No, I’m not going to give you any “secrets” that’ll make you millions overnight, and I’m not going to sell you anything. What I am going to do is point out a few of the biggest reasons why people fail at internet marketing – in my opinion.
I’ve been doing IM for a couple of years now, and it’s been one hell of a journey. When I started, I knew literally nothing about anything, but I saw a lot of potential that absolutely needed to be tapped. I just didn’t know how to tap into it….
So, I started searching.
Searching, and spending A LOT of money on “guru” programs that ultimately did not help – except for a couple. After about 6 months of this, I finally found a place that taught what I felt was “legit” info. But, I was arrogant, and I thought I could stray from the path and still beat the odds. It didn’t happen. During that time, I learned of 2 major areas where IM newbies make massive mistakes.
“I Know Enough”
I spent an entire year doing things wrong, wasting money, and more importantly wasting my time. The program that was laid out for me was very simple to follow along with, but I let my ego take control and I felt that “I can do it better”. This is usually the first place where people go wrong.
One of the most common mistakes that a huge portion of IM newbies makes is believing that they know it all. They’ll learn for a month and instantly believe they’re a guru without even making a sale. This breeds complacency which will ultimately ruin any hope you had at achieving success.
If you’re just getting into IM, it’s safe to say that you know nothing about it. Even if you’re already a successful salesperson in another industry, most of those skills are not applicable in IM. Don’t get caught in the “I know everything” vortex, because unless you’re banking more than a few thousand $ a month through IM, chances are you don’t know nearly enough. Even the most experienced internet marketers will admit that they don’t know enough, or that they’re not finished learning.
“I’ll Do It Tomorrow”
Procrastination kills online businesses. There’s no other way to put it.
Consider the fact that if you have an idea, chances are that someone else has that same idea. If you don’t take action and put your plan into motion, your competition probably will and you’ll be the one left saying “I should have…” or “I wish I had…”
Too many potentially great internet marketers are held back by procrastination until they lose all inspiration and eventually call it quits – don’t be like them and don’t let yourself be held back by procrastination.
Folding Too Soon
The second biggest mistake IM newbies make is giving up too soon. I don’t know how many people I’ve met who have had absolutely amazing ideas that would have made them copious amounts of coinage, only to see them give up after a few months… IM is not easy, and chances are high that you won’t make anything in your first 6-months or longer – but if you stick it out and keep pounding out the high-quality content with the aim to help your readers, the sales will start to roll in.
Seriously, I’ve networked with people who have had IM ideas that would have changed their lives entirely, if only they had held on for just a little longer. BUT, with that said, you also have to know when to fold and find a new idea. If you’ve been pushing a website for two years and it’s not making any sales, maybe it’s time to find a new niche.
I was in this position myself not too long ago. I had been working on a website for over a year, it had almost 200 posts, but the market sucked and my target demographic didn’t like buying online – so it was a bad choice in terms of actually making money online. So, I had to make the decision to close the doors and pursue another avenue, which was when I found my gem that’s been making me a considerable amount of money each month since.
Making the decision to close up that site was the best choice I’ve ever made. It was my 2nd niche site that I had attempted and my second failure. I had a lot of mind to just say “nope” and quit trying to force this whole IM thing. I’m glad I didnt, because you know what they say, the third time is the charm.
Had I given up, I would never have launched my third site, and I would still be working 9-5 for a boss who didn’t give a crap at a company with no future.
Chasing Cash
You’ll never make a penny online if the only thing you’re concerned about is making a dollar. But, you’ll never make a dollar if you’re not thinking about making 10.
The mindset of “getting rich quick” is probably the worst possible thing you could have when diving into IM. Seriously, it’s comparable to the dark side and it causes people to do things that could be considered “scammy” or just plain annoying. We all have those people on our Facebook friends list who constantly spam about their new MLM product… So I’m sure you know what I mean.
Instead of chasing cash, you have to genuinely try to add enough value into your content that it might actually help someone. It doesn’t matter what you’re writing / talking about, it has to add value. Once you’re focused on actually helping people, the sales will start trickling in until so many start coming in that you don’t know what to do.
Above all else, you have to be focused on helping the people who are reading your content.
When Do They Succeed?
Internet marketing is a rough industry with immense levels of competition. Sometimes your less desirable competitors will even pay for your website to be maliciously attacked (seriously). So, how do we succeed in such a ruthless industry? By persevering.
Pushing through whatever crap comes your way is the only real way to get anywhere in IM – and there will be a lot of crap, trust me. It’s not going to be easy, and it’s not going to happen overnight, but if you can keep yourself on one path, without letting yourself get discouraged, then you stand a good chance of tasting some kind of success. But, don’t forget what I said about knowing when to fold, because some ideas just won’t turn a profit no matter how hard you try.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, IM is a very plausible avenue to make money online, but it has to be done right. If you’re getting into IM with the mindset that you can instantly start banking mad amounts of cash because you feel that you’re a genius, take a step back and reevaluate.
If you’re maybe thinking about quitting because you haven’t made a sale yet, weigh your options! Don’t fold just because you haven’t made a sale in your first few months, because no one ever makes a sale that soon. IM is a marathon, not a sprint, you absolutely have to be in it for the long-haul or you’ll never see that finish line or taste any kind of real success.
Internet marketing isn’t a way to “get rich quick”, and it’s definitely not for everyone. But, if you can avoid these 4 bad habits, then you’ll be off to a good start. Keeping motivated and persevering are your two keys to success in this cutthroat industry.
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