Everyday I get messages from frustrated marketers who are not earning what they had hoped for in the beginning. It's hard for some to hear, but if you don't want to be in the 98% that fail you have to spend enough time to develop a workable plan.
Today, I want to help you understand exactly how to get started.
The Business Plan
I have never spent a dime on advertising. I attract traffic by developing free resources to help develop your own successful home-based business. It doesn't happen overnight. My business has been built over 4 years, and it represents thousands and thousands of hours.
I spend at least 40 hours a week finding, and developing, this content. When someone finds useful support resources on my website they are more inclined to buy business support services from me. That's my plan in a nutshell, and it's also my passion.
Lately, it seems everyone is either a self-proclaimed marketing expert, or claiming to be one. The market for home-based business support is totally over-saturated now. I wouldn't suggest anyone just starting out to follow in my footsteps.
Develop your business plan from your own knowledge and passion. Share what you already know. Over time - years not days - you will be successful.
The 100-Hour Investment
Nearly everyone who gets on the Internet will sooner or later find himself, or herself, involved in some kind of home-based business, usually within the first 3-4 months on-line. Most will not earn nearly as much as they expect.
It requires at least 100 hours to learn the basics of Internet marketing. It will take even more time if you also need to learn how to use the Internet and your computer. If it's not worth 100 hours, don't bother. Keep your day job. Internet marketing is NOT the easiest way to earn money, and it's not for everyone.
If you have been working part time for a while, and still aren't getting the results you expected, it might be time to step back and take a break. Spend at least a 100 hours to understand what successful full-timers are doing to earn money. Develop your own business plan based on your own knowledge, skills and passion.
Find & Develop Your Own Product
A good place to start is the library. Get several past issues of a magazine, or newsletter related to your own special area of interest. Pay attention to the ads that run month after month. They wouldn't keep running them if they weren't selling. You will learn what is selling, as well as what solutions are needed in your specialized niche.
Big companies like Microsoft, Apple, HP and others, were started by small groups of friends with simple ideas and lots of energy. Bill Gates didn't develop the DOS operating system. He capitalized on the need for a common set of rules that could operate all computers. He didn't write the DOS operating system himself - he capitalized on the need for a common Disk Operating System and contracted for the programming.
In the long run, you want to develop your own product. Don't try to re-invent the wheel. You can combine some the best features of several of the best selling products into your own product. Look for an unfilled need, or at least a type of product that could be easily improved on and marketed more effectively.
Pay special attention to information based products. They are the most profitable Internet products. They can be developed nearly free of cost and can delivered electronically for next to nothing.
Earn While You Earn
If you are not ready to develop your own product, you can choose one to three existing products within your special expertise that you can resell for a profit. Concentrate on getting duplicate results with one or two products.
Don't join every affiliate program you find. It only confuses everyone. It's better to focus as narrow as possible.
Never stop learning. Learn enough to create your own product - one in which you will have total control. Market it for the first few months on your own. After you have had some success, you can duplicate your success through others. You can build an associate program and work on getting other people to help sell your product - they get 10% to 50%, and you get the rest.
Educational Tools and Resources
The following URL address details several of the best marketing courses. They range in cost from $17 to almost $300. Generally, the higher the cost of the marketing course the more useful it will be. If you are just starting out, consider getting the "Make Your Site Sell" course. It's priced at $17 US and it is quite a bargain.
If you have been working on-line for a while and are not getting the results you expected, you might want to consider "The Insider Secrets to marketing your business on the Internet" developed by Corey Rudl. Or The Internet Marketing Challenge's members only website. They are all 100% guaranteed by the developers.
Internet Marketing Training Courses
http://www.smithfam.com/training.html
Once you have developed a product that is selling, consider starting your own affiliate program. An Associate Program is the least expensive way to acquire new customers in the shortest period of time. You pay advertisers only when a sale is made.
http://www.smithfam.com/assoctrac.html
Best Wishes
Bob
ROBERT SMITH
helps thousands successfully market their Internet based home business. You'll find tons of free marketing tools & resources on his Internet Marketing web site at:
http://www.smithfam.com/
You can reach him by phone at: (541) 689-1847 PST, and by email at.
<mailto:bob@smithfam.com>
AN ASSOCIATE PROGRAM is the least risky, least expensive way, by far, to acquire new customers and to explode your sales in a short period of time. It sure beats the heck out of paying for advertising up front. Why not pay for advertisers only when a sale is made the ultimate way to advertise. FREE UNLIMITED ADVERTISING? http://www.smithfam.com/imc/assocTRAC.htmlgi" -->
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