I received an email over the weekend from the owner of a website, which I want to share with you. It’s a great example of how people think the normal rules of marketing do not apply to the Internet.
The emailer wrote to me, asking if I could just do a quick marketing job for her.
All she wanted was for me to make her website generate $5,000 a month, every month, without her having to do much; because she’s too busy to update it. She went on to say; “I don’t think it will take much to reach my goal,” before asking if I could do all this as a quick, one-off project.
The site this lady contacted me about is over 4 years old and is really dated. Despite her efforts over the years, her site gets very little traffic. It also has very few inlinks for a site of that age. Oh, and it’s competing for business in one of the most competitive, professionally marketed marketplaces on the Internet; personal development.
Even if the emailer threw thousands at advertising (and there was no suggestion of a marketing budget), to make it profitable would require a total overhaul and a VERY effective short, medium and long term marketing strategy. It would require ongoing testing and measuring (like all successful marketing.) The bottom line here is that generating a $5,000 per month income, competing alongside some of the best marketed organisations on the planet for every one of those dollars, is not a quick project.
Internet marketing benefits
There’s no doubt that the Internet and digital communications offer unprecedented marketing, sales and business development opportunities; however, you still need to apply an effective strategy if you want your Internet marketing to succeed. For example, this blog attracts an average of just over 50 emails for my marketing business, each day (7 days a week.) It has generated 6 figures in income for my business in the past year - BUT, this didn’t just happen. It was the result of an effective marketing strategy.
Google announced back in 2008 that it had already indexed over a TRILLION unique URL’s. That number will have increased massively since then, and it gives you an idea of how many other pages and sites there are, that YOUR prospective clients or customers could be looking at rather than yours. They may be wasting time on some of those sites or listening to music or tweeting or spending money. The thing is, you need a strategy if you want to capture their imagination. You need a strategy if you want them to ‘discover’ you and see how brilliant you are.
Just ‘being online’ is not enough!
What’s your take?
Image credit: Neogabox
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5k-a-month doing little every month… hey Jim, when you pull that off give me a shout will you Sir
…if you everyone else would like to form a line behind young Duncan….
I find it amazing how some people still in 2009 still see the internet like some cash machine that idiots will send you money through. Thanks Jim.
Good point. I wonder Colin, how many people think that because of all those “make a million online in in 21 days” books / programs?
There is so much of it isn’t there. I do think a large part of it to is that the internet gives many people the appearance of ‘overnight success’, and because we can imitate copy, content, etc, there is a false belief that you an imitate success just as quickly
If life were that easy we’d all be millionaires!
In a way its a kind of compliment, is it not, that she thought you could do this for her?
I could comfortable help her to generate twice that income per month, but not ‘quickly.’ It takes time to develop a successful business, even online.
My take is exactly yours. People need to understand that the Internet is NOT easy by any means. It takes hard work and research to make any leway.
Especially in her case, a website that is over four years old is a waste of space on the Internet in my opinion. I she doesn’t want to take the time to keep the website up to date, then why would he even think of wanting to contact her.
That is just my opinion on this subject.
On another note, you could say that you would be willing to help her if she would bring her website up to date. Then you can refer her to me.
Just a thought.
Hi Kyle – Yeah, that’s how I figure out who to refer people to
My initial impression was that she was thought her site looked fine. It’s amazing how people become blind to what their site looks like, because they see it regularly and it gets outdated slowly.
Thanks for the comment sir!
I continue to be amazed how people want the moon and the stars, but don’t want to lift a finger to get them, especially when it comes to the Internet.
It’s true Tom. They seem to think the ‘net is easy money – that everyone’s making a million online (other than them.)
Thanks for the feedback.
People have gotten so used to the “get it now” of today’s world that many forget how much work goes behind it all. There are no real over-night successes. To others it may seem like it was over night, but that’s because they didn’t see all of the hard work that went into it before they became a success. In order to continue being successful, you must keep working hard. If you don’t, someone is going to pass you up and you will be forgotten fairly quickly.
You make a very good point there Elizabeth. People only see the end product. Whilst it often seems that a site’s become popular very quickly, there’s usually a lot of hard work that goes into it first.
Thanks for the feedback!!
I get emails and tweets telling me they can do this for me all the time, how strange to find out its not possible. Also worrying to hear that there are people that expect these things.
BTW I’m in the queue with Duncan
xx
Yes – there’s enough people looking for immediate wealth to keep the conmen busy. Pity, but as they say; a fool and their money will always part.
Thanks Michelle!
I think a lot of people fall victim to the get rich quick schemes that the internet provides them. No matter where you go, your bound to see something asking if you want to make money fast, or get rich quick.
I think, that while its a shame that people are falling victim to it, its partly due to their own fault, and I wouldn’t say its because of laziness, but perhaps lack of general knowledge. However, can the blame really lay completely upon those that believe its possible? Or should part of the blame fall upon those that make their money by telling people they can get rich quick.
Good point Tom.
The challenge all the time there’s people wanting to ‘get rich quick’ there will be others ripping them off, with get rich quick schemes.
Thanks for the feedback sir!
Sounds like one helluva compliment, and vote of confidence. Magic Jim can you transfer my old and stale site, http://www.dreamsnare.com into a $5k/month magic money making machine
Ok, you have to give her credit for at least picking you! I am going to blow your trumpet now, Jim. As you know, we have been working together for some time now and most of the time i follow your advice. I am in business of personal development.
This week, on several occasions, I have checked where I come on search engines. If you had typed women’s personal development into Google on Monday and Tuesday you would have seen me at number one. Number one! And that was even above someone who had women’s personal development a sname of her site! Before we began working together I fell asleep before my company scrolled up!
So she was right to choose you; her mistake was thinking that it could happen overnoght with a rubbish site!
Good morning my friend!
From a marketing perspective, the reason for the successes we have achieved together, is that we have worked around a sound, strategy. It works and will keep on working, because that’s how it was developed.
Whenever someone wants the return, without having to do the steps required, they end up disappointed.
Thanks for popping by the blog Jane.
Well, its not the firs time I have heard this!
The first thing I say to them is, well, if its that easy, why would I stop what I’m doing, for a small one of fee, and do it for you when I can make 15k a month doing it for myself and not have to go through the ordeal of dealing with your quibbles, demands and fussiness?
There is an insane perception prevalent among the “masses” that web creation is “easy” and marketing a breeze. Damn if it was that easy, no one would have a website cause all the developers and marketers would be building their own sites and making the money online and not building sites for clients as that would just increase the noise (and competition) out there…
Hang on, thats not such a bad idea actually
I’m guessing you get that ‘kind’ of email a lot because of your profession.
I get around 50/60 emails each day and most of them are brilliant; genuine people interested in finding out more about how I can help them.
The one thing about that email, was that it was 100% honest. The lady was being totally up front about what she was looking for.
I just hope she does not send that same email to too many others. There are some, who would make the promises, take the money and THEN explain that it’s not possible.
Jim, both you and your community are right as usual.
On the $5K expectation with no work, apparently you have gained the reputation of a miracle worker so she assumes you can do it for her. Or as you and many of the above comments mentioned, she is enticed by the big $ of affiliate marketing and other wealth making sites tell her on the web.
Both my own site and my non-profit’s site are being redone right now and the lack of SEO and a number of other things was pointed out to me. My own site is 6 months old but the designer who built it never discussed SEO with me. The other one is much older and was continually changing but now needs better navigation etc. Most people take it for granted that if they are there, they will come. Missing marketing strategies or not taking the time to implement what they already know.
Thanks for the feedback Julie.
Mechanically, a site needs to work on a number of levels, in order for it to generate a regular, predictable income.
However, most importantly, it needs to be offering an attractive product to begin with, or no matter how great the site is, no one will buy the service / product.
The Internet is packed with identical products / services, which are being sold using almost identical marketing messages. When this happens to a business, they become all-but invisible.
It never ceases to amaze me when people claim they can make thousands everyday doing little or nothing with a website.
Then, in the world of bricks and mortar, there are just as many who believe they can generate sales while doing little or next to nothing with their business.
You’re right Anthony. Many people OFF LINE make the same mistakes. Good point sir!
Since you published this post, I have sent it out to people whenever they have emailed me with a similar get rich quick request. It actually turned one of them into a customer! Thanks chappy.
Excellent Greg – Glad to help sir.