The API Guys

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Are You Building Best Practices or Are You Just Practicing?

According to Dictionary.com Best Practice is defined as:

A method or technique that has consistently shown results superior to those achieved with other means, and that is used as a benchmark.

According to former NBA All-Star Allen Iverson, Practice is defined as:

Well, we’ll just let Allen tell you himself

In business, we hear the phrase “best practices” thrown around all the time.

As a matter of fact, we’re willing to bet that if you listen carefully when walking around the office today, you’ll hear someone say something about “best practices.”

Unfortunately, “best practices” has become so commonplace in today’s business lingo that it not only feels over-used, it feels irrelevant.

Look, there are practices (as dear Allen points out) and then there are best practices—you have to know the difference.

So… Are you building best practices or are you just practicing?

Are you truly yielding superior results?

Here at The API Guys, we’ve come to the conclusion that there is no absolutely right or wrong way to do things when it comes to building campaigns.

(There are definitely a few things we’d advise against, but we’ll save that for another day.)

In order to build campaigns that truly yield superior results, we recommend not only split-testing your campaign results but examining the way in which you’re building the campaign.

Ask yourself…
Am I cramming an unlimited number of actions into one sequence?
Am I using click-tag actions when they’re not necessary?
Am I  including the steps in my campaigns to remove action trigger tags from contact records once the action is completed?

It’s a lot to think about.

Today, business moves at the speed of light and because of that we’re frequently pressed for time. More often than not, we fall into just-get-it-done mode, vindicating our actions by saying something to the effect of; “it’s OK, I’ll remove those tags later when I have time.”

The truth is, no, you won’t.

If you’re too busy to do it while you are working ON the campaign, you sure as heck won’t go back in and do it later.

Are you always in that “get it done” mode?

Are you always thinking about the next thing that needs doing?

Being in that mode is certainly not a good practice and if it’s not a good practice, we KNOW it can’t be a best practice. At some point or another, that mode has caused us all to wake up in the middle of the night in an Infusionsoft-induced panic.

Now don’t get me wrong—everything we do here at the API Guys is not a best practice and we’ve made our fair share of

Whoops…

But—we believe in testing, reconfiguring, testing, and then testing some more.

At this point, you’re probably saying:

Who has the time for all that testing?

Guess what?—you do! When you’re evaluating the amount of time it will take to build-out a campaign, make sure you build-in enough time for testing. Don’t establish unrealistic deadlines that will prevent you from getting the job done right.

In order to create a solid business laden with “best practices” and yielding superior results, it is imperative that you tune-in on your work tune-out your distractions. Make sure you have time for testing and evaluating your practices, that way you can eventually attain superior results.

Once you master this process, you’ll not only turn out higher-quality work, but you’ll sleep better at night too.

Until next week, Happy Campaign Building to ya!

What If You Had To Unplug From Your Business For An Entire Month?

Close your eyes and imagine that for a minute. Could you do it? What would happen? This is a great focus question. But for me, it is suddenly more than a hypothetical …

Do You Have A Lifestyle Business?

My business, The API Guys, is a lifestyle business. So were the other seven businesses I have started. I bet yours is too, whether you call it that or not.

I break small businesses into two categories: lifestyle businesses and payday businesses.

My definition of a “lifestyle business” is a closely held small business with no planned exit. This makes up the majority of small businesses in the country. Realtors, restaurant owners, local newspaper publishers, and ad agencies are all lifestyle businesses. So are Infusionsoft Certified Consultants, virtual assistants and business coaches.

(By the way, being a lifestyle business doesn’t mean the business isn’t salable. It just means it isn’t built and run with a sale as the primary aim. I have recently sold one of my businesses, PoloSkilz Network, and am in the middle of selling another.)

The difference is a “payday business” is one you build with an exit as the specific intent. Whether that be an IPO or just to build and flip, the end game is a big payday at the end for founders and investors. Infusionsoft, for example, is a payday business.

Which are you?

Because of the different end games, these two types of business are fundamentally different. They are run differently. They care about different things.

The payday business MUST optimize for one thing: growth. Without rapid growth, there can be no big payday. The faster the growth, the bigger the payday.

Growth attracts top talent, investors, drives up multiples, and is the “raison d’etre” for the payday company. When you hear “start-up”, this is the stereotype.

The lifestyle business, while potentially fast-growing, does the opposite. Because there is no exit on the horizon, the lifestyle business optimizes for some combination of three things: time, income and mobility for the owners.

The relative importance of these three is different for every lifestyle business. One business owner may be 100% focused on cash flow while another places equal value on all three.

There may also be secondary motives, such as impact or celebrity. But, generally, the purpose of a lifestyle business is to provide the owners with an ample amount of disposable time, money and the mobility to spend those when, where and how she chooses.

So you DO own a lifestyle business. Are you acting like one?

I have a personal reason for this musing. Each year, when I create my new goals for the coming year, I typically have between five and eight goals. But this year I found I could wrap most of my business and personal goals into one single, overarching goal:

To be able to spend a month in Argentina, playing polo every day, disconnected from the business (for the most part), without it falling apart.

This goal requires a pivot. Up until I moved to Aiken and built my farm, my businesses emphasized income over time and mobility. But this goal requires all three. This is a scary goal. Seriously … scary … goal.

But wait … there’s more. It’s now more than a goal. It’s real. As of Thursday, it’s not a goal, it’s a plan.

I am leaving the middle of January 2016. I have the blessing of my amazing husband. I have committed to playing in a tournament while I am there, against a South African team who will then host us, in August 2016. I have the opportunity to live one of my greatest fantasies … And now the hard work begins!

Because this trip is now out there … I have to take a hard look at my business and figure out what needs to change to make this a reality. All I have done is a first pass and the list is loooong.

What is your most productive day of the year?

It is always the day before you leave on vacation, right? Because you have a to-do list and a deadline. And somehow … it all gets done. Well, this trip is sort of like that.

Here is what I have learned in the last few days … while The API Guys is definitely a lifestyle business – and many would look at it and think it is a pretty good lifestyle business – I just realized it is not even close to what it could be … or needs to be. And to pull this trip off, I am going to have to optimize the heck out of it. I am also going to have to let go … of a lot! A good thing.

The good news is I have a great team … who don’t know about this yet! I also happen to be an expert in the best tool possible for optimizing a lifestyle business … Infusionsoft.

So, my plan is to share some of my optimization plan with you and how it is going. But you don’t get to sit in the bleachers and watch. I want you to learn and grow along with me. I want to challenge you … (Don’t worry. You don’t have to ride a horse!)

This trip may end up being the best thing I could possibly do … not just to check something off my bucket list or to improve my polo game … but for my business. It has radically changed the lens through which I see my business … overnight.

What if you did the same? Is there some major bucket list item that would require a lot of time, money and flexibility? Plan it. Do it right now.

If not that, imagine you were going on my trip with me. What would have to change in your business?

I’ll write about what I need to optimize in my business in hopes it will help you think about yours. But it would be awesome if you would do the same and leave your thoughts in the comments. That will help the rest of us think differently about ours …

And finally, do you identify with the lifestyle business label? Some people think it is derogatory. Or they just don’t think of their business as being about supporting a lifestyle. Let me know that too … I am curious what comes to mind.

A Moment of Infusionsoft Reflection

Yes, we love Infusionsoft here at the API Guys and if you’ve enrolled in one of the API Guys’ courses, attended one of our webinars or directly spoken with Kim, you know her passion for Infusionsoft is off-the-charts!

But there’s more to Infusionsoft than meets the eye; it’s not just a tool for sales and marketing automation…

Infusionsoft is a welcoming community that you become a part of the minute you decide to use it in your existing business or use it to create a business.

Honestly, do you know of another community in the professional space that so openly shares and supports one another like the Infusionsoft Community?—We can’t think of one.

Late nights and early hours are clocked all across the world while folks like you build campaigns, send broadcasts and create new tools to enhance the Infusionsoft experience. When you really think about it, Infusionsoft has changed the world a little bit!

Like any tool, Infusionsoft can be frustrating to no end at times, and it takes a certain level of knowledge, as well as understanding, to be successful using it. This means constantly educating yourself on the ins and outs of Infusionsoft is going to pretty darn important to your success—good news if you’re a learning junky!

This need for continued Infusionsoft education means dollars and cents are exchanged with frequency in our tight (but growing!) community as we all seek out sources and courses (on horses…look at that rhyme!) that empower us to better use the tool we love so much.

Those of you that are gifted enough to become Infusionsoft Ninjas can earn a pretty lucrative income if you’re willing to put yourself out there and help the community. Even if you’re not a Ninja yet, helping people who know less than you is the best way to improve your understanding and mastery of Infusionsoft, which allows you to work less and earn more…hey…isn’t that what Infusionsoft is all about?

But the Infusionsoft community isn’t just limited to us users, it also includes the amazing men and women of the corporate Infusionsoft world—employees most of us only have exposure to through the online chat and telephone support desk.

Unlike less-fortunate software users, we are lucky enough to have support folks who are not only pleasant to talk to, but ready and eager to help you resolve your Infusionsoft issues and start using the tool more effectively. The end result?—more learning and growth for you!

No, we are not being paid for this post 🙂 we’re just speaking from the heart, something people don’t do often enough these days. From the ICPs, to the Infusionsoft Virtual Assistants, to the corporate employees in-general, the support, encouragement and knowledge-sharing has been second to none.

As the seasons change and we transition into summer, we’re hoping for a little lighter workload—it probably won’t happen 🙂 but if it does, we plan to take some time to learn lots and have more fun.

We sincerely hope you do the same.

As Kim always says: “eat your own cooking,” charge your worth, work less, enjoy more and continually help others.

Wishing you all a Happy Summer!

10 Tools To Make Infusionsoft Turn Back Flips

As you probably know, Infusionsoft can do a number of things, for your business, right out of the box, and do them amazingly well. What you may not know is this … It’s the third party apps and resources that really make Infusionsoft exciting.

To get beyond the very good (but basic) functionality of Infusionsoft and start generating some serious ROI, you are going to need some non-native functionality. And that is where the third party developers and service providers come in.

In fact, if you haven’t looked lately, the Infusionsoft Marketplace is teaming with apps. Some work really, really well. Some are a great value …. totally reliable. Others … not so much.

So how do you know which ones to pick?

At The API Guys, we are known for making Infusionsoft do some pretty mind-bending tricks. And our founder, Kim Snider, is kind of an app-geek. So we have been through A LOT of apps and services around these parts.

So that said, probably the best way to answer the question is to tell you what we use, day in and day out. Any why.

So, here we go … in no particular order … what we think are the best apps and services, in each of ten different categories:

    1. Hosting – Elite Pro Hosting

    This is a webhosting company that designed its entire service around meeting the needs of Infusionsoft powered websites!

    Traditional web hosting offerings are built to provide lots of processing power, but very little memory. The end result? Infusionsoft powered websites, particularly sites that feature a high volume of API calls, like membership sites, are really, really slow.

    Elite Pro Hosting was specifically created to satisfy the inverse demands of those in the Infusionsoft-space. So while your Infusionsoft-powered site may crawl with other hosting services, it is going to FLY with Elite Pro.

    Best of all, Elite Pro Hosting eats their own cooking. They use Infusionsoft to run their business. They also use their own hosting platform (as do we), which means they are constantly pushing their product to the max … a serious benefit of their customers.

    Additional perks include:

  • 2-Day setup
  • 24/7 tech support
  • High capacity for large volumes of API calls
  • A premium hosting package is less than $100 a month

KIM’S BOTTOM LINE: Lots to love here but the bottom line for me is speed, speed, speed. Slow sites leak visitors. -KIM

2. Membership Sites – Memberium

Memberium is the newest and snappiest WordPress plug-in for creating Infusionsoft-powered membership sites.

Access one of thousands of existing WordPress themes or build out your own to create a membership site with a complete unique feel.

Features we think are important:

  • Speed – they haven’t loaded this software down with bloat. They stick to their knitting.
  • Responsive customer service – Fast and personable help
  • Super Scalable — Memberium can slide to scale on the fly
  • Price Protection — Not only do they offer new customers a 30-day money-back guarantee but Memberium will NEVER increase your billing rates as long as your subscription remains current

KIM’S BOTTOM LINE: This choice is all about speed and real customer service. These guys have been awesome. -KIM

3. Meeting and Appointment Scheduling – Schedule Once

ScheduleOnce is our go-to app for appointment scheduling. We love this app for its elegant design, neat Infusionsoft integration (which tags contacts continuously as they move through different stages), and very reasonable cost.

Some of the other reasons we choose it:

  • Integrates flawlessly with Google Calendar … Outlook integration is in beta
  • Really intuitive and easy to use interface – front-end and back
  • Loads of configuration options
  • The ability to create multiple booking pages and connect them to multiple calendars for different users
  • Scalable – whether you want to book for one person, groups or teams, ScheduleOnce works
  • Time Zone Support – shows users your available meeting times in their local time zone

KIM’S BOTTOM LINE: I have actually had someone tell me they were hiring us because our scheduling process was so elegantly simple. Enough said. -KIM

4. Landing Pages – ClickFunnels

ClickFunnels allows you to make beautiful Infusionsoft integrated landing pages that are completely customizable, using a powerful drag-and-drop editor.

If you didn’t have a chance to check out our review of ClickFunnels, take a look at it now. It does a great job of explaining why we like ClickFunnels more than Lead Pages or OptimizePress.

Addressing the matter here, ClickFunnels is a landing page designers dream because functionality is not tied to price. All of their tools, tips, tricks, templates and utilities are included with their basic $97 start-up subscription.

Even though ClickFunnels is only 12-months old, we have been blown away by how quickly they have been able to design and implement new tools and features.

Ultimately, the real value here is in ClickFunnels ability to beautify your pages with the greatest of ease. We all know that Infusionsoft doesn’t make the prettiest of pages, which is why having something like Click Funnels in your arsenal can be a real boost to your business.

KIM’S BOTTOM LINE: If you would like to see some of our ClickFunnels landing pages, look here, here and here. These were all done in just a few hours with no coders or graphic artists required. And your site doesn’t look like everyone else’s using the exact same template. -KIM

5. Web Site Security – Sucuri

This isn’t really Infusionsoft related but we feel compelled to include it because so many people are oblivious to the threat hackers pose. In the same way business processes are being automated, so is hacking. If you don’t believe us, give Marc Goodman’s Future Crimes a read.

Website security is a very real requirement if you want to operate a successful business in the digital age. Taxes, receipts, billing statements, invoices, payroll, credit cards; these all have a very real and very accessible presence online. If you’re not taking adequate precautions now, the first time your business gets hacked is going to be a brutal wake-up-call. And we promise, it will.

But forget about the safety of your business for a second…what about the safety of your customers? If your company gets hacked not only is your information in jeopardy, but the information of anyone you’ve ever done business with is at-risk as well.

Sucuri offers complete website security for your business with powerful malware detection, prevention and cleanup services.

Right now, as you read this, Sucuri is servicing over 250K domains, stopping 33M attacks per month and cleaning more than 300 websites a day on average.

KIM’S BOTTOM LINE: The cost/benefit analysis here is a no-brainer. If your site is hacked, trying to clean it up with your own resources can take days. We’ve done. And no guarantee you closed all the backdoors the hackers created. For $199 per year, Sucuri will monitor your site and clean it in a matter of hours if you are hacked. First time you are hacked, you will kick yourself for not doing this, I promise. (NOTE: Future Crimes is high on my list of most influential books I have read in years. Read it!)-KIM

6. Video Hosting – DilogR

For longer than we care to remember we’ve been Wistia people, but that all changed with the arrival of DilogR.

At its core, DilogR is a video hosting platform (though they do have other services) and as far as we’re concerned it is the best video hosting platform available.

Basic features include:

  • Customizable video chaptering
  • Redirect links
  • Pop-up Q&A
  • Real-time analytics (views, drop-rate, geo-location, device used, etc.)

But DilogR’s best asset (by far) is the automation it can run in Infusionsoft based on how much of a given video is watched. This is just a killer feature and one that will be immensely helpful to your business.

KIM’S BOTTOM LINE: I pay $100 month for Wistia. If I want to track video views in Infusionsoft, I have to pay $59/mo to PlusThis and each video counts as one feature used. We have several hundred videos! That won’t work. But with DilogR, I can do all that and more for way less than I pay Wistia and PlusThis. Another no brainer! -KIM

6 1/2. Surveys and Assessments – DilogR

But wait! There’s more …

All kidding aside, DilogR does much, much more than video. It is also a world-class survey and assessment platform. It is crazy what you can do with DilogR.

In fact, there is honestly so much cool stuff, we are almost at a loss to reduce it to bullet points.

KIM’S BOTTOM LINE: If you are using any other platform for video, surveys or assessments, you owe it to yourself to look at DilogR. This one was a for me! -KIM

7. PDF Creation – WebMerge

WebMerge is a way to take data from almost anywhere (including Infusionsoft), merge it into a document and deliver it to the service of your choice.

For example, you can merge data into a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, Powerpoint file, fillable PDF or HTML doc. You can then send it to services like Dropbox, Google Drive, EchoSign, CudaSign and Lob. You can also send the merged document anywhere via email.

KIM’S BOTTOM LINE: We use WebMerge as a piece of our automated quote and contract signature process because it saves us hours and hours over doing it manually. -KIM

8. Easy Integrations – Zapier

Zapier is an inexpensive and easy way to make 3rd party apps chat with each other over coffee without the need to know how to code.

Operating along a very simple “If-This-Then-That” logic, Zapier will use your triggers to fire your actions without the need for any manual oversight.

Though not entirely free (premium apps come at a small cost), Zapier is nonetheless affordable and, frankly, well-worth any expense it may incur given how valuable it is as an integration service.

Not sure which app you might want to take advantage of?—Checkout the Popular Zaps section for fresh and trending ideas.

KIM’S BOTTOM LINE: For $14/mo, the number of basic (but really useful) integrations you can do with Zapier makes this a staple in my Infusionsoft toolkit. -KIM

9. Reporting – Graphly
Graphly just won the 2015 Battle of the Apps – so you know they must be doing something right – and they are the first-ever dashboard reporting tool built exclusively for Infusionsoft.

Whether you’re looking for a department-specific tool or something that can monitor the various segments of your business, Graphly can tackle any imaginable reporting need. From monitoring web traffic and lead-sources to meticulously measuring funnel conversion and sales rep performance, Graphly will help you optimize your operation.

Custom charts and graphs are completely encouraged but prefabricated reporting templates are also available for those who need them.

When it comes to accessibility, Graphly makes sure your data is available when and where you need it.

KIM’S BOTTOM LINE: Reporting has always been a gaping hole in Infusionsoft functionality. The guys over at Marketing Maven just brought Infusionsoft reporting out of the dark ages! It’s new so I expect lots of cool features and functionality int he future. -KIM

10. Training – The Art of Campaign Building Foundations Course

We are admittedly biased on this one but The Art of Campaign Building Foundations Course is the best in-depth Infusionsoft training available.

If you want “an inch deep and a mile wide”, there are other courses out there that provide that. But if you want to understand how to take the engine of Infusionsoft, the Campaign Builder, and harness every ounce of its power to propel your business, this is the course.

KIM’S BOTTOM LINE: Infusionsoft is like a race car. Yes, you can probably figure out how to putt down your street in your race car. But it isn’t what it is designed for and it is a waste of money. Your SUV or your Prius will get you around just fine. On the other hand, you wouldn’t drive your race car in a Grand Prix without some instruction. But once you have it, you can make that race car do some amazing things. That is what my Foundations course is all about. -KIM

Kim’s 5 Most Influential Books of 2015

We are 5 months into the year and Kim is on a reading-roll!

Of the books she’s read thus far, 5 have motivated her to take decisive action for the benefit of our entire API Guys Team.

So, if you’re looking to beef-up on your reading and make a positive change in your life this summer, here are Kim’s 5 Most Influential Books of 2015 to-date…

1) The One Thing

In The One Thing, you’ll learn how to:

  • Cut through clutter
  • Achieve greater results in less time
  • Cultivate momentum
  • Dial-down stress
  • Overcome overwhelm
  • Boost your energy
  • Stay on-track
  • Master what matters to you

Declare your One Thing and go for it!

Learn more about The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results

2)  The Miracle Morning: The Not So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM)

You’ve probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?

Well the morning is the most important time of the day!

The Miracle Morning will help you learn how to get-up and get-it-done each and every morning.

Life begins before 8:00 AM—Start transforming your world while the rest of us are still in bed by reading The Miracle Morning.

Learn more about The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM)

3) Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It

A mind-blowing glimpse into the dark side of technological innovation, Future Crimes highlights the dangers of our increasingly connected world.

Provocative without being paranoid, Future Crimes demonstrates how we can safely rein-in tomorrow’s tech and harness it for the betterment of humanity before it’s too late.

Learn more about Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It

4) Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time

When Kim closed the final chapter on this book, she immediately added a Scrum Coach to our team here at The API Guys Team.

The strategies of Scrum have taught us to “fail-forward,” to keep moving in the right direction until the failures evolve into successes.

Since applying Scrum to The API Guys, our productivity has soared and the Infusionsoft Cant’s have been blasted into Infusionsoft Cans!

Learn more about Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time

5) The 4-Hour Work Week

How does Kim run a blooming business, farm and polo club with only 24-hours in the day?

By successfully applying the strategies learned in the 4-Hour Work Week!

Reading the 4-Hour Work Week has helped Kim get comfortable with teaching the Foundations Course, Mastery Course and running The API Guys, while in the middle of polo season!

If the 4-Hour Work Week can help Kim master THAT schedule, it can probably help you with yours

Learn more about The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Expanded and Updated)

There you have it, Kim’s 5 Most Influential Books of 2015 thus far. If you’d like to learn more about any of these books or how we have used them to turn Infusionsoft Can’ts into Cans, please shoot us an email we’d love to hear your feedback!

–The API Guys

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