Is Internet Marketing Easier or Tougher Nowadays?

51 replies
The internet is constantly changing. Just a few years ago Myspace was a powerhouse and many other websites came and gone. How does today compare to the past for Internet Marketers? Is it easier or tougher to succeed?
#easier #internet #marketing #nowadays #tougher
  • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
    Banned
    Internet Marketing is now and will always be pretty simple. It's just marketing, but on the internet.

    Now when considering whether it is "easier or tougher", that is decided on a person by person basis, like always.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040021].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Robert G Williams
    Internet marketing depends on your mind-set, if you are focused, and dedicated, and put the work in then it’s easy, if you think that that there is push button software out there then it’s hard.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040036].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jeremy Lacer
    I don't look at it that way.

    There are almost 2 billion(!) people on the internet. If you can find 100 people that will pay you $100 per month, you earn $10,000 a month.

    That's 100 out of 2.000.000.000 people! Everyone can do it!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040053].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author stev151
      Originally Posted by Lebowski View Post

      I don't look at it that way.

      There are almost 2 billion(!) people on the internet. If you can find 100 people that will pay you $100 per month, you earn $10,000 a month.

      That's 100 out of 2.000.000.000 people! Everyone can do it!
      very good way to look at it!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040946].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author ckbank
      Originally Posted by Lebowski View Post

      I don't look at it that way.

      There are almost 2 billion(!) people on the internet. If you can find 100 people that will pay you $100 per month, you earn $10,000 a month.

      That's 100 out of 2.000.000.000 people! Everyone can do it!
      Are you doing it Lebowski?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7041020].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author RodgerCarlr
    [..]The job market changes up and down but it applies to every category of employee.

    There is a saying that applies. "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance".

    Degrees will always have an advantage.[...]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040067].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JoeyXoto
    It depends on the individual.

    Really the question should be; "Is the internet marketer going to give up like last time?"

    Honestly, the whole process of making money on the internet is actually so simple. The difficult comes down to the effort - driving traffic.

    It's a constant up hill battle in this industry (till your business reaches the tipping point!). So if the marketer is ready to work hard, then it will happen.

    It is a hard business; time consuming, requires a strong mentality. If you have all this then you can do it; 10 years ago this was true, it's true now, and it's going to be true in another 10 years.
    Signature
    Are You A Struggling Newbie Trying To Make Money Online? If You're Not...
    > DON'T CLICK THIS LINK <

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040117].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author napoleonwill
    For the entrepreneur willing to overcome challenges and push through, there will always be opportunity. There is more competition, people are getting smarter at making money online. What was once outside the box thinking is common knowledge. If you want to make a lot, you need to keep thinking outside the box. Be ahead of the curve by educating yourself and putting patterns together.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040137].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author cashp0wer
      How easy or tough internet marketing is I think is based on the person and how much knowledge they have, etc. If you know what you are doing it can be pretty simple.
      Signature
      My Internet Marketing Blog - Warts And All!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040240].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author WeavingThoughts
    To give a real answer to your question:

    1. It is much harder to rank on page 1 now than it was 5 years back.
    Earlier you really didn't need to put in as much time and expertise to get similar results, as it takes now.

    2. Although the number of Internet users has increased, getting traffic is overall a tougher task today that it once was.

    3. With an average copy people might have bought your stuff back in the day, now you need to provide unique value.

    4. The only positive factor is:
    People are more net savvy these days and send a lot of their money online. So if you provide genuine value, then getting money, more money and a quick conversion might be a lot simpler today than it once was.

    5. But given above 3 points, 4 alone doesn't really overthrow the completely but then it depends on case to case.

    6. Easy black hat techniques no longer work.

    7. You need to struggle to rake in the moolah, and this gets worse for a newbie today. But for an expert today might be a better time.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040250].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Steve Lim
      I think internet marketing just like traditional business, when we put more effort in consistent basis and follow the right system you will make it big. I think now a days getting easier as the internet connection getting faster, more new tools/ plugins, more powerful computer compare to the pass.

      I think the challenge is more on our personality, whether we can have the commitment, discipline and persistence to make it happen... and never give up whenever facing any challenges in the journey, just look for support and follow the right system.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040295].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author hodari
    It is tougher when you look at it from this angle. There are more "free" tools and sites available to us. More coming online by the day. With all that at ones fingerprints it becomes somewhat harder to make a choice of what direction to go.

    The person who masters time and what he or she only needs will more than likely win.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040358].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Maui Joe
    Harder for newbies entering, which makes it easier for people like me who know what they're doing. Less competition is always good
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040362].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jazbo
    The problem with IM is people think they can wander in, push some buttons and the cash will roll in. would they start an offline business with such a flippant appraoch and no knowledge? Nope.

    So it's the mindset - people who see it as their business succeed, those who play make nothing.
    Signature
    CONTENT WRITER. Reliable, UK-Based, 6 Years Experience - ANY NICHE
    Click Here For Writing Samples & Online Ordering
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040374].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author scarob2
      Originally Posted by jazbo View Post

      The problem with IM is people think they can wander in, push some buttons and the cash will roll in. would they start an offline business with such a flippant appraoch and no knowledge? Nope.

      So it's the mindset - people who see it as their business succeed, those who play make nothing.
      I agree. Marketing is marketing. The Internet is just a tool. Concentrate on building a business, understand your market, develop a plan, and follow through.

      The principles are the same regardless of the medium.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040884].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by AllproJJ View Post

        The internet is constantly changing. Just a few years ago Myspace was a powerhouse and many other websites came and gone. How does today compare to the past for Internet Marketers? Is it easier or tougher to succeed?
        It's both easier and tougher.

        Considering the wealth of choices for things like taking payments and delivering digital content and creating websites, it's infinitely easier.

        Back in the day (say, latter half of the 1990s), if you wanted to sell an ebook, you joined relevant discussion groups on AOL, Compuserve, Prodigy, etc. You used the precursor of forum marketing to draw people to an ad for your ebook. If they wanted the book, they sent you check or money order through the mail and you emailed them a file, usually in plain text. Mention selling on the Internet, and the odds of getting a merchant account were worse than the odds of a high school football team winning the Super Bowl.

        It's tougher in part because the "Internet" is no longer a novelty. AOL was synonymous with the Internet for awhile because everybody wanted to hear a machine chirp "you've got mail."

        Now there are billions of web pages, and while there was always competition, that competition has gotten much more sophisticated. The people seeking and buying online have gotten more sophisticated.

        And the cheaters have gotten more sophisticated. Back in the day, you didn't need to worry about spam filters, ad blockers, malicious code that would overwrite your affiliate links or worse, or about zombie robots destroying legitimate means of reaching your target audience.

        Originally Posted by jazbo View Post

        The problem with IM is people think they can wander in, push some buttons and the cash will roll in. would they start an offline business with such a flippant appraoch and no knowledge? Nope.
        Sure you do. But with the financial repercussions, most of them quickly change their name to "For Lease"...

        Originally Posted by Joseph Robinson View Post

        This. People are overhyping the competition aspect here. Sure, hordes of newbies pour in every day to try their hand at this stuff; but a very large majority burn out. I'd wager that competition is probably about the same (relatively speaking) in size as it was five years ago.
        It might be the same size, as new recruitment replaces the people leaving, but it's not the same. Looking around, I think the Bell curve has gotten flipped over. On one end, you have the horde of newbies, hobbyists and the dream chasers. The barrier to entry has gotten so low that anyone who can type with one finger to fill out forms and click a mouse button can "start a business on the Internet." On the other end, you have more and more serious business operators figuring things out, so that the competition on that end is starting to look like that in the "real" world.

        Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

        I agree with this. When I first started in 1996, it was easy to get traffic, but there weren't many affiliate programs and people weren't used to spending money online and didn't trust the Net.
        Amen, brother. I remember spending what seemed like a great deal of time and effort trying to show people that if they entered a credit card number into a secure form, their information was safe. There wasn't a crowd of hackers just waiting for them to send their info, and that intercepting that info wasn't all that easy even if there were.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7041060].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author sabluuk
          I actually hope it wil keep getting tougher and tougher. Why? Only the fittest will survive then Plus it will keep me mentally challanged.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7041317].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Aira Bongco
    I agree with Joseph. Whether it is easier or harder will depend on your skills. But you'll agree that it is relatively easy to set up a business online especially if you have very low capital.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040377].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author IMSince2003
    It's both. It's harder to rank your sites and harder to get seen because of all the competition. It's easier because the tools have gotten so much better and people are more comfortable spending money online.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040395].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Al amin
    Internet marketing has always same competition.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040406].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Al amin View Post

      Internet marketing has always same competition.
      This. People are overhyping the competition aspect here. Sure, hordes of newbies pour in every day to try their hand at this stuff; but a very large majority burn out. I'd wager that competition is probably about the same (relatively speaking) in size as it was five years ago.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040426].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Al amin
        Originally Posted by Joseph Robinson View Post

        This. People are overhyping the competition aspect here. Sure, hordes of newbies pour in every day to try their hand at this stuff; but a very large majority burn out. I'd wager that competition is probably about the same (relatively speaking) in size as it was five years ago.
        Exactly. IM is same competitive as it was 10 years back. Then Internet marketer was very few at the same time people use to be online very less like now. And people wasn't so serious about online. So Internet marketer had hard time then too.

        And I don't see any difference between online and offline marketing.

        Thanks
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7102733].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author MilkerFocus
    Well, Internet Marketing is simple or it's hard.
    I personally think it's simple because I am willing to take action.
    Just like dating a girl, easy or hard?

    Marcus
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040453].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
      Banned
      Originally Posted by MilkerFocus View Post

      Well, Internet Marketing is simple or it's hard.
      I personally think it's simple because I am willing to take action.
      Just like dating a girl, easy or hard?

      Marcus
      Just like dating a girl: telling a guy to "just go out there and do it" is bad advice.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040464].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author MilkerFocus
        Originally Posted by Joseph Robinson View Post

        Just like dating a girl: telling a guy to "just go out there and do it" is bad advice.
        I disagree with you. telling a guy to " just go out there and do it" is a good advice.
        You need to prepare well yourself everyday, you need to believe yourself.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040545].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
          Banned
          Originally Posted by MilkerFocus View Post

          I disagree with you. telling a guy to " just go out there and do it" is a good advice.
          You need to prepare well yourself everyday, you need to believe yourself.
          I run sprints 4 times a week: preparation. I believe I can run a 4.4 40.

          Still clock in at 4.7-4.8 every time :rolleyes:. And my point wasn't about dating specifically, you just perfectly illustrated with that analogy how incomplete advice is horrible advice. So stop giving it.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040583].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author MilkerFocus
            Originally Posted by Joseph Robinson View Post

            I run sprints 4 times a week: preparation. I believe I can run a 4.4 40.

            Still clock in at 4.7-4.8 every time :rolleyes:. And my point wasn't about dating specifically, you just perfectly illustrated with that analogy how incomplete advice is horrible advice. So stop giving it.
            Practice make perfect. When I am trying to shot the basketball, I believe that I can shot in. Most of the time, I can.

            Yes, you are right. Just have belief, it's not enough.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040681].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author wave carl
    Easier...Although competition is a bunch, there a a lot of tools available
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040499].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author GaurabBorah
    The basics are pretty much still the same. Create a blog/website or Squeeze page, drive traffic, make sales. But yeah how we used to go about them have changed. There are more opportunities now, also more competition. You need to evolve with time.
    Signature
    [WSOTD] Easy STEP-BY-STEP $50-$100/Day Posting Lame FB Ads!*WARRIORS MAKING MONEY*(New Social PROOF)...Click here
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040600].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tylerjaysen
    Well this is such a broad question really....and can be interpreted a bunch of ways...

    ...If you compare how adwords was just a few years ago...vs how it is today....then yeah...it has become much harder to create a winning campaign...

    ..gone are the days of 3 cent clicks..to a squeeze page to grow your business for pennies....

    ..as far as the IM niche in general...well it takes work to actually be legit...instead of going out and trying to make a fast buck by spamming or spinning or creating fake screenshots or ...creating hype..

    ....it takes much more work to create value out in the internet and create loyal fans and have a thriving business...

    ....people today have become jaded towards all the enormous and varied amount of crap that is out there in cyberspace...

    ..so as a result...getting paid traffic...seo tactics that work..facebook ppc...etc...has all gotten tougher and requires much more resources than in the past.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040636].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
    Originally Posted by AllproJJ View Post

    The internet is constantly changing. Just a few years ago Myspace was a powerhouse and many other websites came and gone. How does today compare to the past for Internet Marketers? Is it easier or tougher to succeed?
    Internet marketing is such a broad term that it encompasses hundreds, if not thousands, of different kinds of strategies, tactics, and methodologies, not to mention monetization models. So the question itself is too broad and doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to me.

    Now if you were asking, specifically, if there are more opportunities today than, let's say, ten years ago, I would say "you bet your a$$ there are!!".

    If you were asking if it's harder for a newbie today, then that would actually depend on the newbie because the environment of massive opportunity is out there. There's probably a thousand times more information today on how to make money online than a decade ago. It's really easy for a newcomer to this business to get overhwelmed, though, because of that. I mean, if you join the War Room alone, it can get pretty overwhelming in there, and that's just one membership site. You have to have the ability to stay focused.

    Based on my own observations and experience (I've been fulltime since 2001), there are a lot more opportunities today to earn income online than ever before. So what if it's more difficult to rank on page one on Google, that's not Internet Marketing. With the massive amounts of advertising inventory out there, it's actually easier to get traffic today than ever before, but you have to know what you're doing.

    RoD
    Signature
    "Your personal philosophy is the greatest determining factor in how your life works out."
    - Jim Rohn
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040651].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jackson Tan
    if u are looking for the magic button it is tough. it oso depends the market u are into. however it still voice down to hard work and constant focus on the biz.

    my 2 cents
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040709].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Stephenbolt
    Internet marketing wasn’t really a term in common use, and in order to rank highly in the search engines then, you simply put the keyword on your page as much as possible, and then it climbed to the top of the rankings.
    But, the game has changed dramatically since then. If you follow that same process nowadays, not only will you not reach the top of Google’s rankings, but Google will penalize you and perhaps ban you from its results entirely!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040717].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author albgenius
    Maybe it is harder to get traffic but once u achieve that it is easier to make more money.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040731].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author MarcusJohnson
    I find it more challenging than being tough. I love marketing and everything about it. Important thing is knowing your market and what the market requires you to do. Changes and updates are permanent in this industry and we have to live with it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040838].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
    The environment is constantly changing. I wouldn't say it is difficult but you need to adapt to ever changing rules. So you cannot just apply a method in a vacuum. You have to constantly be measuring your results and tweaking your approaches.

    If you look at some of the older posts on here you will find that theyre not as effective and some are obsolete. So always pay attention...what works today, may not work tomorrow!
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7040953].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Susan A
    I am just going to say: jump-in as fast as you can, Internet marketing is a jungle right now. Eat or be eaten. There are many competitors out there.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7041052].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    In one way it is tougher to make a buck because of the economy
    these days but the same things still work as they did 10 years
    ago even though the methods may have changed. You need
    a product, traffic and good customer support if you are the
    product owner.

    Competition has increased but so has the number of people
    having access to the internet.

    -Ray Edwards
    Signature
    The most powerful and concentrated copywriting training online today bar none! Autoresponder Writing Email SECRETS
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7041364].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Josh Anderson
    Its not any "easier" or more difficult. However, there are more freely available outlets for marketing than ever before with the popularity of video and social networking. For the newbie who has no credibility or experience it can be just as daunting at first as in the old days. However, social networking and content distribution help level the playing field.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7042287].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Stuart Walker
    There are more possibilities than ever to make money online, most of the Western world spends half their lives online, nearly everyone shops online these days for one thing or another. There's no shortage of people to sell good, services or information to, you just have to find your niche, the right target market and let them know about it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7042638].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Roslyn Agosta
    I would say there are plenty of people moving to IM now as it is getting a lot of recognition. However, there is also a vast amount of prospect buyers online. So, with that in mind, if you get the correct niche and promote it properly you should succeed.
    Signature
    Limited availability, Review's required! Get your free copy: http://www.warriorforum.com/wanted-m...ion-world.html
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7042722].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sarevok
    If you know what you're doing it's 10x easier in my book.

    Sure, there is tons of competition, but they're all distracted.


    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7042745].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author SUPER Louie
    It's the same except for some minor differences:
    - the population is bigger (WF's population grows every year)
    - it's easier to market (software and other tools are now available)

    BUT

    Most methods that worked in the 1930s still work today.
    Signature
    A superhero is someone who knows how to be quiet, shed a tear for a moment, then pick up his sword, and fight again!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7102767].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author agmccall
      I personally think it is much easier today than it was in 1982
      Signature

      "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7102777].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author iRunThis
    Well, I haven't been around long enough to comment on the past. I can say though, that it's not "hard" it's just tedious when getting started. Kind of like getting an airplane off of the ground. The airplane has to work the hardest to take off and then kinda just cruises from there on out...

    I would say it balances out though, if I had to guess. Some things may have been easier in the past, but I'm sure that we have access to things now that weren't there before.

    JaVaun T
    Signature
    "Grammar: The difference between knowing your sh*t, and knowing you're sh*t." -A Wise Man
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7102785].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author webcashuk
    Maybe i am old fashioned but i still believe that good sound and sensible business practises will make you successful.As a consequence i dont think that the difficulty level has really changed over the years.In face i could make an argument that it can become easier to stand out.so so many people focus on the here and now but not the long term future.People go on and on about the list and i join quite a few just to leaarn and educate myself.Some lists are great they give you good content and build up a rapport and only occassionaly hit you with a sale.Others hit me day after day after day with the latest and greatest.Now if you have any common sense A) it bugs the hell out of people and B) people could never implement every single sale that that list is sending then and it becomes obvious that the list owner is totally in it for themselves.It is much easier to keep a good customer by offering help and support in the long term than to work hard to get them and then destroy that relationship inside a few days by poor marketing.

    Therefore in my rather long winded way i would say that the cream will always rise to the top and so if anything it has got a little easier provided you follow good business practises


    Peter
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7102865].message }}
  • I personally think that it has become more "professional", thus half-arsed attempts won't cut it any more.

    10 years back, tossing an amateur site to the web and a few unpolished Adwords campaigns would cut it because... well, because pretty much everything was amateur'ish. Now a days, both vendors and consumers have raised the level, and you better be a pro if you want to stand out.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7102898].message }}

Trending Topics