So you’re ready to get started online and want to know where to start. Well, you’re off to a great start by choosing to read this post. Below I’ll share with you some advice that I hope will point you in the right direction.
Internet marketing and making money on the internet has many hidden pitfalls that a brand new person still doesn’t know how to avoid that can potentially damage an online career even before it starts. Trust me I know, as well as couple thousand other people.
I guess that’s probably why online marketing, or any type of web entrepreneurship, has such a bad reputation. But this is where we’re going to get you going on the right path.
What Options Do I Have?
There are many different ways to make money online. Some are more popular than others but I’ll share with you the most common methods a new person may choose to start off.
Network Marketing/ MLM
I list this one first because, let’s face it, who doesn’t know what this is right? It’s very probable that this was your first exposure to ways of make money from home.
Every day 100’s of people are joining this type of business and some are actually making it work. But is it the right direction for you?
It’s a known fact in the industry that over 97% fail when it comes to building a livable and dependable residual income with a network marketing business.
If those numbers were true of ketchup sales…do you think anyone would be selling ketchup? Not likely.
However, even with this alarming fact you can still make it work, I’ll show you below.
Affiliate Marketing
So affiliate marketing is simple. I have a product that I sell for $50. I tell you “hey, you go market the product and for every sale you generate you earn 50%.” So you make $25 out of each sale.
It may not seem like much but when you think about getting 100’s of sales everyday (very doable) from different affiliate products it adds up nicely.
The product creator spends all the time and money on creating the product, setting up hosting accounts, producing sales funnels, all you have to do is get targeted traffic to it.
A very profitable direction, but without quality traffic you’re possibly just wasting valuable time and money.
Blog Marketing/Search Engine Optimization
Blogging can be considered a marketing strategy or a business opportunity in itself. Done correctly it has the potential to be more lucrative than any other business type.
With a blog you have a lot of liberties that you don’t get with affiliate marketing or MLM. For one, you actually own the space so you dictate what’s on it.
The way to make money with blogging is by creating content that will show up on search engines, Google being the most important.
When someone goes out and searches for a product or service your blog shows up on the first page providing them with valuable information about what they’re looking for. So how do you make money?
While your blog is providing information it’s also recommending products or services that, you guessed it, make you a commission for every purchase.
These are just a few ways to make money online but I’d say they’re the most common for new internet entrepreneurs.
What To Avoid and Who To Trust
This will shock you but not everyone online is honest church-goers who really care about your online career (insert sarcasm here).
The internet is no different than any other venture. It’s important that you get the right information from the right sources when getting started.
Getting scammed or lied to can destroy your perception of online marketing and kill your possibility of making this work.
Be suspicious when you see bold claims like “Make a million in 2 minutes with my $7 ebook” or similar ridiculous claims. It may sound very attractive but don’t be fooled.
A very smart person a long time ago said if it’s too good to be true it probably is and I’d add that it definitely does online. The only person making money with these types of offers is the person pushing this crap.
Also, be watchful for products or services that focus more on the possibility of making money instead of the actual benefit of the product.
This is very prominent in the MLM/network marketing circle where the product really isn’t worth anything.
The only real attraction to the company is the potential to make money. If a company focuses too much on the compensation plan but not so much on the product I’d recommend to steer clear.
Lastly, don’t always follow the crowd. Majority of marketers online are followers who are looking for a guru to guide them. Dishonest people know this and, like vultures, draw innocent newbies into their traps and take full advantage.
Also, there are times when opportunities are hot for a season and it seems like everyone is into it. It gives the illusion that people are having success. And in the social media age these scams build momentum very fast.
But give it a few months and you’ll see everyone saying they were lied to or lost money…or both.
Know What’s Involved (money, time)
There’s nothing like the excitement of getting into a new business opportunity. I remember when I was first introduced to the wonderful world of Network Marketing and MLM.
It was with a company called Pre-paid Legal and I could see nothing but sunny skies. My dream was about to become a reality.
But then came the reality of actually trying to find people to sponsor. The dreaded list of everyone you know, Thursday “opportunity” meetings, 3-way calls, 3-foot rule, and lastly the rejection.
After 3 months of doing this with no success my upline introduced me to buying leads. Worst advice ever. Paying $5-7 for leads that don’t want to talk to you can crash a checking account quick.
Having a good idea of what you’ll be expected to do is important. Keep in mind that money is only made when a sale is made. And sales are made by people buying something.
Sounds obvious but it can be overlooked. A lot of time gets wasted on many things that have nothing to do with actually making sales.
Here’s what I recommend
I always advise someone new to start with training. Before paying $500+ to get involved in any business opportunity it would be smart to learn how to do marketing.
The great thing is that you can get graduate degree level training for absolutely free.
And not just free 10-min YouTube videos, I’m talking real people who’ve already went through the ugly and are showing you what they’ve already done to succeed.
If you’re looking to create a second income online and don’t know where to start I’d suggest taking a look at my #1 recommendation.
I call it my #1 because it really has everything you need to get started making money and it’s absolutely free to get started.
