I've been frustrated lately.
Here's the thing...
As you know, I speak at a number of conferences.
At these conferences, I teach people how to make money online and many of them purchase one of my products to help them build their online business.
I know that what I teach works and that the products I offer have value.
I know this because I receive testimonials from people all the time.
But its the ones that I DON'T receive testimonials from that concern me most.
Here's a hard truth that many people don't know...
The majority of people trying to make money online are not succeeding.
It's true.
And I find it frustrating.
There are many reasons for failing, but I find that most people who are not reaching their goals are doing so for one primary reason...
They buy ebooks, software tools and courses, but they never DO anything with them!
As simple as we can make some of the strategies for making money online, there is still no easy button. It doesn't exist. EVERYTHING takes some amount of work, and anyone who tells you different is not telling you the whole truth.
I was reminded of this fact just yesterday when I visited my friend Eric Holmlund's blog. As you probably know, Eric and I have had several joint ventures together. We owned a very successful templates business and we collaborated on the reality show, "The Next Internet Millionaire."
Eric is one of those guys who is incredibly genuine, and he really cares about his customers.
In his blog, he discussed how people really want a step-by-step process for building their online business.
But he also takes note that building an online business is NOT for everyone.
He's right.
I can't tell you how much I want to see each and every one of my customers succeed.
When I speak at conferences, I see the excitement in people's eyes and hear it in their voices. They know the opportunity is before them and they are ready to go for it.
A portion of those people take action and see results.
But there is a portion who have a different experience.
When they get home and it is just them and their computer, their enthusiasm wanes.
Why is that?
I wish I could inject people with drive and motivation to follow through, but it is not something that can be manufactured. It must come from inside.
Maybe these people need simpler instruction to get started.
Or it could be that although they would like the benefits of being an entrepreneur, the actual entrepreneurial mindset is foreign to them.
There's nothing wrong with that!
Where would we be without doctors, engineers, astronomers, teachers and others who take on a professional career for a fixed salary in order to make the world a better place?
I think it's important that you know what kind of person you are.
Are you a risk taker?
Are you willing to do what is needed in terms of time and money in order to reach your goals?
Do you have an entrepreneurial mind?
If not, perhaps it just isn't for you. If that's the case, I suggest that you focus on the thing that you are most passionate about. Give it everything you've got. It may or may not bring monetary reward, but it will most certainly bring you reward in the form of fulfillment and happiness.
And for those who really want to understand this whole "make money online" thing, I truly believe you CAN do it.
It takes committment, discipline, focus and the right mentors.
Of course, I attempt to provide you with as much value as possible via my products, blog and video channel.:
You can check out my videos at:
But I'm certainly not the only person out there who is bringing value. And I like to toot other people's horns if they deserve it.
Eric Holmlund deserves it.
If you are seeking an A-Z mentorship that will take you from the absolute basics and onward, I recommend you visit Eric's site. He has recently started a video series that I think you'll find very helpful.
Tell Eric I sent you :-)
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
June 16, 2008 01:43 AM
Hi Joel
Here is a tip.
Pretend that you are an internet merketing guru. Then teach others how to do it at a big fee. Smile.
June 16, 2008 01:45 AM
Hi Joel
Here is a tip.
Pretend that you are an internet marketing guru. Then teach others how to do it at a big fee. Smile.
June 16, 2008 07:21 AM
It might help - IF - your Link to Joel's Videos was working...
June 16, 2008 07:23 AM
It might help - IF - your Link to Joel's Videos was working...
June 16, 2008 07:28 AM
There is definitely a certain mindset one must have to succeed as an entrepreneur. It involves having the PASSION and PERSISTENCE to be able to overcome obstacles, along with the FAITH that you will succeed. If you have a mindset of doubt and failure, you will attract ...Failure (every time!).
So stay MOTIVATED and PASSIONATE and you will eventually SUCCEED!
June 16, 2008 07:45 AM
Hi Joel
I agree with 100%. But here is what I think the real problem(s) are.
1. Thousands purchase products, attend seminars, watch videos download ebooks etc... They Read and take in as much as possible. They get information from lots of other guru's, marketers, scam artists etc...
Then information overload. How do filter out the good from the bad...especially true for the beginner!
2. So much of the good stuff takes time and energy....the folks who really want to succeed have full time jobs, parenting kids, social activities, etc... It becomes frustrating when soooo much information is given out then we try to filter out the b.s. from the good stuff. This takes time and commitment. Joel My family comes first which makes time and commitment scarce!
3. Money... their is alot of bad advice floating around. Most of us dislike purchasing marketing advice that is old, hard to implement or doesn't work at all.
My 2 cents worth
Paul
June 16, 2008 07:54 AM
Joel:
In my opinion, "not doing anything" is only a partial answer as to why so many beginners fail. If all anyone had to do was to just do "something," a huge additional number of beginners would be successful.
I believe the bigger problem, a much bigger problem, for beginners is not doing all the right things it takes to make money. Many of us (I include myself here) have purchased the money making courses, membership sites, the ebooks, and seminars only to later find out that even though we followed the instructions the results still didn't come.
There are so many variables that have to fall into place and be done right for the true success to follow. If you mess up even one important aspect of your business, you will surely fail. Here's what I mean:
- You can do everything to create a business perfectly, except you choose the wrong niche and you're dead in the water.
- You can do everything else right, but try to sell a product that nobody cares about and you're not going to have success.
- You can do everything right in setting up a business, but if you can't drive traffic you're not going to make money.
- Do everything else right, but charge the wrong price for your product and nobody buys.
Yes, a lot of the money making courses and seminars talk about how to avoid these pitfalls, but often beginners don't know what they're doing wrong, so they can't ask the right questions, or fix the problem. They end up "spinning their wheels" not knowing how to move forward. They are taking action - it's just not the right action.
So they quit and move on to the next biz opp.
I think many beginners are becoming quite cynical about all the expensive "How to Make Money" courses, memberships, products, mentoring, etc. The true entrepreneurial types that you talked about in your post are sometimes persistent enough to figure things out by trial and error.
But for all the others, making money online remains a mystery even though they may have been very close to actually having a successful business.
Steve
June 16, 2008 08:15 AM
Hi, All the above comments have truth. I know first hand that there is a lot of BS floating around on the internet. But there are good programs out there. my problem was information overload and having difficulty implementing . My main problem is marketing,getting traffic to your website.I am only now doing better after almost a year. There aes some good videos that some you step by step how to implement some of these methods. You have to find 1 or 2 mentors to follow and forget everything else. But it does take time and a lot of effort. Do not forget you must have the mindset,very important.
June 16, 2008 08:24 AM
I do want to succeed on the internet. I dont want to get weathly, I just want to provide a good site that is helpful and make a little money on the side. How long does it take for a site to start making a profit? What is my window before I get discouraged and give up altogether?
June 16, 2008 08:28 AM
Hi Joel,
The truth is I DONT LIKE YOU, you really doesn't want to help us, you just promote products and earn money...
June 16, 2008 08:31 AM
Hi, Joel,
The whole situation boils down to the fact that people do things when they are ready to do them. They are the only ones who can get themselves ready to do it. You can provide all the information and motivation in the world, but until they are ready to hear it and act on it, they won't.
I'm a former smoker. Like most smokers I quit a hundred times or more. The last time I quit, I quit for good. What was the difference? I was ready to quit. I can't tell you how I reached the point where I was finally ready, but I'm sure it was a combination of a number of factors over a long time that finally got me to a place where I could be successful.
Everyone is an individual with their own experiences and perspective. It's the sum total of those experiences that determine their attitude and their ability to succeed at things they think they want. I can cite many examples of books, tapes, teachers, etc. that I've encountered a number of times in my life only to "discover" them and their message after multiple exposures to them. As the saying goes, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." That doesn't imply that the teacher wasn't there all the time, only that the student can finally see or hear them.
So, keep doing what you're doing. As people are ready to hear your message, they will. Those that aren't, won't. We can't change that and we need to be okay with the fact that only a relatively few people will "get it" at any given moment.
I'm about to launch my first real product and it's taken me a year and a half to get to this point. The important thing is not how long it took, but the fact that I'm there now and ready to take it to the next level. Some would argue it's taken too long and that I "shoulda" gotten here sooner. I disagree. I'm right where I'm supposed to be in exactly the right time and it took exactly as long as it was supposed to. Everybody else is exactly where they're supposed to be, too.
John The Geek
June 16, 2008 08:34 AM
Hi Joel;
Yeah Joel, you and the others see that a portion of us wannabies succeed online, a portion don't have the drive & guts to make it...but there's another group you all miss!
In 1990, my dad and I started a manufacturing business making capital medical equipment (avg. sale $17K), we built it to #1 in our niche with GE Medical, Seimen's Med, and every major Hospital & Surgery center chain in the US as repeat customers. We had a 45% repeat & referral sales rate.With 15 employees &120 independent Reps we did $4mil/yr. To achieve this we both mortgaged our homes and put everything into it.
Then, in 2006 (a few months after my dad died) our biggest customer stopped paying their bill! An "internal accounting" problem, this went on for 7 months and broke me. I had to sell out cheap with a promise of monthly income paid by the buyer. This stopped after 5 months. I couldn't afford the law suit. I was left with an aged mother w/ serious health problems, a dual mortgage and a wife& daughter to support.
I propose that you leaders start an "enlightened internship" for "boomers" (guys who have valuable knowledge and are well known in their niche)that helps maybe 100 of this group. You provide quality ready made sites, you run the ads and promos, plus fulfillment, share leads equally and charge each of us a fair percentage from our sales income plus a contract to exclusively "rep" your products for x yrs. You get a loyal "Army", some great tax breaks and really do some good.
I had to keep this pitch short but I'd be happy to go into more detail. I hope you will consider this.
Russ
June 16, 2008 08:34 AM
Joel,
I agree with a lot of what Steve said above, but not everything. There is a lot of really good free training and information out there to teach anyone how to do the research and pick niches. Your free newsletters and videos are a prime example.
The one thing I find missing in a lot of online business is TESTING. One won't know if a niche is a money-maker unless he or she tests it. Setting up a site via a free blog, doing some SEO and posting a few very relevant articles for an affiliate product is a great way to test a niche. If you get some traffic and some sales, you can hone your work, perhaps purchase a URL and set-up a self-hosted site and produce your own product. Don't forget to test your product against the affiliate.
But it should not take a ton of money to research some niches (WordTracker and GTrends), set up a free blog (Blogger) and pick some affiliate products (Clickbank, Amazon, eBay).
In any kind of work you have to learn to work smart rather than just work hard. I'm no genius or guru at internet marketing. I've been at it a year and I'm just beginning to see some real revenue streams coming. Since I didn't have much money to spend, I started with the Thirty Day Challenge and got to know the names of the good internet marketers that are really making money, you included, Joel. Taking the free TDC helped steer me away from paying for poor products. I also decided to go the way of blogging rather than site-building or mini-site-building. I belong to two paid programs and I'm very happy with them.
My job does slow down my efforts so it's kind of a catch 22, but during vacations and downtime I pour the work on. Not being able to devote a set amount of time each day to my online projects and training keeps me from succeeding quickly. But I'm okay with succeeding slowly. When I succeed enough I will be able to cut down my job work hours (I'm a contractor) and spend more time online.
I find the keys are: use the free resources as much as possible until you get your feet wet and know who's good and who's not, pick one method (or guru) to follow and either unsubscribe or file all others until you're done with the first one, and work your tail off on the program you've chosen.
Go back over old lessons, STUDY! Then work. If you're not succeeding go back and review lessons and the work you produced from them. Can you do better now? I bet the answer is yes.
Joel, I love your emails and videos because they are packed with useful stuff and they are short. You don't waste anyone's time and that's gold in today's world.
Sherri
June 16, 2008 08:46 AM
I somewhat agree with Taqi, most of the time. I have noticed that all of Joel's email to his subscribers are all about 1% tip and 99% product marketing. I think that is all it is about, pretending to be somebody and sell something and inform your customers nothing will happen if they don't act.
I really hate it. If their intention is mainly to help people, why do they have to sell something? Whereas all the information found in the Ebooks and products they are selling can also be found on the Internet and costs nothing. Why is it that many 'fake' guru's are out at large.
But, the thing is, the main point they would like to raise up is that we are still on our own. The future lies in our hands. We are the captains of our own ships.
Anyways, my tip for all of you is to just learn something new everyday and make sure to master them so that you will be able to apply them and who knows, you might get income as well. Don't just stick to online businesses. Consider them as your past times, like checking your friendster account. Simple as that.
For other information, you may buy my Ebook too! Haha, just kidding! :p
June 16, 2008 09:12 AM
I, too, bought the $2000 package at Never Work Again in May. Fortunately I was one of the lucky 50 who got to the back of the room in time to secure a box of materials to carry home with me. My Signficant Other and I devoured the book in the hotel room that night and were so excited to get started.
We ended up setting up a blogger site and started blogging immediately. I have to say that my SO has been dutifully posting two to three articles a day to www.bigdaddysportsfan.com. In one month we've had 350 people visit the site and earned a whopping $.95. Whew! That'll help defray the start up expense for sure.
The thing is, we got this all started without even making it half way through the third CD. Now the idea is to hone what we have already created, build up traffic to the site and start making some money.
None of this happens overnight. That might be the real problem with buying stuff at seminars and on the net. There is no magic bullet. Building any kind of a business takes time, persistence and hard work. Fortunately for me, my SO is pouring his passion for sports into the website. As a matter of fact, I have a hard time ripping him off the computer at times.
Here is where I get tripped up. I could be a seminar and e-book junky. One of the best things that I took advantage of was Joel's offer to listen to Russell Brunson's on-line seminar about affiliate marketing. Once you realize the psychology around why people buy, you can talk yourself out of buying more stuff.
Here's the secret (I won't even make you buy the e-book). Use what you already have until its working. Then, if there is a void in the process, purchase what you need until IT works. Buying more products after more products just hurts your pocket book and your dreams. This proceeds to make the gurus rich in the process because they have figured out how to exploit our desire for a get rick quick scheme.
June 16, 2008 09:14 AM
I think it's a cross between laziness and believing the crap that you don't have to put in long hours to be successful. It's constantly being shoved in people's faces on TV and the net. After so much exposure, people begin to believe they only need to work one hour a year and still make millions.
Sorry, but any business requires time. If someone says otherwise, they're lying through their teeth. Success takes hard work and lots of it.
Take a look at the professions you listed. Each one requires loads of hours of work. Can you imagine a doctor who thinks too many hours of training and practise and continuing education means he's not doing it right? That's the rubbish the guru's and scam artists teach. If you're working too much - you're doing it all wrong. It's absolute rubbish.
I don't care if it's online or off - no work, no success. Little work = half-ass job and still no success. It's a lazy generation, but those who love work and find it exciting will always succeed. It just takes time.
June 16, 2008 09:18 AM
Let's be really honest about this, there are people who are just not suited to running their own business, whether online or in the offline world.
Internet marketing hasn't changed anything, really. There were always people failing in business even before the internet arrived and there will continue to be people who will fail in their goal to make more money. The only difference now is that more people can at least try, because of the internet.
That doesn't mean they're any better qualified, or more likely to succeed, just that they get a shot at it. Which is all you can ask for.
Mindset is definitely one of the big stumbling blocks to success, but not taking intelligent action on a consistent basis is a big problem too. If you want to increase your muscle mass you don't pick up the weights, crank out 4 reps with poor form and think the job is done. Do you?
No, you have to keep working at it to get the results.
The same is true with any business - you have to keep taking action. There are some shortcuts you can take and learning from someone who has already 'been there, done that' is a good way to save time and avoid mistakes.
But it doesn't do the job for you! You still have to do some work yourself.
Why do some people fail? The more interesting question is 'why do some people succeed?' Answer that question and you're several steps closer to success yourself.
Amin
June 16, 2008 09:56 AM
Regarding a portion of Ubuntu's comment:
"I really hate it. If their intention is mainly to help people, why do they have to sell something? Whereas all the information found in the Ebooks and products they are selling can also be found on the Internet and costs nothing. Why is it that many 'fake' guru's are out at large."
Would you then offer to give up everything you've learned in life, all you've learned in your career, all of your trial and error, your testing, your own hard-earned money that you've spent, everything you've learned from the hard knocks of life and just "give it away"?
Doctor's help people every day. So do Police officers, Firemen, counselors and teachers. Should they give their services away for free?
It is possible to offer help while still earning an income. I certainly haven't been working online for over 11 years just to give someone all of my experience for free. While I do agree that it's nice to give tidbits here and there, I still have a family to support.
Anywhere you look, whether that be online or off, there are "fake gurus" but for some reason in the off-line world, as long as they have a physical office we can walk into and a receptionist to say hello to us, we never consider that they may be "fake" yet, in the online world, many would have us believe that 99% of those online are a "fake guru".
Just like anything else in life, you need to make an educated decision. Do you believe the person or not? Just because a product didn't work out for you doesn't mean that it was a bad product - it may have been, it may be that it didn't work for your business.
And while some of the Information that's being sold may very well may be on the Internet for free, the key is knowing what to keep and what to trash.
I read an interesting post the other day talking about a similar point ( I believe it was from http://www.psychotactics.com/) ;
A man who owned a machine repair shop decided to sell out to a larger company. He had rather old machines in this shop but knew each one of them inside and out and had kept his business running because he knew all about his machines and exactly how to fix them. The new owner of the shop decided that since the machines ran so smoothly he had no need for a "mechanic" and so fired the man.
A few months went by and one day one of the machines broke down. In a panic the new shop owner called the previous shop owner and begged him to come in and fix the machine. The man said that he would on the condition that the invoice be paid on the spot because now he was a consultant for these kinds of machines. The new owner, not wanting to lose any more money or business, said that yes he would pay the invoice on the spot.
The man showed up, walked over to the machine, opened it up and hit it with a hammer. Instantly it revved up and was working smoothly again.
He handed the new owner the invoice. It was $10,000.
The new owner refused to pay it "$10,000! All you did was walk over and hit it with a hammer."
True, said the man, and decided to revise the invoice.
The invoice now said "$100 for hitting the machine with a hammer, $9,900 for knowing where to hit it."
That's the key, those that hold the real knowledge online may know where to find the machine and very well might know that they have to hit the machine with a hammer, but only a few know WHERE to hit it.
June 16, 2008 10:01 AM
Joel,
One thing that I have noticed in attending the seminars, trade shows etc is the fact that the 'techie' part is glanced over or downplayed. That is...oh...just go get a domain, sign up for hosting, get an auto responder, set up a blog, start writing articles, post in forums etc etc. Believe it or not, right and left scrolling on the web page is a challenge for some. Maybe one in ten people have the minimal skill set to even start to understand just the simple concepts of online marketing.
Look at the hype that comes with just about every seminar offer out there. Learn from the experts! Joel, you may indeed feel bad about how few follow thru with the products they purchase...but check this out...look at what Eric is doing at his site...starting at the beginning! I don't care if he ends up with a few links to some affiliate products or not. Give me what I need and you can make a few bux...it's fair...not, buy my product and you'll get so much money you can 'Buy your own Island' type of hype.
Answer this Joel...can anyone...and I mean anyone make money using JUST what's in your products alone or do they need the 'rest of the story'...website, domain, etc.
I laugh at the guru's who brag that they have a list of 50,000 or so...put it into perspective Joel...make a dime each on that list and that's $5000.
But $60,000 a year isn't enough to give you bragging rights is it...well it is for 99% of the people on those lists.
Ask anyone who has gone thru a bankruptcy...would $500 dollars a month make a difference...?
Come on Joel...we can't all start out with a corporate buyout for a few mill to get us going...
Joel...I believe you may mean well, but don't put it on those who have not learned the skill set yet (or even know how much of a skill set is needed to work online) for not starting online in a business.
You gurus talk about getting a relationship and trust going so you can 'sell' to them...hmmmmm. Yeah...jump on that! If you want to e-mail me and carry on...you have my addy.
June 16, 2008 10:42 AM
For me the main reason is that with a full-time job I don't have that much time to do this. Maybe an hour or two each day. So with the learning I have to do - and the learning curve can be long - I only do what I can for now and do a little each day. So far I managed to get a website up and put Adsense on it - thanks to your strategies - but I'm still working on getting more traffic and getting some content on it. Autoresponders, lists and all that technical stuff to make a website more profitable will take a little bit more time. The most important thing for me is to do a little bit each day and hopefully the hit count keeps growing. Patience in society nowadays is something you don't see much of. People think that if they put up a website that thousands should show up instantly. I've heard of people who spend 9 months on a website before its successful.
June 16, 2008 10:48 AM
I read some of the comments. Information overload is a problem for me. I get umm about a thousand e-mails a day I have to sort through. Also, although the website I have needs money right now... I have a long range plan to produce it. One has to make commitments and set priorities, time is valuable and of most importance. Right now I am following Eric and the 30 Day Challenge as best as I can.
One thought has occurred to me... there sure is a lot of hype around. I get an opportunity from one marketer and then the same opportunity about the same product from about ten more different marketers --- we are awash in a sea of confusion.
June 16, 2008 11:07 AM
I do think that the time we use learning i some way equals the amount of money we will earn on the net.
my experience is that there are some general to say about ALL activity on the Internet, business, infomedier, and more, they all need TRAFFIC. No traffic = no responce. And not just traffic, targeted traffic for the niche.
But still lot of Internet real estate need to be set up, and the right solutions chosen before having a chance of making THE BIG MONEY.
I have discovered a trend over my first year in internet marketing: the 'gurus' is now teaching/coaching customers. (like joel in next internet millioner) and in his new design here in the blog. The newest example is cheney and his affiliate millions, a complete step by step video coaching of how to make a living in affiliate marketing. Also mike filsaime ha become a educator online in internet marketing.
But, i think you can get all advises from all the professionals. And still not be able to make a living of your internet income. Think every one must find the way to make it work.
I found that step by step guides about how to get fra a to b is what teach me what i need to get to the next level.
wish you all the best, michael pedersen
'experience is what you get when you have made the same mistake twice' ;)
June 16, 2008 11:15 AM
Hi Joel
I totally agree that this business is not for everyone. Expectations are high, and the stories of overnight success are only partially true.
For me the real way to get started is to focus on building a list, and using your autoresponder to follow-up and teach people why they should listen to you. Once people see that you're not a scam artist you can build relationships, and it's respect + a good product that equals money.
Also people need to be realistic, if you try to do everything yourself it won't work. Invest in your business, I know that actually hiring a copywriter was something that helped me achieve my first 4 figure month.
Finally, keep your wallet in your pocket unless you know the product will help you reach a specific goal, and you're not putting it on the plastic and going into debt.
June 16, 2008 11:29 AM
Websites take alot of time.They require well planned strageties.I've been reading a book called(websites for dummies)it's tought me how to read HTML,XHTML,CSS and now I don't have to join some dumbasses waisting my timd enegy for nothing but there own plan,TO GET RICH ON MY MONEY.I will go to the store and buy paperbacks so I can glance back at anytime to re-inspire myself.I've also bougt a Dreamsuite3 for graphics.It will take me a while to learn all the in's and out's of it,but at least im moving along with (MY OWN PROJECT)In time I know I will make it right,just don't expect a business in a box to retire on LMAO!!!
June 16, 2008 11:50 AM
Hi Joel,
l'm Anthony,How are you? and how is the business go on.We thank God for bring you and your wife back home successfully.
Infact you need much recommadation for how much you are doing on
the internet teaching us,especially when you went to Australia, everyday we received your mails and also watching your Vidios here.
Joel l was reading yesterday message when the new one came but
because of my great father's death it has given me a little bit confused.My
worried is, l have lost my job for the past nine month.and it has left one month for me to go home for the burial and funeral and its need a lot of
money about Euros4000.The problem is my father is very popular in our community and l'm the only son in europe so everyone is looking up me.
Your best recommadation will be when l come back from Ghana and even l'm going to find you a business.Of all the internet friends you are the one in my heart.Ending here with greetings to your wife and the children,best wishes for the yesterdays FATHERS DAY.
Your's Sincerely
Anthony Kofi.
June 16, 2008 12:23 PM
I'm quite surprised at the reaction to this blog. From what I've found, Joel has offered quite a bit of information freely through his videos, some blogs, and discussion forums. Even though I can tell the difference between when we're being sold or actually good content through his emails, I think there is something to learn in that as well. I've found myself on a quite a few marketers email lists and being sold the same product by 5 people, you can quickly identify who spent a few minutes making the pitch a little more enticing and who just copied the sellers pitch and pasted it into an email blast to their list.
I've learned that even though Joel is successful, he's still looking for new ideas, he's still touching his readers/list, and he's helping partners. I whole heartedly appreciate what Eric is doing, it kinda stinks they are videos, only because it is easier for me to read - but I will definitely have a video marathon to catch up in the near future.
I still have a lot to learn and understand that 99% is sweat equity, but I'll get there! Thanks, Joel.
Kristina
http://www.kristinachristensen.com
http://www.therockstarchicks.com
June 16, 2008 12:31 PM
I have a few comments for both sides of the fence.
Indeed as a beginner you will be faced with the "hidden" realities and challenges of starting a new business. First you will find that it is harder and takes longer then you might have been lead to believe. From my experience the "get rich internet guys" speak very lightly or not at all about things like the learning curve, the amount of effort, the amount of time, and the shear amount of knowledge that you have to obtain and master to be truly successful. If they did then we wouldn't buy their get rich on the internet products. Here is a quick list of some of the things you will encounter when starting an internet business.
Website design (html), (scripts), (graphics), (html editors)
SEO
PPC
Traffic
Affiliates
Blogs
Links (quality links)
Reciprocal Linking
Page Ranking
Hosting
Domain names
SSL
Shopping carts
Merchant accounts
Credit card processing/ PayPal
Product shipping or downloading
List building
Copy writing
Marketing physiology
Marketing materials
Landing pages
Sales letters
Auto responders
Article writing
Give away bonus material
Product Niche
And there is more
Sounds a bit daunting doesn't it? Well it is. If you haven't mastered this list before you start your internet business then you are in for a real surprise. You can easily spend a year or more of full time study, reading, and practicing to learn what you will need to know to be successful.
So here's the dilemma:
We want to have an EZ way to make money, don't want to work too hard, maybe a little bit but I have other commitments I have to keep. So here's my money Mr. get rich quick guy. LET'S DO IT! Make me rich so I can become a lazy bum.
Mr. get rich quick guy says: Oh thank you very much (you sheep), now here are my five 6 minute tips on how you can get rich and become the lazy bum that you so desperately want to be.
So now you go away to begin building your empire of riches. Problem is you run into the list above. What now?
Most people are stopped in their tracks. A few will continue on with learning everything possible and eventually becoming at least to some degree successful. After all, the guy that sold you the get rich quick info did. He and his circle of buddies are all smiling ear to ear and listening to the Ka-Ching sound their PC makes every time we sheep make a purchase.
The difference between us and them is that they did not give up. They stayed focused, committed and diligent to achieve their goals. They did not get discouraged when they were faced with the challenges of starting an internet business. They found there niche which is offering (for money) help and information to sheep on how to get rich. They know and understand the nature of people and marketing psychology of this niche to become successful. They have mastered the tools of the trade and taken the time to learn everything that is possible and necessary to be successful at this business.
So can we take fault with Joel and what he does? Sure we can, but unfairly so. Can we take fault with our selves for being sheep? Sure can. This is all about the nature of things and people. The strong, will survive and rise to the top and the sheep will continue to be fleeced. This is nothing new. This started at the beginning of time and will continue until the end of time.
It is unfortunate that we are not provided with success/failure facts before we purchase internet riches materials but that is not the marketers' responsibility. It is our responsibility for our own due diligence.
BR
Woody
June 16, 2008 01:08 PM
Hi Joel,
Here's my problem with you. I ordered the template business deal - got told not to use the first one I received - and the cd I got had no welcome letter nothing. So I discarded it as I was told to do. Now, I'm pretty sure I was supposed to receive a replacement but so far - nothing! And, frankly at this point I would just like my money back. So show me that you are a stand up guy and refund my purchase price. Thanks. Ron
June 16, 2008 01:55 PM
Hi Joel
I am sorry to have to say that...well, I've tried EVERYTHING you suggest, Joined adsensechat, got AdSense buddy (It never worked), and re-designed my site to AdSense Chat suggestions (and Google guidelines) and still nothing! I have several free 'honest double opt-in leads' sites, but they only produce a small handful of 'hits'...at this point I am quite desperate! I believe in (as I studied it thouroughly) your system, but I cant get the 'hang' of it!
As I am disabled and on a very limited budget I simply cannot afford to invest alot. It seems that the vast majority of site that offer help, get money, then just want more money....! Does this cycle ever end?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Hopefully, next time I write you, I will be able to have a success story!
Thank you for your time
Sincerely
Kev
June 16, 2008 02:21 PM
Dear Joel,
I read through all the responses of today. I find that i am in the same boat as most these people. you make it sound to simple and easy. I purchased your material and some other things. Now i am wondering if some of the other material was a waste of money when I did not understand the full implications of online marketing.
I am currently in business for my self at this time and have an idea what i want to accomplish, but am not sure how and where to go from here. I have working on a cover letter about myself and what I want to put in it. I would like to have you take a look at it when I get it done. If there is any thing that needs to be done before it put in a blog.
I am no way in a good financial situation to be putting any extra money for a lot the other things like: website,autoresponders,affiliates and all the rest
Thanks Gail
June 16, 2008 03:27 PM
Hello,
I have been reading your book about adsense. I already know that adword doesn't work $3,000 later. However, I had my daughter's friend come cover to help me apply what you are trying to teach me. He said that I would not make any money, and that I would have to spend at least $4,000 to develop my own website, then try to advertise my sites and your's. So, I was very discouraged and angry. He show me some things, but he too, wanted the big bucks for his knowledge. And yes I fed him a homecook meal for an half hour of his time. I understand the mechanics of the internet, but I have trouble applying what I have learn to actual practice. I am getting convince that maybe, and only a very, very few really make money online. I really don't know anybody in the natural, that made money on the internet, only lost like me.
June 16, 2008 04:28 PM
We appreciated your time, meeting your personal Energy and your E-Mails more since Sydney Show. My personal CHALLENGE is Computer Skills,also Knowing that all the Gurus support each other by suggesting another "WAY", these becomes the "CARROTS" that sinks me into Information "OVERLOAD". I have spent well in excess of $5K with Gurus have yet to get $1.00 (One Dollar) of Income. I still keep-on investing in Internet Educuation,as surely there is a WAY,with the TRUTH that Honest Money can be made on the Information Highway. May you continue with the Knowledge that FRUSTRATION is the CAUSE OF "INNER-ANGER" which either Make-us or Destroy-us. THANKS Joel for helping us "FIND-OUR-JOURNEY". Ian & Gerarda Pettitt, Australia.
June 16, 2008 06:29 PM
Kev,
I'm also disabled (from 4 strokes and dystonia) and the budget is definitely tight, so I know how you feel on that. Joel has a lot of great stuff here that's free, but it takes time for everything to work.
Someone else mentioned being in the 30 Day Challenge (http://thirtydaychallenge.com). It's great! It's free and it does work. I combine it with what I learn from Joel, Rick Butts and Yaro Starak and things are picking up. But it takes time, a lot of work and a lot of patience. :]
Keep working at it and never give up. :]
June 16, 2008 07:28 PM
Another Outstanding great post Joel, really i stand with you at the point that most of people don't take Action
Regards
Samar Eldin
http://www.samareldin.com
June 17, 2008 12:25 AM
I have spent many years now trying to latch on to methods of making money online,same old story; innumerable e-books software & products.Thousands of dollars spent & still no headway.
I have bought products that promise to paint by numbers but when it comes to the crunch something is missing or is available in the next upgrade package,now that sort of marketing really makes me angry because it just totally nullifies what I just bought so I drop it like a ton of hot bricks and I no longer trust that persons marketing approach.
What the inexperienced person needs is an exact step by step system that does not give a list of choices does not require the purchase of even more expensive product.It must be able to stand on its own merits upon completion IE all relevant methods of obtaining traffic & generating sales are not left to the beginners discretion. Neither do we want to be told to just set up an account at Adwords etc and face huge expense. Seems to me the whole process stands or falls on this issue alone and as yet I have not found a Guru who puts together a complete package as described above without charging the earth or hiding some hidden costs.
Mentoring is also an important aspect how many times do us beginners end up on the scrap heap because admin fails to answer our questions or fobs us off to some other software or sidetrack program.
Personally I dont think the Gurus are going to reveal what truly works and I think most stuff on the market is already outdated by the time its on sale, its like a garage sale, they aint gonna sell their best goodies or reveal their secret techniques otherwise we'd all be like them & there would'nt be any suckers left to sell the crap to.
regards
June 17, 2008 03:49 AM
In a way I agree with Mike's comments above as I have been through the mill will eBooks, courses, videos etc etc....& what I have found that some when implemented do actually say what's on the bottle. For instance I bought Michael Cheney's Adsense Vidoes a while back & having implemented some of his pearls of wisdom I increased my revenue BUT the part that I didn't need to work on was the traffic as I already had a decent amount coming in.
So I guess a lot of the new products coming out are trying to cover all the bases but I think that it's pretty impossible to do...such as product, website, content, traffic, conversion, affiliates...just too many things to cover.
I'm also trying to take a Christian stand point on a lot of these things as there seems to be so much RUBBISH out there....hopefully we can cut through all the BS & actually start writing, reviewing & praising products that work!
At the END of the DAY it all takes a lot of work that you have to be prepared to put in....if you are lazy & want the Get Rich, Quick Scheme then you are already on a loosing wicket.
Anyway, I'm currently looking into Mr Cheney's Automatic Income System....let's see if this cuts the mustard!
Cheers
Conrad
June 17, 2008 06:24 AM
"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." - old proverb
June 18, 2008 06:07 PM
Mike:
"Personally I dont think the Gurus are going to reveal what truly works"
I agree and I think it's because they have very small minds and live in a very small world. It's the Bill Gates mentality of despising and fearing competition. :] In their world, there's only so much money and dang it if they'll allow you to compete against them. IMHO, it's pathetically immature. There's plenty for everyone.
June 18, 2008 08:13 PM
Actually Yobeeon, you couldn't be more wrong about me.
I have no problem sharing how I make money and I do it ALL THE TIME. If you don't see it, you aren't paying attention to all the free reports, free videos and other products I release on a regular basis.
I live an abundance mentality. That is, there is MORE than enough to go around for everyone who wants to play in this sandbox.
Go ahead. Compete. I hope you succeed beyond your wildest dreams.
But you might want to cut the "class warfare" and get down to business.
Joel
June 28, 2008 05:11 PM
Those are what you call "Lazy affiliates" who have no drive. Common sense would tell you if you been through enough in your life, like I have, then you would do everything legitimately in your power to change your life around and make millions from affilate marketing...:-)