By Stuart Reid
If you want to make it BIG in Internet Marketing you
need avoid some
common mistakes. Here's a list of the top ten Pitfalls that catch out
beginner Marketers (and many established ones too!).
The problem is you don't realize you have fallen into one of these
holes until someone points it out. Marketers tend to be stubborn and
suffer from tunnel vision - hopefully these may help you kick a few
bad habits...
1. Procrastination
Putting things off is a killer where this career this is concerned.
You NEED a plan and some kind of time management system in place.
Prioritize your tasks and keep lists of everything that needs doing.
And no matter how much you don't feel like doing something just get
it out of the way and NEVER leave it until the next day!
TIP: Use post-it notes. They are low-tech but work great :-)
2. Striving for Perfection
You'll likely never have a "perfect" website or product but you know
what? It doesn't matter! It's important you get started as soon as
you can and make your site "live". You can tweak things as you go
along and improvements WILL come later - but if you try to get
everything "right" before you start then you'll never start.
TIP: Update your site daily in little ways, it saves doing everything
at once and the search-engines it too.
3. Wasting Money
This one is important. Especially if you don't have money to burn!
Don't get caught up jumping from opportunity to opportunity or buying
everything that lands in your inbox. You'll be surprised how much you
can get for free. Trust me - you don't need half the stuff you see
online. Try to control your emotions and think before you buy. Write
a list of pros and cons, and make sure that the product or service is
essential to YOU.
TIP: Look for reviews by people without a vested interest in the
product and ask questions in forums.
4. Not Spending Enough
Unfortunately you have to spend a little. It won't be much starting
out, but you will need more as you grow. For a start you'll need a
domain, a host, an autoresponder - but these are pretty affordable
these days. The bulk of your expenses will be on promotion, usually
ezine ads or pay-per-click. If you're paying someone to create your
product or you're buying resell rights then this is another expense
(but you can start with free affiliate programs).
TIP: Keep your "Internet Income" separate and re-invest. You'll be
glad you did later.
5. Wrong Markets
This is a tricky one. If you are dead set on conquering a certain
market you could end up on a long and expensive journey that is
doomed to failure. Do some research first. A so-called "niche" market
is a good find but only if this niche will spend money! Other
markets, like Internet Marketing, are very busy BUT Internet
Marketers spend money - and the drive to make money is a strong human
emotion. There's a lot of them around!
TIP: Find something that interests you and use a site like
nichebot.com to see how many searches there are for that subject.
High Traffic and Low Demand are your goal.
6. Lack of Growth
You must continuously grow yourself and expand your mind. Learning is
essential. If you don't you'll be stuck with the same skills and
ideas and you'll never even notice when you are bogged down in
complacency and routine.
TIP: Put some time away each day to read a few articles and browse
some sites. Learning just one new idea a day can increase your
potential rapidly.
7. Doing It Alone
You can do it alone but it is harder, and without support you are
more likely to fail. It doesn't have to be much. On-line forums, for
example, are an amazing source of ideas and encouragement. And with
other people, by forming Joint Ventures or starting your own
affiliate program you can really leverage your efforts and do FAR
MORE than you could ever do on your own.
TIP: Visit forums, message boards and mail lists. Lurk for a while
until you're ready.
8. Going For The Small Money
You ain't ever gonna' get rich selling $20 items. Seriously, include
some higher priced goods and services in your marketing. You'll get
less sales, but more profits. You won't know if they sell until you
try! But don't fall into the trap of selling any old thing because
you get a high commission. Integrity is important, too.
TIP: High ticket sales work better with existing customers who you
already have a relationship with. Try them as a back-end.
9. Separating Life and Work
One of the biggest pitfalls when working from home is the fact that
life can encroach your activities - simply because you ARE at home.
Try to separate the two and have fixed times when you work, and a set
area to do it. Work doesn't have to take over your life, but neither
should you let life interfere with your work.
TIP: Use a spare room or a spare corner and ONLY use it for work.
10. Be Ambitious
You won't know unless you try. Assume you can do *anything* - because
you can! You may not be ready to do it yet, but don't set up mental
blocks in advance. You can create your own profitable items, sell
them well, and have others selling them for you. You can operate a
range of websites, even host seminars, or teach others. YOU CAN.
TIP: Recognize excuses for what they are. If you need help, invest in
a good self-help book.
I hope identifying these pitfalls help you look at yourself
differently. Contrary to popular belief internet marketing is not an
instant path to riches, but it is an achievable one.
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If you begin with a solid
foundation, you increase your chances of success. With that in mind, I’d like
to share some of those truths with you now in an effort to help you get
started on the right foot.
Dispel The Myths And Find Success
The internet has made the dream of owning a business attainable. Products are easy to use, advertising is relatively cheap, customer service has been perfected and research is at your fingertips. So why is it that 98% of internet business fail or are unable to provide business owners with a substantial income?
Top Seven Tips for Making Thousands of dollars instead of Losing Hundreds of dollars on the
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Have faith in your self! maintain a high degree of integrity, help others whenever you can and except help when it is offered. Every persons success begins with a dream, have big dreams and settle for nothing but big Success. Don't procrastinate.
Take action.
Choosing A Business Model For Your Online Business
Whether you already have an online business or would like to start one, developing a business model is a must. A business model spells out how you are going to generate revenue from your business.
