The number 1 newbie frustration

[traces2757]

Definitely information overload...it tends to choke you.

[farh*]

be patient.

[cherman]

Well, there seems to be quite a few on here who think information overload is the #1 frustration. I don't know if I can pick one thing over another, since I can think of many things, but I do agree that information overload is a HUGE problem. I still have this problem once in a while, even after marketing online for most of the last 10 years.

[Tina Tiano]

I agree that it is information overload which leads to paralysis by analysis!

[macknox]

Originally Posted by Punkaj Dube

The number 1 newbie frustration is "How to take action".

I totally agree with this.

The no matter how good the ebook... or video... this real problem is belief.

Belief in the "project" of making money online is possible.

But if you take another step back... everyone's computer setup is different and skills set are varied. I can still remember pondering over buying a domain name in 1993 from Netbenefit or Virtual Internet and they were charging top wack... where are they now?

Can you imagine the choice's available? Only through experience will you know the tools of the trade... unless someone shows you step by step exactly.

[NewbiesDiary]

I've managed to figure out how to make websites, I've got swiped sales pages that I can re-write to suit my own product, I have figured out ftp, html and various other things I need.

What I really struggle with is TRAFFIC and LIST - for a long time this has rendered me incapable of proceeding - I need a list, how do I get a list without traffic. I need traffic, how do I get traffic without a list.

Also a great majority of the 'step-by-step' programs really aren't step by step at all.

Step by step to me would be

step 1. - do exactly this (and this is why)
step 2. - now do this (and this is why)

We dont need a big introduction, we just need step 1, step 2, step 3. We need to know when we are on to the next step so we can also make sure we've totally covered the current step before we move on.

Picking a niche is also a pain in the bum, personally I've got this sorted, but I still struggle with traffic and list.

[roversierr]

Hi Guys
When I say I'm a newbie , boy do I mean NEWBIE , however , where I'm at now is that
I've written an ebook which I'm (hopefully) confident will sell ( neeed to decide how to market-i.e ckickbank etc). I Have also studied alot of copywriting stuff and have written a sales page( only in word at the moment) but it is complete , and I have had some good feedback on that.
However , my big problem and/or frustration is - who do i talk to / where do I go / who do I trust / how can I set-up and design a website / design ebook covers / load-up my sales page / put links onto the site for paypal etc.
In other words I've got the product but what would be great is to just be able to get an "all in a box solution" to all the other stuff so that my product is just ready to sell a.s.a.p with all the links I need to clickbank , amazon , etc sorted.
If any of you guys could point me in the right direction that would be great , and whilst I know there are lots of warriors on the site offering the individual services , it would be great to get one conact who could "do it all" if thats possible ?
All the best.
John

[zerofill]

The number 1 frustration we hear often from people Jeremy Kelsall and Myself help who have purchased products that were good from other people, but they didn't understand... is the missing steps.

Not steps that are missing intentionally...steps that many of us take for granted. For instance using FTP or installing a wordpress plugin, editing a html file, buying a domain, setting your nameservers for that domain...

It isn't really the buyer or seller who is at fault on a lot of those missing steps. It is just stuff you don't include in every product.

You see products that say...
Get a hosting account, buy a domain, set that up...
Now after that do this...

That frustrates people who have drive but get discouraged on the technical aspects. They eventually give up...

[roversierr]

Originally Posted by alferns

The number one frustration a newbie faces is a lack of right direction in using the proper online tools.

In pursuit of online success a newbie purchases so many digital products and eBooks which ultimately turns out to be worthless. Instead of earning, he/she starts losing money adding to the already creeping in frustration.

Therefore, if a newbie is fortunate enough to find the right mentor and proven online tools then success plus happiness is the guaranteed result!

Hi Alferns
Any recommendations on a good mentor then ?

[yommys01]

I am a newbie but I think the number frustration for me is my parents and my inability to make money for the past 9 months. I have stick to my passion ( football/soccerfan) and weight loss for 9 months but I have not made a dime except for the 19.36 I made about 2 weeks back on click bank and another 90 dollars or so in adsense.

[mjbmedia]

ok this is my second input but i also think the newbies 'inability' to let go of some of their business and outsource the parts they dont know enough about or that are too time consuming.
IE their attempts to be jack of all trades instead of sticking towhat theyre great at and outsourcing the other stuff.
Now I know why that is, until youve made $10k profits you dont want to splash out $6k on services, but unless you look at that $6k as invest rather than spend and until you invest it, youre not gonna make the $10k profit .

Catch 22. you know what you want, you know how you want the site to work, how it all links together, the up sells the OTOs etc etc but setting it all up yourself is beyond you or it would take ages and major frustrations, by which time maybe the opportunity (in your mind) to make profit has gone as the marketplace has moved on in those 10 months it took you to figure out everything.

Just imagine, you invest the $6k and everything is set up for you just as you want it or better in 2 weeks and youre starting to reap the rewards.
So now you have $9k profit (it over performed due to being set up better than youd ever have managed to do it) to invest into yuor next project and also you already have some reliable help to make use of again and a client list of some size and the experience of the previous campaign.

Or of course you could still be trying to work it all out yourself with major stress, no income and still 9 months of hard graft ahead before you decide youre too late anyway.

Its a business youre looking for isnt it, if its just get rich quick then bye bye , try laying your money on the Lions winning this season or some other long shot

[roversierr]

Thanks-will give them a try
J

[Raquel]

The greatest frustration is not to see results after working long hours and want to quit after 2-3 months of hard work... It happened to me ..but obviously I stayed and I am glad I did.

The advise below by Kevin Riley is exactly what I did. I consider myself still a newbie after one year at IM because I still have so much to learn. IM is my bread and butter now and each day is a challenge but I am always glad that I stayed and didn't quit....

People here are very encouraging and kind...

Originally Posted by Kevin Riley

Observing for the last few years on this forum, I'd say that information overload and too many options is stopping many a newbie from focusing on one path and getting to the goal. I see far too many who start one thing ... don't see instant results ... hop on another thing ... don't see instant results ...

My advice to newbies: Make a decision and stick to that path. Be persistent and put the blinders on to all those other shiny attractions.

[Jigar Banker]

#1 Newbie Frustration...

Being a newbie :P

[roversierr]

Hi Guys
I think I have answered my own question here as although I had my ebook product I really wanted the "business in a box" facility to be able to market it.
Well this site has just been recommended to me by a very highly regarded source and basically it does what it says on the tin-This is a series of videos that will walk you through everything you need to know to setup your very own sales letter website... complete with an order page, payment links, a protected download area, and much, much more.
Even if you don't know difference between PHP and a PDF ( That was me a few weeks ago ! ), this course holds your hand and shows you, step-by-step exactly what
you need to do to get YOUR SITE up and taking orders - today!
I've just paid $197 to join for the "gold" package , but if you compare that to the cost of paying just one web-designer for one site , it should pay for itself two or three times over just on the first site you build.
This is what I've been looking for, for a long time.
P.M me if anybody wants the link as I'm not allowed to post it here until I've made 15 posts
cheers everbody
John

[ECoughlin]

Originally Posted by Corwinnx

I say that information overload is the symptom, not the cause.

Telling a newbie, IMHO, to 'choose a path and stick to it' is the equivalent of telling said newbie to find the needle in the haystack.

The number one problem I see with 'newbies' is a desire to earn an income from their own business where they get to be the boss, usually with no formal education or business training.

I'm not preaching that anyone need run out and get an MBA for IM. Not at all.

But my business education teaches me that this "Internet Marketing Thing" is an entire industry, not just 'a' business.

I believe that the lack of direction is caused by that lack of business knowledge.

The first thing most newbies lack is a plan, a plan that incorporates several factors into what their 'direction' is going to be, but to even make that plan, they need some knowledge first.

For instance, what we call a 'freebie' or a 'giveaway' is known in business as a 'loss leader'. It's where the business owner takes a financial hit on a front end product to gain the customer, in the hopes that eventually the customer will purchase more, and more expensive products, thereby making up for the 'freebie' they got in the first place.

Additional sources of revenue need to be incorporated into each and every business plan. In our 'industry' we know that we can make money as affiliates for other people's products, but we also know that having our own products is by and far the most profitable and the most stable model to control, as 'affiliate marketing' is often shaky ground. Imagine writing 100 articles promoting a product of someone else all over the web, only to have the vendor suddenly close up shop. This does not a stable business model make.

BUT, affiliate products that 'complement' our own products are far more easily controlled and will be 'additional sources of revenue' for our business.

CPA- again, not a stable business model in and of itself. But incentivized traffic can and should be an additional source of income incorporated into all business plans. I personally find it a good exit strategy for the viewer leaving my page. If said viewer elects not to buy my product, I can offer it to that viewer for free in exchange for his participation in a CPA program, thus saving my sale, even if it's only at a fraction of what I would have made had the viewer bought my book.

This could go on and on, and I don't usually ramble. But this is the basic thing I find the newbies having the hard time over coming. They see all these myriad opportunities and they are all often promised as the next best thing to "MAKE A FORTUNE ONLINE IN 30 DAYS OR LESS" and no one is explaining to them how "ALL OF THESE THINGS" should be incorporated into their business plan and model. And many of the 'make money with this method books, portray the 'tactic' as a 'business model' when in fact it's best use is as an 'additional source of revenue' for a different business model (Adsense is a perfect example of this.)

Couple that with no real education in this field and that's the problem with newbies. Ebooks are great for general ideas, but whe the newbie is stuck and has a question, that e-book doesn't talk back. Seminars are a joke. Nothing but product dumps, sell-a-thons and infomercials. There is no "class", no "school" nothing but "buy my next ebook and it will magically put $100,000 in your paypal account in 7 days."

What newbies need is mentorship and coaching. Hands on, real live TRAINING. And I am not talking about a 4 or 5 day 'seminar.' I mean 6 months of twice weekly 'classes'. There are far too many facets of this 'industry' to learn it all in less time than that.

I blog about this particular topic often because it is near and dear to me. So thanks for the opportunity to get up on my soapbox and preach about this topic that I'm so passionate about. I'm a business man first and foremost, and I tell people 'if you want to make money on the web, sell stuff on ebay. If you want to start a business, you better learn about 'BUSINESS" first.

-Marcus

I totally agree! That's why I started my current site. After 3 years of building a site using a very good program that taught me the basics, I decided that I wanted my next site to help people who were just like me when they started out.

I read a lot of ebooks at the beginning and had no idea what they were talking about! I had to read a lot more to understand what all the jargon was that these internet marketers were throwing around.

That's why my site is so simple and basic. I try to keep it that way so that the newbie can find a safe place to learn without being made to feel like an idiot. It's hard, though, to stop from slipping into the jargon. :-)

So, I guess my opinion of the biggest frustration for newbies is not knowing what the heck internet marketers are talking about! :-)

Eunice

[karlp295]

Informatio overload is connected with the huge learning curve on the net. You need focus and a system you say and yes so do I but a newbie has to learn even the most basic things which most of us take for granted. Every step of a simple marketing process is made so much longer because the newbie has to research, find answers, stumble through and while he is doing this he gets frustrated because he cannot make any cash. We all suffer from this in a sense.

There is so much to learn - newbies I sympathise...

Well I guess these posts are an attempt to help them out..

[geomat]

I think the number 1 frustration for newbies is the psychological manipulation that they are exposed to by the many scams and pseudo-scams.

How powerful are those images of clickbank and paypal earnings coupled with the oh-so genuine sounding testimonials?

Many of the sites use powerful techniques to switch to visitor to the right side of the brain where they are susceptible to suggestions and manipulation. It's no wonder many switch from one to the next without realizing that they have been cleverly manipulated.

There probably should be some sort of training or course to help newbies counter the types of psychological abuse they will no doubt encounter.

If you are a newbie here is fodder for your first ebook. :-)

[Paul Myers]

Information overload: Bzzzzt!

Take action, take action, take action: Bzzzzt!

Not knowing the tools: Bzzzzt!

Focus: Bzzzzt!

Positive mental attitude: Bzzzzt!

Lack of step-by-step instruction: Bzzzzt!

Do you have any idea how many people will read this and find themselves still confused and frustrated? Maybe more than before, because they find whole new problems added to the original?

Those are all real problems, but they don't get at the root of the thing.

Marcus and Ken gave different parts of the answer, but nobody's got the real core:

These people have no organizational framework from which to devise a plan and a strategy, and then to figure out what they need to know to make it happen. Once you know what you need to know, there's a ton of information on it, no matter what "it" is.

When you have a clear vision of what you want to do, information overload ceases to be a problem and becomes an opportunity.

When you have a plan that you understand and believe in, focus and action are as natural as breathing.

Not only do they not know what they don't know, they don't know how to figure it out.

Dammit. Yet another project.


Paul

[James Schramko]

Newbies don't treat this like a business. A website is not a business. Water 4 Gas is not a business. Commission blueprint is not a buisiness.

Info overload is SELF inflicted. Who let the info get in the first place?

Being manipulated by 'Gurus' is self inflicted. Don't let them manipluate you.

Taking action is useless unless you know what action to take.

Lack of taking responsibilty is what I see as the biggest newbie problem. Why is it someone elses problem to deliver you step-by-step on a platter with a silver spoon. Nobody will do it for you. Wake up.

Business is about strategy and too many people focus on tactics and also expect someone else to do it FOR them. That is why they get manipulated. They allow themselves to be.

Get a strategy and then work out the steps like Paul mentioned. Follow the steps as you learn what needs to be done.

[Dave B]

Originally Posted by mbrown

Their own mindset. Many newbies come in thinking you will never spend a dollar and you'll make a fortune. When in actuality it's possible to make money online without spending much but not likely as a newbie.

People expect to become rich by doing nothing and spending no money. Good luck finding that in anything you do- anywhere. Think about what people invest to get an offline business off the ground. One way they could alleviate some woes is to get a good product teaching them step by step how to build an online business and of course they must actually taking action or get into a good coaching or mentoring program where they must likewise take action.

Speaking of business that's my next point. Most people come online looking to score FAST EASY money instead of making a business out of what they do. When sales don't start rolling in, that's when more frustration comes in eventually they give up. Treat your online work as a business and land more success.

I agree with Mike (no relation BTW, although my brother is also called Michael)

People are constantly told from all sides that you can make $00000s / day or month or whatever while sitting on the beach for two hours.

It's then very difficult to shift that perception to one that says...'Hey this a business and a very tough one at that'

Which means hard work and some steep learning curves. I would tend to advocate that people new to IM start with the free methods (article marketing / Squidoo, etc) and learn first how to market...then you can move on to paid methods, list building, product creation, etc.

It takes time...small steps.

Dave B

[homejobcreator]

Originally Posted by Corwinnx

I say that information overload is the symptom, not the cause.

Telling a newbie, IMHO, to 'choose a path and stick to it' is the equivalent of telling said newbie to find the needle in the haystack.

The number one problem I see with 'newbies' is a desire to earn an income from their own business where they get to be the boss, usually with no formal education or business training.

I'm not preaching that anyone need run out and get an MBA for IM. Not at all.

But my business education teaches me that this "Internet Marketing Thing" is an entire industry, not just 'a' business.

I believe that the lack of direction is caused by that lack of business knowledge.

The first thing most newbies lack is a plan, a plan that incorporates several factors into what their 'direction' is going to be, but to even make that plan, they need some knowledge first.

For instance, what we call a 'freebie' or a 'giveaway' is known in business as a 'loss leader'. It's where the business owner takes a financial hit on a front end product to gain the customer, in the hopes that eventually the customer will purchase more, and more expensive products, thereby making up for the 'freebie' they got in the first place.

Additional sources of revenue need to be incorporated into each and every business plan. In our 'industry' we know that we can make money as affiliates for other people's products, but we also know that having our own products is by and far the most profitable and the most stable model to control, as 'affiliate marketing' is often shaky ground. Imagine writing 100 articles promoting a product of someone else all over the web, only to have the vendor suddenly close up shop. This does not a stable business model make.

BUT, affiliate products that 'complement' our own products are far more easily controlled and will be 'additional sources of revenue' for our business.

CPA- again, not a stable business model in and of itself. But incentivized traffic can and should be an additional source of income incorporated into all business plans. I personally find it a good exit strategy for the viewer leaving my page. If said viewer elects not to buy my product, I can offer it to that viewer for free in exchange for his participation in a CPA program, thus saving my sale, even if it's only at a fraction of what I would have made had the viewer bought my book.

This could go on and on, and I don't usually ramble. But this is the basic thing I find the newbies having the hard time over coming. They see all these myriad opportunities and they are all often promised as the next best thing to "MAKE A FORTUNE ONLINE IN 30 DAYS OR LESS" and no one is explaining to them how "ALL OF THESE THINGS" should be incorporated into their business plan and model. And many of the 'make money with this method books, portray the 'tactic' as a 'business model' when in fact it's best use is as an 'additional source of revenue' for a different business model (Adsense is a perfect example of this.)

Couple that with no real education in this field and that's the problem with newbies. Ebooks are great for general ideas, but whe the newbie is stuck and has a question, that e-book doesn't talk back. Seminars are a joke. Nothing but product dumps, sell-a-thons and infomercials. There is no "class", no "school" nothing but "buy my next ebook and it will magically put $100,000 in your paypal account in 7 days."

What newbies need is mentorship and coaching. Hands on, real live TRAINING. And I am not talking about a 4 or 5 day 'seminar.' I mean 6 months of twice weekly 'classes'. There are far too many facets of this 'industry' to learn it all in less time than that.

I blog about this particular topic often because it is near and dear to me. So thanks for the opportunity to get up on my soapbox and preach about this topic that I'm so passionate about. I'm a business man first and foremost, and I tell people 'if you want to make money on the web, sell stuff on ebay. If you want to start a business, you better learn about 'BUSINESS" first.

-Marcus

Hi Michael,

Great summary and advice - I couldn't agree with you more! As a relative newbie I knew I wanted an internet 'business', but found all the heady promises of online wealth dazzling, and sometimes forgot that a business requires investment (money) in education, start up costs, etc, etc. Will visit your site.

[OpenMindsEnt]

For me, it has most definitely been Conflicting Advice.

I'll get advice from someone and get all excited. I'll be ready to go implement it. Then I'll hear someone else tell me to do the opposite, and I become confused and lose hope.

An common example of this is how some people say that getting into a competitive niche is the way to go as it is where most of the money is.

Then someone else will say that it is near impossible due to the amount of competition, and advise getting into small niches.

Because determining a market is one of the first steps to be taken, newbs (like myself) are confused and lost RIGHT from the start.

[Khalil Bashir]

I would say it's not having a vision for your business and not knowing what types of marketing strategies it takes for you to get that business off the ground. Since there is a lack of the first two factors alot of quitting starts to take place due to lack of solid information, many attractive get rich quick schemes being offered to them and unreal expectations. Alot of people when you analyze what they are after want quick money up front with no plan for making megabucks, so when they don't get what they want they quit. If the newbie started out with a plan that focused on building a long term business that made a lot of money, they probably wouldn't quit early because they would know it's going to require them to put some time into it.

[dsmpublishing]

I think newbies dont realise how much work is actually involved to get a business set up and automated. they just look at how little work is involved once it is automated.

[Carlsbadd]

Originally Posted by Hamida Pall

For me it was a lack of technical knowledge - it took me a long time to even learn how to FTP. Everything just seemed so difficult at the time.

I would have to agree with this. The techie stuff is a big challenge and take time for some(like me) to learn.

[Janet McLean]

Originally Posted by Kevin Riley

Observing for the last few years on this forum, I'd say that information overload and too many options is stopping many a newbie from focusing on one path and getting to the goal. I see far too many who start one thing ... don't see instant results ... hop on another thing ... don't see instant results ...

My advice to newbies: Make a decision and stick to that path. Be persistent and put the blinders on to all those other shiny attractions.

Totally agree with you Kevin --

As a newbie, I did exactly that ...getting caught up in a cycle. The hype on the internet is that it's easy and fast. Which can be once you know what you are doing.

But as a newbie, we tend to interpret "easy and fast" as "instant". Since we're already conditioned to see instant results in our lives, (for example "instant cocoa", "instant oatmeal") we expect the same from internet marketing. And when we don't get "instant" results, we move on to the next deal, hoping this will be it. "My Instant Money Maker"

The best advice ever given to me was:

"...Decide on what you want to do and FOCUS on that one thing until that is making you money..." and now I'll add Kevin's ...put the blinders on...

[jimcal]

I think the number one problem is not having a blueprint to take action. Get on ebay and sell something from your house. It is easy to do and gives the seller confidence that they can do it. Ebay has excellent instructional videos which explain how to do it.
Thanks,
Jim

[Frank Bruno]

I would say the #1 newbie frustration would be lack of technical "know how".

This is based on one-on-one coaching with many Internet marketing students (most of my students are not newbies).

Many of them do not even know how to create a simple web page, or make a simple change to font,color,etc and upload it to their server.

This is what I feel is prevalent among newbies that is VERY frustrating to them

Frank Bruno

[Breeze7]

Originally Posted by Paul Myers

...Marcus and Ken gave different parts of the answer, but nobody's got the real core:

These people have no organizational framework from which to devise a plan and a strategy, and then to figure out what they need to know to make it happen. Once you know what you need to know, there's a ton of information on it, no matter what "it" is.

When you have a clear vision of what you want to do, information overload ceases to be a problem and becomes an opportunity.

When you have a plan that you understand and believe in, focus and action are as natural as breathing...

I agree with Paul, once you have a clear vision and plan things start to happen...

Cheers,
Brenda

[ShayRockhold]

I don't know how to put this in a simple answer, but here goes.

I think the hardest thing for newbies is realizing that they can take baby steps.

They don't realize that they don't have to wait until they know all about SEO and all of those other things that they read about before they take action - they can start simply, then gradually build from there.

So they get the "deer-in-the-headlights" look and don't do anything.

Maybe that's the equivalent of information overload. Not sure.

[The Wanderer]

I'm a newby to IM but I've been bumming around the internet since its infancy and used to hang out with some of the old arpanet and unix gurus, back in the 70's and 80's. So I'm familiar (at least in theory) with the technical stuff. But I've gotten an appreciation lately for just how big a hurdle this is to a lot of people.. I've been trying to get some techno-phobic friends up to speed enough to at least be able to answer my e-mails or a skype call. These are people who have a skill or talent that could be -- and probably should be-- marketed on the internet, but it's all so frightening and foreign to them that unless I -- or someone else who knows what they need-- does it for them it simply isn't going to happen.

Granted, most of the people who find this forum aren't in quite as bad a way as, for instance, my artist friend, who freaked out and told me her e-mail was broken because it wouldn't let her put a URL in the e-mail address box-- but for someone who doesn't know how to do anything more than send e-mail and search a topic on google, getting a domain, web host, using the web panel or ftp to upload pages -- not to mention actually finding a template or building a simple page to have something to put on the site-- has got to look like a pretty huge hurdle.

So finding information that addresses your particular gaps in knowledge is a big problem. Just saying it's for 'newbies' won't cut it, because we all have different gaps. You need to know details of what a course covers or a product requires -- just like in school you need to know the prerequisites before you sign up for the course -- or in a physical business what specific skills you need to go out and hire.

Originally Posted by geomat

I think the number 1 frustration for newbies is the psychological manipulation that they are exposed to by the many scams and pseudo-scams.

How powerful are those images of clickbank and paypal earnings coupled with the oh-so genuine sounding testimonials?

Many of the sites use powerful techniques to switch to visitor to the right side of the brain where they are susceptible to suggestions and manipulation. It's no wonder many switch from one to the next without realizing that they have been cleverly manipulated.

There probably should be some sort of training or course to help newbies counter the types of psychological abuse they will no doubt encounter.

If you are a newbie here is fodder for your first ebook. :-)

Geomat-- this is a fascinating subject. I've actually been thinking about this for some time. I'm one of those with a big aversion to the whole sales culture. It took living in a country transitioning from communism to bring me to an appreciation of what sales could be about-- providing a vital information service that expands everyone's choices and opportunities. The particular tricks used to do the opposite-- to direct people's attention away from other, possibly better, options and focus in on a single, high-priced and often quite useless product deserve to have wider exposure. When I was in school, part of the Civics curriculum used to be an explanation of how propaganda works. A web page and e-book that does something similar for sales would be a great idea. Okay, I'll get to work on it... ;-)

Originally Posted by Paul Myers

...When you have a clear vision of what you want to do, information overload ceases to be a problem and becomes an opportunity.

When you have a plan that you understand and believe in, focus and action are as natural as breathing.

Not only do they not know what they don't know, they don't know how to figure it out.

Dammit. Yet another project.


Paul

I'll buy that! And I mean that literally, of course... ;-) I'll look forward to seeing it in your newsletter.

That said, getting a plan together isn't a problem -- I'm actually pretty good at planning. The problem for me-- until I figured it out-- was that I was trying to force myself to follow other people's plans. Ones that forced me to do a bunch of things I'm really bad at-- and that didn't give me enough scope for the things I'm really good at. I think the real trick is knowing yourself well enough to be able to pick out the pieces that belong to your particular puzzle-- -- and respecting yourself enough to be willing throw away the rest.

[tommygadget]

Paul's got it right. PLANNING! I rarely hear about newbies planning their way to success. That is why they stay newbies. You must PLAN to succeed. Without a map to success, how are you going to get there? Once you have a plan, implementation is just a matter of connecting the dots. If you don't have the knowledge to complete one of the steps, come here for help. Don't let that stop you. Now stop reading this and go create your plan for success.

TomG.

[gjabiz]

Originally Posted by PotPie Queen

I think the hardest newbie frustration comes from the "self-education" aspect of all this.

It's not like a college class where you sign up and have to complete tasks to earn a grade. All the while, the complete syllabus is right there and someone is telling you what to learn and how to learn it.

I don't think it is as much the lack of a plan of action as it is the lack of a plan of learning.

Just my two cents =)


Jennifer
~PotPieGirl

Jennifer,

In your opinion, if there were such a class, with a syllabus and all, with tests, quizzes and a "diploma" when you graduate...a course that you could complete in 4 to 6 months for less than 500 dollars...

would that be of help?

gjabiz

[Mike Hill]

Originally Posted by geomat

I think the number 1 frustration for newbies is the psychological manipulation that they are exposed to by the many scams and pseudo-scams.

How powerful are those images of clickbank and paypal earnings coupled with the oh-so genuine sounding testimonials?

Many of the sites use powerful techniques to switch to visitor to the right side of the brain where they are susceptible to suggestions and manipulation. It's no wonder many switch from one to the next without realizing that they have been cleverly manipulated.

There probably should be some sort of training or course to help newbies counter the types of psychological abuse they will no doubt encounter.

If you are a newbie here is fodder for your first ebook. :-)

How are you going to sell that successfully...? Basically you are saying "Here buy this to see what you need to do to NOT buy so much stuff... and see through all the social proof, except mine of course..."

Not very smart...

You call it "clever manipulation" and that is so far from the truth. It's called marketing and their is a huge difference between clever marketing and manipulation.

Mike Hill

[Scott_Thomas]

along the lines of information overload...biggest frustration is being bombarded and distracted by daily offers of the next best thing and mega product launches.

If you can't focus on one path/plan and make it work for you without being distracted by better/faster/newer ways to do it...you will ultimately fail.

There will always be something newer/faster/better later after you've had a chance to learn and started to build on your successes.

FOCUS and TAKE ACTION!!

[goldmember]

I think you all miss the point every post I see. I have done articles, SEO, Squidoo, press release, book/e-book and sold some. But not yet enough to get out of j.o.b.

Now that means most average joes would like to make enough to just get out of job and also fund doing the IM stuff (like autoresponders, making sites, affiliate stuff maybe, etc.) But remember most don't have list or real site (not blog, Squidoo, Hub, etc.)

So before the real business is built, I know there are people making the $50, $100, more a day without list doing something. But the gurus and others won't tell you how. And yes there are so many things that it is hard for newbie to know which is real.

I saw a guru post on his blog that everyone was looking for way to make this daily job kill money I talk about above. Then he said he had found a solution after much testing of many sites to find real deal. He had link to a review about a data entry site that was same one another guru sent me in an email next day!

Ditto for these survey site rip-offs. But there must be other ways people make the $100+ cash a day without list whenever needed.

Again, I say the gurus won't tell you. Others won't, or if they do - how do you know what is the real deal?

And thumbs down to the snobs who say get a real business. Yes we newbies know that, but nothing wrong with getting a base of daily cash to build with, even if it is not a real business at first!

[Paul Myers]

Wanderer,

I'll buy that! And I mean that literally, of course... ;-) I'll look forward to seeing it in your newsletter.

You won't need to buy it. It will be free. That's going to be part one of my Christmas gift to my subscribers this year.

Working on it now. It's currently at 70 pages. Got just a bit more that needs added to round it out. Fortunately, I'd already written most of it, and just needed to fit it together and fill a couple of holes.


Paul

[Cash Blasters Online]

I'd say more people mess up , because they want the cart before the horse, inother words, people buy a computer and think they become rich once on the Internet. Only trouble is they can even figure out how to get thier email. If you have no computer skills get real. Most Internet Millionaires and do full scripts and codes on there websites with no help and many know tons of computer hanking tips. It would take the average person 15 years to get there. You need skills.

[millionways]

Definately, You read about so much BS. My advice is pick on one thing! and work at it!
I've found the perfect mentor to help me start making! Instead of spending.

Kev1711@googlemail.com

[millionways]

Hi

Went through the same as you. Finally found someone who has taut me step by step. All on video, so you can go back over again and again.

will send you some FREE Videos if it will help?

Kev UK

[millionways]

Hi

Ahh, but i don't know all the techie stuff! And to be honest i don't really want to! But that doesn't stop a true entrepeneur!
I Got myself a techie kid to do it for me!
Now I've got the perfect mentor, the futures looking bright.
So never say never?

Kev UK

[millionways]

Hi

Been there done that. I mean Money ,time and BS gurus.
I've found an honest mentor. Who actually shows you everything on video. Even copying and pasting!

Take a look It is for real.

Kev UK

[millionways]

Originally Posted by NewbiesDiary

I've managed to figure out how to make websites, I've got swiped sales pages that I can re-write to suit my own product, I have figured out ftp, html and various other things I need.

What I really struggle with is TRAFFIC and LIST - for a long time this has rendered me incapable of proceeding - I need a list, how do I get a list without traffic. I need traffic, how do I get traffic without a list.

Also a great majority of the 'step-by-step' programs really aren't step by step at all.

Step by step to me would be

step 1. - do exactly this (and this is why)
step 2. - now do this (and this is why)

We dont need a big introduction, we just need step 1, step 2, step 3. We need to know when we are on to the next step so we can also make sure we've totally covered the current step before we move on.

Picking a niche is also a pain in the bum, personally I've got this sorted, but I still struggle with traffic and list.

Hi Stef

You sound more intelligent than me! I hate all that techie stuff!

I've been there and done that. i mean money and BS programmes. This guy i have met. Who actually cares and does step by step videos and explains why you do this and that.
Has helped me put this together. Take a look. What you see is what you get.
Let me know if i can pass any of this on for you.

Kev UK

[The Wanderer]

Geomat said:

Many of the sites use powerful techniques to switch to visitor to the right side of the brain where they are susceptible to suggestions and manipulation. It's no wonder many switch from one to the next without realizing that they have been cleverly manipulated.

There probably should be some sort of training or course to help newbies counter the types of psychological abuse they will no doubt encounter.

If you are a newbie here is fodder for your first ebook. :-)

Originally Posted by Mike Hill

How are you going to sell that successfully...? Basically you are saying "Here buy this to see what you need to do to NOT buy so much stuff... and see through all the social proof, except mine of course..."

Not very smart...

Are you kidding me? How about 'Save money! Learn to spot all the clever psychological tricks that practically pull your cash out of your pocket!' Hell, all you have to do is rewrite the pitches all the masters use on you -- the ones that have you desperately thinking that if only you had the money for that super-special, guru-making event or mentoring program you'd be set for life --and wondering what you could do to get your hands on that cash by the deadline of the 'limited time only offer'-- only target the consumer and get them thinking what they could have done with the money they've wasted on brilliantly marketed junk. Give them a teaser by explaining just one of the hooks. And then, when they buy-- deliver. Go over everything you've done to hook them in, point by point.

Do you know anybody who hasn't spent money they couldn't really afford on a product they don't think was worth it? I don't. Think most people wouldn't pay a few dollars to learn how that 'buying trance' that had them convinced that they just had to have that product was established? And how to break it? There's a very real need for this stuff. And where there's a need, there's a market.

On second thought, never mind... I'm all over this one! ;-)

[madonemark2]

they think its a winning lottery ticket

[goldmember]

Someone posted right after me, so I did not get any replies or comments. Any takers?

Originally Posted by goldmember

I think you all miss the point every post I see. I have done articles, SEO, Squidoo, press release, book/e-book and sold some. But not yet enough to get out of j.o.b.

Now that means most average joes would like to make enough to just get out of job and also fund doing the IM stuff (like autoresponders, making sites, affiliate stuff maybe, etc.) But remember most don't have list or real site (not blog, Squidoo, Hub, etc.)

So before the real business is built, I know there are people making the $50, $100, more a day without list doing something. But the gurus and others won't tell you how. And yes there are so many things that it is hard for newbie to know which is real.

I saw a guru post on his blog that everyone was looking for way to make this daily job kill money I talk about above. Then he said he had found a solution after much testing of many sites to find real deal. He had link to a review about a data entry site that was same one another guru sent me in an email next day!

Ditto for these survey site rip-offs. But there must be other ways people make the $100+ cash a day without list whenever needed.

Again, I say the gurus won't tell you. Others won't, or if they do - how do you know what is the real deal?

And thumbs down to the snobs who say get a real business. Yes we newbies know that, but nothing wrong with getting a base of daily cash to build with, even if it is not a real business at first! And a system is good also I know - again who will show you a real one that works for non-geeks?

[Paul Myers]

Most Internet Millionaires and do full scripts and codes on there websites with no help and many know tons of computer hanking tips. It would take the average person 15 years to get there. You need skills.

With all due respect... You're insane.

Yanik does pretty well. By the time he made his first million online, I don't think he even knew basic HTML. I'd bet good money he still doesn't speak any scripting language at all, and I'd be surprised if he did any of the tech stuff himself.

Yes, you need skills. You don't need technical skills, though. Mostly, you need thinking skills and some facility with basic math.

[J A Neal]

I think starting with a niche you have some knowledge about would help most newbies. Most are bombarded with the IM products they usually don't understand.

If they really take a little time to brainstorm, they are surprised how much they can offer about something they already like and will probably be more focused. I always find my research goes more smoothly if I enjoy the subject matter.

[youallnome]

Wow. This post has given so many different answers to one question!

It is great to see all the different views from different warriors on the number one newbie frustration. Some have even decided to hate the guru's. I guess it just goes to show that success is not so cut and dry. Or at least not at the beginning of the journey.

The biggest mistake I think we all make is expecting instant results. We all seem to assume that the internet is a magically place where miracles happen in a short amount of time. And I say that respectfully, not as a moan.

The internet is an amazing place to make money. But I doubt you'll find an honest person who would say they got rich quick. All the internet does is level the playing field a little bit better. There is just too much information with to many different ways to succeed. Newbies are tempted by the bright lights, which includes every one of us at the beginning.

So the number one frustration is money. And the lack of it.

It takes time and hard work to earn money, as I'm sure you'll agree. There is a great deal to learn, and learning takes time. The most accurate answer has been mentioned a few times. However, in my opinion Paul Myers is about as good as it gets.

This is what Paul Myers wrote:
=====================================
Information overload: Bzzzzt!

Take action, take action, take action: Bzzzzt!

Not knowing the tools: Bzzzzt!

Focus: Bzzzzt!

Positive mental attitude: Bzzzzt!

Lack of step-by-step instruction: Bzzzzt!

Do you have any idea how many people will read this and find themselves still confused and frustrated? Maybe more than before, because they find whole new problems added to the original?

Those are all real problems, but they don't get at the root of the thing.

Marcus and Ken gave different parts of the answer, but nobody's got the real core:

These people have no organizational framework from which to devise a plan and a strategy, and then to figure out what they need to know to make it happen. Once you know what you need to know, there's a ton of information on it, no matter what "it" is.

When you have a clear vision of what you want to do, information overload ceases to be a problem and becomes an opportunity.

When you have a plan that you understand and believe in, focus and action are as natural as breathing.

Not only do they not know what they don't know, they don't know how to figure it out.

Dammit. Yet another project.

=========================================

I agree with Paul on this one.

Learn some basic rules, have a plan, take action, prepare to take lots of knocks, take more action, drive traffic, analyse, test, take more action, drive more traffic...

And of course, build a list!

Success is out there, but you have to think long term.