Are you serious about making money online?
Then forget special software promises.
Ignore hot new “secrets” to make money online.
Don’t believe claims for “revolutionary breakthroughs” for overnight riches.
Making money online means starting a business on the Internet and treating it like a business. Any other approach is like buying lottery tickets. Any money you make is simply blind luck.
Here’s how top Internet money-makers add rock-star money to their bank accounts:
- They build a mailing list
- Work that list
- Develop their personal brand
- Create their own products
It’s that simple. Well, there is one other way I’ll explain later. But for now let’s concentrate on those never-changing steps.
Most people (97% who try) never make more than $300 – $500 online. The reason is they seek overnight riches without understanding the Internet business game. That’s like waking up one day and deciding to be a million dollar singer, pro athlete, or TV personality.
These – sorry to label them – dummies think success is luck. So they buy one lotto ticket after another. They dream of making it big and never do what it takes to even make it small.
Ever think about the one-third of college freshman who never make it to the sophomore year? Studies confirm that. There are many reasons for that. But, the point is these students simply failed to pass their first year classes. These opportunity wasteful non-students are like the 80% of people buying online courses who never finish the training.
The four steps to making money online:
#1 – Build a mailing list
It is not hard to develop a mailing list. The hard part is developing a list of buyers. You need to understand how to generate online traffic – the right kind of traffic.
There is a way to make good money online without traffic. But, the top money-makers using that system have or quickly develop a mailing list. That’s because smart people know you need multiple revenue streams.
A list is important because each name on your list (on average) is worth $1 per month. Do you need a huge list? No. Do you need a list of buyers? Yes.
#2. Work the list
Working your list means establishing communication with your buyers. Don’t simply flog the list with offers. Give your buyers reason to stay on your list. Give them reason to turn to you for information. Whether your niche (that segment of Internet commerce) is weight loss, fishing, one hobby or another, or a combination of several; you must be true to your followers.
People do business with people they like, and:
- who deliver what they promise,
- who act like they want their business, and
- who don’t give then a headache.
In other words, people do business with people who make them comfortable and instill confidence. Think about Starbucks. If you don’t like the people at one you simply go to another location. It’s the same way online. Your customers and targets will leave in a second. Give them reason to stay.
Bonus Tip: Understand your Avatar – that perfect customer. Develop a description of that person – a written description. Who is he/she? How old? Single or married? Are there any children? How old are they? What is his/her lifestyle? What are the leisure activities? What is the financial situation? What car does he/she drive?
Do this – it may be silly to you, but it works and is necessary.
Many years ago when starting in broadcasting a successful on-air personality told me, “Speak to one person, not an audience. Know who that person is. Have their picture in your mind when you open the mic.”
Your success comes from marketing to your Avatar – your ideal customer. Write in a voice they want to hear. Make videos the Avatar wants to see. Solve your Avatar’s problem. Sell the Avatar what the Avatar wants to buy.
#3 Develop your personal brand
You do not need a website to make money online. But a website helps develop your brand. You are your brand. People want to buy from people. You may like one brand of peanut butter over another but you buy that brand from a store you like. People make that shopping experience enjoyable.
What you post on online (your website and social media) develops trust in what you say and sell. When you have a trusted brand your sales are insured. The money may be in the list, but recurring revenue builds bank accounts.
Register a domain and start your blog using this link and I earn a commission. And I earn a commission on each monthly payment you make for as long as you keep that hosting account. Or set up an autoresponder to manage your list and schedule emails and I get a commission . . . every month as long as you have the account.
The people buying what I offer trust me. They know I use what I sell. I’ve established my brand.
#4 Create Your Own Products
At some point in your online business development you want to create your own products.
When you sell someone else’s product and get a commission you are affiliate marketing. I have several web sites in various niches. One site is devoted to fishing. When someone buys a product featured on that site I get a commission. When someone buys a book or tutorial I’ve created I keep all the money.
Usually your product is ‘evergreen’ or not requiring updates. The #1 best-selling book of all time has not been changed or edited since 1611. That’s the King James Bible. Many top selling online training are not been changed since introduced. Sure, a new cover may be developed or fresh introduction written. But the core product doesn’t change. That product is online forever . . . as long as there is an Internet. Many top selling tutorials generate income year after year . . . with no work on your part. Set up your sales funnel once and the money comes in with each sale.
How do you create products? Collect several blog posts in a single file. Then get someone on Fiverr to make a cover for $5. Sell the book for $9.95 or offer it as a lead magnet.
Or read – yes read in a conversational tone – those blog posts and record them using Audacity (free program). Then create a video training course with Explaindio 2.0.
You are an authority on one topic or another. You are interested in something you can teach to someone. Play a sport? You can create a training program on the basics of that sport.
What is your job? Create a training program that teaches someone to replace you. That is not a joke. What do I need to know to perform the tasks you perform at your job? Record your instructions in Audacity and develop a course I can take to do your job. No matter what you do there are people who will benefit from learning what you know.
Bonus Tip:
I have a great post describing the 3 Success Words. Click on the link and print it out. Study that advice. Incorporate my recommendation with the information in this post. Then you are taking the first step in starting your online business.
Want more information? Send your questions to me by email at info@joearo.com. Or post your comment below.
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