What is the most OVERLOOKED step in IM'ing?

Great point!... Def have to do proper research...

In all reality, it takes a few minutes to setup a blog and slap a PLR article on... So newbies tend to use the blanket approach.. setting up dozens of crappy blogs or posting crappy plr's instead of taking time and doing hardcore niche research...

I like that! great point.

Definitely agree, people often see the research as something you actually do after, like pick a niche, buy a site then do research.

Keyword/Niche research is so important, difference between building your business on the rocks or on the sand.

Running a business and not just trying out the latest "secret."

Unfortunately some don't seem to want to hear it like that because
it sounds a bit boring compared to secrets, unleashed, revealed...

All just marketing though and there's nothing wrong with a bit of
fun along the way, as long as you have your plan and business
model in place and are prepared to work at it.

I agree with you on Taking Action. Taking Action the "Most Important" Step in Internet Marketing (infact it applies to everything in life). I'd rather not say it's overlooked, these folks know they have to Take Action on Information they just read but they just can't do it out of Laziness (or maybe Lack of Capital).

Again, the Information Overload part comes in here or maybe it's us Information Marketers making it sound like there's no work involved. You know the popular headlines like "SEO Vetran shows you how to get your site on the first page of Google with ten clicks of the Mouse" or perhaps "Give me three Seconds and I'll show you how you can make *Insert Huge Sum Here* within 3 hours". Huge Promises. . .much Hype.

Internet Marketing is not what it used to be 4 years ago I'll have to say.

@Neil Morgan That was a cool article, really enjoyed that!

So few words yet this (IMO) is among the best advice I've seen in this forum all year. Unfortunately it's the most overlooked and no doubt will continue to be.

Lee

You make great points.. But I believe newbies should NOT create their own product right away.. I think they should study the market/niche, study the product they are promoting.. Build a high quality site, then once they feel they can create a rival product... then go for it.

It may be too overwhelming for newbs to build up a website, do their research, focus on design, link building, AND create their own product which may require programming, hiring people... etc.. from the start.

Of coarse owning your own product is great, as I have developed multiple products... it is ALOT of work though... And in the end, If they decide to list on CB..they end up making 50% anyway.. (which they might as well be an affiliate of a real high quality product)

Basically, use your strengths to your advantage... Good at design? create a "shock and awe" kind of site.. great writer? write a few awesome well thought out pieces that dont stop short of providing massive information...

The second part of your reply is great... Blend in a new offer to your existing contacts..even if it is in a different niche.

The key is creativity..

But i would caution some limits on that... Make sure the niche's are not SOOO far apart
for example: Forex niche, and Dating.. lol

Unless you want to cross promote something like:
"Find single Forex Traders in your area"

HAHA JK...

When you say "most overlooked", do you actually mean the number of items overlooked (pun not intended)?

Most of the things are overlooked by more than 90% people. Like it or not, that's the reality.

Many of the things are overlooked by the next 7-8%.

The remaining 2-3% look into enough number of things to make the business stand. And only 1 in 10000 (my guessmark number, could be anything in reality) overlook too few a number of things to become a guru.

What are overlooked? Many points have already been listed in the earlier posts, so lets not go into those. Here are some other ones:

(1) Leverage - this is never maximized by 99% of the successful IM'ers. The right kind of "leverage" of all of your assets could make your business grow geometrically during its initial phase of life rather than linearly or in any sub-linear curve.
(2) The power of geometry - this is something that most people do not understand. Compute x raised to the power y. Increate y to (y+1) and notice how rapidly the value changes. Can you exploit this mathematical property?
(3) Human value interchange - this is a strange fact many people tend to forget. My dear IM'er, the buyer is also a human being. Respect his/her reality. If nothing, that is going to add your value in their eyes. This is an extension of what "guru"s call building relationship - but it does not have to be inside the list. It needs to start at your web site. How? Rake your brains - if you are serious in your business you are going to find answers.
(4) The value of customer desire - never convince your customer in what they need. They know what they desire and that is exactly what they are going to buy, no matter what. The best that you can do, if you are helpful, is to marry what they want with what you think that they need. That is NOT going to increase your sales though. If you want to hide the human face (I would never do that, and more so in health-like critical super-niches) then you may promote what they desire to have without caring for what they need. This may give you some serious money. Personally I don't do that - I promote what they desire only if I think they also need that - this keeps my conscience clean and I maintain my values.
(5) Value of social trust on your real estate - well, this is incredible. One will take 5-10 years to really build it and profit for it for the whole lifetime. An example of such trust is the Warrior Forum. This is one of the best values you could grow over time.
(6) Branding - now, since many in IM are looking for a quick buck, how many even go to think till this stage? Gosh, I feel like shooting myself on my own foot now and then after reading some comments here and there, now and then.

There are many more in my mind, but let's stop here. All I meant is that we - most of us - overlook everything but the carrot hanging near our nose and people who manage to see two carrots rather than one are usually successful at a relative scale. Not many people see the third carrot and practically none sees beyond those carrots.

I would add strategy and a daily work plan. Yes I know, there is the dreaded word....work! Truth is work you must, and without a daily work plan or a solid strategy, you will be running round in circles like a headless chicken. No one made big bucks online though guess work and pure luck.