In the current economic climate, there are lots of people asking about how to make money on the Internet, and I hope this will be helpful to anyone considering doing this for the first time. Remember - business on the Internet is much the same as business anywhere else. It takes time and effort if it is going to succeed, and will not make you rich overnight. Also, There are a million and one ways to set up a web business and it's impossible to describe any one of them in great detail here. But different methods suit different people, and you will find a way that suits you. So, I hope it will be helpful to give any Internet business newcomers a few pointers for what to expect and dispel some of the myths. This information would really have helped me when I started out, so I sincerely hope it will help others. 1. It will be a real business, and like any other business you must have the correct mindset to make it work. You will have many "I can't do this!" moments, but DO NOT GIVE UP! It can take six months or more of effort before you start seeing any decent results and you will really need to stick at it with gritty determination! To start with, aim for at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted time every day to put into this venture. It will pay off. 2. It will cost you approximately $30 per month: that's $10 per month to host your website where everyone can see it, and $20 per month for an email autoresponder service. The autoresponder will manage your subscriber mailshots for you. It will also cost around $10 per year to register a domain (website) name. If this seems a lot, compare these costs to those involved starting a conventional business ??“ premises, stock, staff, etc., and it really is peanuts. 3. As a web business beginner, you will need to learn lots of new skills, but this is not difficult and it doesn't matter what your background or work experience is. Pretty well anyone can learn those skills and believe me, once you get into it, it's fun! If you persevere, it is absolutely possible to generate a liveable income and then "drop the day job". If you keep persevering it is possible to make a whole lot more. 4. You'll need to understand why the new skills are necessary to have any chance of using them effectively. Again - this can be learned and it's not difficult! 5. Finally, it's worth knowing that a one-page website is all you need to make money, and you'll need to set one up. But this is one of the new skills you can learn and guess what - it's not difficult! With the right guidance, in just a few hours you can learn to set up your own working web sites from scratch, even if you've never done it before. There's loads of really good information right here on the Work At Home Forum, so do searches for anything you want to know - There's a good chance someone has asked the question before. Or post in the forum to ask - forum members here are really helpful! Feel free to PM me if I can help any more. The only silly question is the one you don't ask! Kind Regards, Mark
This is definitely good advice. Too many people looking for work at home jobs are taken in by the advertising hype of making tons of money fast. They are often conditioned to expect fast results, especially on the Internet. The right mindset is vital. You're in a business. Think like a business owner. You need to work nearly every day to advance or promote your business. And, understand that your business may not be profitable for some number of months. If you need money today to pay your bills, get a real job. If you are looking to a more financially secure future, start a business. The proper mindset is a key ingredient for long term business success.
Thanks Mark! Good advice, especially the part about internet marketing taking time and effort. I had to learn the hard way that nothing comes overnight regardless of what all the IM gurus said. I would often think that a particular method didn't work because I wasn't seeing results straight away like many sales pages said. I would then give up and move onto something else. I have now learned that patience is what makes all the difference!
Many thanks for your kind and constructive comments - much appreciated! It's as much about attitude as anything else! Kindest, Mark.
Solid advice all around! markdudek: Remember - business on the Internet is much the same as business anywhere else. It takes time and effort if it is going to succeed, and will not make you rich overnight. The Internet is NOT a magic kingdom where dreams automactially come true. It may be a digital world but it is a real world with its own rules, systems and peculiarities. You must first understand the lay of the land before you can blaze your own path through it. markdudek: The only silly question is the one you don't ask! That's right! Don't let ego get in the way of getting the correct information to advance your business. Your question only appears silly to you. The other person who is afraid to ask the same question will be happy you had the courage to ask it. HiAchiever: The right mindset is vital. You're in a business. Think like a business owner. You need to work nearly every day to advance or promote your business. And, understand that your business may not be profitable for some number of months. Wise counsel! It's a mistake to confuse an Internet business with a hobby. You need to have a clearly defined business objective in place, along with a set of marketing strategies to help you reach that objective. Then you've got to give yourself reasonable time for those strategies to work for you. JesseK: I have now learned that patience is what makes all the difference! Rome wasn't built in a day! Sometimes it's easy to let expectations get ahead of logic and common sense. Try instead to focus on the results you are getting and let that feedback guide your future actions. Read the tea leaves. Great thread! Hermas
Hi Hermas, Thank you for your input and positive comments! My hope is that this thread should serve as a reality check for anyone hoping to start a business on the internet, web marketing, or whatever you want to call it. The upshot is that there's an awful lot of hype out there and I believe people should be aware of exactly what they are getting into before they start. It's about managing expectations so there'll be no anguish when someone buys into a system and is bitterly dissapointed to find out that they are not going to become rich overnight. Conversely, if people are aware of exactly what is involved, what they are going to have to do, and how long it's going to take, then they have a much better chance of planning for a successful venture. My best advice would be the same as when making any other purchase - research the product first and read some "real life" independent reviews like the ones on this forum before parting with hard-earned cash! Kind regards, Mark.
markdudek: 3. As a web business beginner, you will need to learn lots of new skills, but this is not difficult and it doesn't matter what your background or work experience is. Pretty well anyone can learn those skills and believe me, once you get into it, it's fun! If you persevere, it is absolutely possible to generate a liveable income and then "drop the day job". If you keep persevering it is possible to make a whole lot more. 4. You'll need to understand why the new skills are necessary to have any chance of using them effectively. Again - this can be learned and it's not difficult! Markdudek is given an honest advice. Doing business online or to make money online is not as easy as blown up by many internet marketers. Learning is essential if you are serious about your online business. To success in your online business : To Learn, before you start doing business online. Identify your expertise, Find your niche. Beware of online scams, aware of online business opportunities and learn how to exploit them!
Great Post! I find many people think that to get an Internet Job they give a certain amount of hours and get paid a fixed wage. Just like a 9-5 office job. Many have not considered selling for commission (affiliate) or Building an MLM Business (More selling). It all sounds hard and the word selling, ARGH!!! It is important to open your mind to new ideas and concepts, step out of your comfort zone and dare I say It, Take a risk. People Like Mark above, just make it so easy for everyone, the knowledge is there for the taking if people will open their minds and look to something that is Different from what they are doing now. If what your doing Now is so successful why are you here at a work from Home forum? Be Open to success in a field that may be completely foreign to you. Again Excellent article. ODA
Please i have 2 ads running on facebook with impressions of over 180,000 with 16 and 12 clicks respectively CTR % is 0.012 and 0.020 respectively(yesterday's figures). Clickbank records zero sales. What could be the problem here. Do i need to set up integrated tracking links. If yes, What are the steps to adopt.
I really appreciate markdudek post....Thank you for being honest. Actually, what I have learn about IM is the basic definition of it. What is Internet Marketing?....It is sales. Sales are good for some people and they are bad for others. We will all agree it is a business, but not everyone has a niche for selling or promoting a product. Nor does everyone have the patience to build a business. Unfortunately, the more and more I learn about IM, the more I realize that there are lots of people who are not successful in this business and there are lots of people who are not making money in this business. The IM business can be hard....You will get knock down several times...It's just like how we all learn to walk. We fell down several times before we were even able to balance on two legs and take that first step. You must learn and research, find a good mentor, and always be alert to the game of IM.......
The biggest mistake that I have seen others make in IM in trying to take their customers straight to sales. The real secret is in building a customer list. When you have a large list of people interested in you, then the money starts rolling in. Most people are misinformed when it comes to IM and they think that they can throw up a website and start making money right away.
I would also recommend to a beginner not to give in to information overload. If you are interested in doing squidoo, do that until you know what you are doing and/or making some money from it. If you want to write articles, learn how to do that. Just don't keep jumping from one thing to another, you will go nowhere fast and you will feel that working at home does not work. It does not happen overnight but with consistent effort and sticking with things that work it can be done.
markdudek Hi Mark, It's True, there a lot of snakes out there and all they want is your money. After you buy " The Program" or whatever, you don't now were to start. I'm also 54 years old, I'm disable, living on a small pension and yes I lost some money on these courses that leaves you hanging out dry. All I need is somebody to point me on the right direction. 1,2,3 steps and I'll take it from there. Can anybody recommend me a good autoresponder service com. and a Hosting and Domain. This I now I need. I hope someone can help me out. Mark, Thank you for your well advice and recommendations. Much appreciated. regards, Joe
Mark, thanks for a great article! There are so many ways to make money online. I think we all go through the "honeymoon" stage, when we believe it'll be as quick & easy as the hype promises. And then we realize it's a marathon, not a sprint. Becoming successful online is a long-term investment that takes consistency and persistence. The main thing it takes, though, is TARGETED TRAFFIC. Even the most beautiful website or #1 product is useless unless people know about it (TRAFFIC). And only people want and need our product will buy it (TARGET MARKET). So getting the right people to our sites - and delivering the value we promised them - is our number one goal. It should therefore be our number one activity. However we choose to drive traffic to our site, we should 1) learn & master only one or two traffic activities at a time; and 2) make sure it's something we enjoy doing, as we'll spend LOTS of time doing it! We also can't be afraid to fail. Everybody is bad at first, and that's just part of it. Don't get caught in "analysis paralysis", reading and learning but never getting started. By all means, learn what you can. But get in the game and skin your knees like the rest of us. There's no substitute for experience.
Great advice. Structure is so important to running a successful business online or offline. I have done both and find that keeping organized and having a consistent work schedule is critical to success. I also agree that it is so overwhelming starting out and focusing on one area can keep you on track. Natalie [Link removed - Admin]
The quickest way to make money on the Internet is to sell what's already selling. Find a product that's already have a track record and sell that product. You will began to get plenty of sells. Learn a sell process. Learn how to capture the leads, become friends with the leads, so that you can sell to the leads.
