Taking the plunge
Just last week my brother asked me how he could make money on the Internet. My answer was this: There’s lots of ways to make money on the Internet, and there’s even more ways to LOSE money on the Internet.
Scam artists are just waiting for you
That’s because there are so many scam artists just waiting for inexperienced people to respond to their “make money fast” schemes. These scam artists are very, very good at persuading unsuspecting folks to sign up for their program. And because it’s so cheap to set up a website, the scam artists can have very convincing looking websites that make them look more legitimate than they are.
Internet business requires high attention to detail
The other thing that I told my brother is that all Internet businesses require a lot of work before they start making money, and a lot of attention to detail to maintain that success. ATTENTION TO DETAIL – something that my brother and I both know is not his strength.
My brother’s an idea person, a big picture thinker. Details bore him. At the very least, my brother would need to learn how to outsource (hire other people) the detail work. And for him, even doing that would require too much attention to detail.
Are you suited to an Internet business?
If you’re the type of person who lets mail pile up, or can’t be bothered to check bank statements to make sure all the charges are accurate, and if the idea of analyzing statistics makes your eyes glaze over…then an Internet business probably isn’t for you. Because by definition an Internet business requires paying attention to details.
Think about it – what is the Internet? It’s all about information. So if you’re going to have an Internet business you’re going to be dealing with information – lots of it.
And you’ll need to turn into a bit of a computer nerd
You’re going to need to learn at least the basics of html (that’s the gobbleygook code that makes up webpages), search engine optimization (that’s how to get your websites ranking high in Google), and social media (that’s stuff like Facebook and Twitter).
But the good news is that if you do have good attention to detail, and if you’re willing to put in long hours over a period of a year or more to learn the ropes, you can start an Internet business with relatively little money (compared to a bricks and mortar business).
It doesn’t take a lot of money to start up, but it’s not a get rich quick thing
Wendy Peirsall from Sparkplug.com says that although anyone CAN make money online, not everyone WILL make money online, because making money on the internet takes a long time to learn, and most people give up because it can be extremely frustrating.
So, where do you start? Wendy gives these pointers:
- Pre-packaged programs only work as much as you can customize it and make it unique and your own. Even then, techniques that work for one niche won’t work in all niches.
- Be wary of any “system” that promises instant results (especially anything that sounds like a get-rich-quick scheme!)
- Knowing the basics of html, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), social media, and traditional marketing and sales are a must.
- Every business is made stronger by specializing in a tight niche. Know your audience and stick to it.
Go here to read Wendy’s recommendations for the Top 10 Internet Business Ideas.
| Just Because it’s the Internet, Doesn’t Mean it will Sell There’s something to be said for doing what you love and the money will come but if nobody else loves it but you and your wife, it is not going to sell. Developing an Internet business is the same as developing any other type of business… |
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If a subject in good in marketing, earning through affiliate program is a good idea.
This article is a good one, pointing out the need for discernment in choosing a program to purchase or promote. I have personally bought and tested dozens of business-in-a-box deals or “how to” courses and very, very few are worth the price or the time is takes. For example, recently I came across the “Process Samples for Companies” scam, which comes across sincere as could be and delivers a very thin rundown on affiliate marketing, not worth the time it takes to read. This saddens me because people who are desperate for some way to work from home, who want to learn and are willing to make the effort, are used blatantly when the product does not deliver.
I recommend VAClassroom, which does what it promises, if you do the training, you will have the skill set you need to own your own Virtual Assistant business, focused on niche marketing specialist. Get the education you need, you’ll definitely be able to make money and have fun doing it.
radio publicity
As for coursework, there were some great classes about teaching writing (featuring many of the writers mentioned in the introduction to this blog entry), and an extraordinary course entitled“ Applied Grammar and Usage for Writers,” which despite that y…
Thanks for your thoughts Linda. It is indeed sad how many scams there are on the Internet, praying on desperate people who are perhaps not experienced enough with the way Internet marketing works that they can’t see through the pitches. For example, a lot of people don’t know how autoresponders work, and when they get an email that addresses them by name they think that the marketer has actually written to them personally.