Is it really possible to earn money online?

The Internet has significantly reduced the barrier of entry for many aspiring people wanting to earn money online. As the number of people increases over time, so too will be the competition. Unless you have started years ago or is specialising in a unique niche that specifically targets a customer group, it’s difficult to earn money online when you are just starting out from zero – with no customer list, no network, no experience, no mentor, and no money.

The sameness that the Internet has offered will not help you.

For example, the same old advice of affiliate marketing, or selling on eBay are frequently given.

Now, let’s take a deeper dive into the world of affiliate marketing as an example.

Here, you are selling other people’s product.

Some people say that this is the easiest way to make money because you do not need to create any product yourself.

In some way, it’s true.

But what they don’t tell you is that there will be hundreds if not thousands of other Internet marketers selling the very same product you intend to sell online in addition to other products they carry (which you don’t have).

The income report that they brag about does not clearly tell you whether it’s for that one product or a basket of products they are getting commissions for.

Given that the Internet has removed all boundaries of trade, just imagine then that everyone in a shopping mall is also selling or marketing that same product you are selling.

Unless you have the greatest reputation or have been in business for years, do you think that the visitors to the shopping mall will buy from you as a new kid on the block?

Think about this.

Would product creators give you their best product to sell as their affiliates when there are other well-established Internet marketers around with thousands of people already on their mailing list?

In reality, you will most likely get lower-rated affiliate products to sell if you are just starting out, someone without any customers to sell to, and someone without an established network of marketers who will give product testimonies for you!

Having seen so many internet marketers’ sales pages, I have noticed that the same marketers are giving “customer” testimonies on products sold on their friend’s sales page.

Here’s the thing.

It is not impossible to earn money online.

You need lots of hard work, perseverance, and commitment to make this work for you.

Your aim is to find that sweet spot where the following six criteria intersect:

1. You are so passionate about and committed to your money-making idea that you will spend all your free time working on it (even on weekends!).
2. You want to create value for people and desire to make a difference in people’s lives trying to solve their problems.
3. You have desperate niche customers who are willing and able to pay you for your unique product or service because you can solve their pain points or problems. That’s the ultimate outcome of your online business activities.
4. You can create a sustainable stream of income out of the money-making idea when you do decide to quit your 9-to-5 job. Remember always that you have to pay your bills!
5. You have or are capable of acquiring the necessary skills and experience to build that business without much re-skilling or learning.
6. You want to align your business and work with your personal and religious reasons and beliefs. Your WHYs of embarking on a business must be crystal clear.

Here’s a seven-step process to explore some suitable business ideas, selecting that one idea that potentially sells, and making that idea work for you.

• Step 1 – You brainstorm and select your proposed business idea from a comprehensive list that I have compiled on this website. Get your creative juices flowing.
• Step 2 – Develop an overall strategy for making money. This step requires you to determine your money-making criteria and meeting those criteria. You will need to update your strategy as you gather more information. Remember that people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan.
• Step 3 – Acquire or develop a product (e.g., e-Books, tools, coaching services, training, etc) that will help solve your target customers’ problem. The aim is to sell a relevant product to your customers and make money. Test out your proposed product by converting it into a minimum viable product.
• Step 4 – Identify the best platforms and established marketplaces (e.g., eBay, Facebook, blogs, etc.) where the majority of your target customers hang out so that you can sell them your proposed product.
• Step 5 – Validate your minimum viable product with your customers using these established marketplaces.
• Step 6 – Work hard to market and drive Internet traffic to your chosen platforms so that you can convert your visitors into leads and thereafter transforming them into paying customers.
• Step 7 – Depending on your testing results, you could scale-up selling this product with your own website, find another new product to sell, or ditch the product altogether.