• I’ve Been Reading Forum Posts About Newbie Frustrations •
• Internet Marketing Has It’s Share of Struggles •

Ok, so this post isn’t all nicey-nice. Maybe a little bit of a downer type of topic, but you know, I’ve been reading posts made by beginner internet marketers on one of the forums I like to visit that pertains to affiliate marketing and boy, I can sure relate to the STRUGGLES that these newbie internet marketers go through.

I think part of the trouble is that in the beginning we all have such enthusiasm and great expectancies … and then after a few months of not making much headway, many of us look at our wallets and see that a lot of $$ has gone out, but very little if any $$ has come in, and the bubble bursts.

I am by nature pretty darn skeptical, and I think that has assisted me in NOT forking over $$ for every affiliate product that comes across my computer screen. I know there are people out there that buy any and everything in the beginning, thinking that if they market a little of this and a little of that, well it’ll all come together and the big-bucks will just HAVE to start rolling in.

Trouble with this scenario is that they will more than likely end up a lot poorer, and still as confused as they were in the beginning as to how they can become a successful internet marketer!

I know, I am rambling and ranting here, but that is what this post is about today gang. I keep seeing the SAME pleas for help “what am I doing wrong … can anybody please tell me how to make money online?” posted over and over.  They say “I lost money with PPC”, or “I built all these landing pages but nobody is buying”, or “I spent a ton of money on these programs guaranteed to get me top rankings, or (fill in the blank here)”.

And you know what? The answer is really the same. To make money online you have to have a clear and concise game plan; you have to do your research — such as find and then focus on one niche at a time where you believe you have a stinkin’ chance at making some money; learn how to write compelling copy; know how to present your product(s) effectively; and so on.

In addition, you really do need to do keyword research so you know what words people are actually using to search; learn the ins and outs of utilizing landing pages, or articles, or blog posts (whatever your marketing tactic is) that CONTAIN the keywords in the “right” places to make the spiders happy effectively; learn how to keep track of everything; etc. etc. etc.

Then, you’ve got to work at your business like the most focused and determined person in the world!

OH! OH! Geez I have to say this … honest-to-goodness I am so sick of all the “last chance”, or “this package is worth over $1999.00 but I’m giving it to you for just $19.95″ or “I made $50,000 overnight with this killer secret marketing technique and so can you” that I could barf. Yup … how gullible do most of these marketers think we are? I guess pretty gullible ’cause I’ve been told these types of sales campaigns work. But it’s just not in me to market this way to people. Maybe I’m the dummy for not doing so.

Anyway, back to what I was ranting about, I guess I feel bad for the brand new internet marketer who isn’t as skeptical as I am and gets burned financially faster and discouraged faster than someone like myself. (I can honestly say I do not feel that I have wasted $$ on anything related to building my online businesses– –yes I have more than one online business.)

Just like everything else in life, it normally boils down to the fact that very few of us are going to strike it rich from the very get-go. Most of us will have to go through long and tedious learning curves.  I’m experiencing this at this very moment– –a NUMBER of “curves” are in my face if you want to know.  To be honest, once I tackle something, another big challenge pops up in it’s place.  I’ve learned to get used to it, it is all part of the process!

Most of us will bang our heads against the wall a lot … we will rant and rave to whomever is close by to listen (little children and animals please run for cover! :P)

In any business there is no magic bullet. There aren’t many short-cuts. (If you know of any, let me know, OK?)

There. Deep breath, I guess reading one more post about someone struggling set me off. I FEEL for these folks. But some of them just don’t want to face the fact that it is a slow and steady uphill, then downhill, then back uphill climb for almost all of us.  They expected interent marketing to be a cinch.  

It is, if you take your time and follow a well thought out plan ;-)  And scream every now and then …

• Your Domain Name Should Define Your Website’s Identity •
• Keep In Mind Your Online Marketing Theme or Niche •

Oh boy!  It’s time to pick out your new domain name.  If you’re one of the lucky online marketers, your creative name (you know, something to the point and descriptive like “yummybrownies” or “expertpondbuilders”) might be sitting there, available to purchase. But for most of us, the name we want has already been taken.

Certain niches are more saturated than others, like those dealing with internet marketing.  So, you might encounter obstacles in finding an available domain name that also is one you will feel comfortable with. As example, I had a hard time when I was choosing the domain name for my SEO consulting website. Every name I kept coming up with (meaning I could live with it for the rest of my website’s life) was taken. I spent hours and hours until I finally settled on one.

I feel it’s very important to do keyword research before you jump in and buy a domain name. The process of researching keywords helps you not only understand the search behavior of your target customers, but also really helps you see which keywords are actually being searched for by your prospects. If you are struggling to come up with a domain name, this step should help your creative juices some.

Don’t Go And Buy Up A Domain Name Blindly

Think about this. You are going to be basing everything around this new identity you are creating, that being your new website. You might wish to use your product’s brand name, or you might pick a domain name that is indicative of what the website is about. I’ve done that with most of my websites. The domain names I chose gives a potential visitor a very good idea of the theme (or niche) of each site.

If you already have an established brick and mortar company, and a website is going to be your newest marketing arm, don’t necessarily assume your company name is the best choice for your website. It may be, and then again, depending upon the product … it might be better to not use your company name. I’ll get into that in a minute.

As I’ve already said, it is best to do keyword research first. In my case, I went to Wordtracker and started there. The keyword results I uncovered gave me a really good idea of what my potential visitors were searching for. Then, I kept that in mind while I was researching available domain names.

There are many domain name sellers out there. Double check on the pricing before you pay. I’ve seen .com domains for $24.95 a year down to $9.95, or cheaper if a sale is being offered. I have been quite happy with using GoDaddy when I want to purchase a domain name. They are one of the biggest domain name sellers so are able to offer great pricing.

Like I said, in most cases you’ll probably spend a good deal of time researching available domain names, unless you luck out and the one you want is sitting there ripe for the picking.  Here’s a tip: I also use a thesaurus to help me find words I might not otherwise think of.

Here Are Some Important Points To Keep In Mind While You’re Deciding What Your New Domain Name Will Be

• Keep it short and sweet whenever possible. Simple phrases work great. Think about how really long domain names can so easily get misspelled if someone is trying to manually type it in. Not everyone may have your site bookmarked!
• Don’t assume your unique product’s brand name is the best choice. It might be better to incorporate a keyword or two along with the brand name.
• Targeted keywords in a domain name are useful in making it clear what the site is about. Again this is where your keyword research pays off.
• I do not advise you try to cash in on trade-name or trade-name typos. Domain “squatting” on high profile corporate names can lead to costly legal battles.
• If possible, also buy the .net, .info, maybe the .mobi (or other variations) of your domain name. If nothing else, you are keeping them away from a competitor. And you never know when you’ll have a need to use the variation for a different branch of marketing or service for the main domain. If you don’t use them, you can always redirect them to your main .com domain, as example.
• Many people also purchase other spelling variations of their domain name. You can redirect them to the main domain as mentioned above. This is done mainly to get traffic that might have not otherwise reached you.
• Stick with a .com domain whenever possible. However, if you are a non-profit, then go for a .org. These are preferable over .net, .biz, .info, etc. But it you have to use one of these to get the domain name you are just dying to have, then OK.
• If the domain name you want is already in use, adding hyphens between the words is an option—unless that variation is already taken. There are pros and cons to doing this. However, with two of my domains (SEO-Innovation.com being one of them), I purchased the hyphenated version as I wanted that name. I visited the sites that owned the non-hyphenated versions and thought long and hard about the implications of the two of us having very similar names. You do take a slight risk in having a domain name that is identical to someone else’s site save for the hyphens in the name.

What To Do If The Domain Name You Absolutely Positively Cannot Live Without Is Already Taken

There are options you can take to try and buy a domain name from the existing owner. Since I use GoDaddy, if you check on a name and it’s already taken, there are links asking you if you want to try and buy it, and how to go about it. Most other companies offer the same service.

• How To Learn Affiliate Marketing & Not Be Led Astray •
• My First Source For Trustworthy Affiliate Marketing Tips And Techniques •

You’ve read a little about it, and you think this might be a viable business for you … so, you want to be an affiliate marketer? Great! In case you’re still not completely sure what affiliate marketing is, it’s a type of marketing strategy. Many online businesses make use of affiliate programs in order to market their companies and/or their company’s products and services. It’s not too hard to learn affiliate marketing, however there are a few things to keep in mind as you do your research.

The relatively easy part is finding affiliate products to sell online. But the harder part is which ones should you promote, and which ones should you RUN AWAY from? What’s the the best way to promote these products? How do you get these products under potential customer’s noses? Should you run a PPC campaign … err … just what IS a PPC campaign anyway??

And the list goes on and on and on and on …

All of these questions and many more slapped me in the face when I discovered what affiliate marketing was.  I decided it was a great way for me to make a living, but I was LOST! I was reading so much conflicting information on the ‘net I wanted to scream. Yeah, scream “how do I LEARN affiliate marketing to be successful!!??”

Are you like me?? I wanted to shorten my learning curve! But I didn’t want to use under-handed tactics. I wanted to build a solid, ethical online business. Thank goodness another successful affiliate marketer answered a question I posted on a forum, and highly suggested I read an eBook by a very successful online marketer. So, I did.

Now I recommend that if you want to CUT TO THE CHASE and get on track to really learn all about the ins and outs of affiliate marketing and be able to get a business up and running now … not 6-months from now … then read the eBook and judge for yourself

Where Can You Get Information That Will Steer You Down The RIGHT Path And Not The WRONG One?

The information is right here in an instantly downloadable eBook that will give you the straight story on affiliate marketing and what you need to do to get a profitable online business up and running. Here’s a little bit about Rosalind, or Click Here to go right to the full information page:

Read the amazing true story of how one woman, with no previous business experience, earned $436,797+ in 2002 and now earns MUCH MORE than that … just by selling other people’s stuff online!

In her down-to-earth, sincere and often humorous style, Rosalind Gardner guides you through the entire process of building an affiliate marketing business on the ‘Net.

Frequently revised and updated to reflect industry changes, her handbook now consists of 235 pages and 235 screenshots that will show you step-by-step how to become a Super Affiliate. You’ll learn how to pick the best programs and save time, money and effort on everything from affiliate software to web hosting. To learn exactly how she does it, Click Here.