General Discussions

**Will.Spencer** · 10-23-2006, 01:58 AM

Right here, right now, I am going to give you the best advice ever for making money on the web.

This advice can be summed up in just three words: Just Do It.

I have seen far too many would-be entrepreneurs waste their time, their energy, and their motivation trying to decide what to do. Don't be that guy.

Don't let yourself get stuck in the paralysis by analysis loop. Don't spend the precious moments of your life wondering what you will do. Do something.

Do anything -- and then measure the results. Don't wonder if something will work, build a test and see what happens. After that, you won't have to waste any more time wondering if your idea would have worked. Then, if you see positive results, you invest more into that project. If you don't see positive results, you reduce investment in that project. Either way, you move on and you quit being stuck where you are.

As General George S. Patton said, "An imperfect plan implemented immediately and violently will always succeed better than a perfect plan." Get your current plan into action now and you will find success with much greater certainty than if you spend your life waiting for the perfect plan.

Making money on the web isn't conceptually difficult. There are only three components that you have to manage successfully for the majority of web projects:

Build content
Get links
Monetize your traffic

Three steps? That doesn't require a lot of "thinking." This isn't rocket science gentlemen.

The web business is a war of attrition. You fight every day and every day you get a little bit ahead. The next morning, you get up and do it all over again.

This is a race where slow and steady really does win. Too many web entrpreneurs want to be the rabbit. They want to make the fast buck now, but they tire easily and never make it to the finish line. That is not a winning strategy.

If you have an idea, register a domain and build a pilot site. Point some links to it. The worst that can happen is that you end up with another low-traffic PR4 site in your portfolio. Build one of these sites and you will learn about one niche. Build a few of these sites and you will start to build a web empire. Build enough of these sites and you will find a niche that will make you some real profit.

Face it, all of that thinking about making money isn't making you any smarter. But, building a network of test sites will make you more knowledgable and will make you a big earner in the long run.

**SteveAR** · 10-23-2006, 02:34 AM

just wanted to say great post and i dont think people want ideas on sites what i think theyre looking for is a good a useful way to atract alot of people to theyre sites.

**imported_Lexiseek** · 10-23-2006, 06:58 AM

Great shallow post. I mean, come on man! "Just do it".

What, are you a fricking Nike commercial?

When you say this isn't "rocket science", you insult the intelligence of the many internet marketers (like me) who earn a living online, and consider it to be an extremely challenging job. The technical end alone of becoming a "high earner" will stop most newbies in their tracks.

The idea that "internet marketing" is easy is being promoted by people selling tools to the unitiated. If you want to really help people, build them a HOW-TO.

**imported_HaRRo** · 10-23-2006, 10:13 AM

I agree with Lexiseek about "rocket science" if it wasnt rocket science everyone would quit there day jobs. Believe me it is hard. A lot of people can not earn a living online. It is a challenging job, and like me and many others we have been doing it for years.

But great post

**GeorgeB** · 10-23-2006, 11:19 AM

Allow me to step in here.

You see Lexiseek and Harro, the way YOU do it may require quite a bit of technical knowledge. Now I'm not going to be arrogant and suggest I know without a doubt how you approached your business but I assume you approached it with a technical mindset or even better a skillset so things worked out for you because you can do things like admin your own server or build your own sites from scratch. Or at least, you learned how to along the way. That's great for you.

Now let me use our fearless leader here as an example. By his own admission, in terms of tech, Lee is an idiot. A technical moron, an http buffoon, a PHP goofball, a server side clown, a .... you get the point

Nonetheless he has built an empire of forums among other things. Sure knowing programming, design, and server admining would help but it's not necessary. I say that because this is the age of outsourcing. And you can say what you want about outsourcing, the pros, the cons but the bottom line is there are plenty of earners on this forum that are living proof it works!

As for getting started, most any site you can think of building already has pre-built (idiot proof) software to get you up and running quickly. From CMS, to forums, to blog software. It's already out there for you. A lot of it FREE.

Technical or not this is business. If you approach it like a true business the technical part is a problem easily overcome. It takes money to make money and if you can get by without hiring or commissioning someone from the start that's great. If not, pay someone to build your site. Or better yet, use the GeorgeB approved method for newbies..... save some cash and buy a pre-established site already making money.

And Harro, as for your "everyone would quit their day jobs" statement. The reason they aren't is not necessarily the technical aspect. It's because most don't know a lot of the things I discussed here. Most people aren't business saavy enough to figure out how to get around their technical limitations.

Making money online is more thinking outside the box and finding new angles than technical, depending on who you talk to it seems

**MonkeyBiz** · 10-23-2006, 12:01 PM

Making moeny online is about doing stuff that allows you to make moeny online and not being a loser. Leanr form your mistakes and keep making moeny doing dtuff that WORKS.

I used to be a terrible stocktrader for example. In 2003 I blew through a 3,000 account in a few months fomr bad trades.

I re entered again in later 2005 with 10K and after it fell to as low as 7K in march I bought some stocks on margrin and got real good at it...soon my accoutn was at 25K and growing at this very moment

So even after you fil got to keep trying again.

Now I make so much moeny online and offline as well.

I practically print the stuff and it is so easy.

Not to brag, but you too can do the same.

**NBF** · 10-23-2006, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

A technical moron, an http buffoon, a PHP goofball, a server side clown, a .... you get the point

HEHEhaha! This is SO me!

Honestly, I think if you asked the successful people on this board what they think sets them apart, very few would say it's what they know.

I know it's cliche, but it's true: The difference between successful people and failures is that the successful people kept trying (DOING). That's it.

Working online is NOT for everyone. Just like being a lawyer is not for some people and being a doctor is not for other people. Some people will NOT succeed. I would be the world's WORST biology professor, and therefore would probably fail if that were my career. Honestly, I think there are likely things that I am better at than this internet stuff (given my total lack of technical abilities), but I really *like* this stuff, so I spend time making sure that my obvious weak areas are covered.

Okay, back to work....

Laura
www.notebookforums.com

**Will.Spencer** · 10-23-2006, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexiseek

If you want to really help people, build them a HOW-TO.

I did. It's here: The Internet Search Engines FAQ.

Or, you can buy Aaron Wall's SEOBook. At $79, it's a bargain.

But seriously, I'm over $20k/mo and I haven't quit my day job yet. I also have a staff of zero, although I do subcontract as much as possible. Subcontractors are just too inexpensive to pass up.

If you can't handle the technical stuff, subcontract it. There's no shame in focusing on what you are good at.

Every minute you spend making excuses is another minute that you don't invest in making money.

And that's really what this thread is about -- spending the moments of your life in ways that will help you to meet your goals.

If you would like to go deep into this philosophically, I recommend that you read Do It Now by William Knaus. But read it quick, you need to get to work.

**imported_Lexiseek** · 10-23-2006, 01:39 PM

I'm glad to hear it's working out for the "non-technical" types, but are you guys honestly trying to say that people who have "mad technical skills" don't have an advantage over those who do?

All kidding aside, I'm pretty sure a solid grounding in PHP, MySQL, and Mod_Rewrite would help almost anyone trying to run an online business. How can technical skills not matter? If you outsource it, you can't be sure the work will be done right. It also cuts into your profits.

The more self-sufficient you are with the technical end, the easier the job of making money is.

**Will.Spencer** · 10-23-2006, 02:09 PM

Oh yes, everything you can do for yourself is one more thing that you don't have to spend the time and money to subcontract.

However, every minute you spend coding is another minute you don't spend writing, and ever minute you spend writing is another minute that you don't spend promoting. You really shouldn't do everything, even if you do know everything.

I can do CSS, but I recently paid a developer to build a new CSS template for me. My core competency is writing, but I am constantly trying to buy relevant content. I used to do my own directory submissions -- that was stupid. Outsourcing is so inexpensive, you are stupid not to do it. My time is most valuable right now in two tasks: managing and writing. I should delegate everything else to less expensive resources. For example, I am doing my own FreeBSD, MySQL, and Apache administration. That's probably something I should outsource.

**MonkeyBiz** · 10-23-2006, 02:16 PM

Good fresh ideas make moeny not old repeats. Another digg clone? How yesterday...

**Will.Spencer** · 10-23-2006, 02:35 PM

But sometimes you can take an old idea and just do it better.

Wal-Mart didn't start with any exciting new ideas. There were lots of discount chains before Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart just did everything a little better.

Or look at MySpace. Does MySpace really have anything that Geocities didn't have? Or did they just do a few things a little bit better?

**MonkeyBiz** · 10-23-2006, 03:33 PM

COmparing geocoties and myspace is like comparing apples and oranges.

**GeorgeB** · 10-24-2006, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexiseek

I'm glad to hear it's working out for the "non-technical" types, but are you guys honestly trying to say that people who have "mad technical skills" don't have an advantage over those who do?

All kidding aside, I'm pretty sure a solid grounding in PHP, MySQL, and Mod_Rewrite would help almost anyone trying to run an online business. How can technical skills not matter? If you outsource it, you can't be sure the work will be done right. It also cuts into your profits.

The more self-sufficient you are with the technical end, the easier the job of making money is.

Umm... no.

In your first post in this thread you were outraged that Will was insulting webmasters by saying it's not rocket science then went on to talk about how you need technical knowledge. I simply stepped in and provided you proof that you in fact do not need it. It's just nice and it helps but you don't need it.

Now you're trying to say it just gives you an advantage over non-technical webmasters. So which is it??

And for the record you say it gives you an advantage but I could argue that having business saavy gives you an advantage so that's a pretty moot point. The way you attack problems can give you an advantage, the way you basically think can give you an advantage, having math skills can give you an advantage.

**imported_Lexiseek** · 10-24-2006, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

Umm... no.
In your first post in this thread you were outraged that Will was insulting webmasters by saying it's not rocket science then went on to talk about how you need technical knowledge. I simply stepped in and provided you proof that you in fact do not need it. It's just nice and it helps but you don't need it.

"Outrage" is a mighty strong word to describe my post.

What was it you "proved" to me?

**GeorgeB** · 10-24-2006, 08:53 AM

That you don't "need" technical knowledge to be successful at online business.

**NBF** · 10-24-2006, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

That you don't "need" technical knowledge to be successful at online business.

:yes:

Laura

**johniman7** · 10-24-2006, 04:51 PM

Great post. I know I find myself spending a ton of time browsing these forums aimlessly thinking of good ideas when I should be spending my time building content on my sites, adding friends on myspace, or making new websites even if it is just another myspace helpsite, it is better than not doing anything at all. Sonner or later some better ideas may hit me.

**Hobbit** · 10-24-2006, 06:23 PM

*just does it* I'll post my results.

**A.N.Onym** · 10-24-2006, 07:13 PM

Nice little post.

I'll second on just doing what you can to succeed online. I know and can do practically any aspects of website optimization, but I can't design and develop whack. So what? I use free CMS and will hire a developer to create tools for me, no big deal.

It doesn't matter what you are good at, you'll have to make sure your business is good at everything. Your own skills don't give you excellent marketing and sales skills, you'll have to earn them. Sometimes, online business isn't for you, indeed.