Well after all my posts about how tracking is a revelation for me, I come to realize that I am a dumbass.
I FINALLY went back a couple of months and tracked reports of my PPC campaigns only to find out that “eyeball tracking/reporting” does not work. My campaigns have been running on fumes….. I barely broke even over the last 2 months or so (for PPC).
The main reason i did not know why, was because it takes routine disciple to copy, paste & analyze your profits & expenses. Which is why I hated accounting – too repetitive. Ironically, I’m good at it, so I thought I was doing it right in my head. Well over the long run, after spending & making thousands of dollars over the last 2 months, I’m losing about $240 dollars in my PPC portfolio.
I wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t sat out the last week to write out a macro that would take my expenses from the PPC Networks, place it in my tracking spreadsheet, download my commissions from the affiliate networks, upload it to Xtreme Conversions, and download it to my tracking spreadsheet, which automatically calculates my P&L statement for me on a daily basis. (Whew!) Now you see why I didn’t want to do it manually. And why I hated accounting -that’s what they made me do for month end reporting. Now I’m doing it for me and it feels good to see what’s been going wrong. So I lowered my bids to see if my profit margin increases. I thought I was making more because by “eyeballing it”, i was counting my commissions from free traffic sources for the same items, which made me think I was making more than I actually was. Tracking separates them and truly gives you the full picture. All I can say is thank goodness for XC and for Gauhers PPC Formula spreadsheet.
Moral of the story? track yo shit!!!!!
Now what am I exited about? PPV! No tracking problems there. I only allowed myself to begin once I had a tracking system in place beforehand. So I see now a few things. It’s amazing some of the ‘tricks’ I discover when I try to brainstorm for myself on ways to make more money. And ways to get around certain problems. I mentioned a while back my CAMM (CPA Automatic Money Machine). Well it made a lotta money with some blackhat methods, but eventually I had to cut it off due to….. em… “network concerns” :-P.
Well i’m exited because I actually found a way to overcome those concerns, but I stopped using the system. I just realized that some problems I’ve have on another front, can be solved by using the method for overcoming the CAMM problem.
Meaning… if you can’t eat steak with a spoon, dont throw the spoon away…. you might need it later to scoop up the gravy……………….. or some philosophical bullshit like that…….
Actually I made it up lol. you like? Good. me too.
Well i kept the spoon, and am about to use it for some gravy (another method), hence the exitement.
