Is SBI (Site Build It) suitable for noobs?

Firstly, I’d like to apologise for the title of this post. I’ve always hated the word ‘noob’ – I remember only too well when it was intended to be insulting and disparaging. It sounds like ‘stupid’ for a reason. But yet, here I am, using it. My only excuse is that it is now used in a more supportive way – oh, fuck it, I have no excuse.

So, anyway. I’m coming rather late to the whole SBI controversy. Is it a scam, is it a cult, does it deliver? Well, I’m in a good position to pass comment. I am one of the schmucks who fell for it (was that a clue?). A couple of years ago, having absolutely no idea about how internet marketing worked, I fell for a recommendation by a blogger I had come to trust. I paid out $300 to join the SBI program. And what did I get for that? Well, basically I got a year’s web hosting and a single domain with site building software. I have obviously since discovered that I could get site hosting for unlimited domains for around $9 a month. Yes, I was that noob. Hold on though, there was also access to a keyword research tool which I certainly made the most of. Unfortunately, I had no idea what I was doing so my research led me to choose an unfortunate domain. I maybe doing them a disservice, but I don’t recall there being much advice about on-page SEO or the importance of backlinking, so I was going blind into the world with a rubbish domain name. Of course, I didn’t make a penny all year. And I didn’t renew my membership.

They have a way of making you feel it’s your own fault, of course. They call it BAM – Brains and Motivation. And if you fail to make money it’s because you lack one or both of those. Actually, you know, it is a bit like a cult. One thing they didn’t mention is Luck. As in any business, you need brains, motivation and luck. The first two are not enough. However, they did persuade me that it was my fault to the extent that part of me still believes that. One thing I do believe about SBI is the testimonials from succesful users – I’m in email contact with a few of them and I know that there are people who have made money using SBI.  My feeling, though, is that those are the type of people who would have made more money for considerably less outlay by signing up to, for example, the Keyword Academy. The problem with SBI is not the service they offer, but simply that the pricing makes it look like a scam. There are much cheaper ways to get started and a plethora of free advice on the internet. So – don’t buy it. Search for Blogger Unleashed or the Keyword Academy instead.

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