There, I’ve said it!

Sometimes we as Internet Marketers gets so caught up in what we are doing, we don’t realize how we disrespect our list, nor do we notice the SILLY mistakes we make.

I just sent out an email promotion to my WHOLE list, promoting the new Stomping The Search Engines 2 launch.

This is the email, VERBATIM:
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If you have taken the leap to start your own online business. Then you probably know that it’s a learning process just like everything else. Learning to make money online takes education and lots of practice. Think about it, if you are looking to start your own business offline, there are plenty of accredited schools you can attend; but, trying to find the online equivalent is virtually impossible. That’s not to say you can’t find good places to learn.

In fact, when learning how to make money online you can search the Internet day and night for useful information. You will definitely learn one thing very quickly: the most difficult thing about using the Internet for research, especially if you don’t have guidance, is information overload. Once you’ve found a method that suits you, stick to it as long as it keeps working for you. Making money on the Internet is all about duplication and consistency.

Anyone who can read, write, and has Internet connectivity can start an online business. Obviously, a computer helps. If this is your path, the first thing you will need to do is find the right source that will give you knowledge you need which can be done through a number of ways.

One method is to seek guidance and direction from a coach or mentor to help you establish a solid plan. Working with a coach one-on-one is the best way to eliminate information overload, because they will tell which steps and actions you need to take to build your business. A coach will cost you anywhere from approximately $30 per session to $100’s of dollars per session.

Frequenting forums is a way to learn from multiple people in the Internet business. Apart from experience, most of my knowledge has come from these types of forums. A simple Google search for “marketing forum” or “Internet forum” will give you many to choose from.

You may also choose to sign up for e-courses. These will give you regular lessons and assignments to follow, as well as measurable goals to achieve. Most successful e-courses set measurable monetary goals, and show you how to achieve them by the end of the course. Note: Please remember that even the best e-course will do nothing for you if you don’t take action on its lessons.

Lastly, search for a seminar or Internet marketing group in your area. If money is an issue as seminars can be costly, offer to be a volunteer. Most likely you will get more value out of the event because you will have direct contact with people who actually know the seminar leader.  Networking seminars is also a great way to get good connections with other people who are seasoned in the Internet marketing game.

Don’t believe all the get rich quick schemes you see. This is a real business that will take time to perfect. You can be sure that after you get over your learning curve and start to build momentum, the money you make online will be most rewarding.

Due to the large, and growing, customer base online, more and more businesses are starting up online every day. Many of these are existing offline businesses making the leap, while others are brand new to business and see the promise the Internet affords. There is nothing wrong with selling a product or service offline, but to reach an ever-expanding market it’s hard to beat the Internet.

When looking to build a business online, it is more important to consider where you are going, as opposed to where you are coming from. There are many similarities between online and offline marketing, but there are some differences. For one thing you can reach anybody that has access to an Internet connection. This large audience is a mixed blessing.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to running an Internet business.

Like any business you will benefit from writing up a plan of what you are going to be doing. Will you be doing it alone? Outsourcing certain tasks? How much money do you have budgeted for advertising? Who is your primary market? How will you reach them? What are you short-term goals? Long-term? And so on. Write this information down as it will be the seed of your business plan.

People are drawn to the Internet because of the vast number of people that can be reached. However, this can be a downside if you are trying to be everything to everybody. Focus on your target market, and you will connect with them online. The more specific you are in reaching your desired customers, the less money you will spend compared to trying to reach everybody.

Track as much information as you can. Even adding Google Analytics to your website can give you loads of useful information. For example, you can find out what country each visitor is coming from, how long they stay on your page, and how they got to your page. With a little creativity you can use this data in many different ways to improve your bottom line.

You can get more information on Internet businesses for free, or pay for it. Online, price is no guarantee of quality one way or the other. Don’t let that prevent you from taking in more knowledge however. Besides e-books, you can learn a lot from marketing forums, and blogs such as this one.

The Internet is still in its infancy. The promises of making fast cash without doing any work are prevalent. If you do nothing, you will get nothing (I’m sure that’s one of Newton’s Laws of Physics). To stay on task, create a daily schedule to help you along. If you treat your online business with due respect the success will follow.

It takes work to make any business profitable. An Internet business is no exception. Even if you run a successful offline business, you need to take the right steps to make the online portion work. I honestly believe there has never been a better time for people to start an online business. Use these tips to help you start it in the right direction.

There is a lot of concern over the sending of commercial email messages. Governments have passed laws that need to be followed by ethical marketers. Add to that, that you can be falsely accused of sending spam and you may decide an email marketing campaign just isn’t worth the risk. I will say that it is more risky NOT to run an email campaign if you really want to increase your online profits.

Much of the risk involved with email marketing comes from not doing things right. If you follow the “rules” you will come out ahead, and the few bumps you encounter won’t be felt at all. Let me ask you this, have you ever taken a “shortcut” while driving only to end up lost or way off course? We all have. It seemed logical to take the shortcut, but we really didn’t know the way - we just thought we knew. Email marketing can be the same way.

The overriding concept here is simple: be ethical. That’s it. Of course it wouldn’t be much of a post if that’s all I said. Here are a few ideas to keep you on course.

There is an ongoing argument amongst marketers about whether or not you should use single or double opt-in. Single opt-in means a person fills in their name and email address and starts receiving messages. Whereas double opt-in means people fill in the form, but they must respond to the first message you send to confirm they indeed want emails from you. Both sides have good arguments. As long as you don’t use false pretenses to get people’s information, either form of opting in will work.

Be honest when convincing people to sign up for your emails. Point out the benefits, explain why you’re better and what they get for signing up, but don’t resort to misrepresentation or hype.

So far we have looked at having people sign up using a form that you put somewhere. What about buying a list? This is almost always a bad idea and is asking for trouble. It’s one shortcut you should avoid unless there are extenuating circumstances. Never buy an email list that offers millions of names - ever. However, you may know someone personally who is selling their online business. Even then, you have to be careful. Make sure you really know them. Do they have a good reputation? Have you communicated with them previously? Also, be sure to request that the list seller notifies their list that it will be changing hands. This will give people a chance to opt out if they are worried about a new list owner. If all of these steps are in place, then buying a list could be an option.

Do not spam your list. This includes passing their information on to others, or sending unrelated offers to them. Keep any emails you send relevant to whatever they signed up for. It is okay to send them offers, as long as it’s within the bounds of any promises you have made.

Following these simple guidelines will help to minimize the risks associated with email marketing. You don’t have to rely on cheap tricks, in fact if you do things ethically you will have an easier time on the road to success.