The 5 Paths to Failure in Online Marketing
This is the transcript of an article by Omar Martin.
Omar is one of the good guys and this article may be helpful or make you pause for thought about your internet marketing!
By: Omar Martin
We often focus so much on success that we exclude ourselves from achieving it by
falling into the failure trap.
Why do people fail as online marketers? On the information
superhighway there are a lot of detours that turn out to be dead ends; here are the 5
most direct paths to failure that you should avoid when designing your internet marketing campaign.
#1 Perpetrate
Back in the day when Run-DMC ruled, it was cool to be a perpetrator, but then Lee
jeans, laced up Adidas sneakers and Gazelles were cool too. These days, there are so
many people perpetrating untruths online that it’s becoming harder and harder to
decipher the experts from the wannabes. One of the biggest mistakes you can make as
a newbie Internet Marketer is to pretend to be something you’re not. Think of the first
day of high school – how did you know who the freshmen were? They were the ones
trying so hard to blend in, that they stuck out like a sore thumb!
Take the road less travelled and be yourself. Seek out like-minded individuals. Do your
homework, visit forums and attend offline events to meet people that are a few steps
ahead of you online. Research everything before you write about it and get your name
out there. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be afraid to question the answers.
#2 Skimp
The Internet caused a communication boom that left the printing press in the dust. What
this means is that anything and everything that you need to learn about is out there,
floating around in hyperspace. Newbies often fall victim to the hype of FREE online
riches. Let’s face it, these days most of us are on a tight budget and no-one can blame
you for trying to save a few dollars here and there. Keep one thing in mind: “freedom
isn’t free.” Financial freedom costs, and it will require a significant investment of your
time and money in order to build an online business that will be fruitful in years to come.
Most of those hyped up websites that seem too good to be true usually are. Don’t get
me wrong, there are a great number of inexpensive e-books and software products out
there that serve an important purpose. Many of them will be required learning tools on
your path to online success.
But don’t put all your eggs in one basket!
There are thousands of methods for making money online but every sales page will have you
believe that theirs is the only one that matters. Invest in quality products only after
you’ve done your homework and determined that they are exactly what you need at this
precise phase of building your business.
Collecting scores of freebie products will only pull you in multiple directions and clog up your hard drive.
#3 Charge
Everyone wants to be an instant millionaire but, in the famous words of Mr. Miyagi,
“must have patience Daniel-san.” If you are struggling to make money it’s because
you’re in such a rush to make a sale.
Internet Marketing is a calculated and meticulous process that requires you to build a brand for yourself.
Finding buyers is difficult when you’re just trying to push your products on anyone who will buy them.
Become a person of value first and the buyers will find YOU.
How do you become a person of value? Stop charging for stuff.
Give away your best material and share your insights with the world. Become a resource that people trust and turn to time and time again.
This is when the law of attraction takes over and business flourishes.
Selling online is not the same as real world trading.
Traditional businessmen will frown at the idea of giving stuff away, while internet moguls will
encourage it.
#4 Guess
It’s all been done before.
Chances are you’re not going to jump onto the scene and change the face of the Internet with a revolutionary product launch on day one.
Your real world trading experience means little online.
Are you marketing as a hobby or do you actually expect to make some money?
If it’s the latter, I recommend that you leave the guesswork to the amateurs.
Internet Marketing is a numbers game; everything deals with numbers and trends. The
more you study the numbers the better your decisions will be.
Guessing conversion rates and keyword searches will only stunt your progress. Follow the money, not your gut.
My gut is as intelligent as the next guys but, on the Internet, you have to split-test
your pages and go with the best math possible.
That is how good decisions are made and how you find targeted prospects.
Guesswork on niches, products and page designs will only lead to frustration and failure.
#5 Gamble
There’s only one thing more responsible for newbie failure than lack of direction, and
that’s TOO MUCH direction.
There is so much conflicting information about Internet marketing floating around in cyberspace that it’s hard to get started at all.
Often, a newbie marketer will just purchase a product because it looks good, or because there
was a compelling story in the sales letter.
More often than not, newbies succumb to a paralyzing ailment known as S.O.S. (Shiny Object Syndrome). They gamble with their money and success by investing hard earned cash in a product that they know nothing about – based solely on hype.
Don’t gamble with your success; don’t let yourself get pulled in multiple directions
because every shiny object promises you instant cash.
There are some great products and offers out there but, as I said before, nothing is ever that good.
Do your homework, study your niche and research the product before you invest in it.
Above all, I would have to say that the biggest Internet Marketing blunder is to try and
do it alone.
Without expert guidance or advice the path will be long, hard and exceedingly expensive. True experts don’t have to brag about their online earnings because their expertise precedes them. They don’t have to hide behind pen names or flashy sales letters and shiny objects.
Their products and accomplishments speak for themselves.
They are experts.
www.OmarMartin.com
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