Why Do So Many People Fail Online?

91 replies
Now being in the position of coaching others to their success I come face to face with this question in one form or another again and again.

I thought ya'll might do some brainstorming with me and we could each offer our own insight into this question. I sure wish I would have learned more about "what didn't work online" before all the things that I tried.

Or is it not possible to avoid the failures on the way to success?

In fact is it maybe better that we don't because those failures become a part of our definition of success? Offering us a way to better assist others?

For me personally, it was clarity about a Definite PLAN, sticking to that Plan and having insight into the length of time I would have to PERSIST with it. I sure took l o n g e r than I wanted and budgeted for.

All the hurry hurry rush rush in our world on top of our own impatience and "sales pitches" offering "quick profits" etc. etc. have me inviting more perspective on this.

So What are you thoughts? WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE FAIL ONLINE?
What would you say to someone close to you just getting started?

Thanks,

Tim Owen
"The Mastermind and Implementation Coach"
#fail #online #people
  • I think the biggest reason people fail is due to the overhyped earnings and underhyped time investment by the MMO crowd.

    I hear commercials all the time about making $10,000 a month working one hour a week. Go to ebay, there are hundreds of listings promising huge sums of money while doing no work.

    People read all this, assume it is as easy as they have been led to believe (by people selling MMO products) and then think they are a failure when they end up making little to no money working countless hours online.

    If it wasnt for all the hype, more people would consider this a real business just like any other business. But the marketing in this area has brought in a whole bunch of lazy people who will never hunker down and do the work to get their IM biz off the ground.

    People are looking for an easy buck. It doesnt take long to figure out that there arent any easy bucks in this biz.
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  • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
    I'm darn tempted to say MLM.

    But I'll vote for lack of clarity which is caused by not knowing what they are looking for ( a proven online business plan/model ) which leads to info-overload and confusion.

    TL
    Signature

    "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. -- Mark Twain

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    • Profile picture of the author TiAndrine
      Originally Posted by TLTheLiberator View Post

      I'm darn tempted to say MLM.

      But I'll vote for lack of clarity which is caused by not knowing what they are looking for ( a proven online business plan/model ) which leads to info-overload and confusion.

      TL
      TL you left me curious with what you said above...Will you share your perspective on MLM, and how it contributes to "Failure?"

      Tim
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      • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
        Originally Posted by TiAndrine View Post

        TL you left me curious with what you said above...Will you share your perspective on MLM, and how it contributes to "Failure?"

        Tim

        I believe the business model itself is flawed.

        How many people have to be involved to support one big time earner at the top of the pyramid?

        Lots & lots and most of them won't ever make even decent money.

        I'm pretty sure if you did a survey of people who have given up on trying to earn money online, a good 90% of them would be former mlm'ers of some sort.

        It comes in many forms but the essence of the model is...

        ... in order for me to make decent money, I must recruit people who must recruit people etc.

        Look, I'm not trying to start a fight here. It's just my opinion.

        Hope this clears it up for you.

        TL
        Signature

        "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. -- Mark Twain

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    • Profile picture of the author Ann Bedwell
      I am new to internet marketing. I will say that it is 1) a lack of clarity in the products and systems that are offered. 2) there is virtually no one saying it will take months to get up and running, especially if you are new to the game. 3) that there is some capital that has to be invested, even if it is $50 per month. I get bombarded with new offers every day, the latest one was Mass Control. I see here there are many who know the author and believe that his programs work. But being new, I have very little idea of how this would benefit me or how I would incorporate it into what I am currently selling and how I am doing it.
      a
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    • Profile picture of the author scrofford
      Originally Posted by TLTheLiberator View Post

      I'm darn tempted to say MLM.

      But I'll vote for lack of clarity which is caused by not knowing what they are looking for ( a proven online business plan/model ) which leads to info-overload and confusion.

      TL
      MLM isn't the problem. It's a sound business model. I think the lack of clarity like you said is one of the biggest issues.
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      • Profile picture of the author DanielleDeHann
        Originally Posted by scrofford View Post

        MLM isn't the problem. It's a sound business model. I think the lack of clarity like you said is one of the biggest issues.
        Any business model that doesn't allow the "owner" to control product quality is and price is a problem.

        The MLM model is basically something all successful business owners use. They hire salespeople and maybe those salespeople hire agents to get them leads and maybe those agents hire canvassers to bring them people who might be interested. All get a cut of the sale and as you go higher in the chain the more of a cut you get.

        The key is that the business owner still controls product quality and price.
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        • Profile picture of the author scrofford
          Originally Posted by DanielleDeHann View Post

          Any business model that doesn't allow the "owner" to control product quality is and price is a problem.

          The MLM model is basically something all successful business owners use. They hire salespeople and maybe those salespeople hire agents to get them leads and maybe those agents hire canvassers to bring them people who might be interested. All get a cut of the sale and as you go higher in the chain the more of a cut you get.

          The key is that the business owner still controls product quality and price.
          MLM has made a lot of people lots of money and continues to. It's NOT a model all successful business owners use either. Most successful business owners use a pyramid...Which MLM is not. The owner makes all the money at the top and his employees make less and less down the line.

          I don't know if you've ever actually worked an MLM business, but from what you say here, you really aren't real well versed on the MLM business model.
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          • Profile picture of the author DanielleDeHann
            Originally Posted by scrofford View Post

            MLM has made a lot of people lots of money and continues to. It's NOT a model all successful business owners use either. Most successful business owners use a pyramid...Which MLM is not. The owner makes all the money at the top and his employees make less and less down the line.

            I don't know if you've ever actually worked an MLM business, but from what you say here, you really aren't real well versed on the MLM business model.
            I've never worked an MLM business but my uncle was a Diamond in Amway/Quixtar/Amway and it's EXACTLY the same what successful business owners use. Again, the only difference is that when you are selling Nutralite vitamins you have no control over cost or quality. A business owner on the other hand does have control over those things.

            The model is great just not when you are doing it for an MLM company. If you are doing it with your own products and/or services it's great.
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            • Profile picture of the author scrofford
              Originally Posted by DanielleDeHann View Post

              I've never worked an MLM business but my uncle was a Diamond in Amway/Quixtar/Amway and it's EXACTLY the same what successful business owners use. Again, the only difference is that when you are selling Nutralite vitamins you have no control over cost or quality. A business owner on the other hand does have control over those things.

              The model is great just not when you are doing it for an MLM company. If you are doing it with your own products and/or services it's great.
              Actually when you own an MLM business you DO own the business. Just because you are a distributor and don't have control over the price etc. doesn't mean you can't have a successful business.

              And the model IS great when you are doing it for the RIGHT MLM company. You have to be careful what company you get involved with.
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              • Profile picture of the author DanielleDeHann
                Originally Posted by scrofford View Post

                Actually when you own an MLM business you DO own the business. Just because you are a distributor and don't have control over the price etc. doesn't mean you can't have a successful business.

                And the model IS great when you are doing it for the RIGHT MLM company. You have to be careful what company you get involved with.
                You missed one point. You don't have control over price OR QUALITY. That is a salesman, not a business owner.
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                • Profile picture of the author scrofford
                  Originally Posted by DanielleDeHann View Post

                  You missed one point. You don't have control over price OR QUALITY. That is a salesman, not a business owner.
                  I didn't miss the point. You do own the business. You don't own the whole corporation, but you do own YOUR business. You are a distributor. You could choose to distribute whatever product you'd like.

                  It's just like affiliate marketing here on the internet. You own your business but you don't own the product or control the price, but if you are serious about affiliate marketing, you take measures in making it your own business.
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  • Profile picture of the author KatieWilliams
    Interesting question.

    I would say that online marketing attracts a certain group of people who are looking for easy money / get rich quick and aren't prepared to put the necessary work in

    But there are also the people who are prepared to work, if they can overcome information overload, put together a plan and focus

    Also, a large amount of failure in anything has to be down to simply quitting too soon

    Katie
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  • Profile picture of the author Zeus66
    Two things...

    1). Monotony. Without a doubt, at least in my case. I've failed on several ventures from going out of my mind with the monotony of the busywork involved. A good example is trying to build a small affiliate site empire a few years ago. I burned out before I got to the point where I had enough extra income to outsource anything.

    2). Picking niches I had no interest in. And I mean no interest at all. I'll bet this is one a lot of others here can relate to. I don't believe you have to love a niche or even be passionate about it, but not caring about it at all becomes a heavy burden. You have to at least find something interesting about a niche to put in all the legwork to make a successful run at it. At least, that proved to be true in my case.

    John
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    • Profile picture of the author wizzard2009
      I agree, you have to have a passion for your niche. Even if the nice has a small target market. If you believe in the niche, you can find a way to make money from that small market.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mokey
    Zeus66, that's been my downfall...Monotony and lack of interest in the niche. Yep.

    So many people fall for the auto-pilot profits, get-rich-quick schemes that it's easy to become disillusioned. I thought that I could make a ton of money at first, too. Now I have a couple of interesting 'gimmick' sites and 1 that I make my living off of. In order to make the money, though, I actually have to work for it...Orders may come in while I'm sleeping or sitting by the pool, but I've got to get to the computer a good number of hours out of my day to fill my orders.
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  • Profile picture of the author Worldly Markets
    I think the bottom line is that people want a "quick buck" and the reason is - everything is marketed so well that most people feel that they can male a million bucks over night... so when it doesn't happen - they give up!

    Please correct me if I am wrong - but most successful IM's have made so many mistakes in the past... which has made them stronger and more successful. But they have only dont this through PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE!

    What do you guys think?
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    • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Worldly Markets View Post

      Please correct me if I am wrong - but most successful IM's have made so many mistakes in the past... which has made them stronger and more successful. But they have only dont this through PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE!
      Absolutely. I couldn't have put it better myself. (I did try though.)

      For me there's no excuse for people not succeeding. They can blame the gurus for slick marketing but that doesn't change the fact that they didn't stick with it. They can blame not having a good step-by-step guide but that's B.S. because there's plenty of them out there. And I suppose we could go on forever.

      If you want to own a successful online business you will. And if you don't, well, you won't. All you have to do is keep going and eventually you'll start having more success.
      Signature
      "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."―Joseph Sugarman
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  • Profile picture of the author vidgod
    for me it was focus. it was until i got laid off of my job that i buckled down and started making money.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Sherman
    Simple. They fail to take right action, if they manage to take action at all. There are all manner of explanations for why that is, from misinformation to downright laziness. But I firmly believe that to be the simple truth.
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  • Profile picture of the author TrafficGuy Claude
    I think its because alot of people jump from project to project without ever really completing one thing all the way through.
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    • Profile picture of the author SDavis2702
      Originally Posted by TrafficGuy Claude View Post

      I think its because alot of people jump from project to project without ever really completing one thing all the way through.
      I agree 100%... I've done this many times.
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  • Profile picture of the author markwinder
    Tim - GREAT question...

    Part of what I do is coach people from time-to-time and I notice you bring up one of the main failure points: lack of a PLAN.

    Personally, I see a lack of a plan as one of the biggest problems out there. And I think it has a LOT to do with the fact that most people never have to create a plan for anything they do professionally. As a sales rep for a major fortune 1000 company, my bosses were AMAZED when I proposed a detailed 52 week plan for them one year. They were used to a 4 page power point presentation that talked vaguely about what they were going to do on a quarter by quarter basis. I created a plan. And (not surprisingly) it worked! And when there was an unexpected dip or surge in business, we could go back to the plan and see why.

    Next - and greatly related to the plan is the problem of focus. There is simply too much noise out there - especially for the newbies. They're consistently distracted by the latest "bright & shiny" idea / scheme / etc. and seem to think that this time they'll be able to immediately find both the rainbow AND the pot of gold!

    Finally - I think there's a sad shadow on our industry that it involves "no work". We are fortunate in that we can employ a number of systems in our businesses where a lot of it can run on autopilot - but work is most definitely required and involved. I remember one particular coaching call with a potential new client. He at least had a half-baked plan (which was better than nothing), and he was asking my advice on how to make it work. When I made some suggestions as to how he could monetize this business (which was actually really good!), his immediate, word-for-word response was: "but... that sounds like work..." I chuckled at first until I realized he was being serious. He then proceeded to get a little ticked off that the "no work" promise was a myth. Needless to say, I ended the call and didn't accept him as a client!

    So I'd say those are the three root causes of failure in this business from my experience. Great question!
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  • Profile picture of the author PPC-Coach
    The never ending search for that one missing link or the magic pill that just does not exist is the first reason people fail. Once they get into something and see how much work it takes to succeed they quit and go off on their merry way buying the next magic pill product out there. They refuse to do the work and accept that hard work = success. They look at others who are making money online and think that it just happened overnight. One day that guy woke up and thought of the missing link to success. That's not the case though. It can take months and years to get to making big bucks. But they are usually sold on overnight success that can be done by a blind chimp with two fingers. I could make a huge list of products that make these promises and never deliver but I'm only allowed 5,000 characters per post...
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    • Profile picture of the author markwinder
      PPC Coach - good points... in many respects, we're our own worst enemies with that... We (as in "the IM industry) sell people on easy, quick, effortless results. And that's what people expect. Unfortunately, the results are rarely easy, quick or effortless...

      Mind you, I suppose selling a product by telling people that it was going to take a lot of effort, a bunch of time, and no small amount of thinking in order to make a buck... well, it probably wouldn't get out of the gate too quickly... :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Norma Holt
    People basically are honest and cannot be taken in by the tricks of IMs for long. Telling people that you are making millions when the facts are you are probably fighting to earn a quid turns me off. When some Marketers provide emails to their members for distribution you get the same spiel from several people. Being at the top of the pyramid they make money from all below it.

    It stops me opening emails or notifications from people claiming to have so much money or whose 'good friend' has suddenly hit the big time with a new product or invention. While some do, without a doubt, make a decent living online unless known to me or something tells me otherwise I question their tactics.

    Those who send emails after supposedly arriving back from some cruise or other or some world trip, as though it is something they do every second month or so, need to think again. This is not incentive but off putting for those who struggle to survive. Most people don't need to know of their mansions, newest cars, wealth, whether these things exist or not. but would like to know how they got started, where they learned the basics, what they did to overcome failure, and how they can help others to do the same.

    The other thing that stops people in their tracks is a lack of discipline to govern their time properly and plan for success. While many do this part time while holding down a job, and rightly so, they are heading for disaster unless disciplined enough to put in the time and overcome tiredness and distractions when it matters. This is a career maker if done right, just as a university degree is.

    Rejection is another off putter to success. The wrong words, the wrong approach and/or the wrong attitude by some marketers can be a serious rejection of someone's ability. People need encouragement and a steadfast boost of confidence to continue with a project. Those who manage Membership sites or affiliate programs must become aware of this and use friendship and tolerance towards members who have questions and need help.

    A case in point happened recently when I joined a membership site that promised the world. There were problems from the start as I had to take a new host which I could not work out. So I paid for a niche site (part of the packet) to be put up. There was 6 months membership for the host required by the owner to get better products etc. from which he got an affiliate payment, It put me out of pocket by a fairly large sum (probably around $au200) after the high membership costs.

    When I tried to upload the site there was trouble. Some html script landed in a Front Page writer that made no sense to me and which I could not get rid of but kept asking for payment. After a couple of email requests for help I posted my problem it in the forum. My membership was suddenly canceled. No apologies, no questions asked. I had passed a hidden barrier that said 'don't expect any help because you are on your own.' Was that a failure on my part or his?

    Many dismiss pleas for assistance as too big a drain on their time. Mainly because they are, after all, 'earning millions' themselves so they are "too big" in their own estimation to come down to the little guys level. They forget who they might be earning that money from and how long that income might last. My take on it, however, is that many are too raw to know the answers in the first place. All they want is your money.

    The other thing that faces those struggling in IM is information overload. Being bombarded with emails from people whose lists are joined for one reason or another and then being blown away with all kinds of offers generates major confusion.

    A personal hate of mine is being offered a so-called 'free' gift and then landing on a squeeze page demanding purchase of some product of other that will disappear in seconds if not immediately bought for some outrageous price. This is a definite way to get me off their list and themselves into my spam box.

    These tricks are against the honest persons character and method of doing things. There must be more honesty in IM. If something is worthwhile then people need time to ponder it and make up their mind whether or not it suits them, otherwise it is nothing better than a high pressure flea market where you pay through the nose for something that in the end may be junk.

    The lesson for IM's is treat your website like a shop not like something Dictators employ. Put your product up and if people like it and buy it they will come back. That's called 'loyal customers' and the good sellers are remembered for a long time to come.

    The list goes on but I will stop there. It is not a question of why people fail but more a question of why we teach them to fail, why we help them to fail. The bottom line is that most people would be happy making just a little each month without the pressure, hype, lies and promotional demands of those who should know better.

    Norma
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  • Profile picture of the author ptmueller
    Hello,

    I have been trying to market on the internet for quite a while but I think part of my problem has been not staying FOCUSED. You have got to stay focused because there are so many things bombarding you from every side. I have been hearing about Mass Control as well but for now I need to stay FOCUSED on what I am doing or I will once again go buy the new thing and never start to build any kind of base for myself.

    One of the reasons so many people fail online is for that reason alone - not being FOCUSED.

    Have a good evening.

    Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author lstoops
    Lack of direction, lack of focus, lack of persistence. AND this has to be something you really, really, really want. Like a career choice. I know that I want to be an Internet Marketer when I grow up. I don't want to be anything else...this is what I want to do. Some just don't want it that bad...and that's not a bad thing. It's just there's no quitting or failure to those who really want it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lewis Turner
    Banned
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  • Profile picture of the author lacraiger
    they give up too early.
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  • Profile picture of the author RichardYoung
    Great question, I personally believe the reason why is because most people who enter the IM biz are just opportunity seekers. They jump from opportunity to opportunity and never actually STICK TO A PLAN like you've done.

    I've learned that when you finally buckle down and make a commitment, create a plan, set goals and deadlines for yourself, you actually start to work more efficiently. Also, a lot of people who come into this get frustrated and give up way too easily..

    Well, an entrepreneur would never give up. Ever. No matter what circumstance. If being an entrepreneur was so easy then EVERYBODY would be doing it. Sure, they might like the idea of it and think it'll be cool to make money on the internet and try to get their feet wet but as soon as an obstacle is in place (which is the case for almost all businesses) they quit.

    I've failed many times, and still failing today. But am I giving up? Hell no because I know what I want and I'm going to get it. And I honestly find business, sales, marketing and the psychology behind it all intriguing. I love this stuff and that might be why I'm so driven towards my goals.
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    • Profile picture of the author tush
      Originally Posted by TiAndrine
      TL you left me curious with what you said above...Will you share your perspective on MLM, and how it contributes to "Failure?"

      Tim



      I believe the business model itself is flawed.

      How many people have to be involved to support one big time earner at the top of the pyramid?

      Lots & lots and most of them won't ever make even decent money.

      I'm pretty sure if you did a survey of people who have given up on trying to earn money online, a good 90% of them would be former mlm'ers of some sort.

      It comes in many forms but the essence of the model is...

      ... in order for me to make decent money, I must recruit people who must recruit people etc.

      Look, I'm not trying to start a fight here. It's just my opinion.

      Hope this clears it up for you.

      TL
      I believe MLM has nothing to do with failure online. Infact, most mlmers are still struggling offline, harrasing friends and family. The truth is, if you know how to market mlm online and find qualified people, who are a perfect fit for it, there is becomes one of the best opportunities for the average person.

      If you understand mlm very well, you will know that it is the best "pyramid" of all. One simple sign up is a win win- for the whole team. And if I may ask, what coperation is not a pyramid? Ever seen a junior who earns more than a senior? But mlm, there are so many who earn more than their uplines...

      Back to the question:I believe two reasons...
      1. Most people think it is quick and easy money.. due the books and courses that are sold. Soon or later, they realise that they have to get their feet dirty..
      2. Lack of a step by step guide.. Everyday, there is some thing with the secret to success from the latest guru.. newbies don't know where to start from...
      Tush
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
    Banned
    For me the answer is simple:

    People don't succeed in building an online business because they don't keep going. Why? Perhaps they were expecting everything to be easy. Maybe they haven't developed their determination. Perhaps they still have more to learn. The tragedy is that many people will give up when they're on the dawn of victory.

    And my advice to everyone still learning (and to myself because I'm still learning) is to:

    "Just Keep Going!"

    Keep taking action ... Keep making those strides that will bring you closer and closer to success ... Keep making "mistakes" and "failing" ... Keep learning and improving ... And remember as Edison said: "I'm not discouraged because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward." Learn from your "failures" and use them as fuel to ignite your passion and drive your forward towards your goals.

    We'll do well to remember the Japanese proverb: "Fall down 7 times, get up 8." And you absolutely must get up. Because that's what successful people do. Success may be closer than you think. Don't stop now. Because as I once read: "On the battle field lay the broken bones of those who upon the dawn of victory rested and while resting died."

    We were born to succeed. And all we have to do is keep plugging away.
    Signature
    "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."―Joseph Sugarman
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  • Profile picture of the author kevin1mil
    Consistency, I used to suck at making a dime online because always turn to every product that launch in the market. But after I get consistency with one method and doing it over and over again, this is the key why people fail online.
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  • Profile picture of the author hotlanta
    Most people are conditioned from the time they are kids to avoid and have a fear of failure. That is why some people never get started online or fail. That is also the reason behind the american "quick fix" culture. No one wants to fail. When we are kids we dont think of it as failure, when kids try something new they enjoy the process and actually see blatant "failures" as huge successes because they had fun and gained a new skill in the process!

    Trying and testing new things is a natural way to learn children kow this inherently but as adults we are conditioned to avoid failure. We want to hit a home run first time at the bat or we consider the experience a failure. And being hedonistic by nature, most people will avoid failure, because it doesnt feel good.

    You only fail if never try again.
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  • Profile picture of the author wmakara
    I'm finding as far as internet marketing goes, too much competition. Particularly in affiliate marketing.

    Also, not sticking long enough to a method. I'm very guilty of that. I start a strategy then I don't see any results and I've put in a lot of time into it, so I put it on hold and start another one, and so on.
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  • Profile picture of the author raj101
    Mostly people fail because of lack of dedication, commitment and perseverance. Procrastination plays vital role and pre occupations and distractions do have a role also.
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  • Profile picture of the author OmarNegron
    I think people fail because there is WAY to much HYPE.

    It's in a lot of the sales copy that promises millions in 5 minutes. The truth is, most of us all thought it was "that" easy but its not. But the people who seem to be successful can weed around all the junk and stick to a certain plan and take action.

    Nothing just comes to people, you have to go out and get it.

    =-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr_Julian_S
    There are many reasons for why people fail to make money online and one of these reasons includes, these people try to deliver their information or market to the wrong people.

    Failing to identify the potential customers is a sure way to fail despondently online. It is necessary for any person to identity niche market to earn a lot.

    It doesn't matter what the business you have or what the service you provide to your customers, but it is necessary for a person to make sure that he is marketing to the right group of people.

    Regards
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  • Profile picture of the author Danc1122
    Banned
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    • Profile picture of the author NMP
      Well...

      - Take a monitor that looks like a TV. Try make money watch TV.
      - Take a pay per performance day job. You only make if you do a good day at work.
      - Take no idea how, why, when you do it. Is like being drunk monkey driving a car.

      Combine these. And just a few % can turn these habits into profit.

      Thing is that most has zero trust into themself. Look at the questions on
      this forum to start with. What works? Do this work?

      That is the day job mentality attitude. You want to be safe to get paid
      while working. Nothing wrong with that. But if you do not trust in what
      you do. How can you develop your ideas and work? I mean you can not
      go to a forum and get step by step to build a Business. However you can
      get the first steps. But then you need to trust yourself and test and try.

      And with all "This sucks.. and this doesn't work" attitudes, you are set to
      lose cause you are affected by other people opinions. BUT the No 1 reason
      is giving up and try find next new cool thing that is out and again not trust
      your ideas and business plan.

      Daniel
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    • Profile picture of the author RB
      I've been messing around with Internet Marketing/Ecommerce for about three years now as my young son sleeps and I'm captive at my desk. I do this while I run my brick and mortar storefront. I earn lots of money there, but always seem to spend more than I earn. I've earned millions! but it always costs more than that.

      The same is true with Internet Marketing. And now, with the economic crisis, particularly unemployment, you'll see masses of desperate people entering the IM world. They will be overwhelmed by all the crap you know is out there. Some internet marketers will be frothing at the mouth, waiting, willing, and capable of taking every last dollar from these unsuspecting people who don't even have time in their financial life cycle to ask for a refund.

      To compound the problem, the internet and IM changes so quickly, and the google gods are so quirky there will be no catching up, especially for someone so new to all of this. Most people can play the game if they know the rules, but...

      The rules change at the drop of a finger to the keyboard and what you thought you know isn't worth a pile of hot dog sh.t

      The final blow is trying to do it all yourself.

      I know that from my own B/M business and it's true with IM, especially if you don't have the right system/model.

      I'm a photographer, but I spend only 1% of my time, if that, with a camera in my hands. I'm a branded name but I am forced to spend most of my time "not being seen" b/c I have to take care of personnel, IRS's, taxes (something not mentioned when internet riches are discussed), insurance, sales, marketing, advertising, garbage service, utility contracts, cash flow, credit cards, business plans, HR...I'm sure there's more - oh yea, I gotta clean the toilet bowl too. Gotta find time to coach my son's athletics too and the time to raise a moral person by myself as a single father. Oh, and there's sponge bob too, gotta watch it.

      The same is true with IM. You know the list of things involved, thus the monotony and boredom. I've seen it referred to as entraprenurial ADD.

      I'm not very optimistic for the newcomer to this field. Their needs are too desperate b/c they've waited too long to begin. That's why coaching/mentoring in a membership way has become the internet marketer's business model. Some will do it well, some will do it ugly. How will the newcomer choose who to follow or learn from?

      Due diligence, should be the first word out of anyone's mouth. Study (that doesn't mean just believe sales copy), research, and prove the truth of what you are looking at. Keep your money in your pocket. Learn. Find this forum, and dare I say there are other venues suitable for the newcomer who is not very technical.

      You gotta look past the gloss and hype and find real world people like warrior Kris Mainieri who has helped me and many others (thanks Kris) and the many others here on this forum.

      Best regards to all - it's still a great and exiting world.

      Rick
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  • Profile picture of the author Will Edwards
    First, I would say that most of the people who fail do so simply because they have underestimated the task. Second, I think most - if not all - people underestimate the task - I underestimated it myself (lol).

    The winners are not those who don't underestimate the task, but those who are prepared to stay with it once they have had the realisation.

    Will
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  • Profile picture of the author michael_nguyen
    I think they just don't understand the mechanics of making money online. For example if you don't know html and you've never heard of bum marketing then your're stuck. If you haven't even tasted a slight bit of success then you'll never believe MMO is possible. Determination is the key but that only works if you know money can be made online. Although I've had limited success, I know for a fact that money can be made online. By just understand "The money is in the list" is enough to convince me.
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  • Profile picture of the author arclight
    Information overload and not taking action are two of the biggest reasons people fail to make money. Just start doing things, learn and keep taking action. Don't be swamped with the latest get rich schemes. Most of them are the same thing packaged differently.
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  • Profile picture of the author Capricorn1
    I agree with Tush's second point.

    2. Lack of a step by step guide...Everyday,there is something with the secret to success from the latest Guru...newbies don't know where to start from...

    I believe there is still room in the market if a learned Warrior created a "simple to understand" step by step guide to IM. I have seen a few guides but to me they are still too complicated. I guess that says something about my intelligence or lack there of.

    Regards,

    Geoff.
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    • Profile picture of the author nidjo
      Focus or lack of it, trying to do too many things at the same time, running 50 websites instead of one, trying to make money with PLR, Adsense and affiliate marketing all at once instead of focusing on just one website, one way to make money and one way to drive traffic to that 1 site.
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  • Profile picture of the author Yskho
    believe the business model itself is flawed.

    How many people have to be involved to support one big time earner at the top of the pyramid?

    Lots & lots and most of them won't ever make even decent money.

    I'm pretty sure if you did a survey of people who have given up on trying to earn money online, a good 90% of them would be former mlm'ers of some sort.
    You are right. 95% of the venture is mlm in nature , whether the owner admit it or not. in any mlm, we learn money from our downlines, and 95% down there will suffer. I did earned some money from some packages but it domino effect will come one day when it getting harder and harder to recruit and we lost the trust of our downlines and we need to start all over agasin. So now i change my biz model which is grow my list and well treat them and FULLY TESTED any of my affiliate products 1st before send my sales pitch to them.

    Look at what ALL GURUS are doing, grow list is the top priority ! and you will have decent income once you have big list and sell product with REAL value that BENEFIT the people behind your list ...
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  • Profile picture of the author RickGueli
    A few observations from my neck of the woods, seeing how I have been observing the IM marketscape for years. A few here mentioned something about not having a well-defined plan. But believe me, some do and even then failure looms near.

    Truth is, some plans are just more effective in making their implementers money than others. Not only because the former plans themselves are deficient (a plan for making money with adsense tends to be less profitable these days, compared to one for making money via affiliate marketing) but also because some niches are just not "rabid" enough compared to others, or are more RESPONSIVE to one form of being reached out to (say, via video marketing) than others (say, via articles).

    Here is a solution: Taken on a funnel approach to marketing, and then narrow your plan down to the most EFFECTIVE one or two strategies as far as reaching out your market. In other words, if video marketing is the most effective way for you to make money, having tried article marketing or PPC, then STICK TO VIDEOS! Create raving fans out of your viewers, and from there, when you gain "social proof", it merely becomes a case of giving your chosen niche(s) the full gift of who you are, and the research you are capable of doing to fill in the "how-to" gaps there.

    Finally, can I just say that regardless of your success of failure levels, you've all tried and (hopefully) are trying despite the odds. I love you all and look up to each of you as an inspiration, so keep at it! Finding the "blueprint" that's most effective for you is only a matter of time...

    Peace out!

    Rick
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  • Profile picture of the author drkellogs
    Most people online are looking to make a quick buck. They're not thinking in terms of building a business.

    It's the biz-opp mindset that's killing them before they even started. And will attract them to the easy, push-button solutions that sells so well when you're looking to make a quick buck, instead of building a business.

    If you're in the mindset of building a business, chances are you will stop looking for the quick and easy stuff, and start focusing on the fundamentals, that are universal in business building.

    Understanding business models, direct-response marketing, traffic-generation, time-management, project management, hiring, leadership skills, etc... NOT... How to get #1 ranking on google in 10 days, or how to make $5,000/month by posting ads on CraigsList... or whatever the hell sounds easy and promises to "cheat" your way to the top, without actually taking the time to learn the fundamentals.

    The truth is that people that get into this busines in the first place, get into it because they are typically desperate for money. They didn't get into it, because they were already rich and wanted to learn how to build a wordpress blog to make 4,000$/month or whatever

    Hopefully though, there will come a time where the biz-opp seeker becomes a business person. I personally don't think everyone has what it takes to go through this transformation though, and that is why I feel that so many people fail online and why you NEVER hear anyone succeed big after a few weeks.

    Read a bit about the history of most of the successful people online, and you will most likely discover that they have grinded their ass off, have had a lot of failures, and studied a thing or two about direct-response marketing from Dan Kennedy.

    I don't think I've heard of anyone that has ever become rich just by doing the part-time 2h/day "I'm going to tip-toe my way safely to success" method.

    Have you?
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    • Profile picture of the author Kevin AKA Hubcap
      Originally Posted by drkellogs View Post

      Most people online are looking to make a quick buck. They're not thinking in terms of building a business.

      It's the biz-opp mindset that's killing them before they even started. And will attract them to the easy, push-button solutions that sells so well when you're looking to make a quick buck, instead of building a business.

      If you're in the mindset of building a business, chances are you will stop looking for the quick and easy stuff, and start focusing on the fundamentals, that are universal in business building.

      Understanding business models, direct-response marketing, traffic-generation, time-management, project management, hiring, leadership skills, etc... NOT... How to get #1 ranking on google in 10 days, or how to make $5,000/month by posting ads on CraigsList... or whatever the hell sounds easy and promises to "cheat" your way to the top, without actually taking the time to learn the fundamentals.

      The truth is that people that get into this busines in the first place, get into it because they are typically desperate for money. They didn't get into it, because they were already rich and wanted to learn how to build a wordpress blog to make 4,000$/month or whatever

      Hopefully though, there will come a time where the biz-opp seeker becomes a business person. I personally don't think everyone has what it takes to go through this transformation though, and that is why I feel that so many people fail online and why you NEVER hear anyone succeed big after a few weeks.

      Read a bit about the history of most of the successful people online, and you will most likely discover that they have grinded their ass off, have had a lot of failures, and studied a thing or two about direct-response marketing from Dan Kennedy.

      I don't think I've heard of anyone that has ever become rich just by doing the part-time 2h/day "I'm going to tip-toe my way safely to success" method.

      Have you?
      I think drkellogs has hit the nail on the head. I could see myself in alot of things that he said and I only started to have some success when I changed my mental attitude and outlook.

      The attitude that you can become successful by working one hour a day might line the pockets of many who are pushing products but is he wrong message to send.

      Selling products, whether offline or online, will require work.
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      • Profile picture of the author dwt
        I would definitely say lack of focus and knowledge. It was extremely hard for me to focus on one thing while still working a full time job. It seemed I was always hitting a brick wall with something I didnt fully understand yet. No matter what, I think we all have to go through the learning curve in order to succeed online. A little over a year since starting my quest, FINALLY things are starting to come together.

        If you can stick with it for the long haul and realize success doesn't happen overnight, you will eventually make it.

        Focus, focus, focus!
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        • Profile picture of the author MichaelGk
          Also
          Is it not the case that the Information Business is an example of Hollywood Economics. Half the work and revenues is done by and given to the square root of the number of its participants. As Hollywood producer Robert Evans said "At any time most of the people in the business are not working"
          That may be Hollywood but it also the Information Business.


          If the Information Business is a true kurtocracy (as Nassim Taleb calls it) then the business is dominated by a handful of extremely wealthy participants.

          The good news is that because of the wild uncertainty of the Information Business new participants can and do make an impact, every year. They can come from anywhere.
          "Nobody knows anything" as William Goldman said, especially when it comes to the wild uncertainty of this business.

          Michael
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      • Profile picture of the author motiv8
        Lack of ambition, and the realization that it IS hard work.
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  • Profile picture of the author brandonhess
    I would say lack of direction, or upline support.

    MLM, in my opinion isn't flawed, it is the people in it. If you are driven and focused, anything will work. You need to be honest when explaing to some one how things work, and help them. Do not get them to join, and then dump them. That is not going to benefit anyone. You need to duplicate you success through your downlines. The only way things will change for the better in the MLM niche, is if we decide to change. Make it a point to cut the crap.

    If everyone did this, it would make things run smoother for everyone. Not just the MLM people. It affects everyone trying to earn online. If some one get turned off to MLM, it is going to turn them off to other things, whether it be buying a forex program, a success program, etc. Even people running a company online, If you are not a big name brand, you get looked over, because the person doesn't trust the internet.

    Lets all be honest and keep things clean. Then pass it on, and on and on. Who knows we just might change things for every niche.

    Great thread, Lets not take offense to any of the posts. Everyone is allowed there opinions. To all, I wish you success in your online ventures.
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  • Profile picture of the author little-ed
    I think there are many factors involved in success or failure - an element of luck being one of them, and being in the right place at the right time also helps. Having said that - some people will use the excuse that 'you have to be lucky' in this game to succeed is a reason for not following through on projects.

    In a way I can sympathise with people who are looking for easy ways to make a fast buck because the sales letters are geared to their emotional triggers - nothing really wrong with that because most advertising is done this way. You only have to look at car ads on the TV to see that they are selling the dream and not the reality, playing to our emotions.

    It's up to us really to pick out the good stuff from the bad and a quick browse around this forum will give some clear indicators on that.
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  • Profile picture of the author patchman
    The reason people fail is due to the 'Get Rich Quick' mentality , I have two friends suffer from this syndrome and have bunny hopped from one get rich quick scheme to the next get rich quick scheme out there, and they never follow thru with it, if it doesnt make money then they bail out and find the next best thing, as one guy mentioned above - people join IM for two reason 1) To make a quick buck 2) They are desperate for money and need to make it fast!!

    If you want to make money online then its going to take HARD WORK!!! There is no way around it regardless of the countless gurus and programs out there say to the contrary...

    HARD WORK = Success

    Once you do that then you can enjoy the benefits of making easy money
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  • Profile picture of the author Stu784
    I think the biggest reason people fail is due to the overhyped earnings and underhyped time investment by the MMO crowd.
    That sums up the issue in its entirity... Hyped upped, rehased systems that only make the person selling them money.
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    • Profile picture of the author Paul Hooper
      INFORMATION OVERLOAD! Newbies get to caught up in all the latest products and zero to riches schemes and fail to make their own business model. They don't focus on one thing for longer than 5 minutes before they are on to the next thing that has just arrived in their inbox.
      I think the best thing for a newbie to do, is start out with a mentor, and stick to his/her training...and that training only, until the training has finished.
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      • Profile picture of the author wizzard2009
        Your right, the Internet move quickly. Everyone has the better mouse trap. A newbie is caught up in the hype. One of the biggest problems I believe, is they buy the product and either don't use or don't spend enough time becomming familair with it, so they can promote it properly.
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        • Profile picture of the author stevenlean
          Why so many "fail"?

          To me, one doesn't "fail" online.......you only need to take action to find the best business model that fits you, and you'll be there one day.

          If you've budget and ready to spend time (with lots of patient) tweaking and tracking different variables, go for ppc.

          If you can write decently try article marketing.

          If both "fail"....find other method and try again.

          Till you find one that works for you, focus on that method and scale it up.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Stu784 View Post

      That sums up the issue in its entirity... Hyped upped, rehased systems that only make the person selling them money.
      To an extent that's just part of the learning curve though. For me they fail because they don't want it enough. They're not determined enough. They're not serious about being wealthy and being a successful business owner. Like I said before: They give up too soon. People have to take 100% responsibility for their outcomes.

      I do sympathize though. I know a lot of people are reasonably determined and have been burned and there's a lot of poor standard and over-hyped material out there. That's certainly doesn't make things easier.

      Personally though I would never blame people's products for being the reason why I didn't succeed. The only reason would be me. And I'm surprised other people don't understand this.

      I'm starting out again after taking a break from Internet Marketing the way I look at it is that success is guaranteed. There's no chance of failure. All I have to do is keep going and eventually I'll be where I want to be. That's not to say that I won't have mistakes and setbacks to learn from. What I'm saying is that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt (as in 100%) that I can build a profitable information publishing company.

      And for the sake of argument supposing that I don't then the only person at fault and the only person to blame is myself for not being determined enough and for not sticking with it and for giving up.
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      "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."―Joseph Sugarman
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  • Profile picture of the author mikeong88
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author TiAndrine
      Thanks to each of you for all the great insight you're offering here from personal experience on this important topic!!!!

      Originally Posted by mikeong88 View Post


      Humans are very unpredictable isn't it....:confused:
      Mike, I sure appreciate you mentioning this factor in any great plans including "formulas and equations for success" we might share with others. Each person brings a uniqueness that is all their own don't they?

      As I look back upon my own journey "Others Plans" did help me to walk in their shoes a bit...but ultimately I had to get to that place of MY OWN PLAN to be:

      "...The Master of My Fate,
      and Captain of My Soul."
      ...as I read again just recently in Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich"


      Even now I still wonder if there is Really anyone other than Me in the room when I offer/share My Own Plan with others...

      It's beginning to work better for me to think along the lines that I'm the only one there...and I am speaking with my-Self. Others are only there tending to themselves...then what are we Really Giving and Receiving when two or more gather? Crazy Question! Once we begin to ask it...

      Remember the other great question, "If a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one there to hear it...Does it make a sound?"

      Best answer I have ever heard was, "NO, because that sound only is a "sound" when it registers in the brain of the person/animal/insect etc. there to hear it."

      Does cause us to look a bit deeper into the meaning of all this Mastering of our Fate and Captaining of our Souls we do with OURSELVES ALONE, not to mention what is really going on when we begin to share anything with others.

      How about this question: "If we ourselves were one of the "Hypie" sales people that have been mentioned as the culprits more than once in this forum thread posting...

      Why are we being a "Hypie" sales person?
      and
      If we could get into the mind of that "Hypie" sales person...

      What is the message we Really Desire to RECEIVE Our-Self when we are being that "Hypie" sales person?

      and then even d e e p e r...

      What are we Really saying ABOUT Our Self, when we say such things about others?

      This thread may never end if we're not careful! :-)

      "With a mirror in front of me and another mirror behind me I can see a long ways, but am I really seeing anything useful and helpful to others?
      There are A LOT OF MIRRORS doing our business on the internet!"

      Again, any and all thoughts welcomed and appreciated,

      Tim Owen
      "The Mastermind and Implementation Coach"
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  • Profile picture of the author simplyjo
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author James Clark
      Well it's a two part question. Part one involves learning. Most people come into the business have to learn how to build a web page or pay someone. So you have to learn the technical part first. You don't have to do it that way, but it's cost effective. My point, if you have to pay someone every time you want to change something or add a link, you're going to become broke fast. My background is sales and sales management. Some twenty years plus. When I got in the business my brother-in-law was wired with Network Solutions and we were designing web sites. Personally I think that sucks. The customers will drive you up a wall.


      So, when I started doing marketing the technical stuff was in place. Most of the marketing is writing. However, there are plenty of people who know how to write, but aren't willing to do it all the time. What I try to do is promote my business everyday and make friends. The rest will fall into place. How you learn and how you actual play is two different concepts.

      Golf would be a good example. You learn how to propel the ball by standing on the practice tee with a bucket of balls. First, you learn how to hit every club in the bag. But when you play the game its one ball and a score card and you walk between shots. That's a big difference.

      Jimmy.
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      • Profile picture of the author MichaelGk
        Lack of wilingness to suffer in building revenue online is the main reason. Many people are online because they want to hide behind a keyboard and not build relationships with people who want to give them money. They allow Resistance to get the better of them. The minute they come up against a barrier ( learning a moderately challenging skill) they quit and Resistance wins. Resistance is real. It is a force that will stop you in your tracks online.Lets face it you have to push things, at least a bit, to get money online. Mainly you have to dump the Internet Lifestyle fallacy. Sure you can work a few hours a day to maintain something but to get to that point you have to be willing to face up to what you are avoiding because it doesn't feel easy.
        Get uncomfortable and suck that up and then you might start seeing the revenues.

        Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Brown
    Simply put people don't plan to fail, they fail to plan. In order to plan you need a goal/objective. Then you need to breakdown the goal into steps. Then those steps into smaller steps. Until you have a size that you can say "I can do that." Time committment is key within those steps. If you can't accomplish your goal within 30 days, is it O.K. to do it in 300 days? Why not, it is still accomplished. But most people want it fast, want it now and want it without effort. Myself included. But it never works that way for the long term.
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  • Profile picture of the author colibri
    In my personal experience, often the COMPANY ITSELF has disappeared just when I started making some decent money. You can be dedicated and build a team, but what then happens when the company goes out of business?

    So that can be a cause of failure as well. You have to pick the right business to join. That business has to have a good product(s) and it has to be proven (around for YEARS AND YEARS).

    You have to join a good TEAM (upline) that can get you over the inevitable rough spots. There is no such thing as 100% success without disappointent or setbacks, so you need someone there to guide and help. Failures are steps on the road to success and we have to learn from them and carry on.

    Now I only join proven, 10 year old companies with solid and attractive compensation plans and that have been paying their affiliates consistently.

    The next reason I have had trouble is lack of knowing how to get traffic to my website. I always wondered what is the right way to market? How do I get people interested? Now I have found that there are MANY ways to market and I am developing one at a time.

    I found out how to get 10,000 hits per month to my sites with Traffic Exchanges and what type of website you need to be successful with that kind of marketing. I found out exactly how to generate my own leads with this and am now building a list. The money is in the list.

    I found out that the LEADS that are being sold or given away out there are USELESS as you cannot do anything with them (unless they are FRESH LEADS loaded straight into an autoresponder). Any other leads are almost pure garbage and just get you into spam problems. You need to generate your own leads.

    I have always been able to build a network marketing team. I am now mastering MARKETING ITSELF. I now have stable businesses to work with (10 years old and debt free). I now know a lot of things I did not know a couple of years ago.

    And most of all, I know that you have to plant your seeds before you can have a crop. In business that means you need to have a worthwhile product or service to provide to others. You have to do as many different things as possible to get your message about that product in front of as many people as possible. And when you do build a team (that is part of building a business and leveraging other peoples time, money and effort), you then have to TAKE CARE OF THAT TEAM.

    I KNOW I HAVE TO PERSIST. I know I have to find someone that is doing what I want to accomplish and DUPLICATE THEM as closely as possible.

    The guru's who sell the systems to make $5,000 per week have spent YEARS building up mailing lists and warming them up so they are responsive. Or they have mastered google adwords to get a flood of traffic that way. But there is a lot of detail behind the scenes that you have to work to find out and use PROPERLY.

    Anyone that is allergic to work will fail online, just as they would fail in any job. Anyone that is not willing to study and learn will fail.

    I honestly think that most people that have failed just have not had the right business or did not have the right team, did not study to find out what to do and did not persist until they were successful. You cannot flip from thing to thing. You need to find something decent and stick with it.

    It seems EASY to give up and walk away. But then you are there expending your effort again next week or next month with something else. It is easier in the long run to just DO ONE OR TWO THINGS WELL AND CONSISTENTLY.

    A magnifying glass that is moving will never burn anything. But FOCUS it for a short time and wow ...watch it start to burn! Same thing. Focus, learn, persist, join a good team in a good business. And treat it like a business and BUILD IT.

    Nothing else matters if you are willing to learn.

    Ron
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  • Profile picture of the author hmigroupllc
    Why so many people fail online.:confused:

    I don't think not having a plan is the core reason. I think it is much more basic like Napoleon Hill says, that the desire, faith, and perseverance were not strong enough to begin with.

    For those with a plan, and lacking those three ingredients above - they are doomed to fail same as those with the big three and no plan.

    I know I have the big three, and I have a plan. So why do people like me fail?

    I know I have a difficult time NOT wanting to learn every new thing there is to learn and then try to implement it -- immediately!

    This takes me off tasks and prevents me from achieving goals in the phase of the plan I am in. It is totally my fault, I have to control this urge. I need specialized knowledge, yes indeed!

    But I don't need instant specialized knowledge about everything... now. I need to focus.

    I am sure this is the case for others.

    So now I am in the stage of focusing on building my opt in list instead of sales.

    Thus I am specializing my knowledge in finding ways to increase targeted website traffic.

    I need highly targeted website traffic to get highly targeted buyers. I constantly drifted off this goal in search of sales. I need the targeted website traffic first....

    This brings opt ins, who I develop trust and confidence with, then I lead them to sales.

    A much better way to do things.
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    • Profile picture of the author MichaelGk
      Also,
      Buying into someone elses plan and values that come with it. What is right for you and your life is not always to be found in some external "model" of business or success.

      Even if money could be made by pushing one button once a day most people would find an excuse not to push it.

      You have to know what you can do within the constraints of your own life and not try to shoehorn your way into someone elses vision. The ideal business doesn't exist any more than the ideal artistic expression.

      I've known many relatively successful online marketers who don't want a "business" with all the hassles that come with that. (Employees in an office, premises etc) But they still believe you have to work hard even if you outsource.

      If you correctly evaluate what is possible for you to actually execute and challenge ALL the assumptions of marketing online then you will enjoy the process and find opportunities that others will never find.

      Carrying out 50 five minute actions a day that create something is better than hours spent glued to the latest overcomplicated, multi step, "guaranteed" system.

      Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Williamson
    Why I think people fail online:

    Sure there's lack of knowledge, bad advice, having no plan, not knowing the steps.. however above all that.. someone who really wants to success will get past all that I think the main things stopping people are:

    1. They aren't naturally driven to want success.
    I truly believe that most successful people and people that are destined to success have a deep need to success INGRAINED in them. It's at the core of their identity and without success they don't feel completely themselves.

    2. They don't have a passion for the business.
    Seriously this is heavy. So many people jump from one idea to the next hoping to find the "right" way to make money. Make sure this is really what you want. Are you doing this because you love it. Do you live and breathe it every day? Does getting up and working feel like work? Or is it fun? If it's not fun, step back and reasses the situation.

    3. Scared of trying something "in case" they fail
    For most people it's: What if this idea doesn't work? I don't have the money for that!
    The real issue is never money. It's a confidence issue. If you don't work well in a model of business where you need to part with lots of money and you find it too risky.. find a model that works better for you... I did

    4. New ideas give people a buzz / mild adreline rush
    It all comes down to emotions. Emotions are super-ultra addictive. I once heard from a credible psychology expert that many people unconsciously ruin their lives just to get a certain emotion. And what do many people do when they CLEARLY know everything they need to do to succeed online? Right buy MORE info products. There's nothing wrong with getting more info.. we always need to keep growing but the info you buy should be equal the action you take. We don't chase the ferrari, we chase the emotion that goes with it, feeling important, superior etc) I grasped this concept recently and am noticed how it affects all sorts of people in their lives. (inside and outside business)
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  • Profile picture of the author Eirik Ringstad
    Hey,

    Great question! btw: I hope you had a great time in Norway, that is my home country.

    I think the reason most people fail online is the lack of attaining a mindset that is required to succeed. Without the mindset foundation, people quit when things get tough. There is this huge misconception that just sending out a few ads here and there, money will come pouring in.

    In my experience, to succeed online, one need to become a true professional and build a foundation for success. With the mindset foundation, becoming a professional becomes a lot more easier and the foundation will help you stand against storms and bumps in the road throughout the journey.

    There may be many other variables that causes so many people to fail miserably online, but I believe that failing to become a professional with a entrepreneurial mindset is the major reason and thus it got to be the first step before expecting any solid results.

    Have a GREAT day!
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  • Profile picture of the author DavidSaaf
    People try to be good at everything and forget to focus on just one thing is one of the main factors of failure online..
    Focus, Apply, Focus, Apply... and Focus, Apply.
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  • Profile picture of the author azmanzg
    This happened to me before and I'll always look back and learn from my mistakes.

    I got too carried away from listening/reading all those "offers" and promises and I ended up with a major info overload. Too tired because I'm doing too much stuff and had to juggle from this product to another product. It was hell.

    Thanks to some advise from fellow online friends, I literally started over and focused on one niche, and things started to shape up better.

    As for some of my friends, they rushed. Always had that mentality that things would work in a blink of an eye.

    I was a newbie, and would still call myself one cause I'm still learning. This thing requires work and focus.
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  • Profile picture of the author jnapier
    I believe the reason people fail online can't be just 1:

    Each person has their own story.

    Some will buy a $7 ebook and think they own the world....and many times the ebook tells them they will too.

    Some are not committed and they quit when things get a bit tough

    Some simply have not gotten to "their" pot of gold - they may be tyring to sell software, but their niche is in telling people how NOT to sell software

    You can blame anything you want to, I believe that ANYONE can succeed online, IF THEY ARE COMMITTED.

    Jay NaPier
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  • Profile picture of the author Allen Lewis
    I think it can be boiled down to this:

    Lack of critical thinking skills.

    What does one expect when most of us are thought to follow orders rigidly from young.

    Why else do we study subjects that have no use in the real world? This is because most of the work that people do in a day job is mindless and it is not something they truly care about.

    School is a way of conditioning people to learn stuff they hate and to obey orders they dislike, all for the 'greater good'.

    That's why entrepreneurs are of a different breed.

    Something to think about.

    Allen
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  • Profile picture of the author Glenda from OZ
    You need a LOT of skill to become successful. There's just SO much to learn, the basics won't get you there. If you are completely green - then its everything from hosting, wordpress - all the techie stuff and some of its quite difficult - to becoming a marketer in some form. It all takes time and some money and its SO easy to lose money along the way. In addition I think yu have to have a good dose of faith that yu can succeed. Its sure not going to happen over night. You need a good plan, and someone you can trust to get you over the hurdles
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  • Profile picture of the author ExpertSEOServices
    I think the main reasons why people fail are:
    Lack of focus - Wanting to become rich overnight and losing sight of the end result. Expecting results too quickly. Also people are easily distracted by the next new big shiny product to be released promising a get rich quick magic button.
    I know I was overwhelmed by everything when I first came online. There is so much here and so many different ways to make money
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  • Profile picture of the author Eduard Stinga
    They get too easily manipulated by the easy and quick methods that some people market, then they give up after seeing it doesn't work exactly as advertised and that it requires "a bit" of work"
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  • Profile picture of the author engulf
    IM at first sight looks fairly easy, atleast that was what I thought. It took me some time to figure out that black hat and "low quality" content doesn't pay off these days. I'm sure alot of people start out like I myself did, firmly believing it's a dance on roses and that I could easily improve what other marketers hadn't been able to.

    Start a quality niche blog with serious quality content, then build a mailing list from the readers of said blog. After you have a fair amount of readers, work on a product and sales page in your blog's niche and promote it on your blog and mailing list while also contacting affiliates in that niche. Do some YouTubin' on the side. The Tube is just great for free advertising. You may promote other products in your niche to your readers, too, but make sure that you're promoting stuff that's actually good. Don't treat your readers like caddle, ever. They don't want a salesman promoting something in their inbox, they want a respected person in your niche to recommend a good product.

    That's my best advice for those who want to go through as little trial and error as possible.
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  • Profile picture of the author Exel
    I wrote about what I thing why most people fail in this post of mine:

    http://www.warriorforum.com/mind-war...ml#post6194808

    In summary, here are my reasons:

    1. By default, the great majority will always fail in anything, and only minority will succeed

    2. People are unwilling to make the effort and do what needs to be done

    3. People are not taking action
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  • Profile picture of the author celente
    no taking action is a killer of profits and business.

    Many have experienced this first hand...and many have given up in the process.
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  • Profile picture of the author DanielleDeHann
    The answer to this is the same answer as why people fail at anything. The answer is YOU!

    Wealthy people simply have a different mindset than people who live paycheck to paycheck. I forget where it was but I read somewhere that if all the money in the world were split up evenly, in 5 years it would all end up divided the same way before it was split up. People who consistently make money just know how to do it. And it's not "education". It's their habits, discipline and mindset.

    I know very few rich people who know the contestants on American Idol. It's hard to find a poor person who doesn't.


    Another thing is this. Making money is no different than loosing weight, quitting smoking, quitting drinking, or anything else. To loose weight you need to eat right and MOVE (gym, running, etc.). The problem is that no one ever sticks to it so then they resort to blaming the plan as opposed to themselves for quitting. When I was in school we studied people like JP Morgan, Vanderbilt, Ford and others and it's amazing how while they all had different business models and personalities, their habits were mainly the same. You can go and look at people today like Trump, Gates, Welch and others. Different models, different personalities, but the exact same habits.

    So the answer is YOU. If you mimic the daily habits of highly successful people you'll likely reach a level of success as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author Matt121
    If you want to succeed online, you need to invest both time and effort. For example, building a website and hoping it gets like a thousand visits in a week is like an impossible goal to reach... unless you have roughly a thousand people in your network that you can ask to visit your page.

    Patience is the key to succeeding online, as well as proper planning. If you want to win at a game, don't you need a game plan? The same thing applies. A good plan will bring you good results, however that only works if you're really willing to invest your time and effort.
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  • Profile picture of the author icoachu
    Having a GET RICH QUICK MENTALITY

    Trying too many things at once.

    Giving up too quickly.

    Failing to improvise and experiment.

    Being too eager to compromise INTEGRITY.
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  • Profile picture of the author Faisal66
    Reason y most people FAIL online....

    We just dont stick to a single source...instead we would jump tree after tree finding the other tree better than the current one.....

    If we had simply stayed firm to a plan...and not chase shiny objects

    And had determination and Paitence....

    Success would way ur way...
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  • Profile picture of the author impro42
    People want big money quick and that's just not how it works. Need to put in the effort
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  • Profile picture of the author jclindayag
    It is because most people tend to go to shortcuts rather than working their way to the original path. People who fail do not focus to the details of their market. Before you venture into internet marketing, you need to do extensive marketing research towards your target market. Being successful online takes a lot of work and cannot be done in just a matter of weeks and sometimes it takes years.
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  • Profile picture of the author adamj2
    Cool post. I have also been thinking the same thing recently.

    I think many people fail online because they quit before giving themself a chance of success.

    Everyone seems to be in such a rush!

    They come in with unrealistic expectations thinking it will be easy and then drop out when they discover that they actually have to work hard at it and build an actual business rather than constantly looking for something that "works".
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  • Profile picture of the author pusan
    I personally think most people fail online because they have huge expectation.They want success quick and try to play in different fields without any particular focus and they don't know what they are doing and where they want to see themselves after a certain period (They don't have any plan).
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  • Profile picture of the author eugenedm
    Whether it's in real life or internet marketing, even the best plans can fail sometimes. It's true that failure is a part of life but once we learn from our mistakes we're on our road to success. If we have not learned anything at all then we are so far away from succeeding.
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  • Profile picture of the author Guru_Marketing
    A lot of people fail online, because they give up easily. They think of failure as an obstacle rather than a step closer to success.

    You can't succeed if you do not fail.
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