Do yourself a favor - learn, do, test, then ask

What's wrong with studying, experimenting, testing, and learning first and then asking for help with specific sticking points?

You really are doing yourself a disservice by joining the forum and immediately hitting the discussion boards with every question you have about how to do basic Internet marketing.

Questions like "which niche is best?" "what product should I sell?" "how do I do affiliate marketing?" and "where do I get traffic?" all depend upon some basic grasp of what it takes to successfully start a business and sell online. There are a ton of places to learn the basics, where you can lay down an elementary foundation, and get a feel for what lies ahead.

What other career is there that allows you to enter with no preparation or study with the expectation that you'll be making full time income very quickly? I can't think of one.

The problem with asking these very broad questions is this: in most cases, "it all depends" usually applies. The answer depends upon where you are, what you've chosen to do to make money, your business model and niche, and the experience, knowledge, and resources you have at your disposal.

I love this question: "I have $500 for IM, how should I spend it?" Here's another: "Can you tell me the top 20 or 30 places to advertise my product?" And another: "Who is the best mentor?"

No wonder so many people fail at Internet marketing! Too often the forum threads turn into a breeding ground for "the blind leading the blind."

Most folks try to be helpful and that's laudable. But believe me, when you have people with no experience or knowledge in IM answering the specific questions of others with their guesses and hunches, you've got a credibility and usefulness disaster. "Who should you listen to?" becomes the most important question of the day and the answer is not always readily apparent when you're a beginner and new to the forum.

Mark Cuban, a billionaire serial tech entrepreneur, who owns the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA and Landmark Theaters, was responding to questions about what entrepreneurs need to know when going into business. His response?

"Everyone has ideas, most don't do the work required to get the job done."

So what's the point of this thread?

Many are drawn to Internet Marketing because they need money, right now, and they've heard that it flows in bucket fulls online. Selling on the Internet is like being in the Land of Milk Honey - stake your claim and gather the gold - it's everywhere! When you're desperate for success you most readily succumb to hype, half-truths and outright lies.

Internet marketing is a career. Starting and successfully executing any business is hard work. It begins with study, observation, and by laying a foundation upon which to build. It takes some combination of time and money to get traction in this journey.

Don't expect the forum members to do your research and work for you by asking questions about your business that you could easily find answers for if you just dug a little bit and did the work it takes.

I'm not trying to propose that new members and those with little experience not ask questions. I'm not saying that finding shortcuts and ways to streamline are never appropriate.

I'm suggesting that there are great benefits to your mind, your experience level, and your understanding of this business if you work hard first by laying a solid foundation and, at the very least, attempting to solve your problems and answer your questions . . . and then seek help here if you can't find the solution.

The very best to all of you.

Steve