written by Melodieann Whiteley |  

I just finished reading an article about online marketing in which the author compared it to the California gold rush. The article said that just as hundreds raced West in the hope of striking it rich, so too are hundreds now rushing to get online with the same dream. And, it says, just as so many struck out in California instead of striking it rich, the same is happening to the vast majority of online marketers .

Are people really making millions online? Yes, they are. Are they the minority? I don’t know. I don’t have the data on that. Are there plenty of people making a decent living online? Yup! That I do know because I’m one of them and I know many others. Can you make a fortune online? I don’t know. It’s possible. But I DO know that you can make a living online just many of us are already doing.

How do you get started? First, you need to decide what your business will be. Will you become an affiliate others’ products ? Will you create your own products? What types of products and/or services will you offer?

Second, it’s a business. Treat it one. If you think you are going to sign up for free affiliate programs , put up some free classified ads, then sit back and watch the checks roll in, don’t quit your day job. It doesn’t work quite that way. You can’t own a McDonald’s franchise without a little upfront investment. The same is true of any business. You can find some legitimate businesses that are very inexpensive to start. It only cost me $299 to start with Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing. And there are some very good affiliate programs such as SBI that are free to join but pay very good commissions. But you still need to invest a little bit in advertising . I started BoomerBizCoach for $50.10! And Travels with Bob cost a grand total of $6.95 to get started. Now $6.95 isn’t much, but the point is, every business is going to take an investment of some time and probably a little bit of cash.

Once you have decided on the basis of your business, you need to learn all you can about internet marketing in general and your business in particular. There are many ways to do this and you will find all kinds of “gurus” offering to help if you will pay them enough. Some of them really do know what they are talking about and some of them don’t. I can personally recommend some of them and you will find them mentioned in future articles. You can also read my blog for help. Be prepared to spend a little bit of money on some of the better books, courses, and seminars. Consider it part of your “online marketing degree”!

Let everyone know you are in business! This seems to be one of the biggest obstacles for most online marketers . Either they think they can’t afford to advertise or they don’t know how to do so effectively. Some, especially the network marketers, are afraid to do so because they think n...