Is the US the best place to be an internet marketer?

[madison_avenue]

I am based in the UK and am doing ok, but is the US the best place to be an internet marketer? This is view I am coming around to, because there seems to be a lot of advantages in being based in the US:

* The scale of the market is bigger 300 million(US), plays 55 million (UK) so you can scale better

* It is much more worthwhile and lucrative, as well as easier to be accepted, to be an affiliate of Amazon.com, Ebay.com and other merchants than their UK equivalent's.

* Selling physical products based in the US is more lucrative because of the huge US market.

* Offline clients, seminars etc are easier to sell because of the amount of business to target.

* Generally a more open and entrepreneurial culture with people more willing to try new things and buy online.

* Larger pool of small businesses as potential clients.

* Higher income levels and disposable income than the UK.

Warriors that are based in the US, do you find it a positive environment to do business online or are there a lot of hurdles ? Or do Warriors think it is irrelevant where you are based?

[Mike Hersh]

I don't believe that it's true.

I'm located far away and I still managed to build a successful business that thousands of people from the UK can't get even close to it.

If you're not motivated to build your online business and willing to do anything you have to do to make it online, it's not matter if your from Greece or from the UK.

I do agree with all the things you laid out here...but still...it all depends on how you look at it right?

Cheers,

Mike G

[Jimerson Farveez]

I am not sure the location is playing a role in the career of an internet marketer.
However, In the words of business, Yups, You can get more business over there in US compare to other parts of the world.

I have noticed that there are some guys who used to fly to US to get clients and get new business and establish a team somewhere in India/Srilanka/Philipines and getting more profits in words of outsourcing. I do personally, know some internet marketers are on this way

[LynnM]

I don't think it's necessary to be based in one or the other. Many, I'm sure, take advantage of both markets. It depends what you're selling I guess. There may be a bigger market in the USA for certain products, but there may also be a lot more competition for that market. As far as getting accepted as an affiliate goes, I've never had any difficulty in being accepted for both US and UK versions of a company.


Lynn

[Michael Oksa]

The most important location for one's success or failure isn't the country where they live, it's the grey matter between their ears.

All the best,
Michael

[affiliated survivor]

In some ways I think the US is better. You get higher commissions than anywhere else. And there are more products with high commissions. You also have a lot more free and paid tools and infos to get any job done available. Tools that mostly do not work for other countries/languages and infos that are useless outside the US. And it is easier to get high PR backlinks.
On the other hand there´s more competition. You need more backlinks, your competitors also have these tools and infos.
Overal conclusion: I think if you are good in making money, the US have a higher potential to make you rich.

[Roger Costa]

I don't think location has anything to do with your success...

[madison_avenue]

Originally Posted by Roger Costa

I don't think location has anything to do with your success...

Originally Posted by Michael Oksa

The most important location for one's success or failure isn't the country where they live, it's the grey matter between their ears.


Michael

Yes, point taken Michael , Great to have you back on the forum, always appreciate your input.

Originally Posted by MarkAndrews IMCopywriting

It's completely and utterly irrelevant, doesn't matter at all.

There are just as many advantages on this side of the pond as there are on that side of the pond.

Living in London especially, in one of the world's most vibrant and culturally diverse cities, with just about every language on the planet spoken there daily, you've got so many chances of success, right on your very doorstep.

If you lived in the middle of the Great Divide Basin, I bet some of the individuals there, would almost kill to be living where you are, for the opportunities open to you.

It's a level playing field online, the great equaliser, demographics don't come into it, it's your attitude and adaptability that really count and your willingness to accept new challenges.

Great points Mark! There are many advantages to living in London and I appreciate them. Thanks for everyone's comments so far. It seems that being in the UK is not as much as disadvantage as it may seem but the fact remains that almost all of the biggest marketers, like Frank Kern, Jim Morris etc do seem to be based in the US and I am trying to work out the factors for their success and whether location does have something to do with it or is it just coincidence.

[derekwong28]

I would say yes and no. Yes because you are instantly turned down by many lucrative affiliate programs if you are not based in the U.S. You also get the best conferences and course there.

No, because the threat of being sued for any stupid reason is so great. Just one of these suits could ruin your complete business in one go. I have had treats in term of DCMA and lawyers' letters made against me every me. In fact, I have even been sued by a multinational in a San Francisco court very earlier on in my IM career. If I had been based in the U.S. rather than in Hong Kong, I am sure that ny business would have been much more affected.

Derek

[Allan V]

I don't think it really matters where you are located. Being in the UK can have more advantages for you if you really put your mind to it.

I sell a physical product in Australia that I purchased resale rights to from a company in the US. The advantage to me is that there is only a handful of people in Australia selling this product as compared to the thousands of people selling the same product in the US.

You may have a smaller population in UK, but you probably have far less competition than the US sellers do. Use it to your advantage! You'll find that many people in UK will prefer to purchase from a UK seller, as most people in the US probably would prefer to purchase from a US seller and Australian's would prefer to purchase from other Australian's (like me).

[DavidO]

The beauty of Internet Marketing is that your physical location is largely irrelevant. I've lived outside the U.S. for many years but it doesn't stop me from selling 90% of my products there. What's more, I sell a physical product.

The only limitations are the ones that you create for yourself.

The fact that you've built up some business in the U.K. is an asset. I'm trying to diversify my market so that it's not so dependent on the U.S. but it's a challenge. The sad fact is that the dollar has been in the dumps for years and it's only getting deeper and deeper. If you live outside the U.S., especially in an expensive area, but make most of your income in dollars that's a big disadvantage.

So good for you that you've got some U.K. sales. Now go after the bigger market.

As a footnote, your comment comparing U.K. and U.S. income levels and spending is incorrect. In fact, the U.K. has a much higher average income, as do many European countries. And my personal experience (but not fact) is that Brits spend at least as much if not more than Americans, until the current recession, anyway.

But forget about cultural differences. Again, the only limitations are in you mind.

[Frank Donovan]

Hi Madison Avenue (nice, quaint olde English name, BTW)

If you were targetting offline businesses, you may have more scope in the US - but your business would have to get pretty huge first. And, in practice, there are more that enough offline opportunities in the UK for one person to handle as it stands.

Also, the logistics of getting to some of the IM conferences might be a factor, depending on where in the US you were based. But it's easy enough to get a flight from London to most major US cities.

The cost of living could be an issue. As a fellow Londoner, I sometimes can't resist a wry smile when I read how some marketers (not just in the US) are able to live comfortably on monthly incomes that would last me for maybe a few days at most . Although I expect that might also apply, to a degree, to New York and LA IMers and in any case, it's only what we deserve for choosing to live in one of the most expensive places on the planet


Frank

[madison_avenue]

Originally Posted by Frank Donovan

Hi Madison Avenue (nice, quaint olde English name, BTW)

If you were targetting offline businesses, you may have more scope in the US - but your business would have to get pretty huge first. And, in practice, there are more that enough offline opportunities in the UK for one person to handle as it stands.

Also, the logistics of getting to some of the IM conferences might be a factor, depending on where in the US you were based. But it's easy enough to get a flight from London to most major US cities.

The cost of living could be an issue. As a fellow Londoner, I sometimes can't resist a wry smile when I read how some marketers (not just in the US) are able to live comfortably on monthly incomes that would last me for maybe a few days at most . Although I expect that might also apply, to a degree, to New York and LA IMers and in any case, it's only what we deserve for choosing to live in one of the most expensive places on the planet


Frank

Hi Frank, I'm madison avenue in spirit! The iconic heart of US adverting and marketing. I suppose the UK equivalent would be Soho Square, I still prefer madison avenue though!

Yes the house prices in the US certainly do look pretty attractive compared to what we have to pay in London, this is one reason, apart from the bigger market, why the US attracts me.

[ERPConsultant]

Originally Posted by DavidO

The beauty of Internet Marketing is that your physical location is largely irrelevant. I've lived outside the U.S. for many years but it doesn't stop me from selling 90% of my products there. What's more, I sell a physical product.

Hi David,

Agree that location is irrelevant when selling digital products. I can't help but wonder how you manage to sell a physical product in the US while living outside. Unless it is a high ticket item, shipping and logistics costs can eat into your profits. What kind of product do you sell?

Regards.

[Kim Standerline]

I've been in IM since 2002 and I can assure you the majority of my customer base has been worldwide with only a smaller % coming from the UK

The whole point of IM (as far as I'm concerned anyway) is that it is so easy to sell to people abroad. I live in Lincolnshire, how much more provincial can you get than that!!

Kim

[George Wright]

Originally Posted by Michael Oksa

The most important location for one's success or failure isn't the country where they live, it's the grey matter between their ears.

All the best,
Michael

Where can I get a transplant Michael?

George Wright

[SMP]

You know, these days the world is a much smaller place. It really doesn't matter where you are physically based if the vast majority of your business is online.

Regarding your comment about working with businesses and there being many more in the US - true, but when you work 1 on 1 with businesses you are limited to the hours you have in the day. It doesn't matter if you have 100,000 businesses to target, you can only work with a handful at a time.

I think it's easy to look at the US market with some jealousy but you have the same access to that market as anyone, especially if you are not selling physical product.

Stay positive - it's not all bad over here

Steve.

[Saul']

First of all, don't confuse your location and your target market location. Those are completelly different and unrelated things if you're talking online business.

With that said, the world doesn't consist of only US and UK. If wanna move, why not move to somewhere where the cost of living is much lower? Isn't that what online business really means - living where you want and doing what you want, a.k.a. freedom?

Buy a beach house in, say, Costa Rica and live in paradise for only a fraction you'd pay to live in the urban hell that the big cities are.

[Saul']

Originally Posted by ERPConsultant

I can't help but wonder how you manage to sell a physical product in the US while living outside.

Have a warehouse in US or simply work with drop-shippers?

[SMP]

Originally Posted by Kim Standerline

I've been in IM since 2002 and I can assure you the majority of my customer base has been worldwide with only a smaller % coming from the UK

The whole point of IM (as far as I'm concerned anyway) is that it is so easy to sell to people abroad. I live in Lincolnshire, how much more provincial can you get than that!!

Kim

Pretty provincial, Kim

I've got two friends who live in Grantham who I'm trying to get into IM. They'll be glad to hear of a local marketer who has had your success without feeling the need to move.

Steve.

[havplenty]

Preface - I may get a lot of heat for what I am about to say!

To answer your question Madison, I think your focus shouldn't be location, but rather your target market. Ewen Chia is from Singapore and that hasn't stopped him from amassing an online fortune. It really just boils down to your ability to access markets, and the internet by way of it's structure makes that relatively easy, regardless of geography.

Here is where I think you should focus:

The US is by far the most attractive market for any entrepreneur, not because they have the most money (in the us) but because they are the worlds biggest consumers.

Americans love to 'buy stuff' and that makes the place a goldmine. Everyone knows that America is the world leader in most things and that includes consumption. By one account, Americans consume 25% of the worlds resources. Now the merits of that rate and level of consumption is debatable, but I am not concerned about that (and neither should you), because I am in the business of making money. And if that means targeting a group of people who are conditioned to 'buy stuff' then so be it.

China has about 2 billion people, India about a billion, but those markets are good for pretty much one thing and that is labour. Again this might be debatable, but the essence is that you won't get very far targeting the typical chinese with a 'make money' product, because their profile is different from that of the typical American, who is almost always a computer user with internet access and the most important thing - a credit card!

Now I know that this post might seem cynical but that's the way it is I'm afraid. Internet Marketing is no less than a well functioning eg of that good ole Amrican 'capitalist ideal'. Essentially Madison if you want to make lot's of money, you have to target the people with the most money and the propensity to spend that money.

As a final note, I sincerely apologise if I have offended any Americans, my mom is American, so I am not anti-American in any way. I am merely commenting on how I view American consumer culture.

Hav

[Paul Ho]

Yes I think being in the US poses significant advantages than if you were elsewhere.. One reason is faster and easier acceptance to various CPA programs, affiliate networks etc. Just a simple example.. Associated Content only pays upfront for each article to US based affiliates.. annoying cos the rest of the world can't make use of this income stream.. just my 2 cents.

[MustafaKamal]

It's still relatively burning hot in South East Asia when it comes to internet marketing.

Then again, it's a pool which is yet to be untapped especially in developing countries like vietnam,etc.

On the plus sign, most offline companies situated here have yet to hear about online marketing hence, I do hope I'm giving a big hint to those big players out there on where to find new leads.

[bluelambda]

If you're primarily an affiliate marketer, it is easier in terms of getting acceptance to the various programs if you're US based. If you're outside of the US, many of the programs have auto reject set up for affiliates outside the US, I'm guessing due to some paranoia.

That said, if you're determined, i don't think location makes that much of a difference.

[Kim Standerline]

lol I'm in Scunthorpe so not sure if I beat Grantham for being provincial.

There was a pretty successful marketer who came out of Grimsby, but darned if I can think of his name at the moment. (Haven't had my coffee yet)

Kim

Originally Posted by SMP

Pretty provincial, Kim

I've got two friends who live in Grantham who I'm trying to get into IM. They'll be glad to hear of a local marketer who has had your success without feeling the need to move.

Steve.

[nidoz]

In general, location plays a big plays a big role in a success or failure of a business. But there are other things that will contribute to those as well. If you said US is the best place for Internet Marketers , I have know comment on that although I admit that those American are few years advance if compared to those 3rd world country.

I am from Malaysia. And I can see that Internet Marketing is still new here and it will takes some time for Malaysian to really adapt to the Internet Marketing style of doing business. But , if done properly , I dont think that location is 100% factor to success as Internet marketer.

[Randy Meirndorf]

ya, usa is fine and dandy. Wanna get very rich with IM in the next 20 years? Then learn Chinese! 2 billion screaming credit cards.

[Kevin Regier]

One of the reasons I gave up my old lifestyle and began living life online is the mobility is allows. I do not think it matters where you are. I had a friend who lived in a small village in the middle of the Mexican Jungle and he was a successful marketer. I think what it all comes down to is how much you are willing to do. There is always money to made in IM and you are limited by your own creativity and imagination not by your location.

[ERPConsultant]

Originally Posted by Randy Meirndorf

ya, usa is fine and dandy. Wanna get very rich with IM in the next 20 years? Then learn Chinese! 2 billion screaming credit cards.

2 billion yes. But credit cards -- questionable. A very small fraction have it and an even smaller that will use it online. It might change but doesn't seem likely.

[ERPConsultant]

Originally Posted by Saul'

Have a warehouse in US or simply work with drop-shippers?

Any good references for either?

[Kim Standerline]

But isn't the internet very censored in China or is that rumours

Kim

Originally Posted by Randy Meirndorf

ya, usa is fine and dandy. Wanna get very rich with IM in the next 20 years? Then learn Chinese! 2 billion screaming credit cards.

[Michael Oksa]

Originally Posted by George Wright

Where can I get a transplant Michael?

George Wright

I'll let you know as soon as my $97 "Do Your Own Brain Transplants At Home" WSO is finished.

Amazing what you can do with a corkscrew, butter knife and duct tape.

~Michael

[Jay Truman]

if you want to pay more taxes, the US is an excellent choice.

[Karen Connell]

Living out in the country in Southern Ireland, I had never really given much thought as to if it was a disadvantage.

After giving it some thought, I actually think it is an advantage to be able to market worldwide whilst sitting in my small office looking out across the countryside (at the rain sweeping across the fields!) with my whippet sitting at my feet.

But then again, I have no desire to engage in the selling of any physical product. However, I do sometimes wish we had a focus group or something over here where talking about IM is not considered to be eccentric!

Karen

[DavidO]

I'm coming back to this thread a bit late but I still want to address some questions arising from my earlier reply here.

Selling physical products in the U.S. from overseas is no problem at all, even at fairly low volume. I do my own CDs and ship them in bulk to a U.S. fulfillment service. The costs are surprisingly low and profit margin high.

When I need higher volume I have a U.S. CD replicator do the product and ship to the fulfillment service.

Of course, I also do digital products and that's obviously easier. But don't be put off of doing physical products because you think it's too difficult or expensive. Again, my point is that the only limitations are in your mind.

As for some of the comments regarding the U.S. and markets in other parts of the world. Yes, the U.S. is indisputably our prime target. But things change and I advise everyone to diversify. Sales from outside the U.S. are 10% of my business (not a figure to ignore) and growing.

With the weakness of the dollar I'm eager to increase my non-U.S. share of business as much as possible. And who knows about the future? As little as a year before it happened, the fall of the Soviet bloc was unthinkable.

Now, I'm not suggesting anything as dramatic for the U.S. (though you never know) but the balance of power is slowly shifting. If you plan to be in this business ten or twenty years down the road take nothing for granted. Diversify.

[Mukul Verma]

Canada Here....

YES and NO (More NO), there are 2 aspects to this question

It is in up to each person. I was in Argentina for a month earlier this year and NO ONE works on Saturday and Sunday, not even real estate agents. The culture is very laid back, GREAT for relaxing. A IM works 24/7 and this is part of there lives and it is give and take. The power of our surroundings are strongs, so if someone, like Evan can fight that, then anyone can do that. You can be successful from anywhere.

[Arted4Life]

If you have a decent computer, motivation, an internet connection, some time and patients you can easily succeed from anywhere in the world.

[markshields]

Possibly the USA is the largest market of people interested in what we do, I would go as far as to say that but the internet is such that its global and your dealing with people online therefore any internet marketer can be successful from any location

[John Boyd]

Originally Posted by markshields

Possibly the USA is the largest market of people interested in what we do, I would go as far as to say that but the internet is such that its global and your dealing with people online therefore any internet marketer can be successful from any location

Yes, I'd go along with that, Mark - pretty well sums it up. I've always viewed the web as operating across a level playing field cutting across socially imposed divisions of class,culture business environment.