won’t link back to you. But I will link to one of your other websites or your personal profile pages – like on Facebook or LinkedIn or Twitter.)

I call it Reviving Taiji.

Chapter One is available for free.

Go to Reviving Taiji Begins Now to get it now.