WHY Most People Fail Online
Ever since I began teaching people how to make money online through my buying & selling websites training class, I’m starting to see why the “make money online guru market” is not a fun place to be.
When I decided to teach people how to make money online, I did so because I truly wanted to help people succeed. Since I’ve been working full time online the last 5+ years, I’ve learned a lot about what to do and what not to do.
I’ve been fortunate to make over a million dollars online during this 5 year stretch, but it wasn’t an accident. I worked my butt off to get where I am today.
Now that I’m sharing my experience with people, I’m constantly hit with the label of “con artist”, “scammer” and many other names not nearly as nice as these.
Those who know me can attest that I’m probably one of the most generous people they know. I always go above and beyond to help someone out and often push my own desires aside if I can help someone else instead.
I had no idea when I got into this teaching business that there would be so much negativity associated with it. Sure, I get to hear a lot of praise from the students who take my training, but the non-customers who contact me are 90% negative, 5% skeptical and 5% excited to hear what I’m saying.
The biggest problem people have when trying to make money is the negative mindset.
If you are constantly thinking people are out to rip you off, you will never be successful. You’ll spend so much of your time trying to “prove” someone else is a fraud that you’ll never have time to actually make money yourself.
I’m yet to find a successful person in business who is always negative and pessimistic. Success just doesn’t match with this type of personality.
But, just being positive won’t make you successful however…
You have to take action!
It’s pretty sad, but most people never take action and actually put in the work to make things happen.
Usually what happens is someone will read an article or take a training class and store away that knowledge in their brain and never use it. Even if it’s the most valuable piece of knowledge in the world, they just absorb it and move on.
They spend most of their lives searching for more information, when in fact they probably already have enough knowledge to be very successful as it is.
An example of this is from my training class I teach. I just got a refund request this morning from a guy who said he “already knew everything I was teaching”. Yet, somehow he was not successful and still searching for a secret solution to his problem of not making any money online.
Maybe he did know everything I was teaching in the class, but if so, he should be selling websites for six figures like I’ve been doing. The problem may be that he is just an information junkie who never applies anything he learns.
It’s interesting when I hear people say “it’s too hard to make money online”.
That’s a bunch of nonsense!
HARD WORK is digging ditches in 100 degree sunshine for 8 hours per day.
Sitting on your butt writing a few articles is NOT hard work. Getting links to your website is NOT hard work. Spending 3 hours watching Google’s free video tutorials to learn Adwords is NOT hard work.
Yes, it takes time and yes, it can be boring, but it is not hard…
Sitting at a job you hate for 8 hours a day is much harder than an internet business.
Most people get overwhelmed.
A lot of times people are not successful online because they are simply overwhelmed. There are two possibilities here.
1) People are overwhelmed by opportunities.
Maybe you are signed up to 80 different internet marketers’ email lists, and each week you get a new “magic button internet billionaire training program”. So you jump from one idea to the next without actually doing anything. This is a very common problem. The solution is simple though, just unsubscribe from all of those email lists.
Very few email lists, from what I’ve seen, actually provide much value. In most cases, you just get hit with offer after offer of things to buy, which doesn’t help you one bit. In fact, it hurts you more than anything because of the distractions.
If someone truly wanted to help you by making recommendations, they wouldn’t be promoting a membership site coaching program one week and then the following week be promoting a software program that churns out 400 adsense websites per hour.
It’s no wonder you’re not successful, you’re getting pulled in 100 different directions that teach completely opposite business models.
2) People are overwhelmed by projects.
If you do have the ability to focus without the distraction of the “product launch of the week”, another issue you may face is being overwhelmed by the scope of your project.
You might decide to start a website on dogs, but when you are planning your website you think about all the things you want to cover.
You want to cover dog training, but then dog supplies look interesting too, so you plan out that section of your site. Then dog breeding looks like a good topic to get into, so you spend a couple weeks researching that topic. But then you figure some people might want to learn how to start their own dog sitting business, so you think about how you are going to get into that sub niche as well.
After you figure out all 214 dog related topics you want to cover on your site, you look at your outline of things you want to cover and say “there’s no way I’ll have time to do all of this work”.
And since it looks too much like work, you file it away until the next time you are feeling ambitious.
The months and years pass and you still never start your web business because there’s just too much to do.
Resolution to this problem – just break up the project into small chunks. Give yourself a deadline to complete each small chunk and slowly but surely you will get where you want to be. Maybe focus 3 weeks to building the dog training part of your website, then move on to the next part.
So what do you think? Any of these common problems apply to you?
Comments
Erik Karey July 14th, 2008
Nice article Max. I totally agree and unfortunately fall into most of what you’ve said. I feel totally overwhelmed by the projects I want to take on that I never get myself started or at least finished. I’m hoping to turn that around and get down to business.
Thomas July 14th, 2008
I didn’t come up with many different topics for one site, I just created a new site whenever I found something new and interesting to write about. It’s hard enough for me to maintain one site and write every day, but when I had four sites it was, yes, overwhelming. It was hard for me to give them up in favor of a single site, but I’m growing faster when I focus my energy instead of spreading it all over the place.
Arun July 14th, 2008
Very nice article. You put a lot of thought into your writing. Thank you for that. No matter how much you know, if you never actually do anything with it, it won’t really matter. Now where is that software to churn 400 websites per hour!?
Rico July 14th, 2008
Max,
Great post, Keep up the good work, and remember that some of us appreciate your work and the time you put in to help us newbies.
Rico
Serena July 14th, 2008
I’m in the second category. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by all the information coming at you in this business, as well as by one’s own ideas. There’s only so much time in a day, and I need to focus on one thing at a time rather than thinking about what I don’t have time to accomplish today. Great article, makes sense to me.
Emma July 14th, 2008
Great post, and yes these problems apply to me as well. Making a plan and sticking to it would be a good idea. Thanks for the encouraging post.
rohan July 14th, 2008
Shoot, I probably have fallen into every single one of those categories at some point. I’ve changed this though. I’ve turned into super focus man. i think you’re right about breaking things up into little pieces. I’m here working on automating the process of building Bans sites and piece by piece I’m working it out. It used to be, how the hell can I update 100 sites at the same time. Now it’s, “how do I update the H1 tags for 100 sites instantly”, then on to the next problem. It’s going to be sweet when I’m done.
Anyhow, thanks Max, you’re a supreme motivator.
Rohan
Step-by-Step Niche and Keyword Research Guide July 15th, 2008
This is a refreshingly honest post about the realities of making money online.
Unfortunately, you are right that the honest bloggers sometimes get lumped with the hype gurus who promise the BS of overnight riches without little work.
When I first started online, I was one of those overwhelmed by information, and too many projects and opportunities. I had to focus, cut several feeds and pick a project and then just DO IT! There is no other way to succeed online but with action, and it is the hands-on experience that propels you forward via continued learning and trial and error.
Thanks for the post.
webmastersinternet July 15th, 2008
Very nice article. You put a lot of thought into your writing. Thank you for that. In this article why the people fail operate on the online explanation is good.
Andy Crofford July 15th, 2008
Great post. You totally nailed it. Thanks!
Brett July 15th, 2008
excellent as always….i have a few of these issues as well..mainly information overload
Mike July 15th, 2008
Hey Max,
I think that the whole ‘make money online’ niche correlates to your percentages of 90% negative, 5% skeptical and 5% excited – being 90% of them are garbage, 5% have some value but mostly are filled with self congratulatory content, 5% (the percent you fall into) actually provide great information.
Instead of filling your posts with ego inflating content, you’re basic message is just go do it. I have a feeling that you have a background in the blue collar world, as do I. That background has taught me a valuable work ethic, which basically is ‘Get off your butt and work, or don’t get paid’. Using your ditch digging example (which I actually did), there’s no way that your foreman is going to wait for you to feel ‘motivated’ to start digging, you just better pick up the damn shovel and start moving some dirt.
With that said, I have the work ethic…now about the project overload…
Max Davis July 15th, 2008
Mike – I was raised on a farm from age 5 to 18 and then I’ve worked 40 hours a week since I was 18, so I know what you mean about work ethic. I don’t expect anything to be handed to me, which I think a lot of people online do for some reason.
Glad to hear everyone can relate to this post. Once you realize there is a problem, it’s so much easier to change your life!
Luke July 15th, 2008
Max,
The problem as I see it is that people do not necessarily present the issue of scalability well on how to make money online. For example, some of the ‘make money online’ gurus fail to mention the high barriers to entry for their marketspace and make it sound like we all can get in and make buckets of cash. Examine these sites carefully and you realise after a while that they managed to scale their website well and had a great deal of opportunity PRIOR to writing a blog. I think this is why people have the ’scammer’ attitude at least in part. I have spent the best part of a year trawling through these sites only to reach a point where you realise you are being fed grade A grain fed BS. So I agree with Mike’s point above.
That said, there are those like yourself who I think are offering a genuine course (I haven’t enrolled yet but I have watched the videos!) which would benefit people. It’s been my experience however that most of the make money online stuff is framed to be popular and lacks real substance. A lot of the truth about marketing and making money online is summarised or pushed aside.
I know people who have made money online and it’s always the same story. A good product, good market research, a healthy profitable niche, aggressive marketing skills and the ability to bend the back when needed. There are no magic solutions or ‘big scores’ to be had that won’t require a hell of a lot of work.
Jafar July 16th, 2008
Very encouraging article. Yes we need to read this kind of article to get ‘recharge’ again. Difficult to get focus in one topics, thats my problem. Thanks to remind me.
Barry Z July 16th, 2008
Max I am totally amazed, we do have a lot in common. I really enjoyed your blog ever since discovering it and taking your buying/selling web site course. Now I read your post regards your background and I blows me away. I just wish I was as articulate as you. I also grew up on a farm and knew what hard work was all about. Then worked a job for 20 years then at age 37 started my own Internet marketing business and retired a short 5 years later.
Everything you say in your post is 100% on the mark.
“The biggest problem people have when trying to make money is the negative mindset.”
Now one thing that we may not have in common, I have no idea, is I just may have a better understanding the power of a “negative mindset”. You see one of the things I had to deal with in life was alcoholism at age 22. Anyone who has recovered from alcoholism knows one of the biggest challenges is overcoming their “negative mindset”. I believe absolutely that success in life, and success in business, is an inside job. There’s a lot of wisdom in the saying “we are what we think”..
You posted a little over a month ago about your shock when people attacked you and were critical toward you. I made a post at that time mentioning that I had the exact same experience when I was posting free information on how to trade stocks successfully in 1999/2000. It’s rather interesting that I just made a post on my blog about the same time you made this post and referred to you and your site.
As I think you are aware I’m doing a presentation next week at the 1st Forex Affiliate Conference and the interesting thing is your post covers some of the things I will be talking about.
Regards “It’s interesting when I hear people say “it’s too hard to make money online”.” As you say that’s a bunch of nonsense. But Let me say this, it is hard when you don’t approach it with the proper mindset, don’t have a vision is to where you want to go, set up a goal based plan of action, aline yourself with like-minded people, and understand you need to learn the tools of the trade. Does building a successful business take hard work, yes of course it does. But as you rightly point out building an Internet marketing business is about the easiest hard work that you can do to achieve early retirement.
I find it rather interesting that you talk about how people become overwhelmed by opportunities. As I approached researching opportunities again on the Internet I discovered the same thing is I wanted to learn everything about what changed right now today and found myself going here going there getting lost, bookmarking things, downloading things and achieved information overload. I need to do what I did in the past, at the beginning of the day I need to write down what my objectives are and focus on doing that.
In any event I want you to know that I very much enjoy reading your blog, certainly am able to identify with you and encourage you to keep on giving and not worry about the critics. I appreciate how you use the information posted by critics and use it as a teaching aid to help people understand what they need to do in order to become successful.
Sher July 18th, 2008
Very valid points. However, it’s just a natural fact that more often than not on the internet you’re going to be met with a scam rather than solid business information.
People are often battle worn and so are skeptical of everyone – and so they should be.
By the way, I have tremendous respect for The Blogging Experiment and appreciate the information you share.
cuzzy July 19th, 2008
This really has nothing to do with the article. I just wanted to say this blog was a lot more entertaining on “a daily” basis when it was Ben’s. He wrote in a way that did not go over people’s heads and at least was entertaining.
I know that the site has taken a new direction but it feels like it has lost it’s way.
Are most people actually taking these tips to better their blogging or is this blog really just an infomercial for Max to pimp out his classes?
It has great information but to be honest I have forgotten to even check this blog on a daily basis and that is sad. It used to be a favourite of me for sure.
just my opinion, if you are getting everything out of this site, then just sit back and laugh at me.
have a great weekend, looking forward to more fresh content.
Max Davis July 19th, 2008
Hi Cuzzy,
Sorry you are not happy with the blog and how it is going. The traffic is up about 300% since I took over, so apparently some people are enjoying the content.
I wish you the best assuming you decide to not come back anymore…
Max
Dean Saliba July 20th, 2008
Nice article.
Doing plenty of homework and not diving in headfirst without looking should be no-brainers.
Codrut Turcanu I Remarkable Blogging dot Com July 22nd, 2008
In my opinion most people fail online as they forget to research before entering into the market.
They are lured by so called gurus that they can be rich overnight if they bought their ebooks or videos.
Good post.
Frank C July 23rd, 2008
A few thoughts on the negativity by others toward MMO blogs.
The basic problem I have is with ones that work like multi-level marketing (MLM). In this scenario, the people at the top make their money from their ‘downline’. They sell them ads, paid reviews, junk seminars and so forth. They get them to sign up for advertising programs. They live by the ‘churn and burn’ philosophy by constantly seeking ‘fresh meat’. But the worst thing they do is convince others that by following their lead they’ll get rich while leaving out how much it will cost as well as key ingredients, such as link building.
I do think that you’ve got a very good point about project management. This is a key skill for a blogger to develop, especially if they’re developing multiple niche sites as well as a flagship blog.
korprit July 24th, 2008
Two parts of this fit me to a ‘T’. The skepticism is definitely right up my alley. You sound upset about the negative outlook on those trying to help, but think about it from the perspective of those trying to learn. We get bombarded by wannabes and have to sift through most of them with our wallet? No thanks. Also, skepticism does not mean you won’t follow through. It simply means your a little more cautious and not just an easy fish. Hopefully that would be a sign of intelligence. “A fool and his money are soon parted”. Though the contrary, “Nothing ventured nothing gained” holds just as well.
The A.D.D. problem also comes to mind. I have a half dozen projects on back burners and find it very difficult to sit on one at a time. Personal problem I suppose.
Adelaide July 28th, 2008
Great article and I completely agree – we have been feeling completely overwhelmed with our online project. The sheer amount of work to be done and the never-ending to-do list can be a bit difficult to cope with. However, we have found that even just one person commenting on a post, or clicking through on an advert really spurs us on and makes us want to succeed.
Leo August 6th, 2008
Making money online is popular because more people search for it and want it than anything else. That is not to say that a blog about cats is not going to do well. It is just that more people want to make money than have cats.
Roz Fruchtman August 14th, 2008
This article was too close for comfort for me!
You hit a nerve and that was a goog thing. I belong to many newsletters and they all go into one folder. The problem is, I never look at them. There is just not enough time.
I keep thinking, now that I am to the point of marketing my site, these newsletters hold gems and golden nuggets of information. So the feeling of missing something prevails!
Being focused is one of my main challenges. Your article may have helped me more than I would like to admit!
It’s true though… It IS easy to learn online, but it IS time consuming. I have personally been attending a bunch of teleseminars, webinars, chats, etc. all related to Social Networking. I have learned invaluable information – but the cost in time and energy is wearing me down for other things.
I decided earlier that it might be more cost efficient — of my time — to purchase a couple or three books – with good reviews – that will get me started on the Social Networking sites. Considering, the books prices are way cheaper than what it is costing me in time — although I am forming relationships, but there has to be a balance.
THANK YOU for the kind perspective. You write very well.
Roz Fruchtman
Say It With eCards
Armand August 24th, 2008
Well, this post really gives me an inspiration. I thought it was a difficult thing to get started, but when I’m in the middle of maintaining my own blogs, I feel that it’s an interesting activity and I will not stop doing. Now I need to focus on what I’ve just started. Thinking too much will only isle the time. Thank you for the enlightenment.
ways to earn online September 29th, 2008
This is a great post. I wouldnt do a whole lof of research or learn something for nothing. When I want to learn something or want to research about a certain niche, I am ready to learn it and apply it to my goal. I would love a mentor but right now I am learning from some of the best money makers online by reading their blogs.
Shon November 15th, 2008
Yea the thing that killed me the most is not taking action….I was always looking for the secret that will make me rich….there is none just take action
Dr. Altaf February 15th, 2009
It is very informative and it interested me as well.
Yes, we love to read and explore huge contents. That’s the life to enhance inner sights. Here also you gave a light what to do and how to act (without more tips though). Ultimately our goal is either to earn or to learn and earn or to learn. There is no short cut way to be rich!
But again without learning how to take action. For instance, if we are not crazy to learn how did we come here to your post? So learning is needed.
Yes, I do agree that doing too many things together will not help. Again without dong too many projects together there is no magic to earn good chunk.
Now please let us know how to multiply the successful tests is the only road to success. But in the competition market, where all gurus are doing same as you, is not easy method to make money online.
Negative? Again! How to automate !
Please help us to know step by step method as proven success either by you or others (of course, all will never disclose their tips as you do).
I should get reply when posted nice one as I am crazy of reading and taking action immediately without making any good money.Some thing definitely wrong in my methods.
Have a Nice Day Folks!
Regards,
Dr. Altaf
used tires June 15th, 2009
Yes I say it all of the time, people jump into online business with the wrong mindset, and the wrong know how. Typically, they have no idea what they are getting into and they give up before the battle has actually begun, they give up during the battle’s preparations … and this is their downfall. People are overwhelmed, they are overwhelmed by the big picture and they end up running off before they begin the fight, a darn shame!
Till then,
Jean
sexy lingerie October 25th, 2009
Good post.
I like the post, and I agree somewhat with, To be very truthful.
I was always looking for the secret that will make me rich.