Why is it that ninety-something percent of people who set out to make money online fail? I'm not sure who collects these figures anyway, but the general consensus is that the vast majority of people who try to make money online will fail. Whatever the actual figure, in my experience it is certainly quite high.
I think this is mainly due to an illusion. The illusion that we often see thrown at us is that it's easy to make money online; that if we start a business in the morning, we can then go out for a round of golf and come back at lunchtime to find that we're multi-millionaires.
The illusion sets expectations which will invariably be shattered and then people will just give up. It doesn't matter how many times one quotes the old 'if it sound too good to be true it probably is' clichés to people, they still prefer to believe the illusion.
It's a very powerful illusion that's exploited by advertisers to the maximum, but I don't blame advertisers. In fact, I think they perform a useful service: I think it's worth the price of the 'Get Rich Quick' product on offer for someone to find out that they won't be able to make easy money online. If they've had the illusion well and truly shattered and still want to continue, then they might really have what it takes to make money online.
What does irk me a bit is that quite often people will get their fingers burnt on a 'Get Rich Quick' scheme, give up when they haven't retired on the proceeds within a week and then go around bemoaning the state of online businesses and accusing everything of being a scam. The actual information or product they paid for might have been extremely useful - many are - but they didn't buy the product, they bought the illusion.
This is advertising at its best. Selling the illusion works and many do it. It's not strictly speaking a lie either as once in a while someone does come along who will go from $0/mth to $20,000/mth in a few weeks, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Most of us will have to work long and hard to earn a respectable income, just as we would in an offline business.
Could you imagine an advert for a product that went something like this:
"Buy our e-book now for $60 and you'll gain immediate financial freedom - in fact, you'll be completely free of finances for at least 6 months. You'll be able to spend time on the golf course (propping up your measly income as a green keeper). Your time will be your own; the entire 5 minutes you have left over at the end of the day before collapsing into bed. Imagine the smile on your spouse's face when you show her your first pay check (just imagine it!). Buy now and get this special bonus: we'll show you how to swap your car for some adverts on Google."
It doesn't quite work does it?
Of course, my fake advert above is a little harsh and I think that the important point is that making money online is the same as any making money with an offline business - it takes time, hard work and dedication to succeed. If you're going to buy anything with a 'Get Rich Quick' feel to get you started, buy it for its intrinsic value and ignore the illusion it's sold with.
If you found this article illuminating, I expand upon it in my free 15-page e-book, which will be useful to anyone considering starting an online business. You can get it at: http://gordonansell.com/r/gahome_20060815_1.php |
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