Go for the knockout.
Perhaps one of the complaints I have with most internet
marketing sites is that they all have a typical look. They say
the same things with a similar font, highlighter and crazy
claims. It's almost like there is some mediocre web designer
somewhere who is making a killing!
At the height of the first internet craze while business
fundamentals where tossed to the wind, companies where certainly
innovative. Ideas were the currency, and a great idea - long
before execution, could make you millions. It wasn't ok to
simply have a site, you had to stand out. Sure they had more
sizzle than substance but now we have some stuff under the hood
but little "Wow!" factor.
I challenge you to step away from the computer, quite trying to
duplicate someone's success story. It's great to know that such
success is possible and the methods and best practices of those
who did it, but chart your own path! I bet a few readers would
rather lead the pack than simply join it.
With so many sites and tons of content, simply being another
site hoping to share a part of the money pot is - boring. If you
are going to put in the effort - why not do something
outstanding. Let me take a few steps back. It's important to
take baby steps when you are starting, and those steps may not
be innovative or ground breaking, but let your vision be out of
this world.
Walt Disney was very non-traditional in his thinking. Many
business geniuses are ridiculed early in their carets. The press
doubted the potential of Disneyland - they called it "Disney's
Folly".
If you have a crazy idea that you dare to share - expect some
ridicule. Imagine telling family and friends that you are going
to start an internet business where you give everything away
free. That's right, free. That's what a small company called
Hotmail set out to do with their email platform. They were
first, they were free and these isn't anyone reading this
article who doesn't know someone with a Hotmail account or at
least heard of it. Hotmail understood what would be outstanding
in the late nineties. Take a service that people pay for,
improve upon it and give it away free. They sell ads on the
site, so many that Microsoft decided to get in the action and
rather than compete, simply bought them out and repackaged it as
we now know it.
The "find what people are paying for on the Internet and give it
away free" concept is still good, but to be wildly successful
you may need something more. What would that be? That's the
million dollar question, rather if you come up with the answer
you may stand a chance of turning that idea into a few zeros!
Having said all this, you have to start somewhere - even better,
start with someone who has show some success, so find a mentor
who has shown some success, so find a mentor and learn the
ropes. Then jump in the ring with the intention of scoring a
knockout!