The Internet is an accessible, global marketplace through which billions of dollars change hands each year. On just one site, Ebay, over $30 billion gets exchanged every 365 days. That’s some nice pocket change. Yet with all the success being experienced, and all the potential for success that permeates the web, too many people are still losing out. Through no conscious fault of their own, these poor souls usually find themselves sharing one or more ineffective business habits and practices. Get to know seven of these habits so that you don’t miss out on your fair share of this multi-billion-dollar pie that is transpiring over the Internet.

1) The Habit of Jumping. The need to jump around like a jumping bean affects many people. These people make a habit of going jumping from one thing to the next, then to the next and so on…without ever thoroughly exploring any one path in depth. You can fight this habit by sticking to one business idea for at least six months and seeing it through to completion.

2) The God Habit. This ambitious habit stems from the ill-conceived notion that an Internet Marketer can be everything to everyone. Every successful business serves a Target Market, a very specific type of customer. Your Target Market can’t be “humans that breathe.” That’s a little too broad. Avoid this habit by correctly identifying, in very specific terms, the most likely group of people who will purchase from you. Find your niche.

3) The Habit of Blinding Love. This is another habit that sounds great, but usually yields no results. This is the one where people think they should just do what they love and let the money come. Unfortunately, you can’t just pet dogs and wait for the money to pour into your door. That may be an exaggerated analogy, but the principle is accurate. You have to link the activity you love to the world of business. In this example, start a dog-walking company. If you like building model cars, build them and sell them. Or build them, have them photographed and then sell those. You must link what you love with what people will pay for. 

4) The Habit of False Idols. This is the one where, you, the unsuspecting Internet Marketer happens upon an attention-grabbing speaker who tells of a rich, lush oasis, whereupon he proceeds to lead you into the desert, describing the mirage up ahead and taking your money all the while. Then when you finally run out of money, this loud, flashy speaker turns to dust and blows away in the wind as the mirage that was just up ahead fades from view. You’re now broke and alone in the desert. The Lesson: Don’t listen to someone because they’re great at getting your attention. Make sure they can prove paradise exists because they’ve been there.

5) The Tomorrow Habit. When you know you need to do something, but you just don’t feel like doing it now – you can do it tomorrow. For example, when you’re watching the big game and your business needs attention, you don’t worry about the business because ‘you can do it tomorrow.’ Or maybe when you’re tired and ready for a nap even though you know your client list needs to be contacted, again you don’t worry – ‘you can do it tomorrow.’ Basically, it comes to: You can go for success now or do it tomorrow. Of course, if you always “do it tomorrow”, you can never complete it today. Know how to combat this habit? Just do it.

6) The Sheepish Habit. In a world full of plain, brown shoes, why are you deciding to open a plain, brown shoe store? Sure you might get lucky and have someone’s shoes fall apart while they’re right in front of the store, but why not try opening a shirt store? A pants store? Look around you. Each year there are more and more and more new products or improvements to old ones. That means there is plenty of room for yours. Go against the grain and get noticed. Fall into line and you just might fall into oblivion.

7) Alzheimer’s Habit. Don’t forget this last habit of forgetting. “Forgetting what?” You might ask. The answer is: Forgetting your customers after they say ‘yes’ to you and forgetting potential customers when they say ‘no’ to you. It’s never OK to forget them – always follow-up. They want to hear from you, especially if you have useful information for them or a discount to offer them. It’s not over once they buy from you. It’s just the beginning. It’s not over when they refuse to buy from you. It’s just the beginning. So capture their emails, plan for the follow-up and don’t forget!

That’s it. You know what not to do and you know how to take corrective moves in case you foul up. Make a quick check of your daily routines and make sure that you’re not inadvertently following one of The 7 Habits of Highly Ineffective Internet Marketers.


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