After marketing on the internet for quite some time, through the school of hard knocks, I have learned many valuable lessons. I would like to share these with you, as it may save you a lot of heartache and disappointment.

If you have to pay any money to get into any kind of business, my advice would be, don't do it. If you choose to go this route, be very wary and carefully study what you are getting into, as chances are you will be the one losing money. There are some businesses that are worthwhile but they are very few and far between. Off the top of my head, I cannot name one. Too many people are lured into an internet business by a get rich quick scheme. Instead, you might find yourself getting poor even quicker.

A newbie to the world of the internet must not be discouraged. It takes time to research, find a good business, or even find your own niche. I would advise you to take your time. Never jump into anything. Do not let anyone pressure you to get into anything, no matter how good it may sound. If you are undecided and think you may be taking a chance, don't do it. Make sure it is a business with a solid foundation. Make sure you can earn an income instead of chasing dreams that never come true. However, once you do find your niche, don't expect to make money right away. To be successful on the internet, one must establish a presence, become well known and trusted. This process does take time. Don't give up. You must persevere.

Rather than having a ready made web site that you buy your way into, it is much better to have your own website that you can control, and I will explain the benefits of having your own site later in this article.

I belong to an internet community, but I am going to let you in on a few secrets.

1. Very little of my business comes from this internet community, as the majority of people are out to sell their own products and get rich quick. For them to actually go into your site, you need a gimmick to draw them in. Don't include a price in any advertisements or notices. Even though they may say very nice things, they will actually be just that, very nice things. Most will have no intentions of even going into your site. Find something to lure them in. Something that would entice them. Once you have created an appetite for something they want, you will see better results. As an example, I have an online women's magazine, a perfect way to lure someone in my site is with free recipes, all kinds of recipes. I will post one irresistible recipe and that will get them hooked.

2. Do you belong to Google AdSense? If you do not, join it, as these ads will make money for you. At the beginning it will be minimal, but as the months go by and you get more traffic, you will seen the your money flow grow a little more each month. If you are not familiar with them, they are ads that advertise different things to different places. For example, someone in the United States and someone in England looking at the same exact page will see a different ad which is tailored especially for them. The ads will also pertain to your website, and as you change or add something, you will see a correlating ad appear.

3: As I told you, I do very little of my business with the internet community I belong to. Viral marketing is actually the way to go. Viral marketing is another term for word of mouth. Blogging is a wonderful advertising tool. However, not just advertising this or that. Make it interesting. Talk about things, tell about your life, people you know, all sorts of things, make it an online diary and in the appropriate places, just insert a link here and a link there. That will bring in a lot of traffic as you gain a following. Try to do this every day or almost every day, as establishing a presence on the internet is your main goal. A new website takes weeks to be seen on the internet. However, for some reason, a blog will be picked up in a matter of days. So if you make it interesting with links here and there you will gain a following and your site will, therefore, get the desired traffic at a much faster rate. Familiarize yourself with blog directories and pinging.

I don't like autosurfs, as anyone who has their site on one of these merely wants to advertise their site. Very few are actually looking for an opportunity. I have never made money with autosurfs. At some point in time, they are the winners and I am the loser, so I gave this up a very long time ago.

As I mentioned earlier, I do not advise having a ready made site in any way, shape, or form. You will gain better results with your own site. This may require quite a bit of study on your part, but you will benefit by this in the end. Again, do your research, find your niche. Find something that the public wants. Something different. Never let your site stay stagnant. Always ad or change something. By always adding something to your site, the crawlers will come by and pick bits and pieces up. Before you know it, you will be in a top position by just working on your site and keeping it active. The crawlers will become accustomed to how often you update your site and come around at these appointed times, whether it be once a week, every day, or however often. Therefore, keep your site current, and always study. Internet marketing is changing every day and one must keep abreast of this fast paced and growing market. You really needn't be overly concerned with metatags, submissions to search engines, or paying for anything to get a better spot. Paying for advertising can land you in the poor house rather quickly. Pay per click ads can be absolute killers. You might notice that you have tons of traffic but not one sale. And you pay for every click. Unless you are very experienced in this, don't do it. Believe me, I've tried them all.

Select a common phrase that you use all the time in your blog, in your website, while advertising. or wherever. The crawlers will become familiar with this phrase and associate it with you. Make it different, make it catchy.

If you decide that internet marketing is for you, it is most important that you do not become discouraged. You may not make a cent for many months. I do wish you quick success, but if it does not happen, you must persevere. Keep doing what you are doing and it will happen slowly and in time. Make sure you lay a sturdy foundation first.

And if I can leave you with the most important aspect of internet marketing, first and foremost, be a friend to everyone. This is the number one rule in marketing. Be a friend first, and sales will come later.