While there are a variety of factors that contribute to success, no one can dispute the importance of the following success principles. These principles aren't new, but sometimes, it helps to be reminded of them.
1. You must have a plan. The number one mistake that most marketers make is they don't have a plan of any kind. There's an age old proverb by Thomas Edison that accurately states:
"He who fails to plan, plans to fail. "
Develop a well-thought-out plan for what you want to do and how you plan to do it - a roadmap to your goals if you will. Write it down, and refer to it help keep you on track.
2. You have to work hard. Many people mistakenly approach Internet Marketing with the idea of making a quick buck - easy riches if you will. And while a rare few achieve instant gratification and realize success rather quickly, the vast majority get hit with a brutal dose of reality.
Internet Marketing is neither quick or easy. It often requires time, patience, discipline and hard work. There are no shortcuts. Famous philanthropist Andrew Carnegie once wrote:
"Anything in life worth having is worth working for."
Those are words I try to live by everyday.
3. You must be passionate. I am constantly amazed at how many people approach Internet Marketing without any passion whatsoever. Passion is like a high-powered furnace that exists deep inside of you. It just needs to be fired up. So how do you fire up your passion? Easy. Do things that you're passionate about - things that you truly enjoy doing.
Why? Because passion is a key component to success. It motivates you. It keeps you focused. It makes you determined to keep going against even the most astronomical of odds. It helps you find solutions to your problems.
It's been my experience that people who are truly passionate about whatever it is that they're involved with have a level of determination, discipline and commitment that most people simply don't have. It has been said that "the greater someone's passion, the greater their level ofsuccess."
I believe that to be absolutely true. If you're not passionate about what you're doing, you're merely spinning your wheels!
4. You have to believe in what you're doing. There's an old saying that states:
"Faith can move mountains."
And while that may not necessarily be true in a literal sense, belief can indeed be powerful. Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about. In the summer of 2008, Tiger Woods won his third U.S.Open championship and 14th major title.It was an unlikely victory for Woods, who was physically handicapped because he played the entire tournament with a broken leg.
Two days after winning the championship, Woods revealed that he would miss the remainder of the 2008 season because he was having major surgery on his leg. When asked by reporters why he jeopardized his career by playing with such a serious injury, Woods simply replied, "I wanted to win."
Now if that's not having faith in your ability to get the job done, I don't know what is. Bottom line: To succeed at Internet Marketing, you have to believe in what you're doing!
5. You must follow-up with prospects. Did you know that the average e-commerce website has a conversion ratio of around 1 percent? That means 99 percent of visitors to your website will leave without purchasing anything. That's why following up with your prospects is so important.
If you're serious about Internet Marketing, you absolutely, positively must collect your visitors name and e-mail address so that you can follow-up with them at a later date. The most effective method of following up is with a well-written, informative newsletter that not only provides your subscribers with useful information, but skillfully promotes your products and services as well.
An easy to use follow-up platform would be affordable services like Vertical Response or Constant Contact.
6. You must educate yourself. Do you know why most people go online? Believe it or not, most people go online not to buy anything, but rather to search for information to solve a problem they have.
So why is knowing this information so important? Because if you understand and realize that the Internet is driven by information seekers first and foremost, you can better harness its unlimited power and money-making potential.
How? You can become an information provider yourself, and provide people with the valuable, useful information they're seeking, in the form of articles like this one, e-books, reports, videos, teleconferences, etc.
Do you see how having a little knowledge can work to your advantage? Educate yourself on how the Internet works. If you're truly serious about Internet Marketing, in addition to reading articles like this one, read as many quality, online publications as you possibly can.
A few of my favorites include SiteProNews, WebProNews, PromotionWorld, ClickZ Newsletter and MarketingProfs Newsletter. Learn as much as you can about sales and marketing. It can make all the difference in the world to your bottom line.
7. Take the path of least resistance. Let me ask you a question: If you've been a janitor all your life, what makes you think that you can suddenly wake up one day and succeed at Internet Marketing by selling pet supplies?
Why not take the path of least resistence, and market products and services you have intimate knowledge of? The quickest and easiest way to make money online is to take the knowledge and life experience you already have and build a business around it.
You'd have a much greater chance at success if you took your janitorial experience and wrote an e-book or created a video about how to start and operate a janitorial service.
We all have something that we're good at and knowledgeable about. The key is being able to take that knowledge and convert it into a successful money-making enterprise.
8. Promote, promote, promote. You can have the greatest product or service in the world, but if no one knows about it, well, then it's not going to do you much good. That's why you must constantly promote the daylights out of your product or service.
Whether it's pay-per-click advertising, article marketing, press releases, ezine advertising, whatever. Consistent promotion is the key to making money online. Remember, "the squeaky wheel gets the oil!"
9. You must be consistent. In order for your car to perform at peak efficiency, there are certain routine steps you must do consistently. This includes changing your oil and filters, checking your belts and fluid levels, checking your tire pressure, keeping your engine tuned, and of course putting gas in the tank.
Well, if you want to succeed at Internet Marketing, you must also perform certain routine steps consistently.
That means you have to follow the ten principles in this article religiously. You can't just follow some of the principles some of the time. That's not going to cut it. In order for the principles to be effective, you must follow all of the principles all of the time. You must be consistent!
10. Don't Ever Quit. Author Norman Vincent Peale famously said:
"It's always too soon to quit." But yet, that's what many people do. They quit way too soon. Don't be one of those people who look back on life with regret. Give Internet Marketing your best shot right now. Despite any obstacles you might encounter, hang in there when the going gets tough. Remember, "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Don't ever quit!
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