Five Internet Marketing Myths

If you have been on the internet for any length of time, you've undoubtedly received emails from marketers or seen web pages that will sell you all kinds of e-books and tools that are guaranteed to make you BIG MONEY immediately and that it will be SO EASY. 

Here are some of the Myth's about Internet marketing and online businesses:

Myth #1: "ANYONE" Can Make Money Online

There is a small bit of truth to this myth, but what makes it a myth is the fact that
you have to be a certain "breed" of person to succeed at making money online.

By "breed" I mean the type of person who is:

• Willing to "do what it takes" to get the job done.
• To go the extra mile when most others won't even complete the first mile.

It is a myth to think that you can sit on your couch and watch TV and have a viable online business that can be started with very little effort and that practically runs by itself.

I'm sure you've heard one of those slick commercials where the fast talking marketer tells you:

• How you can have your very own business in "just minutes"
• That you don't have to buy any products
• They will show you how you to set it up in just minutes
• And it will virtually run by itself while you collect thousands of dollars, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• And most of all, they repeat over and over how it is SO EASY.

Well, I'm sorry to say, but the people who are making the really BIG MONEY are the ones who are selling these EASY start up business plans, not the ones who are buying them.

Sure, some of the buyers of these plans are making a few dollars now and then, but for the most part, they continue to pay more and more money to these slick marketers, while they themselves just dream about a POT of GOLD being just around the next corner. 

You might have heard the phrase "There's no such thing as a FREE lunch".  Well,......

Only those who put in lots of hard work, are dedication to a good idea, use their skills wisely, and are persistent, will make money. 
Not the cloud watchers and couch potatoes. 

Myth #2: Internet Marketing is "SO EASY"

This is the one that really irritates me the most.  Almost everyone who is trying to sell you a business plan or product that they say will help you make lots of quick money, will always say IT IS SO SO EASY!!!

What you get out of a business will be in proportion to what you put into it. 

It's just like in the off-line real world of business:

If you put NOTHING into a business, then you will get NOTHING out of it. 

To have a successful, money making online business, there are certain things that you will have to do:

• Put your rear in gear. 
  Until you make an effort and take some action, nothing substantial will happen.
• Invest time, effort and money.
  It will take all of these to succeed in a business.
• Have a plan of action.
  At least in your mind, but better yet if on paper.  You need to know how you are going to start and run your new venture.
• Set some goals.
  How will you know if you've accomplished one of your goals if you never set any?
  If you don't know where you are going, you will never get there.

Now there are some advantages in marketing products online and having an online business as opposed to having a "brick and mortar" offline business.

• No Building.
  You won't have to have a "brick and mortar" commercial building to work in.  Your website and your computer can be your business base that you run out of your home or apartment.
• Sometimes, No Inventory.
  Many companies that wholesale products will allow you to buy and sell their products without having them delivered to your door.  You can have the products drop shipped directly to your customers.
• Very Low Overhead.
  You can run an internet business from home, without employees, building rent or mortgage expenses, building maintenance and upkeep.  All you have to have is a computer connected to the internet.
• Very Low Risk.
  The main thing you will be risking is your time, energy, and of course some money, but this will be small in comparison to the amount of time and money it would take to start a "brick and mortar" business.

Myth #3: You Can "GET RICH QUICK" On the Internet

This is a trap that most newcomers to the Internet will fall for.  This is because the scammers are SO GOOD at making their products sound so wonderful and that riches will come in so fast.. 

They tout their business plans or products like:

• They are so easy to use
• It takes almost no time to learn their secrets
• You can make big money almost overnight.
• It takes almost no time to run your business

IF it sounds TOO GOOD to be true, then it is (too good to be true).

You need to do your market research.  Find out what people want, determine what you would be able to give them and then plan on putting forth a steady effort to accomplish it.

IF you don't put in the time, you won't make a dime.

Myth #4: It "COSTS ALMOST NOTHING" to have an Online Business

There is a grain of truth to this myth, but it remains a myth because there is still a lot of untruth in it.  I do concede that it is much cheaper to start a business online than to start a  "brick and mortar" business off-line but you are still going to have costs.  Most of them will be:

• E-books and learning materials.  Even if you know a lot about a subject before going online, you are still going to have to learn how to market your product or knowledge online and how to use the internet. 
• Domain names.  You will have to buy a name for every website that you set up.  If you only have one, then this will be a small expense.  (About $10)
• Hosting space from a dependable hosting company.  Depending on your hosting situation and plan, this could run anywhere from $50 to several hundred dollars per year for a website.
• A connection to the internet through an ISP company.  Usually paid by the month.
• Programs and tools to run your business.  This one can end up being a big expense.  You might need accounting software, a good graphics program, a web design program, a word processor, a spreadsheet program, a database program, etc.
• Advertising expenses.  How are you going to get customers or let them know about your business.  You can keep this cost to a minimum by relying upon the search engines to find your business, but to do so, you will the need to spend some money and time making your website search engine friendly.  This is called "SEO or search engine optimization".
• On going education and training.  Don't think that once you learn how to do something or become successful, then your learning can stop.  The internet is always changing and there are thousands of other people online who are competing with you who have similar products or goals. 
  
  There will always be someone else who comes up with a better "mousetrap", a another way to steal your customers, and who will figure out how to "out market" you.  If you don't continue to improve, then you will lose ground and ultimately lose your business.

Myth #5: It's "TOO LATE" to Start an Internet Business

It can be somewhat overwhelming when you consider how many people are marketing products on the internet.  Many, if not most, of the main brand name retailers are already online.  There are literally tens of thousands of retailers online.  So why in the world should you even consider an online business.

Well, one reason is because the amount of money that is being spent online is catching up with, and in for many retailers, surpassing their sales figures for their "brick and mortar" stores.  Online sales continues to increase at a robust rate every year, while off-line retail sales for many retailers is sluggish. 

According to ComScore Networks from 2005 data: "E-commerce spending over the November and December holiday season is expected to exceed $15.8 billion, up 29 percent from the year-ago period. Consumers spent $14.8 billion online between Nov. 1 and Dec. 26 versus $11.5 billion during the same weeks in 2003." 

And.. "Based on the results for the first half of 2007, overall U.S. online consumer spending is on target to reach $200 billion by years end. Overall U.S. online consumer spending for 2006 totaled $170.8 billion."

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