Invest Nothing - Get Nothing
People ask me all the time why I write articles. They ask me
questions like:
What makes you such an expert?
Where do you learn this Internet stuff?
How long have you been doing this "Internet thing"?
How much money have you made and then they want to see my bank
account figures?
I write articles based on a simple philosophy. I take what works
and use it to impart some sanity into the crazy hyped up world
of Internet marketing. I also apply what I have learned to the
running of an my Home based business.
The Internet can be a very impersonal. Sometimes it seems almost
sterile in its approach. Everywhere people are trying to sell
something. Buy this - buy that - buy mine don't buy the other
guys because it sucks, etc.
When you don't buy then they get insulted. If the majority of
these so-called Internet sites were real world brick and mortar
stores they would be forced to close their businesses within the
first few weeks, or months.
Why?
For one of following two reasons:
1) The law would shut them down for making such wild, and false,
advertising claims. (Note: That is exactly what the FTC is
starting to do to websites!)
2) The store owners would run off the majority of their
potential customers with their carnival, take the money and run,
style of hawking their inferior goods or the same goods you will
find on hundreds of other sites.
Occassionally I get an email from one of my readers asking me
for advice on one of the many "categories" of Internet
marketing. The bottom line of every question I get is how to be
"SUCCESSFUL" in working from home and marketing on the Internet.
The thing that intriques me most is that these people who write
to me never want to spend any money or invest any of their time
to be successful. All they want is some magical formula that
will give them instant "riches". They are hardly ever willing to
spend one thin dime or invest any of their time at all.
People don't seem to think they need to educate themselves about
every facet of online marketing. All they want is for someone to
hand them the answers on a silver platter. No work or investment
in time or money to learn how to market - another words they
aren't willing to do anything.
The kicker is that people are actually convinced that you can do
NOTHING to become rich except throw up an inept website.
Then within a few weeks they'll make a fortune and retire!
I would like to share with you the typical email that I get
where a reader is asking for help. I'll get a request for some
information on the tricks to being a success with an online
business.
The first thing I usually do is to ask the person some
questions. The questions I ask are always the same. They are:
- Exactly what are you promoting?
- Is it an Affiliate program(s) or is it your own program, book,
etc. and if its an Affilaite program are you promoting more than
one?
- How long have you been trying Internet marketing?
- What is your website url?
- What is your Alexa site ranking?
- Who is your webhost provider?
- How are you advertising (Traffic exchanges, classified ads,
FFA sites, ezine ads, PPC)?
- What tools do you use to learn from (special membership sites,
ebooks, ezines you read on a regular basis, on-line study
courses, information sites, etc.)?
- How many hours a day are you devoting to your marketing
efforts?
- Why did you get into Internet Marketing in the first place?
- Exactly what are your specific 1 month, 3 month, 1 year goals
and 5 year goals. What would you like to get out of your efforts?
- Is this a hobby, a passion or a pure profit motive?
Rarely is anyone able, or willing, to answer more than two or
three of these questions. If you've read my past articles you
know how strongly I believe in setting aside some time every day
to learn and grow your knowledge.
I usually reply back with some of the things the person needs to
do to grow their business. Then more likely than not I get some
terse reply of why I'm not giving them some secret formula. Or a
personal attack on me because I choose NOT to brag about how
much money I may have made in my own Internet marketing efforts.
My answer to that is a simple one. I would rather leave this
world with many friends and colleagues that know, and trust me,
than to put an few thousand in the bank by being dishonest and
bilking people.
On all of my websites you will find my full contact information
- including my actual address and telephone number. If you look
at a 1,000 sites you'll be lucky to find this same information
on more than a couple of dozen other websites. Why?
People think they can throw up a website with a sales page, sell
you something, collect the money and run. No bother, no REAL
guarantee, no responsibility - nothing. If that is what you
think then you too are in the category of:
Invest Nothing - GET NOTHING
I often get the feeling that those who write me don't want to
listen OR learn - they just want some magical quick fix! Being a
successful netprenuer is not a given...You MUST EARN your
success.
As I said in an earlier article "What is more important - Time
or Money" it WILL take some of each. You can spend more money
and take a little less time - OR visa-versa. However, your best
results will be if you spend the time AND some money!
When I started my own Internet marketing I set a budget of how
much money, and time, I was going to use for all of my marketing
efforts. It was a very small budget, and it still is, but it was
what I knew I could afford. I have actually spent most of my
marketing budget learning the ends and outs of Internet
marketing and very little on actual paid advertising.
You have heard me say this before I ALWAYS have been and will
continue to always be a student. I am taking a small amount of
my earnings each month and adding to my training, knowledge and
promotional efforts.
One of the most important things I have learned is that NOT ONE
of the six figure earners ever got where they are by taking
shortcuts. They have all invested lots of time and/or money into
their efforts, albeit some more than others. The point is this
NO Effort = NO RESULTS!
If all you want is a free ride, the lazy way out, money for
nothing and kicks for free, as the song says it so well! Then
all you'll get is nothing! You only get back what you put into
your business.
Invest Nothing = Get Nothing!