Internet Marketing

In every myth there is an element of truth. Read the sections below to discover the grain of truth in each of these Internet marketing myths.

• Myth #1: Internet Marketing is EASY: Nothing worth doing in life or in business is ever 'easy'.

  Internet marketing takes time and effort, and anyone who suggests otherwise is trying to sell you a line of fluff. Having said that, relative to building a brick and mortar business, starting an Internet marketing business IS comparatively 'easy'.

  With an affiliate marketing business there's no inventory to carry, no shipping of goods and virtually no overhead. Affiliate marketing eliminates the cost of production, construction and employees.

  So, while there is work involved in building and marketing an Internet business, doing business just doesn't get much easier than doing it online.

• Myth #2: ANYONE Can Make Money Online: Nope. Simply not true.

  Someone who never gets off the couch to learn anything about Internet marketing will not make money on the Web. Nor will the individual who reads the entire Internet marketing encyclopedia but never puts a viable plan into action. This myth becomes reality if you add the word 'almost' to the front of that statement.

  For example, I never would have started a business had it not been for the 'Net. Because I could see that starting an online business would be relatively simple and inexpensive, I decided to give it a try.

  Many thousands of others have done the same for the same reasons. As such, many people who would not otherwise be doing business at all, ARE doing business on the 'Net.
  

• Myth #3: You Can "GET RICH QUICK" On the Net!: Unless you win a lottery or receive a big inheritance, there is no such thing as 'get rich quick'.

  Once again however, relative to a typical offline business, you can be making good money online in surprisingly little time. It just won't happen overnight as some unscrupulous marketers promise.

  By the way, chasing 'get rich quick' schemes is almost always a waste of time and money.

  Concentrate instead on building a business that gives your customers what they want and need. By focusing on customer satisfaction, you will build a solid reputation and an enduring, successful business that allows you to pursue the lifestyle of your dreams.

• Myth #4: It's FREE to Do Business Online: Oh, how I wish that were true!

  If the statement was changed to, "It doesn't cost MUCH to do business online', then it would be completely accurate.

  Compared with building a store or leasing office space in downtown New York, Internet business start-up and maintenance costs are incredibly low. Once setup is complete, the only ongoing costs you'll have are your Internet connection, continuing education, and advertising costs.

• Myth #5: It's TOO LATE to Start an Internet Business: I often hear the following questions from skeptics, 'Isn’t it too late to start an Internet business?' and 'Hasn't it already been done'?

  The impatient part of me wants to answer, "Yup, it's too late. Anyone with thoughts of starting an Internet business should just pack up, go home and forget it. Try again later once all the current netpreneurs have retired." You won't hear me complain about having less competition!

  The truth is, however, that almost never too late to start anything.

  Think about it. Has every song been sung? Have all the books been written? There are millions of restaurants, clothing stores and gift shops in the world. Is it too late to open another?

  What you need to figure out is whether there is a market for your product. And where markets are concerned, there is no place like the Internet.

  Take a look at some facts and figures: Computer Industry Almanac assesses the 2004 Worldwide Internet Population at 934 million, and projects 1.35 billion by 2007.

  The Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce reported that the estimate of U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the second quarter of 2004, not adjusted for seasonal, holiday, or trading-day differences, was $15.7 billion, an increase of 23.1 percent from the second quarter of 2003.

  The second quarter 2004 e-commerce estimate increased 0.9 percent from the first quarter of 2004 while total retail sales increased 10.1 percent from the prior quarter.

  E-commerce sales in the second quarter of 2004 accounted for 1.7 percent of total sales, while in the second quarter of 2003 e-commerce sales were 1.5 percent of total sales.

  Forester Research predicts that US eCommerce sales will break the $300-billion mark by 2010. The forecast shows that US online sales will grow from $144 billion in 2004 to more than $316 billion in 2010, reflecting a 14% compound annual growth rate -- 12% of all US retail sales.

  The three largest categories in 2010 will be travel ($119 billion), home products ($43 billion), and apparel ($28 billion).

  Although many people are still reluctant to give their credit card numbers online, more and more people will be clicking 'Buy it Now!' buttons as Internet shopping becomes commonplace.

  The reality is that anyone with a high-demand product or service that can be sold online should start an Internet business...today!

• Myth #6: The ‘BIG Money’ Talk is JUST HYPE: Earning 'Big money' on the Internet is entirely possible.

  Anyone who is sure that they can’t make 'BIG Money' on the ‘Net is absolutely right –they won’t be earning big money with that attitude.

  However, when you combine desire, faith and positive action, ‘BIG Money’ is entirely possible.

Be extraordinary, and create your own ‘BIG Money’ success story.