Should I make adsense sites or flip websites? Perhaps I should do internet marketing or maybe become an affiliate. Well maybe you should get your head out of the clouds and realize being successful online requires more work than merely picking the latest internet money making fad.

Stop looking into the mirror

You know how when you look in a mirror your right hand is on your left side? Well this is the same principal, you have conceived your business plan back to front. Instead of thinking about how to monetize a website or what strategy you will use you should probably start at the beginning and work out exactly what you want to achieve and through which medium you will achieve it. So what you need to do first is create a plan of action.

Creating a Plan of Action

This isn’t something you do just once. It is a continual, ongoing process that you must update as you receive new information. There are a few simple steps you must take to begin

1. Work out exactly what you want to achieve and how long you think it will take to achieve. Be specific and realistic and make sure you put your goals somewhere prominent to motivate you to constantly work towards them.
2. You must have a few ideas on how you plan to achieve these goals. Write down exactly what your ideas are to help you reach your goal.
3. Research, research, research and did I mention research. You all have heard the saying “a stitch in time, saves nine”. Well this is the most vital step if you want to successfully reach your goal. So grab the ideas you listed in step 2 and begin from the top and work your way down. For every idea you want to know the cost involved in setting up, the size of the market that you will be targeting, an incredibly detailed competitor analysis, estimated revenue, necessary time you will need to invest and the type of promotion you will need to be successful.
4. Now its time to evaluate. Look through your research of your ideas and choose the idea that has the most potential. Now do you know what you need to do? You guessed it, more research! This time you should contact suppliers, potential customers, industry experts anyone who can give you valuable insight on your potential idea from experience. This is how you can find more practical information that will determine your chances of success or failure. .
5. With all the information you should have gathered it would be quite easy to set your idea into motion. As you design, implement, test, promote you will be constantly provided with new information about your industry and competitors. Do not think the plan of action is set in stone continually update your plan to reflect the changes in your industry.

The Great Google Model

Don’t get trapped into creating a plan based on your revenue model. I love the google business strategy of first creating a good or service that people need or want and then finding a way to monetize it. Whilst I realize that you may not have the research & development budget of a company the size of Google you should still consider that in whatever you do, be it websites, marketing or writing you must remember to keep the customers needs and wants in mind first and foremost. Don’t forget no customers equals no money.

The Pillars of Success

So here are some key things to remember to be successful in whatever field you choose

• There is no substitute for hard work.
  There really isn’t any better way to become successful than through hard work. Even if you have others working for you, to be successful you need to teach, manage and motivate these people and that requires lots of hard work.
• Work Smart
  Make sure when you work hard that you use your valuable time to achieve the most for your business. Don’t get bogged down with the nitty-gritty of the business. Don’t be doing simple coding when you could be actively promoting your site or testing new revenue screams.
• Knowledge is power
  I have mentioned this before and I will do so again. The more you know, the more variables you can answer and control the better your chance of being successful.
• Be Different
  If you do not have a purely unique idea than you need to add a unique twist to another idea. If you do not offer a reason for customers to choose you over your competitors you will fail. 
• Everything changes
  Never sit on your laurels. If you are ranked number 1 in Google don’t think it will be that way forever. You can bet your house that number 2 will be looking for ways to knock you off your perch. No plan, no matter how well researched can accurately predict the future so keep an eye on the competitive market and make changes to your business model to reflect the changes that are occurring.

There is no easy money available as far as I can see. It would make no sense for someone making easy money to sell their idea to future competitors. To really be successful you need to focus on the fundamentals and put in some hard work. If making money was truly easy everyone would be doing it.

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