Let's Air Our Dirty Laundry... Whats Your BIGGEST Internet Marketing Mistake?!

dark witness

13 years ago

Buying 400 domains without the resource to build and manage them properly...

Ya, I won't be making that one again.

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3912949].message }}

raindog308 13 years ago

Originally Posted by dark witness

Buying 400 domains without the resource to build and manage them properly...

I'm curious...what were you hoping to accomplish by having 400 domains?
- Thanks
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3921053].message }}

Shannon Tani

13 years ago

In general, my biggest mistake is getting excited about something, then letting the idea fizzle out.

Money-wise, though, many many years ago, my first introduction to IM was "Google Cash" which was about direct linking to CB pages. I was intimidated by the competition for some of the more popular niches, so I decided to try to find a product that nobody else was promoting. I settled on some kind of recipe book. Anyway, it sold for like $5, so I only got $3 for the sale and was promoting with Adwords....not smart. Fortunately, I gave up before I lost too much money...

Love,
Shannon

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3912961].message }}

EdBryant 13 years ago

"Shannon Tani-In general, my biggest mistake is getting excited about something, then letting the idea fizzle out."

I have this exact problem as well. The world of IM is so treacherous for a newb ( I am one) because whenever you try to find good info on something you are so easily distracted by all the different ideas and sales pitches you have to navigate to find the info you need. So easy to get sidetracked.

I write more about my experiences with this stuff at Spartan Boxes.
- Thanks
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913106].message }}

fonoi

13 years ago

My biggest mistake was not taking action, I was one of those people who read internet marketing ebooks, forums and even courses but did nothing.

That mistake has been my most costly, I see that now that I am getting results.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3912999].message }}

Shane Hale

13 years ago

Running Pay Per Click ads without knowing what I was doing at the time. After money came out of my bank account. I learned very quickly to research and stick to a converting offer,targeted traffic and a budget.

Thanks
2 replies

Signature

FREE WORDPRESS JV GIVEAWAY PLUGIN (GIVE-O-MATIC)!

Cloud Gift Sharing at it's best!

Making it rain with Traffic Tips since 2001!

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913009].message }}

Steven Wagenheim 13 years ago

Waiting 3 years to build my list (whacks head)
- Thanks
Signature

My Soundcloud Music Channel
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913022].message }}
JustinBrooke 13 years ago

Not building my list sooner and faster...

Focusing on more than one website/project at a time...

Focusing on making money instead of building a business...

Warring with competitors instead of turning them into allies...

Trying to be like other people instead of myself...

Taking too much advice instead of following my gut & my research...

Over complicating everything instead of coming out with the simple version first...

Thinking people cared about me, when all they really care about is their problem getting fixed...
- [ 3 ] Thanks
- 2 replies
Signature

You ROCK!,
Justin Brooke

FREE: spreadsheet of 182 traffic sources (no opt-in)
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913034].message }}
- oneplusone 13 years ago
  
  The "my way or the highway" mindset.
  
  I used to argue all day long with people who didn't share my beliefs on certain marketing issues.
  
  I'm a bit more mature now, and understand there are many different ways of doing things.
  
  Thanks
  
  Signature
  'If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.' Vincent Van Gogh.
  
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913083].message }}
- Michaelangelo Flores 13 years ago
  
  Being stupid enough to fall for scams. A very big lesson learned here and taught me a lot. I deserved it and probably needed the wake up call at the same time. I paid the price for trying to cut corners. Although this was costly, I believe it was necessary to experience this lesson pretty early.
  
  Another huge mistake is the age-old focusing on too many things at once. This is such a frustrating trap that a lot of newbies, not just in IM, but entrep's in general. They see one good opportunity after another and go after every single one. The thing that's very wrong with this is that you dont get to focus 100% on any of those opportunities.
  
  It's sad, because what usually happens is that one tries to succeed in one field and starts learning. Then along the way, they see another venture and start learning that. Then the cycle repeats, nothing gets done, and then one ends up cursing each method and say they dont work and badmouth the industry to be a scam and then never really succeed in anything while blaming the method instead of realizing the fact that the only downfall was that they didnt focus 100% into the said venture.
  
  The message I really want to deliver home in this post is to please, PLEASE get clear on your values before starting a venture rather than doing it for some quick easy cash. I learned this the hard way - but learned nonetheless.
  
  Thanks
  
  Signature
  
  Blogging With Attitude - Michaelangelo Flores Official Blog
  
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913085].message }}

NestZone

13 years ago

Patiently waiting for opportunities and not creating them for myself.

Thanks

Signature

$0.50/month SSD Web Hosting (cPanel & Windows/PLESK)
Perfect Money, Bitcoin, Payeer, Skrill, Neteller, WMZ, Monero... Payments

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913053].message }}

Andyhenry

13 years ago

My biggest mistake was believing the BS income figures people quoted when trying to sell me their stuff. Having that false expectation made getting calibrated to 'realistic' expectations a hard journey at a time when I had enough problems already.

[ 1 ] Thanks
1 reply

Signature

nothing to see here.

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913230].message }}

x3xsolxdierx3x

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Andyhenry

My biggest mistake was believing the BS income figures people quoted when trying to sell me their stuff. Having that false expectation made getting calibrated to 'realistic' expectations a hard journey at a time when I had enough problems already.

It's the amazing just how far some will go for the all mighty dollar (or, insert any other applicable form of currency)...

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

"the Next Squidoo, HubPages, Suite101, and eHow"
1,001 Free eBooks You Must Read to Succeed (at Just About Anything!)
"WritingTactics: Top Best Article Writing Online"

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913542].message }}

Andyhenry 13 years ago

Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x

It's the amazing just how far some will go for the all mighty dollar (or, insert any other applicable form of currency)...

There's an element of supply and demand there also though - if we weren't so desperate to believe that stuff people wouldn't be able to use it against us, so it's really an ecosystem which requires false hope in order to thrive.

I guess it's one of those things in life that you learn best after it's bitten you.

The up-side of that is that it made me promise myself never to do it to anyone else, so I never make promises to people about anything I don't control or that they can't control, so I guess it's one of those "be the change you want to see things" and you have to hope that people don't get lost in the noise.
- Thanks
Signature

nothing to see here.
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913627].message }}

sloanjim

13 years ago

Me? Diversifying. Lost money every time. Stick to what I am good at from now. Grow it.

Thanks

Signature

15 Minute Forex Bar Trading System Free at
http://www.fxscalpingmethod.com

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913281].message }}

sloanjim

13 years ago

My biggest mistake was believing the BS income figures people quoted when trying to sell me their stuff. Having that false expectation made getting calibrated to 'realistic' expectations a hard journey at a time when I had enough problems already.

Yeah that's a lesson hard learned throughout my life. Shame so many seem to think B*S* on the Net is fine.

Thanks

Signature

15 Minute Forex Bar Trading System Free at
http://www.fxscalpingmethod.com

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913286].message }}

Bryan Douglas

13 years ago

WOW, I have a lot of mistakes.

I would say the biggest mistake is taking someone's word and paying for a service without doing my research first. I published a book and used a "book shepherd" to help me with the design, formatting, publishing, etc. later to find that I could have done almost everything myself. They fill your head with high hopes and dreams but they have a big price tag. It's all B*S. I paid a number that would make your teeth grind to have something that was virtually a loss ( except for the experience and lessons learned )

I would have to say my #1 mistake would be investing in a business that I didn't fully understand and trusting someone to help that was untrustworthy.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913321].message }}

mavmav

13 years ago

Selling my money making adsense website for a quick buck but hey what doesn't kill you makes you stronger(hopefully richer).

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913609].message }}

The Content King 13 years ago

Listening to too much conflicting advice, not sticking to one method, giving up too soon before I saw results, trying to do everything myself, avoided spending money, and not participating on the WF more.

Oh, and the biggest one, I forgot to have fun with it.
- [ 1 ] Thanks
Signature
Check out our Acne WSO | Our Anxiety WSO | And Our Muscle Building WSO
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913883].message }}

Lou Diamond

13 years ago

Hello,
I had the chance to buy a domain name with a friend and flip it and I said no,
he sold the domain for a small fortune and he is threating to tell my wife on my bad move.

Thanks

Signature

Something new soon.

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913645].message }}

Karen Barr

13 years ago

My worst mistake (and one I still make every day!) is getting distracted by new ideas and not keeping focus on what I'm doing.

I also get discouraged when I don't see immediate results - which makes waiting for Google rank to improve VERY FRUSTRATING for me. I have a terrible tendency to only give something 10 days, then decide it's not working and drop the whole thing.

My partner also says I am too much of a perfectionist and should sometimes just say "it's good enough already", but I prefer to see that as a good thing!

[ 2 ] Thanks
1 reply

Signature

Karen's QuickFire Marketing Blog

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913661].message }}

dark witness

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Karen Barr

My worst mistake (and one I still make every day!) is getting distracted by new ideas and not keeping focus on what I'm doing.

I also get discouraged when I don't see immediate results - which makes waiting for Google rank to improve VERY FRUSTRATING for me. I have a terrible tendency to only give something 10 days, then decide it's not working and drop the whole thing.

My partner also says I am too much of a perfectionist and should sometimes just say "it's good enough already", but I prefer to see that as a good thing!

I put my hand up as well. I am guilty of said offense too.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913697].message }}

J R Salem

13 years ago

Good topic.

I think the mistake many people make (and I used to make) is trying to do things too quickly. Everything needs to be NOW NOW NOW!

I feel like if you slow down and think before taking action on something, it helps clear your mind and bring things into focus.

I remember I used to always try hard to build businesses in a day or two. Then I realized if I just slowed down, thought things out, THEN took action, I saved time and ultimately, MONEY!

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913734].message }}

visimedia

13 years ago

I think my biggest mistake was not to do something. What a waste of time. Then after that time, I planned and I did my plan. It's fun right now in doing IM, since this business is giving result (money surely) and more flexible of your time.

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

For best hostel in malang https://bedpackers.com & mold inspectors orlando : https://waterdamagerestorationorland...d-inspections/

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913797].message }}

mavmav

13 years ago

Originally Posted by visimedia

I think my biggest mistake was not to do something. What a waste of time. Then after that time, I planned and I did my plan. It's fun right now in doing IM, since this business is giving result (money surely) and more flexible of your time.

I agree, doing nothing and waiting for things to happen is THE biggest mistake in IM.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3913817].message }}

Joe Benjamin

13 years ago

Biggest Mistake?

Getting SUCKED into the mindset of the average
affiliate marketer...

selling, marketing, & promoting low-ticket items...

I thought VOLUME was the key. But, later found
out in my own research that reaching an income
larger than $15k a month was borderline suicide &
back-breaking work.

...discovering that I couldn't realistically earn 2-3
million dollars a year selling $100 or less clickbank,
WSO, or self-created products.

I naively thought I could make $50k - $150k+ per
month selling low-ticket products... that, when I
was FORCED to look at the numbers, not only did
it not make sense...

I would have to sell 500 $100 products to make a
50k monthly income...appx 125 per week.

...I would rather slit my wrist.

Of all the mistakes I made in my life doing business...

that was the biggest.

Luckily, I've learned big-time for it, and all it really
took was a switch in mindset.

Thanks

Signature

**How I FLIPPED $80 into $690 Pure Profit With ONE EASY Method...2 to 3x Per Week...Only 30 Minutes Per Day (and how YOU can COPY my RESULTS, too!) **CLICK HERE FOR VERIFIED VIDEO PROOF**

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3914003].message }}

Nickolie0990

13 years ago

Spending to much time developing OTHERS peoples websites. Basically what I'm doing right now. However, now I have the time and luxury to do it.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3914013].message }}

Rod Cortez

13 years ago

...so with that in mind, what business mistakes have YOU made that have cost you time or money?

GREAT topic! I could write a trilogy of novels based on all the mistakes I've made.

* My first mistake was buying into the hyperbole on how push-button easy it was to make money online from the get-go. The "easy" part only comes after a lot of hard work, determination, being coachable, and focusing on one system at a time.

* I also made the mistake of spamming our very own Paul Myers somewhere between 1998-1999 by sending him an unsolicited offer. He replied in a very professional manner and asked me if I could send him proof of where he opted in to receive the information. I came clean and told him I didn't have any and that I was new to all this. He was really cool about it.

* I started building websites with no real idea of what I was doing and with no real plan.

* I started way too many projects, never really finishing any of them.

* I started off by promoting only one product, when I should have started with no less than ten.

* I took too long to automate and outsource things once I started making money, so I bogged down my time with a lot of administrative tasks when I could have been focusing on product creation and actual promotion.

* Back on the day I spent way too much time playing Everquest, Everquest II, and Horizon's of Istaria when I should have spent more time on building and growing my business......

RoD

Thanks

Signature

"Your personal philosophy is the greatest determining factor in how your life works out."

- Jim Rohn

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3914071].message }}

robbdogg30

13 years ago

Trying to market high-end products on youtube was definitely a big mistake.

Thanks

Signature

$10k to $3 million dollars worth of Business Funding![EZ Qualification]

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3914098].message }}

WeBJamming

13 years ago

Well, I have made so many, or at least I guess I did because I have yet to make any money with all the websites I have and all the affiliate marketing that I have participated in. What gives? Since December I have been on the computer every day, reviewing a million different systems that claim to be better than the one before. I have reached the frustration level of an atomic explosion. Now, I am ready to go out and play in road traffic and hope some driver puts me out of my misery.

GRRRRRRRRR

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3914139].message }}

Jimipedia

13 years ago

Like many people, my biggest IM mistake is to buy too many eBook and tutorial but ended up not doing anything about it. Even after I read those eBook, I always sceptical whether it can actually work or not. Because of that, I just felt that I wasn't going to give it a try and waste my time or money for that matter.

Now, I'm a full time IM and making living from the Internet using a method that I created myself. I never spend a dime again buying those eBook or tutorial.

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3914218].message }}

westgateok 13 years ago

I think that my biggest mistake so far (hopefully a few more good ones to come) would be to read and try to learn too much. Information overload is what I ended up with, without much to show for the hours that I spent "learning"
- Thanks
- 1 reply
Signature
http://theebayexperiment.blogspot.com/
www.theebayexperiment.com
603hobby
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3914506].message }}
- Sean Doody 13 years ago
  
  I think my biggest mistake was buying program after program on how 'YOU, YES YOU TOO CAN MAKE $356,987.87 IN JUST 3 WEEKS' B.S.!!
  
  Basically I would buy one of these waste of time programs get really excited, even convince myself that yes this one was different to the others, this one was actually going to work.
  
  Find out painfully quick that NO it doesn't actually work quite as easily as was made out in the sales page
  
  What would I do then?? Give up on that after a couple of days and buy another one of course
  
  Lucky for me I stumbled upon a really great membership site that took you by the hand step by step on how to genuinly make money online. No, how to make $1m by xmas fluff!!
  
  If there is anyone totally new to all of this I would say look around before you buy any product. Generally the one you will want to go with will be the one that DOESN'T tell you how to make '$625,876.87' in 3 or 4 weeks
  
  All the best fellow warriors,
  Sean
  
  Thanks
  
  Signature
  
  ** PLEASE READ AND LEAVE A COMMENT ON MY BLOG :) **
  
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3920263].message }}

BloggingPro

13 years ago

My biggest mistakes.

1. Not building a list earlier.
2. Not accepting Facebook was as popular as it is. Put off social marketing for too long.
3. Not utilizing Youtube properly to drive traffic, sign-ups and most importantly sales.

If I would have known three years ago what I know now... I wouldn't have a namecheap account with a ton of domains in it!

Thanks

Signature

You're going to fail. If you're afraid of failure then you do not belong in the Internet Marketing Business. Period.

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3920355].message }}

redrabbitt67

13 years ago

Chasing too many different methods to make money and not focusing on one strategy. Look at all of the different systems, decide what you like, what you're got at and stay doggedly focused on building it up. Just about any system will work, but it takes consistent hard work.

Thanks

Signature

PLR Articles Warehouse

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3920366].message }}

markowe

13 years ago

Not joining the WF earlier!!

Seriously, not to start another "we love WF" thread, but I spent several years on the WRONG forum/s (can you guess which in particular?) before FINALLY realising the incredible knowledge and value that gets shared around here. Spent a couple of years learning what DOESN'T work, at least. Now my IM business is coming on in leaps and bounds.

Thanks

Signature

Who says you can't earn money as an eBay affiliate any more? My stats say otherwise

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3920566].message }}

David Crutcher

13 years ago

I think my biggest mistake is not doing direct type marketing.. A lot of folks with as many domains as I have try to sell their domain names to end users but I just can't bring myself to contact businesses and try to explain to them why they need a certain name. I would be horrible on the phone trying to sell something. I've had 2 people contact me about 2 names over the past 5 years that bought one name each lol. Both were end users.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3920934].message }}

raindog308

13 years ago

Following other people's recipes.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3920965].message }}

SergioFelix

13 years ago

My main problem was not being able to recognize when to get out of planning mode and start taking action.

I thought it would be really naive to try to create an online business without following a concise plan first.

I kept buying courses, learning, jotting ideas down, signing to every guru list I could find and preparing myself for "rockstar success".

To my eyes, learning stuff was taking action so I really wasn't concerned that the money wasn't still rolling in... yet.

When I finally decided to "take action" I got sucked into perfectionist mode only to find out that my "great ideas" were already obsolete in the IM industry.

---
The mere fact of planning and learning without ever taking action is WORTHLESS.

Finally jumping to action only to try to be a perfectionist about everything and never get anything done, is even WORSE.
---

What's more embarrasing is that it took a while to be able to figure this out for myself. *facepalm*

Thanks

Signature

My Zero To Hero Marketing Blog
MarketingWithSergio.com

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4491396].message }}

Let's Air Our Dirty Laundry... Whats Your BIGGEST Internet Marketing Mistake?!

Trending Topics

Been a while! Any of you Old Timers here?

How much does the rebranding affect CR ?

Are billboards still effective in driving customers?

Boat and Jet Ski Rentals...... Door Hangers Effective?

Clickbank low cost recurring