1. Find Your Niche Market

One of the biggest secrets to marketing online -- or offline for that matter -- is to start off right. The big mistake made by over 95% of marketers is that they are trying to sell to everyone in the world. Unless you're Walmart it's a bad idea. Advertising to the masses requires a huge budget, but advertising to a small number of people who want what you have to offer is much easier to handle and more lucrative.

For instance, if you are targeting people looking for a Business Opportunity, narrow that category down to Business Opportunity for retirees, for single moms, for the disabled, the home-bound. You get the point. Your keyword search tools will reveal just exactly who your niche market is. It can't be stressed enough just how critical it is to make research the very first thing you do. It takes time, but the results will pay great dividends...literally. Once you have found your niche market it's easy to provide the product they are looking for.

2. Have a Great Website

Not big...GREAT! We've all seen so many websites out there that are just plain unprofessional, with lots of typos, messy and uneven scripts, flames leaping out, or just too much clutter, pictures and 'stuff' for a reasonable download time (seven seconds). After that, people will move on to someone else's site.

Often there is too little contact information, maybe just a phone number, or an email address. I use everything: name, phone, address, email. This creates instant credibility for a visitor. You never know who you're dealing with and the more transparency you can provide the more comfortable people will be. After all, they are meeting you for the first time through your website.

An "Opt-In" capability to capture a visitor's email address is an absolute necessity. Your ability to capture email is a critical component of your internet marketing strategies. It's money in the bank. I hate those sites that want me to write a lot, so all I ask for is name and email. People are in a hurry. And so am I :-) Make sure that the odds are very great that they will actually use the opt-in feature, and this is accomplished by offering something free, a bonus, or something they can instantly access on your site.

If you lean toward the 'techie' side and enjoy working on your own site, that's fine. After wasting a few days, doing my own site always turns out to be way too much frustration for me. Remember that time is money and stick to what you're good at. If you really want a professional website you can have it for $2-300 for an entire year. It's well worth it in lowering your aggravation levels, in site quality, in time and ultimately in money.

3. Plan Good Marketing Strategies

You need traffic to make money, and you need visibility to get traffic. This is something you will always be working on, constantly tweaking it. Keyword search engine placement may be a constant battle, but there are ways to optimize this. Building relationships through social networking and blogs are essential. You can become the expert in your field, the 'go-to' person in your niche. Advertising, link exchanges, affiliate programs and joint ventures are all important considerations as you grow your business. Whatever your internet marketing strategies are, consistency is the key. Decide whether to do one every day, three a week, whatever works, and put it on your calendar. The constant drip, drip, drip of your disciplined efforts will pay great dividends.

I like to put up a single website using Lead Generation Marketing while I'm building other websites with more substance and content. You can put that single page site up fast and start making money right away. Lead Generation Marketing has one major function, and that is to peak the visitor's curiosity to the point where he absolutely MUST take the next step and purchase the report, course, or DVD. Some people make a very nice income doing only this type of marketing. Only you can decide the scope of your business.

4. Don't Get Distracted

Here's what happens when you start out. You want to buy everything, read everything, DO everything! Great focus and discipline is needed for the first month or two because it's all very exciting. Again, do your research. Remember your goal. Don't get side-tracked (by lead generation websites!).

Sit down and write out your plan -- and stick to it. Determine who your niche market is, what that market is looking for, what you can provide, how much start-up you can do yourself and what you need to have done by someone else. Write down all your potential costs, make up a daily planning calendar and then focus, focus, focus. Stay on track. That is the road to success.

5. Consider A Coach

You may decide you want and need a coach. I would never have thought I needed a coach, but I was fortunate enough to accidentally find a coach online who I later discovered was one of the top marketers on the internet! And at an unbelievably low cost. Even if you are organized, capable and talented, and have a lot of life experience, a great coach can enhance everything you do, get you there far faster and more efficiently, teach you invaluable things, and keep you on track.

If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed, but you really want your own online business, get a coach. It's the best decision I ever made.

---