Earning money online is not easy. Even if you read books on how to make money online, it’s still not easy. One of the biggest mistakes a person can make is believing the hype that comes from people who want to offer you this program or plan when all they want is your money. Here’s the truth, along with some advice if you’re really serious.
Making money online is not easy!
Yes, same as the title, that’s because it’s true. It’s also true that many people make money online using what is loosely known as ‘internet marketing’, but many times more don’t even earn what they spend.
It’s like slot machines – you put in $100 and get an $80 drop and say you won. Devils? Pay $12 for web hosting, another $49.99 for an ebook on how to make money, and $50 in AdWords advertising and make a sale for $9.99 and think, “Hey, this might be what I’m looking for!” !” Forget you’ve already lost $102!
It can get even worse, because when you start marketing online, you already have hundreds and thousands of people trying to do the exact same thing you are: in your niche. If you want to know what competition you have, select the keyword that best describes your business and enter it into the Google search box.
Check the competition – it can be humiliating
See the number of other results just below the search bar. My keyword ‘article services’ provided 3.17 billion other results, which is an indication of my competition for my website concept. When I search the competition for the exact term by putting the search term in quotes, like this: “article services”, I get another 234,000 web pages using that exact keyword.
This will let you know what you are competing against. It’s daunting, and almost enough to put you off even trying, almost! If you still want to learn how to earn money online seriously, then at least you have a chance, but it won’t be easy or quick.
Sure, you read about these guys who made millions shortly after using their new system! They even provide proof! Photoshop and its clones can provide all the evidence needed to convince you that their program or ‘system’ is the best thing since sliced bread!
my learning experience
Yes, many people can make money from affiliate marketing, selling other people’s products for a commission. They are essentially salespeople who are paid for each sale. When I started internet marketing 8 years ago, I paid $12,500 to Cory Rudl’s mentoring program. I was mentored by a guy in Canada. He taught me what is now common knowledge: how to start a website and advertise it, that’s all.
This guy was getting paid to teach me what everyone already knew! It’s just that I was too naive to understand that he had very little chance of making money doing what everyone else was doing. I failed, and do you know why? This is why:
I decided to try affiliate marketing. It’s easy: sell someone’s product and get paid for it. I have been told that all of these products are in high demand, so I cannot fail. I failed! Then I came across this ‘unbeatable offer’ of software that would generate the most profitable affiliate products. Only $99.95! Did you get my profitable products? Do not! Then this rich idiot sold me a book showing how he did it, a total scam, it was what he was already doing, so a total flop again!
Earning money is not easy…
But it can be done! If you have a skill (mine is writing) and there is a demand for that skill online, then you can make money. Sure, you hear about successful affiliate marketers, or people who teach others how to make money online. What you don’t hear about is the millions and millions of people who not only make nothing, but lose money they can’t afford to lose.
Use your skills and knowledge
However, if you have an ability:
- You are great at crochet or quilting.
- You are an expert in snowboarding and you can sell tips and equipment.
- You are a children’s entertainer that children love.
- You are a martial arts expert starting your own dojo.
- You are a retired teacher offering tuition
- You are a great writer and can write personalized children’s storybooks or web content.
- You are an expert in any topic or subject and can offer online training or eBooks
then there are millions of people looking for what you are good at. Do not try to copy what others do, be yourself. Do your thing and offer it online. Don’t spend $199.99 on the next great way to make money: It might work for the 1%, but the other 99% are just wasting their cash.
How to make money online – Summary
So, long story short, I make money online writing articles and web content for my clients. Before I realized I should use my writing skills, I learned a lot about failure and what to avoid.
Unless you don’t have any skills or knowledge, use what you know and focus on that. It took me a while to realize that and to start ignoring those who would make me a millionaire: that doesn’t happen! I maxed out all my credit cards (why did they give them to me?) and recently paid them off and bolstered my credit score.
Making money online is not easy, and forget about those who will teach you how to make money online by selling other people’s products that 100,000 others are also trying to sell. Statistics say that you will probably lose your money, and some will even lose their houses! Use the skills and knowledge you have. Someone wants to make use of these and you can sell them to them.
