Have you ever seen the trading floor in action on Wall Street? After the opening bell, things get chaotic. People who don't know what's going on might think of it as a riot situation.

It is funny to think that the world economy is so tied to something so seemingly disorganized and inefficient. But it works, somehow, and there are winners and losers each day just like online business owners who "win" and "lose" targeted traffic.

Picture a big group of guys all yelling and trying to get the attention of a couple people, who in turn, are trying to decipher what it is they are buying or selling. You cannot imagine that anyone has an edge over anyone else in this scenario.

Now picture one of the traders being 3 feet taller than everyone else. This guy gets heard and seen above all the others and has better, faster results from his obvious edge over everyone else.

Internet marketing is much like the Wall Street scenario. Everyone is yelling and screaming (with their links and ads) trying to get the attention of their market. It's chaotic yet it is organized in its own way.

The ones to understand how to be the guy who is 3 feet taller than the rest of the crowd are the winners at the end of the day.

This might be from being number one in Yahoo for their keyword, or having a bigger list of subscribers than everyone else in their market niche.

Having the tools to operate in the winner's circle online is like pulling up a chair on the trading floor to see and be seen by more of your market.

In order to stand head and shoulders above the rest you must know your craft and be intimately tied to the changing currents in search engine marketing and other forms of online marketing.

This is your chair that will enable you to out-perform your competition who are below you fighting for scraps, trying to be seen and be heard above the din.

It is impossible these days to be a passive internet marketer. You cannot get the edge in online business without spending time on your craft and learning everyday how to get your site in front of your target market in new and innovative ways.

This is why every successful website owner on the web invests time and energy in continuing education. Most also attend seminars and network with other marketers to keep in-the-know and keep that chair on which they are standing on all four legs.

Getting to the top and staying there are two different things. Networking with other very smart, insightful trail blazers in your industry is how you stay on top.

That's why record numbers of online business owners are flocking to internet marketing seminars. Each year the seminar circuit grows and each year the seminars sell out with eager attendees looking to get, and keep, their edge. Thousands of people are looking for the chair to stand on that gets them seen by their target market.

Whether or not YOU think continuing education is important is irrelevant. You competition DOES and they are networking and learning specifically to blend your website into the crowd.

If you are serious about success online, no matter what your definition of success is for your business, you at least need to be aware of exactly HOW your competition is beating you in all areas of your marketing campaign.

Then you can take steps to get back in the game and compete on unequal footing with the masses who are all vying for the same attention from the same group of people in your target market.

Learn. Study. Know your craft. Internet marketing is no longer a spectator sport!

Copyright 2005 Jack Humphrey

About The Author

Jack Humphrey is giving away "chairs" at the Internet Publishers Mardi Gras: Krewe of Profiteers seminar in New Orleans September 9th-11th, 2005. Come learn how to stand up and be seen on the web! http://contentdesk.com/mardigras/