The Top 10 Internet Marketing Blunders!

We are the first to admit that there are no Internet marketing geniuses here at Link-O-Matic. Believe it or not, we continue to learn something new each and every day. But that's what is so exciting about it -- each time we act on our newfound knowledge our online sales increase.

You should make an effort to do the same, and this week we're going to help you do just that by sharing with you what we feel to be The Top 10 Internet Marketing Blunders. Chances are you're making at least one of them, so you may want to give the following some serious thought.

Keep in mind that the following really only applies if you are trying to run some sort of business online, which most of us are. You can afford to make a few blunders when it comes to personal homepages, but if you are running a business online the following "rules" are written in stone.

Because the following are serious mistakes which all detract from your bottom line, we're going to tell it like it is at the risk of sounding elitist and egotistical. We don't want to offend anyone, it's just that when it comes to promoting a business online there are some definite no-no's.

Blunder #1: Using free or cheapo web hosting services.

Let's get one thing straight, you absolutely can not run a business web site using a free web page such as those offered by Angelfire, Tripod, GeoCities, HyperMart, FreeYellow, etc. No matter what you may think, it just isn't going to work. As they say you get what you pay for.

There is no bigger turnoff than visiting a web site that is hosted on an obviously overloaded web server. We won't mention any names, but a few of the free services are just terrible. Your web site is the most important asset you have, and it must give a good first impression.

Besides, nothing is really free anyway. When you get "free" web space you are normally required to show the hosting company's banners and advertisements in prime locations on your web site. This is absolutely insane if you really think about it from a business standpoint.

These days you can find a good web hosting company that will provide what you need for as little as $20 a month. Let's be real, if you aren't willing to spend $20 a month on a good web host how serious can you be? Many good prospects are immediately turned off by this blunder.

And while we're on the subject of web hosting, be sure to get your own domain name. Again, if you aren't willing to spend $60 to claim your own private spot on the web what are your potential customers going to think? Take your business seriously, or you will ultimately fail.

Blunder #2: Destroying your site with graphics, java, music, etc.

This has got to be the 2nd most offensive Internet marketing blunder. If you are running a business online, your web site's most important job is to sell your products and services. Anything that detracts from this should be avoided like the plague. And we mean it, literally!

Unless you are a graphic designer, graphics that take forever to load are not going to sell anything. And neither is java that crashes your visitor's browser. Same thing for any but the most popular plug-ins. Sound or music clips on your web site? Heck no!

Unless you are selling CDs, sound does not belong on a web site -- not yet anyway. Sure you can argue this, but the bottom line is that it can cause your visitors problems. Fancy graphics, java, plug-ins, sound files, etc. do nothing but make your pages take forever to load.

Blunder #3: Not asking for, and acting on, comments and feedback.

This is another big one, and we can personally attest to the value of asking for and acting on feedback. One thing that many people seem to forget is that it's the prospect who has to like what they see -- and not much else matters. Here's a real-world example.

A while ago we launched a web site, and initially used frames layout. We were aware of the potential problems, and spent lots of time tweaking the site to be as friendly as possible. However, after asking for feedback we discovered that many visitors hated it.

And the scary thing is that unless we asked for feedback we probably never would have realized this. Everything looked and worked well for us, but a significant number of our visitors had problems with it. We redesigned the entire site and immediately our sales increased. You will be literally amazed at the valuable feedback you will receive if you just ask for it. Remember that your prospects are the ones buying your products and services, and despite what you may think, the way they perceive your site and your business is what counts.

Blunder #4: Wasting your valuable time on unproductive activities.

As an Internet marketer your most valuable asset is time. And yes, time is more valuable than money so spend yours wisely. Because your time is a limited resource, you will need to learn to prioritize. There are certain things that are more important than others.

For example, consider the amount of time you spend on various promotion and marketing activities. Do you actually know which is most productive for you? If you don't you're wasting precious time. Test all of your advertising and spend your time appropriately.

Search engines are a great example. One of the biggest myths that is circulating the web marketing community is that getting a top 10 listing will make you an overnight success. Don't believe the hype, and don't waste your time trying to fool the search engines.

One of the most important things you can ever do is to automate as much of your day-to-day activities as possible. This includes order fulfillment as well. To succeed online in a big way, you will need to spend most of your time advertising and marketing your business.

Blunder #5: Not managing your email communications efficiently.

Your email communication with prospects and customers will make or break you. Since most of the time you will never get a chance to impress them in person, you really need to learn how to use email to your advantage. Much of it is common sense actually.

Each and every day we receive emails from people asking us to do business with them in one way or another, and many of them look like they were written by a 10 year-old. Spelling errors, grammar problems, poorly formatted and difficult to read ... you name it. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes, but there is no excuse for this. Get yourself a good email program, learn how to use it, and spell-check all of your correspondence. You know what they say, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Blunder #6: Failing to create and build an opt-in "house" mailing list.

Red flag! Alert! Serious blunder! If you do not have a mailing list to keep in touch with your prospects and customers, you are literally throwing money down the drain. If you get nothing else out of this issue, trust us when we say that you need one.

People buy things they want from people they know and trust. And there's no better way to get people to trust you than to show them that you are an expert at what you do. Starting an email newsletter will allow you to keep in touch with your audience and do just that.

With it you can keep them informed of site updates and new products. You'll never have to worry about them forgetting you because your name will always be in front of them. You can even sell advertising. But most importantly, you will build trust and relationships.

Think about it. If you wanted to become a real estate investor, would you purchase a home-study course from a door-to-door salesman or someone who had been sending you a free newsletter for the past year?

Blunder #7: Ruining your reputation via inappropriate advertising.

A list of Internet marketing blunders which didn't include spamming just wouldn't be complete. Despite what you may have heard, there is no better way to run your online business into the ground than the act of sending unsolicited email. It is the ultimate blunder.

If you have to learn this the hard way than so be it, but don't say we didn't warn you. For every spammer that is actually making any money, we can show you 10 responsible marketers who are making lots more. There is absolutely no reason to spam.

The same thing goes for posting ads in Usenet newsgroups where they don't belong. Why hassle with the negative effects of these questionable methods when there are so many ways to advertise online? Forget morality issues, it just makes no business sense.

The most important asset you have as an Internet marketer is your reputation. And spamming is about the fastest way possible to ruin it, short of blatantly ripping people off. If you have any intentions of being around to realize long-term profits, please don't spam.

Blunder #8: Forgetting that marketing is the key to your success.

Even if you have the greatest product in the world you will never sell anything if you don't tell anyone about it. Without advertising there will be no prospects, and without prospects there will be no sales. It sounds like common sense, but it's also a common blunder.

You only have to do two things to be successful in business, and you only need to do one of them on a regular basis. Can you guess what it is? If your online endeavors are not as successful as you'd like them to be, do yourself a big favor and return to the basics.

First of all, you need to develop a profitable business model. Until it has been proven that you have a viable product or service and a method of selling it that turns a profit, anything else is premature. Do not waste time and money promoting a dud, testing is critical.

Once you have determined that your business model is sound you should concentrate most of your efforts on promoting it. If you make $10 per sale, you simply need to find 100,000 customers to make a million dollars. Marketing is the lifeblood of your business.

Blunder #9: Thinking you're going to get rich without working hard.

Here's another blunder that isn't exactly limited to the Internet, but it is just as dangerous as the others. If we had to pick just one, this would probably be the number one cause of failure -- both online and in the real world. Making money is easy, but you must work for it.

A successful online business isn't built overnight, it is the result of many late nights. If anyone says that they can teach you to make a substantial amount of money without hard work, run as far away as you possibly can. And be sure to bring your checkbook with you.

The get-rich-quick mentality seems to be quite popular online. But the truth is, there really isn't a way for the average person to do so. And getting caught up in the hype is only going to delay true success. Save yourself lots of grief by accepting the fact that there is no free lunch.

We're still not sure why the get-rich-quick mentality is so prevalent on the Internet, but we do know one thing. There are no secrets, and there is nothing mystical about making money online. With some hard work and a little perseverance, absolutely anyone can do it.

Blunder #10: Not understanding the real power of the Internet.

The Internet is a communications tool. It was created for this purpose, and you'll get the most out of it if you use it as such. There has never been an easier or more cost-effective way for a business to reach its target audience, and there never will be. So take full advantage of it.

Use the power of the Internet to reach millions of customers all over the world. And then use it to provide them with the sort of customer service that was impossible without it. Use the Internet to gather information, research the competition, and network with others.

There is a goldmine of information and resources floating around in cyberspace, but you have to know where to find it all. Learn how to use the search engines to easily find almost any help you need and your productivity will skyrocket. This alone is invaluable.

In a nutshell, use the Internet to communicate more effectively. Don't forget that business is about people, and that the Internet is nothing more than a great way to interact with them. Don't hide behind it, get involved and witness the way it changes the world firsthand.

Internet Marketers and big companies are raking in millions of dollars marketing on sites like Twitter, Facebook, MyBlogLog, MySpace, Hi-5, Linked-in and FriendFeed, etc. Dell reported earning over $3 million from direct marketing on Twitter. What do these social sites have in common? Traffic and lots of it. What makes them so popular and how did they get all this traffic? HOW can you duplicate their success and high traffic stats without allocating hundreds and thousands of dollars for internet marketing? How can you achieve their ranking as an internet marketer?

First, let’s address the the internet marketing, importance of traffic, exposure and continual growth.

You may be wondering….

How do you get people to visit your site?

You have a great idea but is your site buried on the web?

If visitors can’t find you by conducting a search then you are losing revenue day after day after day!

Success on the web requires strategic dedication and constant updating. Do you have a great idea of a product, information, or service that is marketable? Are you are excited about the prospect of owning a business, being your own boss, and creating wealth? If you have answered “Yes” to these question, then this software program is for you!

You can learn the marketing tricks that the “Marketing Elite” DON’T want you to know AND don’t want to share with you! Again, the right tools and traffic is the key! Now this is the challenge…with all the billion upon billion websites on the internet how can you get traffic, efficiently and effectively? Will you need a generous internet marketing budget? Will you need a staff of employees to generate traffic? Will you need to schedule logging into each social site to promote?

Will you need to monitor your traffic 24 hours a day? The answer is “No”.

What I am about to share with you now is a innovative system called Social Blaster ™.

Social Blaster ™ will outperform an office full of employees…it will outperform your manual efforts to draw traffic. Social Blaster ™ will create Freedom at your fingertips; and traffic will come to you over and over and over again. Yes, instead of you trying methods to draw traffic to you….this system will Bring traffic to you. SocialBlaster is an like no other product on the market.

It’s simple and easy. So what is Social Blaster….?

It is virtually impossible for the average marketer to compete in such a fierce arena. How can people like you and I generate a following of tens millions of customers? It seems almost impossible … Or so I thought. Please, Read on…..

Sites like TwitterCounter.com and other companies are charging more than $ 300.00 a week to advertise on their site. Marketers are spending $100 - $1000 per adword campaign. Believe me - with the economy the way it is there is no shortage of companies more than willing to shell out the money. So what does their money buy..

A hundred new members or a thousand new members? Every month you will continue to pay out for these advertising costs. One year of advertising at $300.00 a week = $15,600.00/annually. Other sites, like TweetTornado and others are charging upwards of $150.00 per month = $1,800/annually.

Google Ad Networks charge a minimum of 0.25  per click, depending on your niche.

At $.0.25 per click that equates to around 4,000 visitors for $1,000.00 USD. As important as Ad Networks are, the initial comprehension and investment plus the amount of labor needed to produce profitable results can be overwhelming to most internet marketers and retailers..

As these ad networks get more and more popular….will they increase the fees for you to advertise in the future? How do you project the marketing budget you will require to maintain your website exposure and traffic? So, let me ask you? $15,600.00 may or may not be a lot of money to you. Then again..success and money is what you are seeking by launching a website. Where else could you apply $15,600.00? Increase your inventory, automate more systems, etc.? What if I told you that this internet marketing system will provide you with infinite traffic? Would you be willing to invest in a system for a fraction of the cost? One time fee, infinite traffic EQUALS increased revenues for you!

We recognized that there had to be some secret to unlocking the power of Social Networks like Twitter and skyrocketing into that rare group of power users. Twitter became socially accepted and widely used before a quarter of the population knew it existed. That is one of the keys: The Right marketing tools, exposure and Traffic. We analyzed the virtual use of these sites, ran comparisons, and put together a dedicated team of internet marketeres, programmers and webmasters who understand, live and breathe the dynamics of the power of the web. We have done the homework for you and as a result of our dedicated research we developed an incredible marketing tool that is on the leading edge of technology. A system specifically developed for the web and for the millions upon millions of you out there who are ready to launch a new business equal to the strength and competitiveness of the Masters of the web.

Increase Your Efforts 100% Automated With SocialBlaster ™

 

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If you compare SocialBlaster ™ to all the little free apps & web sites that perform basic functions on one Social network site at a snail’s pace than you would be misleading yourself. The web is fast and quick and ever evolving. Slow...does not work on the web!

Visualize that you can manage automatic traffic with just a few clicks and manage posting several rotating updates with links pointing back to your website. Again, it’s fast, simple and efficient. SocialBlaster™ was not created with the everyday user in mind. SocialBlaster™ has been recognized by top internet marketers, small companies, organizations, and Fortune 500 companies. SocialBlaster has been purchased and used by top 500 Inc Companies…

 

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Simply put, why would you trust gimmicks from people who have minimal followers? Why grow small … when you can grow big?

SocialBlaster ™ will give you access to tens of thousands of followers on every major social network site. Don’t compromise where it counts, use this tool to single handedly gain access to thousands of followers worldwide. Several competitors are charging $180 - $200 for small applications to run on a traffic source. SocialBlaster will schedule updates to every major social network site using the same amount of effort if not less.

Imagine having the ability to automate and schedule updates for 5, 10, 15 0r even 100 accounts with content related text and links, multiple account tools rotating timed scheduled updates. With intuitive features included in SocialBlaster ™ like automated content, RSS feeds to Social Sites with links you define, timed intervals between posting to multiple accounts and so on. SocialBlaster ™ will literally blow you away with unique features!

If you’re earning anything at all from Social Media Marketing on sites like Twitter have a look at this example animation of what happens when you multiply your efforts with SocialBlaster ™

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Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money online for many reasons. You dont have to develop your own product, employ a customer support team, or maintain an inventory. All you have to do is direct potential buyers to the sales letter of the product or service using your affiliate link.

However, there is a little more to it than that. To really make money in affiliate marketing, here are 3 main factors you need to consider:

1. Choose the Right Product To Promote

There are literally hundreds and hundreds of affiliate programs and opportunities available. It can be very difficult and time consuming to try to evaluate these affiliate programs to decide what to promote.

Often the best place to start is with products that you have purchased and enjoyed, or in market niches that you know something about, i.e. if you are a golfer, you may want to get involved with golf-related affiliate opportunities.

However, there is a definite advantage to knowing which offers are currently hot and getting into that market before it becomes saturated. And this takes a lot of research.

2. Knowing the Latest Internet Marketing Strategies

Internet marketing and affiliate marketing strategies change quite frequently and it is very important to be aware of the latest techniques.

By doing this, the top affiliate marketers are constantly able to generate the maximum amount of profit from their efforts.

3. Staying On Top of the Latest Research

The internet goes through trends that have an effect on how people use the internet, where they go to get information, and how they spend money. Social media marketing is an example of this and currently, sites such as Twitter are extremely popular.

In order to maximize affiliate revenue, you need to be aware of these trends and know where to go to keep up to date. The affiliate marketers who take the time and effort to do the research and address the above 3 factors are the marketers who consistently make a lot of money online.

Mark McCullagh is the author of the NewSuccessOnline blog where you can get access to a free video from affiliate marketing expert John Reese that will provide solutions to the above 3 factors to help you make money at http://newsuccessonline.com/affiliatemarketing.

If you want to achieve success in your affiliate marketing business, it is very important for you to know the reasons why you want to achieve success in your business. Without the strong reasons, you will give up quite easily when you meet some obstacles. Here are the 5 sentences that you must constantly remind yourself while you are taking action to grow your affiliate marketing business.

Sentence #1 - I Will Never Give Up In Achieving Affiliate Success

It is inevitable that you will make mistakes but you have the courage to learn from the mistake and keep on going. You must tell yourself that you will never give up no matter how hard the journey will be. The good thing about this business is that most of the works are already done and you will just have to follow the proven system so that you will make the least number of mistakes and achieve your goal faster.

Sentence #2 - I Understand That Affiliate Marketing Is A Real Business Which Will Requires Time To Grow

This is very important as you must have the understanding that you will have to be patience and give some time for the business to grow. You must be aware that you are requires to work on your business and you will need to take consistent action in order to grow it. It will definitely be worth your time and effort as you will get good return once your business starts to grow.

Sentence #3 - I Understand That I Am Responsible For My Own Business

As you will be starting your own business, you will be 100% responsible for your own business. If you did not get any results, it will mean that you have either do the wrong things or you are not putting enough effort into your business. Take more responsibility of your own business and make sure that you take massive action.

Here are the 3 sentences that you must constantly remind yourself when you are operating your affiliate marketing business. Since you have already do so many things for your business, it will be more logical to just complete the rest of the way and start to have your own long term affiliate marketing business.

Zack Lim is an internet affiliate marketer who owns http://www.MyAffiliateMarketingOnline.com/FreeEcourse. He has helped hundreds of people to start their own affiliate marketing business.