Visions of dollars bills dance in your head as you focus your starry-eyed gaze on the words before you.
“Make MILLIONS on the Internet! Work part-time from home, no experience required. Never worry about money again!”
Uh-huh.
Many people come online believing that the Internet is a goldmine of prospects just waiting to buy something from you. It’s just so easy to BELIEVE – especially if you’re in a vulnerable position. For example, if you’re desperate to leave the corporate world, or tired of looking for a way to work from home, you’re much more likely to become a victim to the “no experience required” scam.
Ouch. It can be an unpleasant reality check to come to grips with the fact that everything, including this much- touted opportunity called the Internet, requires experience and know-how.
Yes, the web provides an excellent opportunity for the everyday person. But you still need to know how the Internet functions. If you’ve ever jumped into a business opportunity claiming that you can easily make money by selling their product … you’ve likely been disappointed.
Some business opportunities claim that you can make money on the Internet, “no experience required!” (usually when trying to sell you the opportunity). This is simply not true. Every job requires some type of skill, and the Internet is no exception.
Running an Internet business requires a special set of skills. For example, you need to have Internet marketing savvy. How do you get people to visit YOUR site, from among literally millions of other sites to choose from? Most people inevitably start out with banner advertising only to be disappointed when they don’t pull in much traffic or make many sales – if any at all.
Others, heaven forbid, try spamming only to lose their email account and/or their ISP account. AND to make things worse still, they damage their reputation. If you don’t know what spam is, it’s sending commercial email to people who haven’t specifically requested it. Many newbies unintentionally spam because they don’t understand exactly what it is, or what the consequences can be.
Getting indexed on the search engines is another skill that comes with much practice and experience. For example, how do you get listed in the top 20 or 30 search results – you know, of the 4,583,384 results that are found for your key phrase?
Internet surfers are impatient people; they suffer from the “itchy finger syndrome” – if they get bored, all it takes is one click of the mouse and they’re gone forever. Thus another skill required to do business on the Internet is learning to write strong, editorial copy that commands your visitor’s attention.
How about choosing a target market? Your target audience determines what and how you write. For example, someone who’s been recently downsized probably needs a new source of income within the next few months, and is not willing to spend a lot of money. This is far different from an offline (“real world”!) business person who is successful, wants to expand onto the Internet, but just doesn’t know where to start.
It is true that you can make good money on the Internet. And it is true that the Internet is a fabulous opportunity for the everyday person – no where else can you find an opportunity with such a low monetary investment. But don’t be fooled by claims that you can succeed with no experience and no skills. Making money on the web is a JOB; experience and skills required!
Take the time to learn the ins and outs of the Internet. Determination, hard work and a willingness to learn will eventually lead you to success on the web.
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Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a practical, down-to-earth guide to building an Internet business on a beginner’s budget. If you enjoyed this article, you’ll love the book! Visit http://www.onlinebusinessbasics.com or request a series of 10 free reports to get you started.
