50 Lessons Learned From My Internet Marketing Journey (Part 1).

I have learned many valuable lessons over the past few years that have helped me move forward in my quest to build a portfolio of successful online business projects.  Starting today I will be making the first post in a two post series that will detail many of these valuable lessons that I have learned during my internet marketing journey.  It is my hope that I can accelerate your success by sharing with you what I have learned and what others have shared with me.

Am I currently where I want to be in my business?  In a word . . . “No.”  At the present time I am a full-time entrepreneur who runs both an offline business (a private car service) and I also have a few web projects that I am currently building.  I am not a full-time web entrepreneur at this time, but I’m getting close.  And as I move closer to “Going Pro” with my web projects and as I grow as an entrepreneur, my desire to share what I am learning is also growing.

During the past few years I have seen a lot of people come into the web business marketplace with the mindset of an opportunity seeker.  They are not thinking about building a business because they are consumed with the idea of making money.  My goal with this series of posts is to help them eliminate this “opportunity seeking” mindset by transforming them into entrepreneurs who think more strategically — who are focused on building a real business that serves others.

If this describes you in any way whatsoever,  I want to encourage you to read Part 1 of “50 Lessons Learned From My Internet Marketing Journey.”  Here it is:

1. Giving starts the receiving process.  Focus on “Serving” others.  That is how you build a business that is built to last.
2. Put your goals down on paper.  You have to write them down!!  If you don’t, in my opinion, you don’t have goals.  And then, once you have your goals on paper, you must ask yourself this critically important questions:  “What am I willing to sacrifice in order to achieve my goals.”  Remember, the time and energy that you must invest to achieve a new goal will have to come from another area of your life.  Before you can achieve any new goal, you must decide where the time and energy is going to come from.  You have to make a decision on what you are going to sacrifice.
3. Are you a finisher?  If you start a project, do you consistently finish it?  If your answer is “No” — you had better change now.  If not, building a successful business will never be anything more than a dream.  People who are successful are very skilled at finishing things they start.  They get stuff done.
4. An 80% solution is good enough 90% of the time.  Get your minimum workable product out into the marketplace and then let the market tell you want it thinks of your product.  After you get feedback from the marketplace you can then launch Version 2 of our product.
5. In business perfection is the enemy of success.  A burning desire to make your projects perfect can lead to massive procrastination.  And for the aspiring entrepreneur, procrastination is a huge dream killer.  But here is how you can literally beat procrastination to a pulp:  “Treat Everything as a Test!”  That’s right, let go of attachment and treat all of your business projects as a test.  Some will work and some will fail.  Just keep testing your ideas and run with the ideas that work.
6. Before you start any online business, you need to answer these two questions:  “How are you going to generate traffic and leads?  And, how are you going to monetize those leads?”  Then, focus the majority of your time on generating traffic and leads, and then monetizing those leads.
7. Think BIG and think “Long-term.”  Far too many people are thinking too small and they are thinking short-term, especially great percentage of the marketers who are targeting the Internet Marketing niche.
8. Create your own, original content.  Let the other guys and gals put out the junk.  And when you are creating your content, be authentic because you want others to be attracted to your authentic self.
9. Don’t buy another internet marketing product for the next 30 days.  Most likely, you have enough to get started where you are today.  Most internet marketing products are nothing but distractions that keep you from building your business.  For 30 days stop buying products and focus on building your business.  You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplished in only 30 days if you actually get to work.
10. Work in blocks of uninterrupted time.  Every day select the most important three items that you want to accomplish for that given day.  Then take your most important task and dedicate 2 hours of “uninterrupted time” to the completion of that task.  Start working in two hour “bursts” on your most critical tasks and you’ll be amazed at what you can start to accomplish.
11. Buy a white board and get your business organized!  The bigger the white board the better.
12. Once a week do a “Business Brain Dump.”  Take everything related to your business that is on your mind and get it on paper.  And then take the critical items and add them to your weekly goals and to your white board so you can see them every day.
13. Stop looking for “money makers” and start looking for “markets to serve.”  Opportunity seekers look for money makers.  Entrepreneurs look for markets to serve.
14. Try to create content that is “timeless.”  Doing so will allow your content to pay a residual benefit to you and your business for months and years to come.
15. Invest in a stand-up desk.  Sitting for hours at your computer will sap you of your energy and it is terrible for your health.  Standing will keep your energy high and your productivity will skyrocket.  You’ll feel significantly much better because you are more productive and because you will still have energy to burn.
16. Take care of yourself first.  Eat right, get daily exercise and get plenty of sleep.  I do cardio and weights one day and then yoga the next.  This keeps my energy high and my mind clear.  If I go more than a couple days without exercise, every part of my life suffers.  I’m less patient, I have less energy and my mind gets lazy.  The bottom line is this:  “You have to take care of yourself first and foremost.  You cannot give your best to your business if you are not at your best, both physically and mentally.
17. Why do you want to build a business?  If it’s just for the money, chances are you motivation will wane as you move forward.  You need to have a much bigger reason why.  Really think about your “Why” and keep it at the front of your mind every day.  For example, do you want to provide your family with a better life?  Do you want to spend more quality time with your children?  Do you want more freedom?  Are you sick and tired of working a dead-end job that is taking you nowhere?   Do you want more recognition?  Are you tired of being in a low value job and are you tired of other people thinking of you as low value?  Whatever your “reason why” may be, put it on your white board and think about it every day.  And remember this:  discontent with one’s career and/or life can be the biggest motivator of them all.
18. Work on developing yourself.  As the great Jim Rohn used to say:  “If you want more you must become more.”  Instead of spending 3 hours today reading forums, emails, sales letters and watching that “free” webinar some internet marketing guru is putting on so he or she sell you another product (and distract you once again), spend that three hours “developing a skill” that you can use in your business.
19. Stick to the basics:  Focus on Traffic, Leads & Monetization.  When you are confused and you do not know what to do next, go back the basics — focus on traffic, leads and how you are going to monetize those leads.
20. What makes you curious?  If you are confused on what business to start, think about what makes you curious.  What subject could you spend hours and hours researching and never get bored with it?  Once you have answered this question, ask yourself the following:  “Can you build a business around this subject that arouses your curiosity?” — (I have to thank Kelly Felix for this one.)
21. Get moving NOW and start creating MOMENTUM!  This is absolutely critical.  Nothing happens until you get started.  Once you get moving and you have a little momentum, you’ll be absolutely amazed at the transformation in both your life and your business.  As you develop momentum you will start to see results, everything changes.  With results comes belief;  and with belief you can move mountains!  But here is the key:  “You have to get moving.”  That is the only way you can start to develop life changing momentum.  You have to force yourself to do it.  Because if you don’t, you’ll never do the work that needs to be done.  If getting started on any project is a problem for you, I highly recommend that you read Steve Pressfield’s book  The War of Art.  His book Do The Work is also excellent.
22. The biggest obstacles that are holding back most people are “Mental Barriers.”  The things you are not trying because you think they are too difficult are, most likely, not difficult at all.  In fact, if you just try you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to blow through barriers you have avoided for months (and years).  Experience has shown me that most people can blow past barriers that have held them back in the past simply by applying a little pressure to them.  Move boldly in the direction of where you want to go and you’ll be amazed at how the world (and perceived barriers) suddenly move out of your way.
23. Beware of the “Routine of the Present.”  If you are stuck and if you are not making the progress you want in your business and in your life — you need to ask yourself this very important question:  “What am I going to do today that I did not do yesterday?  What am I going to do today that is different from anything I have done in the past six months?”  The “routine of the present” is a huge dream killer.  Do not fall into the trap of developing habits that keep you in your comfort zone.  For you to go where you want to be you are going to have to do things you have never done before.  If you want to grow and become more you will have to move outside your comfort zone.  Just remember, fear is where the glory is.  What you are afraid of doing is, most likely, what you need to be doing.
24. Watch how professional marketers market.  In many instances you can learn more by watching them than you can by purchasing their products and listening to them.
25. Get rid of the negative energy in your life.  This could mean distancing yourself from some friends and people you think you are close to you.  That fact that you have chosen a path (i.e. the path of an entrepreneur) that is different will make you different from many of those around you.  And some of these people will resent you for doing what they do not have the guts to do.  One of the great things about starting your own business is that you get to find out who are your real friends.  Your real friends will encourage you and they genuinely want to see you succeed.  Behind your back there will be others who will belittle what you are doing and they will “secretly” root against you.  Get rid of this latter group from your life.  You are going places they will never go and you don’t need their negative energy in your life.
    

This post is just a small sample of what I have learned during the past few years.  As I continue to build this blog and as I grow as a web entrepreneur, I will continue to share with you valuable lessons that I am learning.

I’d love your feedback on any of the points listed in this post.  Also, if you have any great advice and insights that you would like to share that will benefit others, I would enjoy hearing about them.

Also, Part 2 of this post will be published to WebBusinessResearch.com in a couple days.  If you want Part 2 emailed to you simply subscribe to this blog in the form above this post.

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All the best,
Jon Poland