Why Is Is Online Business So Difficult?

Online Marketing isn't difficult, it probably just seems that way because a lot of people have a huge learning curve just learning to navigate the internet, learning basic html, and learning to write ads that sell products. And add to that learning to  build a contact list, getting used to using internet tools and working with a lot of people who you can't see or speak to in person.

When I first came online I thought..shoot! This should be easy, there are millions of people all over the world, and if I just build a page with a lot of banners and links to every high paying opportunity I find, and toss it out there, there's bound to be at least a few hundred  people who will come and start sending me money! Boy was I mistaken.

The truth is, the internet is not just some big huge bowl of soup that you can toss a few crackers in and absorb it all up. There are millions of new users to the internet coming in every day, that's true. But you've got to know what they're looking for and how to get in touch with them. They're not just going to come knocking on your door. If you want to find people who need your services, you've got to think like them. Don't think like a salesman, think like a consumer. Where would you go if you just got online? What would you be looking for more than anything else?

The answer is INFORMATION.  

And where else would you look for information you need where you can get it fast by just typing in a few little clues? Search engines...and you want the ones that are the most highly sought after, and everyone offline and on knows about Google, Yahoo, MSN, Alta Vista, and Ask.com because they're so highly advertised on TV, radio, and in the newspapers and magazines.

Got a few thousand bucks in your pocket?

Ok so where does that leave you? Have you ever checked out the cost of a tiny ad on one of these major search engines? It's astounding! And the ads you see circulating on Yahoo in your e-mail are mainly from major corporations that can afford a few thousand dollars for advertising every week. Can you afford that? Probably not. But there's still something you can do to get your site in Google, Yahoo, MSN and other major players sites, and it's a simple as writing a blog, posting in a few forums and spending time on a few social networks making friends and writing a few articles. And even if the content isn't yours, you didn't write it yourself, that's ok  too. Because you can find really good articles written by well known marketers and just make comments on them, linking them AND THEIR READERS, back to your blogs! And you can also borrow content from them as long as you leave their info intact and give credit where credit is due. Anything else is the same as forgery. Please make sure you have permission and their site has agreed to let you use their article. Most sites that have articles written by several well known people have already agreed to allow others to use this content, and some even have widgets to help you!

Ok so why not just take the short route and blast my ads all over the internet?

One key to being successful is in learning how to be subtle. Touting your wares works fine in the offline business  world. Street venders set up shop where they know there will be tourists who will be looking for specific things they sell. Shoe shiners set up at the courthouse because there are a lot of fancy pants attorneys and others who need to present a nice appearance and need their shoes to shine. They're TARGETING their prospects.

It's a little bit different in the internet market but not a whole lot. If you're selling a health product, for instance, you would think that it would be good to sell it in health food stores and other places where health products are sold.  But then your product becomes just another product on a shelf that may never even be picked up or bought. That's where internet marketing comes in. The products are bought by people who are not just looking for health products, but are looking for a way to earn income. When they buy the product they not only get something that makes them feel better, they also get a way to make a nice income. Then once they actually try the product they're hooked on the health benefits and the way they make them feel and would be willing to buy the product regardless of the money they make from promoting it. Companies rely on people doing this, because if they're buying the product every month, and not getting paid, they still get the money but don't have to pay them for it.

But you do want to make money right? Isn't that why you're reading this article?

Ok here's the thing...

People don't like being sold to. They enjoy making friends and learning from each other about what works and what doesn't. They come online to get information on things they need to improve their life, they play games, they e-mail and chat with family members and others they meet and they filter ads out of their inboxes so they don't have to see them..and they have their phone number on a list so that marketers can't interrupt their dinner.

So using the internet to tout your wares won't work. People will flock to you for information if the information is good enough, and if you write articles of interest, pertaining to your products and services, you'll see a big increase in sales. Search engines love content, and content sells better than health products. So if you're selling an energy drink or a diet pill, write about dieting, write about loss of energy and what helps, and don't just make it an ad for your product, offer generic information and include a link to your opportunity at the bottom JUST IN CASE they want to try it. That way you're not offending them, or making them feel like you're just out for their money.

More on this later. If you like what you've read so far, feel free to drop me a note and let me know.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Beasley