Learn Internet Marketing > Weekly Tips > SSWT 6/06/05
 

Before You BUY or DO Anything...

   
There are a lot of great options on the 'net... and tons of great products & services to help you achieve just about anything you could imagine. But there's one thing you should know before you BUY or DO anything:

 
- Exactly what you want to accomplish -

 
I consider this important enough to devote an entire issue, simply because I answer SO many questions every single day along these lines. Between the forums, emails and even the paid membership site, I find that often people aren't really sure WHAT they need - - and generally spend entirely too much money finding out.

 
For example, let's say that you are interested in Affiliate Marketing and would like to download the ONE book that would teach you everything you need to know to get started... step by step.

Which book would that be? It depends on what you want to accomplish - or what your specific plans are for promoting Affiliate Programs.

If you wanted to promote Affiliate Programs through Pay-Per-Click, such as Google Adwords, I would recommend that you pick up Rosalind Gardner's Super Affiliate Handbook. This is a GREAT primer and teaches everything from the basics to even some advanced techniques.

I would also suggest that your NEXT purchase (quite a bit more advanced) be The Definitive Guide to Google Adwords by Perry Marshall... as this will teach you everything you (will ever) need to know in regards to managing your campaigns and increasing your profit potential.

 
If you wanted to promote Affiliate Programs via SEO (or by ranking well in the major search engines - aka free search engine listings)... you should grab James Martell's Affiliate Marketer's Handbook, as this is exactly what he focuses on.

 
The problem is that you may not KNOW this upfront. You may not realize that Rosalind focuses strictly on PPC Marketing, and doesn't pursue SEO at all (even with her own sites).

 
** You can get even more information on several popular Internet Marketing products on my Marketing Resources page

 

So what should you do when you are ready to take action on your ideas... or purchase a step-by-step guide to help you develop an eBiz?

Ask someone! Even better - get several opinions!

 
For example:

 
If you have questions about which direction you should take, or which product would work best for YOUR business model... join us at the SSWT Discussion Forum. I personally guarantee that you will get an honest and thorough answer to your question!

 
I know what you may be thinking -

Product owners wants you to buy *their* product. An affiliate wants you to buy through *their* link. And who's who on a message board... and how do you know if they are qualified to answer your question?

I personally moderate each and every post to make sure that the answers are accurate and complete. Not only do I answer questions there myself... but we have a terrific group of Members that offer a wide variety of their own knowledge & experiences.

Every single day questions are getting answered, and people are getting very helpful (free!) advice. Just check out a few of these Q & A posts at the SSWT Discussion Forum:

Submitting a Site to Search Engines

What to look for in a web hosting company

Can anyone endorse this tutorial?

Any advice on directory sites, and Directory Generator

Locating niches and creating content for them

Help with optimizing one of my pages

Using affiliate links in ezine newsletters

Which Autoresponder to use?

 
Whatever you are considering, do a bit of research first! Find out what other people have to say about specific products & services... find out what experiences they have had... and find out what kind of results you can expect. You can do this by visiting an active eBiz discussion forum, by conducting some in-depth searches on the major search engines (such as: review+"service/product name")... or by choosing someone you trust & admire that is successful at what YOU are considering, and following in their footsteps!

The link for the SSWT Discussion Forum is:
http://www.SelfStartersWeeklyTips.com/forum/

I hope to see you there :)

 
You can also get a lot of great (free) information throughout the SSWT website - particularly in the Weekly Archives section - so be sure to browse around a bit there as well if you are looking for help or resources!

 
Have a Super-Successful Week!