by Charlie
Page
A number of years ago a
business book was written with the title "Swim with
the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive". The Internet
is a lot like the title of that book. The water is
certainly full of sharks, all ready to take their $39.99
(or more) bite out of YOUR wallet!
Before you become someone's next
snack and make your credit card scream "Not
again!" let's look at the things you will need to
succeed in 2003 and beyond.
Before we go further let me say
that you CAN make a living online, pretty much without
regard to your age, experience or education level. Let me
also add that I'm not going to recommend anyone's product
or service, even mine.
The FIRST thing you need is
knowledge, and plenty of it. Fortunately, there are great
resources you can tap that won't cost a dime. This ezine
is one of those resources!
Here are the five things I would
tell any person wanting to "make it" online.
Know the Language
Imagine being dropped by
helicopter into the deepest, darkest jungle you can
imagine. The natives don't speak your language and you
certainly don't speak theirs.
Welcome to the Internet! ;)
The *first* thing you must
understand is the language of the Net. You must become
familiar (not an expert, just familiar) with things
like...
* Autoresponders
* Cost Per Thousand (CPM)
* Ebook
* Ezines
* FAQ
* HTML
* ISP
* MLM
* Opt-In
* PDF
* And more!
The more you know, the
more time you will save sifting through the offers you
receive and the less money you will waste buying something
you really didn't want.
Here's a tip. When you find a site
that defines terms well, copy the definitions and create
your own "Internet Dictionary". Soon you won't
waste time OR money.
Avoid Confusion
There is a proven path to
success on the Internet. It includes great web copy,
getting traffic to your site, placing ads in ezines, using
autoresponders to follow up, having a way to collect
money, selling more stuff to existing customers and so
forth.
The *problem* is that
there are about a thousand web sites and "gurus"
who are all saying the same thing ... but in different
words. No wonder most people are confused!
Here's a great way to avoid
confusion. Make a list of the things you will need to
succeed. A good list to start with is the list above. Then
find *one* eBook, eCourse or ezine that deals with that
subject. Now, here's the really hard part ... you have to
READ it. Read it all. From cover to cover. Pretend you are
going to make a book report on it.
You must have this basic knowledge
to begin in earnest.
Understand the Cost of
"Free"
We would all like to believe that
you can get everything you need for no money and go on to
make millions on the Net. But that's not the real world.
The fact is that you will need to
spend money at some point. You simply won't want the
limitations that "free" requires such as other
people's ads in your auto-responders.
Here's a tip. Look for
services that have either been around a long time (that's
anytime before the year 2000 in the Internet world) or one
where you can upgrade to a paid service when you are
ready. Switching services later will cost time and money.
Avoid the Hype
If there were a magic
formula, a "shortcut to success" or a way to
make millions in 90 days everyone would be doing it.
The next time you get a "too
good to be true" offer ask yourself if it makes sense
for someone who makes a million dollars a year to be
spending time sending YOU an unsolicited email. Then hide
your credit card for the next 24 hours. If you still want
the product after cooling down, go for it!
Have a Plan
I'm NOT talking New Year's
Resolutions or time management
here. I'm talking about
sticking with something until you have the chance to
succeed. SO many people on the Net join a program, don't
make a dime in the first couple of months and then quit
that program to do another. No one can succeed this way.
The best advice I know is
to find something that interests you, investigate it well,
make sure real people (not just the super-promoters) are
making real money and then make a commitment to it. How
long to commit will come out as you investigate it.
Want to make 2003 your
best year ever? Focus on the basics of success, be
persistent and smart and success will be yours!
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Charlie Page owns five
successful online businesses including The Directory of
Ezines. Visit Charlie today at http://www.directoryofezines.com/a/new
