Today I found the solution. Encourage MORE shedding! As stupid as this sounds, here’s why: dog hair cleans up oil spills. A San Francisco nonprofit is making mats out of dog hair, for use in cleaning beaches and harbors after toxic oil spills. Go here to learn more: www.MatterofTrust.org

Check out their cool video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwQOD_Ir2vQ

Enjoy,

John

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Website: www.cleoPatrasChoice.com

Alex sells beauty products online and runs a very successful company.

I’m going to critic the website from Top-Right all the way down to bottom-left, try your best to follow with me.

The top right has the logo, the website slogan, and 800 number. Traditionally the 800 number should go on the right hand side of the page. Humans read from left to right, and you want the call-to-action to always be on the right hand side because again we read from left-to-right and we’ll end up on the right side, by nature.

The “join us on facebook” logo is taking up too much real estate. Make it smaller and move it to the right.

The “search” feature (the the left side) is isolated and doesn’t really look like it belongs there. Plus it’s prime real-estate, so I’d move the search feature to the upper-right corner.

The left hand navigation is also taking up prime real estate: make the upper-navigation bar a drop-down menu, which will leave more space for products, etc.

The main image of a woman looking away is good, however she’s promoting anti-aging cream so a “before and after” campaign of a women with wrinkles and then another picture of her without wrinkles would probably send a bolder message to the prospect.

Also shows “regular price $134“. This should be bigger and it should be slashed out with an “X”.
This goes for every other product that says “on sale for $”. It should show the original price, then slashed out and show the sale price.

I’m not getting any “sense of urgency” when I go to this web site. What about a “March Madness” sale or a “Spring Sale”. Something that motivates me to buy TODAY and not TOMORROW.

The images of “add to bag” and “get more details” are lacking the finesse of a more sophisticated web site. If he adds a better image it’ll probably get more clicks.

The customer review at the bottom of the page should be high up in the page. Testimonials are huge selling points! Move the testimonial to middle of the page, and add the customer’s picture.

The web site is missing “seals”. Add a “verisign seal” for starters.
The web site is also missing a “best seller” section. Which is another thing, at this point in your business, Alex, I hope you’re only adding images of your best sellers at the top of the page.

Alex says he’s going to do a redesign in a couple of months, so when he does I’ll post the results here.

Best,
John

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I’m posting this here because I got a ton of emails from my VIP clients regarding last week’s mastermind.

1. Ankush is back tomorrow.
2. We will begin teaching you how to create campaigns on Facebook starting this week.
3. If you’re a VIP client, we’ll have Benny set this up for you if its in your agreement.

Since the call is private - FYI you will be getting an email today or tomorrow with the new schedule.

Best,

John & Ankush

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This guy is probably the best web designer I’ve seen in a very long time. Aside from Hai, who’s my personal web designer.

Not many of you know this but I’m pretty good at web design. I started designing web sites back in 1999 and I’m very savvy when it comes to photoshop.

My favorite tools to use for web design are:
1. Dreamweaver. Which is a web development application originally created by Macromedia, and later purchased by Adobe.
2. Photoshop. Used to edit graphics and images.

I’m also very savvy when it comes to PHP and Perl code. Although I’m a lot better with PHP.

So what’s the purpose of this blog post?
To inform (or remind) you that learning web design is still critical. Yes, there are a lot of cookie-cutter web sites out there that look great and function just as good as original ones. But what if you want to update it? What if you want to change the color scheme, the layout, the font, etc?

The first business I ever started was 15rounds.com, a boxing web site that is still in business today, after 9 years online (since 2001). I learned web design by starting the web site, going on forums and blogs, and portals and pushing traffic to the web site, organically. Not via PPC, but rather via SEO. Back in 2001 there were only 4 boxing sites out there, today there are over 1,000. But still one of the most respected new sources in boxing is still 15rounds.com. I’ve personally interviewed Mike Tyson, Oscar de la Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, and many others. In fact, one summer day I spent the afternoon hanging out with Mike Tyson at his house in Phoenix (circa 2005).

I love the story of 15rounds.com because I didn’t spend a dime on marketing, such as PPC or banner advertising. It was strictly article writing.

You want to know what the coolest perk of 15rounds.com was? It wasn’t the thousands of dollars we were making every month from this web site, it was the media credentials. I got to sit RINGSIDE for every, single fight. Keep in mind, to watch Oscar de la Hoya in a mega-fight, it could run you upwards of $15,000 for a seat. I was getting them for free because I was part of the press.

Today the web site is updated around 10 times per day with the latest boxing coverage around the globe.

Back to web design…..Okay, so that could’ve never happen if I didn’t know web design. I was 20-years-old at the time and I didn’t have a single penny to my name, therefore I had to learn how to do this all by myself.

Moral of the story: LEARN WEB DESIGN!!

Bonus: If you’re open to having your web site evaluated by me, with open and honest feedback, then post your web site and I’ll give you a free evaluation of your website. I’ll tell you what it needs, what it’s missing, and everything else you need to have in order for your web site to convert or keep the reader entertained!

Post your web site on this blog for a free critic.

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October turned out to be one of the best experiences of my entire life. I got to see, walk, sleep, and eat in the Amazon jungle. I got to hang out in Kapawi, which is located in the Amazon basin, and be so far removed from western civilization. They didn’t have electricity so your laptop and cell phones do not work. No contact whatsoever with the modern world. I got to meet Achuar indians who live in the jungle. The Achuar men hunt during the day and they have lots of kids - some have around 20. A majority of the Achuar indians don’t have a clue about their age, unlike modern civilization we have access to a calendar, they don’t keep track of the days of the week or date. I recommend this trip to anyone who is into ADVENTURE. This trip is not for the faint-of-heart. For instance, if you’re one of those people who cannot stand humidity or very warm weather, or sleeping under a insect net to protect you from getting bitten by a mosquito, or not being able to use your phone or laptop, or watch T.V., then this trip is DEFINITELY not for you. This trip will take you out of your comfort zone - but you’ll come out strong and braver than ever.

I also spent 1 week in the Galapagos islands. There is nothing in the world quite like the Galapagos. I got to swim with sea lions, walk around with iguanas, bird watch, snorkel, and of course the blue-footed boobies. I recommend this trip to anyone - for adventure or just to sit by the beach and lay down with sea lions and iguanas. The water is torquoise, the sand is white, and view is breath-taking. HIGH RECOMMMENDED.

I also spent a couple days in Quito, which is the capital of Ecuador. The old town of Quito resembles Spain  - the catholic church spent a lot of money building the cathedral in Quito. I also had the chance to walk into La Compania church in Quito. On entering the temple one is dazzled bye the marvelous harmony of baroque richness and balance, all in gold. Floor to ceiling all in gold. Unfortunately they don’t allow cameras inside the church so I couldn’t take a picture of it.

This trip opened my eyes to a different world - a world I didn’t know existed, but thrilled to have discovered it. My father was born in Ecuador, and I also had the chance to visit a school that was named after my grandmother.

Next week I’m going to Paris, France. I’ll be spending New Years there.

I want to end with my goals that I started this year - give you an update on what I did or didn’t do.

1.    Open my bar: This got pushed on the back-burner. I just had way too much going on in 09 and 2010 looks busier than ever. It has always been a dream of mine and I will keep this on my list for “THINGS I MUST DO”.

2.    Hiking once a month: LOL. NOPE. NOT EVEN ONE HIKE.

3.    Learn to surf: Look at #2.

4.    Attend 16 marketing seminars around the globe: Attended 18, 12 of which I hosted.

5.    Visit the Galapagos: YES!!!!

6.    Visit a part of Mexico that I never been before: DAMN IT!!

7.    Visit a part of the U.S. that I never been before. YES!! WASHINGTON, D.C.  I will definitely return very soon.

8.    Read a new book every week on my Amazon Kindle – write a blog about the book on JohnRaygoza.com: I read around 30 books this year. Favorite one was an oldie-but-goodie by David Olgivy: Confessions of an Advertising Man. Highly recommended.

9.    Feed 1,000 people on Skid Row: YES!!!

10. Create a mentorship program for underprivileged kids in Los Angeles: NO!

11. Visit my brother in Omaha and his new baby: NO!

12. Create a 401K plan for PushTraffic employees: After seeing what happen to 401K’s during the recession, our company decided it was not in our best interest.

13. Get up each morning at 6 a.m. – including weekends:  I do this like 4 times a week now - some days I sleep in but I’m waking up super early now. Thanks to Vanessa of course.

14. Go to sleep each night at 10 p.m. including weekends: Again, Thanks to Vanessa.

15. Buy an Aston Martin, Ferrari, or Lamborghini: I got something money can’t buy: A baby! I also got engaged this year to Vanessa and lets face it….i wanted those cars because they were chic magnets. But I found the love of my life and she’s way sexier than all of those cars combined.

All in all, I learned one very important lesson from the man up above. When you plan, GOD laughs!

Just roll with the punches!

 Best,

John Paul Raygoza

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September has been the busiest month of the year - it’s the end of summer, the 3rd quarter, and the last month this year that I get to spend entirely at home….which I really enjoy. So this is how the rest of my year looks…

In October I’m going to Miami, Florida; Quito, Ecuador; Galapago Islands; and the Amazon jungle. I love adventures so this is one trip I’m really going to enjoy.

When I get back home I’m flying back to the East coast for 3 days in New York.

And to top of the year, my fiance and I are spending Xmas and New Years in Paris!

If you don’t hear from me much, it’s because I’m traveling.

Best,

John

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The consequences were obvious: I put on more weight. Well after watching my beautiful fiance eat healthy every single day I decided it was time for me to get on a real diet. I’m proud to say that I can count how many alcoholic drinks I had in the month of August with one hand. I work out 3 times a week now with my boxing trainer, I hired a nutrionist, and I eat Vegan 6 days out of the week.

The result? I’ve dropped 8 pounds in less than 30 days. I feel great and I found a new cuisine I never thought would fit my dining taste: Vegan.

Vegan food actually taste like regular food. Try My Vegan in Pasadena and order their Orange Chicken (they don’t use real chicken but it taste the same) if you don’t believe me. The great part is that I don’t feel guilty for eating orange chicken.

So I still have 120 days left in the year to get to my desired weight: 185 pounds of lean muscle!

I don’t think I ever mention how I cap my weekends off - It’s a great way to end a weekend and start a new one. I go get a massage. I’ve been doing this since I was 21 - I’m a spa junkie….Vanessa loves this about me. She looks forward to Sunday evening because we head to our favorite spa in L.A. - Pho-Siam. It’s located in Echo Park (an area in the city of L.A…..and where I was born). Make sure you book an appointment because that place is always packed. If you arrive their you’ll see a bunch of expensive cars parked outside - giving you the impression that this spa is going to be costly. Not so, it actually cost $40 for a one hour treatment. The service and treatment is amazing….you’re not going to get your normal spa services, like steam room and sauna, but you’re going to reward your body with a relaxing massage. Not bad if you consider that it cost $160 for a one hour treatment at Burke Williams.

Off to watch a movie now, have a great day!

Best,

John Raygoza

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I’m going to add a new category to my blog called “Photography”. I talk food, I talk business, and now I’m gonna talk photography. It’s a much easier task then guitar lessons I’ve been taking ; )

Photography can be intimidating if you don’t know the basics - I’m going to make this very basic for you. I carry a journal with me - in that journal I take notes of things I’m involved in….Everything in this journal is written down in very simple steps because I don’t believe in complicating things that are simple.

That being said, all you have to know in photography is ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture.

ISO changes how quickly the sensor absorbs light - basically the lower the ISO, the less quickly it has to absorb light. If you’re outdoors the range is normally 100-200.

Shutter Speed: Length of time shutter is open for light to get through. Higher shutter speed means the shutter is open for less time. This will effect the sharpness of the image because it captures speed. Indoor shutter speed should be around 400-500. The lower the shutter speed is, the more grainy your picture will come out.

Aperture: (F-number) - Measurement of how wide the shutter opens up when you take the shot. This is for focusing on the object -you can handle what objects will be in focus in your photo.

Now let me show you this stuff in action…

Picture Settings (Above):
Shutter: 1/250 or (250 for canon users)
Aperture: f/3.5
ISO: 250
The shutter is setting is causing too much light to come in - that’s why you can’t see the mountains in the background or the beautiful smoggy LA sky ; )

Photo settings (above):
Shutter: 1/400 (or 400 for canon users)
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO: 200

The big difference was changing the Shutter to 1/400. You can see the mountain in the background.

That’s all for now…fiance is asking me to get ready to go out in the town. As if it takes me as long as her to get ready (1 hour).

Best,

John

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YXTA - It’s on Central & 6th - not the best location to have a restuarant but definitely worth visiting. The food is great - and service is good! Order their enchiladas! I’ve been their 3 times - my favorite are the enchiladas rancheras.

Rosa Mexicana - This place opened 2 days ago - we visited today and we were quite impressed because the restuarant was established in New York and quite frankly I don’t think New Yorkers know anything about Mexican food……they know everything about Italian food, chinese food, Puerto Rican food, but when it comes to Mexican food, nobody holds a candle to Los Angeles. I was dead wrong!

Rosa Mexicana serves really good food - they make the guacamole at the table, and I ordered the mole enchiladas and they came out really good. Best of all the service is WONDERFUL! Half-way through my diet coke, the waitress brought over a refill without even asking me.

NOTE: These 2 restaurants are for casual dining & great food. I want to be able to walk into a Mexican restuarant from time-to-time with my jeans and t-shirt on. If you want some fine dining Mexican options I would highly recommend Rivera’s on 11th & Flower. Great home-made tortillas & the drinks are the best I’ve ever tasted. And I’ve had a drink in every notable bar/lounge in Los Angeles, and Rivera’s is simply the best. I’ll cover drinks in a different blog.

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I’m going to chill by the pool all weekend, eat, sleep, watch a movie, and eat & sleep some more.

You should do the same!

Best,

John

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