Based on discussions and questions with tens of thousands of subscribers, conversations with other leading-edge internet marketers, private coaching clients and members of Information Marketer’sZone, there are some real challenges internet marketers have with operating a real businesses versus a playground of internet marketing tips and techniques.
If you’re goal is to make a few hundred bucks each month – then you can certainly play around with some internet marketing tactics, but to get to a full-time, growing income we have to turn our sights on operating a real business.
That’s one of the first steps we help our members with over at InfoMarketer’sZone is to make sure they are on solid ground as far as market definition, business idea and product strategy. That way the foundation is set to build a high-growth, high-profit, full-time online business.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IM AND A REAL BUSINESS?
The fundamental difference between someone who dabbles with internet marketing, perhaps starts a few websites, sells some affiliate products or establishes a bunch of Adsense revenue sties and someone who builds a six or seven figure online income is the concept of VALUE.
Are you committed to offering ongoing value to a market segment you can both reach and understand?
To me, the difference between someone who is operating an ineffective business versus a very effective, long-term, growing business is the degree to which they 1) focus on their market 2) Understand the underlying challenges, desires and emotions of their market and 3) is committed to ongoing delivery of value to that market.
I remember back in 2000 when I first decided to develop my own training products and market them online — after years of doing so offline.
I (along with many others at the time) read through Corey Rudl’s "Insider Secrets" course and couldn’t believe the huge potential IM offered to reach markets and distribute products…BUT THEN
A few days after reviewing his entire course I thought, this course is ONLY useful for those who already have a business…who already KNOW what they want to offer their market AND understand that their market wants what they have to offer.
What I saw happening was a massive number of business opportunity seekers who looked at IM as a business in itself…that magically by putting some products in front of internet users they would want what they were offering…therein lies the trap.
Instead – businesses are built on a deep understanding of their customers, a fundamental committment to delivering value (either through services or products).
It was shortly after reading Corey’s course that I put out my first product which was exactly to fill that gap – a business and product idea generator and testing system so that people would have a process and system where they could get a handle on WHAT business they were in first, then be able to use the amazing marketing techniques he was teaching at the time.
Since then, I’ve started 3 different businesses where IM was involved – 1 is sold and 2 others continue growing. Lots of fun!
