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Common pitfalls to avoid in Internet Marketing

by ahew
2 replies
I've been talking to people on here for the past year about our successes and failures. One thing I've noticed is that people are not hitting their goals even though they slug away day after day putting up valuable content and don't necessarily spread themselves too thin by constantly bouncing around between niches. There are 2 main areas where I see them go wrong. By mentioning them here, I hope it can help you avoid going down the wrong path (if you're new) or get on the right track (if you've been around, but just can't make any money).

  1. The best place to start internet marketing is to use a monetization method that makes sense to you. All too often, we are sold on trying a method that works for someone else. But if it's a method that you yourself would never have patronized or would have been suspicious of prior to getting into internet marketing, then don't do it. Because the method doesn't speak to you, it will be an uphill battle trying to decode the language that will get people to click your links and buy.

    So before you start working on any monetization method, observe your own online buying/clicking behavior and that of your non-IM peers. What sites do you frequent? Do you buy products? Do you sign up for sweepstakes? Do you download $27 ebooks? Do you download software? Is there any type of product or site that makes you throw your normal online behavior out the window and click just because you want "that thing" so badly?

    Once you figure out your own non-IM related behavior, you'll be able to tap into an audience that thinks like you. It will make it a million times easier to reach out to people when you know what it is that motivates them to patronize your links.
  2. Focus on niches where people like to spend money, not save money -- that includes several niches that cater to women. Sports, gaming, electronics, toys, vanity-related and (some) make money niches are great. But niches where people want to save money have to be well thought out and you need to make sure you have plenty of affiliate or CPA offers on hand that will satisfy your market. Any site that focuses on "free" or "cheap" can be tricky otherwise. These people are often serial refunders or they simply can't be satisfied. They also seem to think that everything online is a scam, which is a problem for your links.

    The reason I mention women here is because women are more apt to refund a product than men (Amazon affiliates beware). They are often more likely to have a bunch of questions and do a lot of research before settling on something. So while your review site might be a great information resource, your visitor might visit four more sites (and click your competition's links) before making a purchase. Just about anything in home furnishings falls into this category. Even the men who purchase in this area tend to take on similar buying behaviors.
Clearly these are gross generalizations and there are no hard and fast rules, but if you have been struggling to get results or are completely new to IM, then I think that you should keep these points in mind when beginning or revamping your campaigns. Once you have some success in somewhat easier niches, you can go after these more comfortably IMO.

There are also many other suggestions I'm sure can be added to this list. Please feel free to add to this if you have any!

Hope this can help someone out there!

Adrienne
#avoid #common #internet #marketing #monetization #pitfalls
  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Originally Posted by ahew View Post

    The reason I mention women here is because women are more apt to refund a product than men (Amazon affiliates beware). They are often more likely to have a bunch of questions and do a lot of research before settling on something. So while your review site might be a great information resource, your visitor might visit four more sites (and click your competition's links) before making a purchase. Just about anything in home furnishings falls into this category. Even the men who purchase in this area tend to take on similar buying behaviors.
    I had no idea of this. But it gives me insight on how i should be doing my background research on the niche that i'm in now. Thanks for the tip.
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  • Profile picture of the author ahew
    Yeah, I guess it can be a touchy subject to say something like that, but it is definitely something I have experienced and others have mentioned this to me as well. That said, there are always people who don't live up to these generalizations in the least, but being a homemaker myself and someone who is constantly in contact with these types of shoppers, it could just make the uphill battle that much more steep than it needs to be.

    Glad if it can help you.
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