AskPat 2.0: A Weekly Coaching Call on Online Business, Blogging, Marketing, and Lifestyle Design

Today's question comes from Alexander, who is planning a website for the food and website industry. Does the main color of the site matter? Is there a bad choice? Do you have a question about your website design? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Maya, and it's the kind I love! She asks if she is able to start a business at the age of eleven. Maya's mom's site is http://www.familyfuntwincities.com/. In this episode, I talk about EvanTubeHD (https://www.youtube.com/user/EvanTubeHD). Do you have a question about starting a business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s question comes from Richard, who has a question about how much free content he should add within his online course. How much content should he give for free as a teaser for his online course? What are some ways I can show how valuable my online course is without giving it away entirely for free? Richard’s website is at AFlexibleYou.com. In this episode, I mention AskPat Live. You can check out AskPat Live every Friday at 1:30 p.m. PT at http://facebook.com/smartpassiveincome. Do you have a question about marketing your online course? Record it at http://askpat.com. Today’s sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://freshbooks.com/askpat and enter “Ask Pat” for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s question comes from Dave, who has a question about adding songs to his podcast. Can he add music that is not his? Even if he credits the author of the music, can he add that to his podcast? If any, what are the licensing and legal implications? What are some alternatives to adding his favorite song or band of the week to his podcast? Do you have a question about adding music to your podcast? Record it at http://askpat.com. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s question comes from Dan, who has a question about tutorials. Where does he start in tutorial creation? Should he first start with YouTube? Does he post that on his blog? How does he make the most out of the content he’s creating while growing his audience on YouTube and his website? Dan’s website is at TheRealDanVega.com. On this episode, I mention Rev as a neat tool for transcribing your YouTube videos. Learn more at Rev.com. I also mention two other tutorials that I’ve created, which you can find at http://podcastingtutorial.com and http://startanemaillist.com. Do you have a question about growing your audience with tutorials? Record it at http://askpat.com. Thanks to Zip Recruiter for sponsoring today’s episode. Go to http://ziprecruiter.com/pat to get started posting jobs today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s question comes from Muj, who has a question about creating a niche product as a teenager. How does he overcome the age obstacle? What can he do to create a niche product from the perspective of a teenager that will still be relevant for a wide audience? Should age matter? Do you have a question about creating a niche product or business? Record it at http://askpat.com. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s question comes from Glen, who has a question about image use on his website. Can he use images from Google on his website? What are some good alternatives to iStock or other stock image websites? Are there free to use images on Google? What are the legal implications for using images from Google on his website? In this episode, I mention Flickr as good alternative to iStock. Check them out at Flickr.com. I also mention my Ultimate Guide to Finding and Using Images on Your Blog, which you can find at http://smartpassiveincome.com/how-to-find-images-blog-guide/. Find Google's Advanced Image Search at https://www.google.com/advanced_image_search. Do you have a question about image use for your website? Record it at http://askpat.com. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s question comes from Andre, who has a question about promoting his new book. Should he create a website for his book? What other promotion opportunities does he have? What else can he do to get the word out about his new book? How does he expand on that to help promote himself? Do you have a question about promoting your book? Record it at http://askpat.com. Today’s sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://freshbooks.com/askpat and enter “Ask Pat” for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Vitaliy, who has a question about the SPI Pro Theme and how it compares with other premium WordPress themes. What is the difference between the SPI Pro Theme and other WordPress themes? What are the pros and cons? In this episode, we mention the SPI Pro Theme, which you can learn more about at http://www.AskPat.com/SPITheme. I also mention that, each Friday at 1:30 p.m. PT, I host AskPat Live over at http://www.Facebook.com/SmartPassiveIncome. Do you have a question about WordPress themes or the SPI Pro theme? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s question comes from Sarah, who has a question about how she determines if her niche is a good one for an online course. How does she determine if her niche and topic are right for an online course? What can she do to drum up interest in her online course? How should she design her online course? In this episode, I mention LeadPages (https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/leadpages) as a good place to create a landing page to generate interest for your online course. I also mention Teachable (http://teachable.com) as a great tool for online course creation. Do you have a question about developing an online course? Record it at http://askpat.com. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s question comes from Ashley, who has a question about looking for and landing interviews for her new podcast. Where should she start in finding the right people to interview? What are some tips to reaching out to people for interviews? Since she’s new to podcasting, who should she reach out to for interviews? In this episode, I mention the calendar tool Calendly. Check it out at http://calendly.com. Do you have a question about securing people to interview for your podcast? Record it at http://askpat.com. Today’s sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://freshbooks.com/askpat and enter “Ask Pat” for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s question comes from Kris, who has a question about supporting and serving her audience with an app she purchased. As a non-developer, what should she do? Should she hire someone to help with the development of the app? Does she learn the software on her own? Do you have a question about serving your audience with apps? Record it at http://askpat.com. Today’s sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://freshbooks.com/askpat and enter “Ask Pat” for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s question comes from Katie, who has a question about the SEO impact of deleting old content and setting up redirects for her website. Should she delete her content that’s under 300 words? Should she set up 301 redirects or 410 redirects? What is going to happen to my carnival links? Katie’s website is at http://kitchenstewardship.com. In this episode, we mention SPI Session #200 about doing a content audit on your website. Listen to that episode at http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/session200. Do you have a question about auditing your old website content? Record it at AskPat.com. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s question comes from Josh, who has a question about how entrepreneurs start making money online when they’re first starting out. What should he do first to start making money online? Where should he start when he doesn’t yet have an audience? How does he find and focus on his unique value proposition? In this episode, I mention my book on validating your idea for a business, Will It Fly?, at http://willitflybook.com. I also mention my new online course, Smart From Scratch. Sign up for the next public launch in June at http://smartfromscratch.com. Go to http://www.100emails.com to learn how to start an email list. Do you have a question about making money online when you first start out? Record it at http://askpat.com. The sponsor for this episode is Vistaprint, an excellent resource for your business marketing needs. As a special to AskPat listeners, get 500 custom business cards for just $9.99 (50 percent savings!). Be sure to enter “Pat” at checkout. Learn more at http://vistaprint.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s question comes from Greg, who has a question about content scheduling. How does he determine how to get his content into an actionable format? What steps should he take to get his content into a consistent schedule? How should he organize and plan his content? Greg’s website is at http://musicianmonster.com. In this episode, I mention my chat with my Managing Editor, Janna, at http://smartpassiveincome.com/session215. I also mention CoSchedule, the amazing content scheduling tool I use for Smart Passive Income. Learn more at https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/coschedule. Do you have a question about content scheduling? Record it at http://askpat.com. Thanks to Zip Recruiter for sponsoring today’s episode. Go to http://ziprecruiter.com/pat to get started posting jobs today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jeff, who has a question about creating one large blog post to launch his new blog. Should he create one epic blog post to launch his new blog? What other content should he create to launch his blog? As his blog grows, how does he balance the larger blog posts and the smaller posts? Jeff’s website is at NewMiddleClassDad.com. In this episode, we mention my interview with Neil Patel about content marketing for your blog. Listen to that episode at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session214. You can find the FoodTruckr.com article here: http://foodtruckr.com/2013/10/what-i-wish-id-known-before-starting-my-food-truck/. Do you have a question about launching your new blog? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Mike, who has a question about managing a variety of different podcasts. If he has a variety of different themed shows, should he keep them under the same brand and website? Does starting a podcast network make sense? Or should he separate them under different brands and websites? Mike’s website is at http://www.mongoals.com/. Do you have a question about managing multiple podcasts? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Amirra, who has a question about creating a subscription service and creating an online course in the education space. Should she create a subscription service or create an online course? Is there room for both as an educator online? What is the difference between a subscription service and an online course? Should she create specific online courses to help solve specific problems? Amirra’s YouTube channel is Art With Amirra. In this episode, I mention my new course, Smart From Scratch. Learn more by heading to http://www.smartfromscratch.com/. I also mention my new AskPat Live on http://www.Facebook.com/SmartPassiveIncome, which happens every Friday at 1:30 p.m. Do you have a question about creating subscription services and online courses? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Teresa, who has a question about building an audience for her new podcast. What should she focus on first to reach and grow her audience? Is Instagram a good platform to promote her podcast? How can she focus on her niche and set her podcast apart in that niche? Teresa’s website is at http://www.popcollectorspodcast.com/. Do you have a question about building your podcast audience? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Tyler, who has a question about writing with a learning disability. Should he throw in the towel after receiving some negative feedback about his writing? What can he do to overcome this obstacle? How can he improve upon the writing he puts out on his website? Should he hire an editor, or someone to help him improve his writing? Do you have a question about improving your writing for your website? Record it at http://www.AskPat.com. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.Freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Max, who has a question about monetizing his website. How does he monetize his website? What can he do to incorporate and improve Google AdSense for his website monetization? What are his options for private advertising on his website? Max's website is at http://www.ruinmyweek.com/. In this episode, I mention SEM Rush as a neat tool to help support website monetization. Learn more at http://www.semrush.com/. I also mention Patreon, an amazing crowdfunding-type platform that enables your fans to support what you're doing. Learn about Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/. Do you have a question about website monetization? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is BambooHR, a simple and central system for organizing human resources data in the cloud. For a limited time, you can get a free 14-day trial by going to http://www.bamboohr.com/, clicking on the microphone, and entering the code "Pat." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Otis, who has a question about starting a YouTube channel. How can he determine what topics his videos should cover? Otis's website is at http://www.lakecitytactical.com/. Do you have a question about YouTube? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jeff, who has a question about using webinars to grow his list. Should he wait until he has a big audience to host a webinar? Can he use a webinar to grow his audience? Jeff's website is at http://www.newmiddleclassdad.com/. In this episode I mention http://www.webinarninja.co/ as a good webinar tool to use. I also mention SPI Session 29 with Lewis Howes on mastering and conducting a webinar. Check that out at http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/session29/. Lastly, we're in launch week for Smart From Scratch, my new online course created to help you validate your business idea. Learn more and sign up at http://www.smartfromscratch.com/. Do you have a question about growing your list through webinars? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Bamboo HR, a simple and central system for organizing human resources data in the cloud. For a limited time, you can get a free 14-day trial by going to http://www.bamboohr.com/ and entering the code "Pat." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Tyron, who has a question about collecting data on his customers. How does he better collect data on his customers? What are some ways he can monetize that data? How can he start marketing to his list? What is the best way to serve his customers beyond his business? Tyron's website is at http://www.tigdress.com/. In this episode, I mention that we're in launch week for Smart From Scratch, my new online course created to help you validate your business idea. Learn more and sign up at http://www.smartfromscratch.com/. Do you have a question about data collection? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Brian, who has a question about business cards. Should he create business cards when he first starts his business? Does he bring business cards with him when he goes to conferences? What are some strategies to use to connect and engage with people at conferences? Are there any alternatives to business cards? In this episode, I mention that today is launch day for Smart From Scratch, my new online course created to help you validate your business idea. Learn more and sign up at http://www.smartfromscratch.com/. Do you have a question about business cards? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. For AskPat Live, go to http://facebook.com/smartpassiveincome. Thanks to Zip Recruiter for sponsoring today's episode. Go to http://www.ziprecruiter.com/pat to get started posting jobs today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Bill, who has a question about engagement and traffic from podcast show notes. How much engagement and traffic do I get from my show notes? Could he get away with skipping show notes? What should he include in his show notes? What resources can he use to manage his show notes? Bill's website is at http://www.podcastbyfriday.com/. Do you have a question about creating show notes for your podcast? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jennifer, who has a question about building a successful mastermind group. What is the best structure of a mastermind group? What kinds of topics should they discuss? How can they best leverage each other? Jennifer's website is at http://www.sideofincome.com/. In this episode, I mention my webinar replay on How to Build a Winning Mastermind Group. You can watch that at https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/tv/how-to-build-a-winning-mastermind-group-webinar-replay/. Do you have a question about running a successful mastermind group? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Barry, who has a question about Kevin Kelly's 1,000 True Fans (http://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/). How does he identify which of his fans are his true fans? What's the best way to follow up with these people? How can he continue to grow his audience more strategically with his true fans? Barry's website is at http://www.turningthepage.info/. In this episode I mention a couple of tools you can use to serve your audience and find your true fans, including http://www.commun.it/ and http://www.socialrank.com/. Do you have a question about identifying who your true fans are? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Matthew, who has a question about developing routines around online business metrics. Which metrics do I find the most important? Which are my favorite tools for monitoring performance? Do I have any daily, weekly, and monthly routines for analytics? Do I delegate analytics to your team? In this episode, I mention Google Webmaster Tools. Learn more at https://www.google.com/webmasters/. I also mention my new course, Smart From Scratch, which opens next week! Learn more and enroll at http://www.smartfromscratch.com/. Do you have a question about online business metrics? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Richard, who has a question about the importance of having a relevant college degree for the type of industry blog you run. Should he have a Bachelor Degree in Sport Science to run a successful lifestyle and fitness blog? Will his audience care about his background in education? If he don't have a relevant degree but does have the relevant knowledge and experience, how can he make sure that shines? Richard's website is at http://www.aflexibleyou.com/. Do you have a question about how your background and how that affects your value in your industry? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Dave, who has a question about how to balance time for fitness and time for kids. How can he fit in time to exercise when he has kids? Do you have tips for young parents who want to find time for healthy activities with kids? Dave's website is at http://www.catholicprotools.com/. In this episode, I mention my Instagram account, where I feature a lot of my health and fitness activities. Find me on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/patflynn/. Do you have a question about making healthy choices as a parent? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Simone, who has a question about separating auto-responses from real responses in her inbox. How can she make sure that she can easily find and respond to actual responses from her emails? What are some tips she can use to better filter out the auto-responses from the real responses? Simone's website is at http://www.echemusic.com/. Do you have a question about managing your email inbox? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jorge, who has a question about achieving results from affiliate marketing. How does he start building affiliate income? And how can he connect with the Filipino community specifically with my affiliate marketing? Where can he get results from his affiliate marketing? Are there any specific ways to engage his audience to inspire them in his affiliate income building process? Do you have a question about kickstarting your affiliate income? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Randy, who has a question about promoting his book on his blog. What if he feels like he doesn't have much more to say outside of the book? Should he keep his blog going? What should he write about to promote his book? Randy's website is at http://www.disneylanddevotional.com/. Do you have a question about promoting your book? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Craig, who has a question about reaching out personally to his audience to start growing his email list. What should he include in the email to make an impact? How can he better personalize emails? What should be the ask be in his first email to his audience? Craig's website is at http://www.empowerthetribe.com/. In this episode, I mention my 3-Day Email List Challenge at http://www.100emails.com/, which you can join for free to grow your email list from 0 to 100 emails in 3 days! Do you have a question about building your email list? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to Zip Recruiter for sponsoring today's episode. Go to http://www.ziprecruiter.com/pat to get started posting jobs today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Mike, who has a small Facebook community as a part of his website. There is a similar, much larger Facebook community that is not his where he could also be active and may potentially attract new users to his site. How should he split his time between these groups? Mike's site is http://fermentingfood.uk/. Mike talks about the market map exercise from my book, Will It Fly? (http://willitflybook.com). Do you have a question about choosing where to spend your time? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor today, BambooHR. This online management software will help you manage the human resources tasks for your small business. Go to http://bamboohr.com. Click the microphone in the upper-right and enter "PAT" for your free trial. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Michael, who has a directory of service providers on his website. Should he be charging businesses to get listed in this directory, or should he continue to list people and businesses for free? Michael's site is http://www.emailoverloadsolutions.com/. I talk about the directory on my Green Exam Academy website (http://greenexamacademy.com). Do you have a question about what to include on your website? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Andres, who is looking for some advice on improving his skills in front of the microphone. I share my advice for leveling up your microphone skills. Do you have a question about podcasting and recording? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor today, BambooHR. This online management software will help you manage the human resources tasks for your small business. Go to http://bamboohr.com. Click the microphone in the upper-right and enter "PAT" for your free trial. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Otis, who asks about Facebook ads. How does he know how much he should spend each month? Otis's site is http://lakecitytactical.com/. Do you have a question about Facebook advertising? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Paul, who is planning for an upcoming product launch. Should he consider making the product available for a limited time only? Paul's website is http://photographytv.com/. Paul talks about Smart Passive Income Podcast #162 (https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/session162). Do you have a question about launching a product? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, Vistaprint. Vistaprint will help you create affordable, custom marketing materials for your business. To learn more, go to http://vistaprint.com/ and use the coupon code "PAT" for a special offer. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Tim, who asks about rebranding his site, which has grown beyond its original focus. Should he keep the original URL, or migrate his site to a different URL? Tim's site is http://androidpcreview.com/. Tim talks about how I migrated Green Exam Academy from intheleed.com to greenexamacademy.com using 301 permanent redirects. Do you have a question about rebranding a site and migrating URLs? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Simone, who asks about building a business directory on her website. How can she encourage new businesses to sign up? I've used business directories on my niche site Security Guard Training HQ (http://www.securityguardtraininghq.com/) and share my best advice for getting businesses to sign up. Do you have a question about adding special features to your website? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Marie, who is building an online course for kids. What is the best tool to use for delivering video and keeping them protected? In this episode, I discuss how I use video on my free podcasting tutorial (http://www.podcastingtutorial.com) versus a paid course like Smart From Scratch. Teachable is a good option if you're looking for a full course platform (http://askpat.com/teachable). If you're using your own hosting system (like WordPress with a membership plugin), Wistia is an excellent video platform (https://wistia.com/), as is Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/). Do you have a question about hosting a paid course? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. My new course, Smart From Scratch, launches this month to help you choose and validate a business idea. If you're ready to get your business started, check it out at http://smartfromscratch.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Oz, who has a question about using email autoresponders and landing pages together. How can he make sure that people who are subscribed to one segment get the resources offered by other his other campaigns? Oz is using GetResponse for emails (https://www.getresponse.com/); I recommend and am an advisor for the email service provider ConvertKit (http://askpat.com/convertkit). Do you have a question about email marketing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Get my free templates for writing better emails—check out Email the Smart Way (http://emailthesmartway.com). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Andre, who asks about my blog images on the SPI blog. Why do I put both my name and my date on them? Andre's website is http://www.asmallinvestment.com/. Andre is referencing the images you see at the Smart Passive Income blog (http://smartpassiveincome.com/blog). I also discuss how Gary Vaynerchuk manages images (https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/). Do you have a question about blogging? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Kit, who hasn’t chosen her company name yet. Can she still start a blog without choosing a name? Kit mentions using the lessons from my book Will It Fly? (http://willitflybook.com) to start her business. If you are starting a new website and need website hosting, I recommend Bluehost (http://askpat.com/bluehost). Do you have a question about starting a business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Sean, who asks about building traffic to his blog. Which method is best for a new blog: SEO or content marketing? Sean’s site is http://flighttrainingpro.com. I recommend using Yoast SEO WordPress plugin to help you include the correct SEO fields (https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/); All in One SEO Pack is also a good alternative plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/). This is the FoodTruckr article I mentioned (http://foodtruckr.com/2013/10/what-i-wish-id-known-before-starting-my-food-truck/). The giveaway plugin I recommend is KingSumo (http://kingsumo.com/). Do you have a question about traffic growth? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jacob, who asks about business structure. Should multiple businesses operate under the same LLC, or should each business have a separate legal entity? The first business I started is Green Exam Academy (formerly called In the LEED; http://www.greenexamacademy.com/). My original LLC is Flynndustries LLC. The other LLC I discuss in depth is related to the Smart Podcast Player (http://smartpodcastplayer.com). My account is Dave from Profitwise Accounting (http://www.profitwiseaccounting.com). Do you have a question about your business structure? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Eric, who lives in Ghana and is looking to build a site teaching others how to start online businesses in Africa. What specifically should he document? Eric's site is http://www.internetbusinessafrica.com/. I share my thoughts on how to get started. Do you have a question about starting an online business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jason, who has some questions about setting up a shopping cart for his website. Which is the best one for his needs, with include considerations for shipping physical goods? I recommend checking out ShipStation (http://www.shipstation.com/). A good website platform to check out is Shopify, which is an alternative to WordPress that is designed specifically for online stores (https://www.shopify.com/). If you want to stick with WordPress, WooCommerce is a good platform (https://woocommerce.com/). Another good shopping cart option is Samcart, for which I am an advisor (https://askpat.com/samcart). Do you have a question about selling products? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.