Have you ever really given some thought to why so many people fail as online marketers? On the information superhighway, there are many detours that turn out to be failure traps. One failure trap is an extreme focus on success… so much so that some will fake success — almost guaranteeing they’ll never achieve it.
Back in the day when Run-DMC ruled, it was cool to be a “perpetrator”, but then again Lee jeans, laced up Adidas sneakers and Gazelles were cool too. These days, perpetrating just ain’t cool. There are so many people perpetrating untruths online that it’s becoming harder and harder to decipher the experts from the wannabes.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a newbie Internet Marketer is to pretend to be something you’re not. Think of the first day of high school – how did you know who the freshmen were? They were the ones trying so hard to blend in, that they stuck out like a sore thumb!
Take the road less traveled and be yourself. Seek out like-minded individuals. Do your homework, join Facebook groups, visit forums and attend offline events to meet people who are a few steps ahead of you online. Research everything before you write about it and get your name out there. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be afraid to question the answers.
FRUGAL DOESN’T MEAN SKIMPING ON THE THINGS YOU NEED
The Internet caused a communication boom that left the printing press in the dust. What this means is that anything and everything that you need to learn about is out there, floating around in hyperspace. Newbies often fall victim to the hype of FREE online riches. Let’s face it, these days most of us are on a tight budget and no-one can blame you for trying to save a few dollars here and there. Keep one thing in mind: “freedom isn’t free.” Financial freedom costs and it will require a significant investment of your time and money in order to build an online business that will be fruitful for years to come.
Most of those hyped up websites that seem too good to be true usually are. Don’t get me wrong, there are a great number of inexpensive eBooks and software products out there that serve an important purpose. Many of them will be required learning tools on your path to online success. But don’t put all your eggs in one basket! There are thousands of methods for making money online but every sales page will have you believe that theirs is the only one that matters. Invest in quality products only after you’ve done your homework and determined that they are exactly what you need at this precise phase of building your business. Collecting scores of freebie products will only pull you in multiple directions and clog up your hard drive.
You may want to find a mentor and follow their system. Learn what tools they prefer AND why. This will help you discover exactly what items you can get for a low cost and what you should spend more on. (HINT: Quality web hosting is a good investment.) If you know the business model that will lead to success, you’ll be able to calculate the expenses and budget accordingly.
STOP TRYING TO MAKE MONEY BEFORE PROVIDING VALUE
Everyone wants to be an instant millionaire but, in the famous words of Mr. Miyagi, “must have patience Daniel-san.” If you are struggling to make money it’s because you’re in such a rush to make a sale. Internet Marketing is a calculated and meticulous process that requires you to build a brand for yourself. Finding buyers is difficult when you’re just trying to push your products on anyone who will buy them. Become a person of value first and the buyers will find YOU.
How do you become a person of value? Stop charging for stuff. Give away your best material and share your insights with the world. Become a resource that people trust and turn to time and time again. This is when the law of attraction takes over and business flourishes. Selling online is not the same as real-world trading. Remember, flowers give nectar to bees free of charge, and they get pollinated in the process.
KNOW YOUR MARKET INSTEAD OF GUESSING YOUR NUMBERS
As a newbie, you may want to focus your first marketing efforts on time-tested methods and products rather than try to invent the next MySpace. Chances are you’re not going to jump onto the scene and change Internet landscape with a revolutionary product launch on day one. It takes time to learn all of the moving parts of the business, build the relationships, and create the vision that will lead to massive success.
Internet Marketing is a numbers game; everything deals with numbers and trends. The more you study the numbers the better your decisions will be. Guessing conversion rates and keyword searches will only stunt your progress. Fortunately, you can do research to determine your target audience’s size and you can do small scale testing before a big launch to ensure your success.
Use careful market research and small-scale testing to determine your course. On the Internet, you have to split-test your pages and go with the best possible outcome. That is how good decisions are made and how you build a list of qualified leads. Guesswork on niches, products, and page designs will only lead to frustration and failure.
BE MINDFUL OF HOW MANY SETS OF DIRECTIONS YOU FOLLOW
There’s only one thing more responsible for newbie failure than lack of direction, and that’s TOO MUCH direction. There is so much conflicting information about Internet Marketing floating around in cyberspace that it’s hard to get started at all. Often, a newbie marketer will just purchase a product because it looks good, or because there was a compelling story in the sales letter. More often than not, newbies succumb to a paralyzing ailment known as S.O.S. (Shiny Object Syndrome). They gamble with their money and success by investing hard earned cash in a product that they know nothing about – based solely on hype.
Don’t gamble with your success; don’t let yourself get pulled in multiple directions because every shiny object promises you instant cash. Great products and offers are launched every week, but you don’t have to buy them if it’s not part of your plan. Do your homework, study your niche and research the product before you invest in it.
Many people will struggle with marketing online because they’re trying to do it alone. Without expert guidance or advice, the path will be long, hard and exceedingly expensive. True experts don’t have to brag about their online earnings because their expertise precedes them. They don’t have to hide behind pen names or flashy sales letters and shiny objects. Their products and accomplishments speak for themselves. They are experts. Consider investing in a one-on-one custom mentoring program that addresses your specific needs and concerns.
PRO-TIP: It’s generally better for a newbie to find ONE mentor and study their system. You might want to make sure that whoever you have selected has a consistent record of getting results for students.
DON’T FALL VICTIM TO PARALYSIS BY ANALYSIS
Many newbies are used to studying, whether they’ve attended college or have an immersive hobby. So they may feel the need to study Internet Marketing like they would any other subject. However, there are some who become extremely attached to the learning phase and don’t take action on the execution phase.
Procrastination is basically the desire to defer action until the perfect outcome is assured. The problem is that no matter how good a marketer is, something, or even several things, are going to go wrong during the product launch or during an affiliate campaign. This means procrastinators will never be able to take action because their desired results are impossible.
You will want to study Internet Marketing with a plan to act on what you’re learning as you learn it. If you’re learning how to become an affiliate on JVZoo for example, then when you learn how to set up an account, you may want to set up your account before learning the next concept in your course.
Yes, in the process of taking action, you will have setbacks. Every successful person does. You’ll have to overcome obstacles you didn’t know existed. But the alternative is waiting for the right moment to come to you — and in Internet Marketing, that’s a very long wait.
