Learn The Basics Or You’ll Be Chasing Your Tail Forever
Everybody wants a shortcut, a quick fix to their money problems.
I’ve actually heard this more than once, “I need to make x amount in the next two weeks to pay my mortgage. I know nothing about Internet marketing. Will your program do that for me?”
Key words: “Do that for me.”
I think people have seen so many headlines that read, “You can be an overnight success without lifting a finger,” that they actually believe it’s true. And they keep buying product after product thinking they’ll eventually find the one that works.
I’ve asked the people who requested refunds what they didn’t like about my Affiliate Cash Secrets system. The reply is always either, “It’s just the same old stuff,” or “I don’t think I can do it.”
The truth is, they’re just too lazy to make it work.
I’ll be the first to admit. Affiliate Cash Secrets is based on the same marketing principals that have been working for direct marketers on and off line for the last 50 years!
- Get a list of leads in a target market
- Sell a product that the market wants
- Follow up with related products and services
Just about any decent marketing system will get you into profit, but you have to actually take action if you want to see any kind of success.
Learn The Basics Or You’ll Be Chasing Your Tail Forever
Here’s what that means…
First of all, you simply have to get your own domain and hosting if you ever want to be successful online. Period.
Sure. There are a lot of automated websites that claim you can just “point and click” your way to wealth. Don’t believe it. You need to be in control of your business. And when you finally realize it, you’ll have to move everything over (if they let you) from “easy street” to reality and start building a real business.
If you want to set up a squeeze page, you have to learn:
- How to use an HTML editor
- How to use an autoresponder
- How to integrate your subscription form
- How to use FTP software
All that is “basic” stuff. Unless you have deep pockets to pay somebody to do all this for you, these are skills that you MUST possess if you want to ever get anywhere with your business.
And guess what…you don’t have to pay anything to learn this stuff. You can find dozens for free tutorials online.
Just go to Google and enter: video tutorial topic (where “topic” is what you want to learn about).
If you want to sell a resell rights product, you have to learn how to set up a ClickBank or PayPal account. There are tutorials for that…
If you want to create a PDF document you have to learn how to use a word processor and PDF Printer. There are tutorials for that…
I you want to make your PDF viral, you have to learn how to use Viral PDF. There are tutorials for that…
When I first started online in 1997, there were very few tutorials. There were no forums. I had to learn almost everything through trial and error.
I spent at least 10 hours per day learning how to use Microsoft Word, FrontPage, Photoshop, and WSFTP. I learned how to build websites and use autoresponders and eventually how to program in Perl, JavaScript, and PHP.
I put in over 200 hours before I ever made a dime.
Fortunately, you won’t have to spend that much time learning because there is so much more information available today to help you get started.
Ten years ago, there were like three ebooks on Internet marketing that you could download. The rest were expensive home study courses – actual printed manuals!
ClickBank didn’t even exist back then! Want to see what their site looked like when they started in 1999? Go to Archive.org and type in their domain name.
The point of this article is this: if you’ve been “chasing your tail” trying to find the “magic bullet” that will build your business for you, it’s time to get back to reality and learn the basics so you can finally get started.
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Derrick VanDyke is the author of “Affiliate Cash Secrets.” If you’d like to get on his mailing list and receive tips, articles and information about affiliate marketing, visit: http://AffiliateCashSecrets.com/thankyou.htm
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REPRINT RIGHTS: You have permission to use the above article without omission and including the resource box. You have the right to insert your affiliate link for “Affiliate Cash Secrets” in place of the existing URL.
Comments
34 Responses to “Learn The Basics Or You’ll Be Chasing Your Tail Forever”
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Great article, Derrick! Too many people seem to think they’ll be able to pull money out of thin air (or somewhere) without learning or doing anything. I don’t know about you, but I always hate to be the one to burst their bubble and tell them it doesn’t work that way, but maybe if enough of us say it the message will get through.
Denise
Great article Derrick… But what the heck does
mean?
What do we substitute for that?
Derrick your article stated what I already knew deep inside but never admitted. I’ve spent years and thousands of dollars chasing my tail instead of rolling up my sleeves and getting to work. It’s funny, I’ve been involved in two brick & mortar businesses and never thought I could get anywhere without some good old hard work yet somehow I got the idea that starting a business online was different and I could get rich without effort. Sounds like an ad I answered once.
Thanks for the straight dirt.
Robert
I totally agree with most of your article. I did get something of value: To google ‘video tutorial (topic)’. I’m a newbie and when you say: “How to use an HTML editor,
How to use an autoresponder, How to integrate your subscription form, How to use FTP software’ is all basic stuff, well to you I may be but not to me. I am not earning an income and have limited funds. Between 8-14 hours a day is spent reading how to do things and posting stacks of ads and listening to training calls and getting confused. I apply what I understalnd and still have not made any money. 95% of literature and training calls have huge holes in info for the newbie. I would love to find SOMETHING that will explain things in detail for once. I am very eager to learn and succeed but have no guidance! Thanx. Going to google now for ‘video tutorials’
Derrick,
You really can pull money out of thin air, but the groundwork must be laid out, first.
The fact that so many people fail, reinforces the fact that many people do not want to put in the time and energy (pronounced work) to lay the groundwork for money from thin air!
It seems that many people refuse to learn new things because they are constantly telling themselves and everyone around them how computer stupid they are. What the subconscious mind hears it believes, because it has no sense of humor.
It does not take rocket science to make the killer product launch. It takes the time to learn one thing well by doing it over and over until you know it inside and out. I get rusty at some things when I don’t do them for long periods of time. It is important to repeat the steps that will make you the money until you can do them without thinking.
You know, Derrick, I would really like to interview you for my new project that will be launching in less than 3 weeks! With your vast knowledge of affiliate marketing and product creation, I thnk you would make a great person to teach my product creation students how to make money from a product multiple times. Let me know if you want to do that.
Have an amazing day!
Micheal Savoie
10minuteoptinsuccess.com/ms
Very good advice Derrick
As a kid I struggled to learn guitar because I didnt put the hours in.
I wanted to be a karate black belt but would rather play video games with my mates instead of going to karate class. I rememeber moaning about my lack of success and my old man telling me that if things were easy then everyone would be Eric Clapton or Bruce Lee.
The same applies to Internet Marketing, you have to read and learn new skills constantly to achieve your goals.
Derrick,
Unfortunately, you are single voice in the wilderness. The so called Gurus are out with their marketing hype that anyone coming into this field is blindly led into believing that they are going to be a millionaire over night. The fact is you have to learn the basics, business cannot be developed overnight, there is tremendous competition in the CBmarket and most products in CB are outdated. If you are going to be successful, build your list, find the best products, then develop your own products and by the way did I say although it takes time and work, build your list.
Hi Derrick,
Not knowing any html, I joined a ‘no html needed to work with our website’ membership site and am making some money. But I also realise that I need to learn that if I want to make more money. And still I have been postponing that learning by giving some excuses to myself, lack of time/money etc.
Your article makes me realise that I need to do that learning ‘Now’. I am off to start learning.
Thanks,
Nayana
I am 80 years of age, bankrupt ($500,000), do not own a house or a car, live on an Age Pension, started work on $1.85 a week, sent 4 kids to the most expensive schools, moved from job to job looking for improved income until I got a job with company car, secretary and big office, but still not enough income, took 2nd jobs driving taxis, cleaning offices, delivering newspapers, and night stocking in Safeway stores into the early hours of the morning, worked as a cleaner until age 77 when I nearly died from pneumonia in both lungs, have a multi-milionaire workaholic son, and have a family like others who believe this is all a big scam. I have been a workaholic physically without much success, and I can only hope that I am up to the task to make this work as you and others have done.
I love your marketing way of admonition Thanks keep it up.
Hi Derrick,
I agree cause I,too,prefer doing business with someone I know and trust but writing is my toughest challenge. I need more than one hour just to write this short paragraph :).
Thanks,
Sri
[...] “Learn the Basics or You’ll be Chasing Your Tail Forever.” [...]
Great article. I tried internet marketing but got out of it because I wasn’t seeing results. I did not put in the work. You’re article has made me wan’t to give it another try. Thanks
Great article Derrick - tells us all what we already know, but try to deny, i.e. that we have to WORK at this to become successful! Back to the grindstone…. Mary.
my biggest problem is focusing. affiliate cash secrets is going to be my plan of action. every now & again, i seem to have those moments of sanity, because i did write down, word for word ACS from christine a few months ago. delivering on the promise is a web site given to me w/ my home based business. fixing to get a web hosting acct. w/ host gator, too.
ThankYou for the tips & plan for action
Sincerely,
Kari
Great Article Derrick you have hit the nail on the head. I have tryed everything spend over $5,000 dollars and still
have not been able to get a website online that looks good
I should took all of the money spend on all those ebooks an
software programs an hired me a webmaster to build me a site,I am dumb thinking some one was really going to show me what I have to do. I not it takes Work an a lot of it to
do the things I needed to complete.I am going back to the basic an learn what I need to know!
Hi Derric. Great article!!! I have a two quations.
Having a affiliate link why do i need domain name?
It would be very good to have a day by day plan.
Tanks Isaak.
That was a superb read…..
I concur. I am doing it. I make $95 on google adwords. I know plenty of folks who never made one dollar. In addition, I have a product ready to go. Reading your 4-step plan has helped me to reassess my plan and change a few things but I am moving ahead. Finally.
Thanks Derrick. You Rock.
Derrick,
Another great artticle packed with useful info.
The only question I had was, what the heck is
all of this stuff?:
It was very distracting, let’s eliminate that in the future please.
- Garrett
Well….what can I say, when once again Derrick you’ve hit the nail on the head! Staying focused can be very difficult, particularly if you’re constantly allowing yourself to be distracted, and side-tracked, by those tempting lures that lie in wait, cluttering up your inbox on a daily basis.
Thanks again for keeping me on track!
I do not object to work : cerebral or physical. I am 67 and trying to get my head round Internet Marketing.I agree that focus and direction are paramount. However, prolly like most of you, I lack a focussed direction. I know Adwords, Adsense, FFA’s, Safelists, Affiliate Links, Tiny Urls, Cloaked Links even HTML and MS Front page. But I do not know how to earn money. THIS is the end result, no?
Hello Derrick,
Thanks for being transparent with this article and I will definitely share this information. People need to know the truth and stop believing the “Hollywood” version that so many people put out on the net.
Hi Derrick
I am looking to get into internet marketing and I am willing to learn the basics, in fact i know i need to learn the basics.
I know that yu cost $37 per month and I am now willing to pay that and get rid of every other company who email me and pull me in every direction.
I need to learn how toput my writing into the market, I have four books and for the last 3 years i have written hundreds of articles which have gone out as a thought of the day. How can I use these and the new material I am writing all the time to amke money.
Do you offer support if i get stuck learning the basics. I really want to do this can you help me?
Regards
Carol
Hi Derrick after reading your article i am at least beginning to understand where to begin. Thanks for this by the way, At least i now no you are a genuine guy. I am going to have a go and see if i can learn all the things you mentionedin the article, it all still seems abit bewildering but maybe to just start at the ground floor and work up might actually work for me. Thanks again for your help. I won’t forget you if i ever make it to the top!
John….
Hello Derrick,
At least your email does not waffle on about useless things, thank you for that.
Now to the drawing board : -
1. Bravo, you mention that one has to have the basics - (a) a doman and hosting (unfortunately this is where I keep getting bogged down because it seems there is a never ending stream of “hidden costs” popping up left, right and center. (b)You mention that one has to learn how to use the following : HTML editor; autoresponder; integration of subscription form; FTP software; how to set up a “squeeze page”, and so on. I have used PayPal quite often to purchase articles online and found them excellent, so I really would prefer to use this instead of “clickbank” because when one reads some of clickbank’s conditions etc, I feel that it is (a) too complicated and (b) also more expensive (e.g., their cut is higher than PayPal) perhaps I have made a mistake reading this but Paypal is much easier to follow. Clickbank is full of wordy legal phrases that can riquoshet back in one’s face.
What is a “squeeze page”? Despite the fact that your information is amongst the best I have read yet, I think I would benefit more if direct examples such as -
“…in order to start, step 1 - write down (if you have an idea yourself) exactly what you want to tell people; step 2 - now that you’ve done that, ask yourself what it is you want others to do with that information, eg. purchase, donate, read, respond, etc., step 3 - I for instance would like to have a website which consists of approx.2pp long info, which provides a “counter” at the bottom; shows people that you prefer PayPal; provide a “click here” to contact me via email. I really don’t care to waste a lot of time introducing myself with a lot of subjective material in order to create some sort of sympathetic emotion, other than genuine interest in the subject matter of the letter presented. Reason being, I believe in being honest at all times and revealling that I am either married or not, have children or not, should not be an issue, in fact. I prefer that to be kept confidentially by me. Now to that question again, “What is a squeeze page, and how does noe use it?”
Am I the only one that feels the way I do above?
Erica
Hello Derrick,
I have another question, perhaps someone else may be able to answer me:
Does one absolutely need a website or domain? Isn’t it possible to just use an email in which one says whatever you want to say?
This is a genuine question and not meant to be funny.
My email is and any comments by other “beginners” are welcome.
Thank you
Erica
Hello Derrick,
I have another question, perhaps someone else may be able to answer me:
Does one absolutely need a website or domain? Isn’t it possible to just use an email in which one says whatever you want to say?
This is a genuine question and not meant to be funny.
My email is (if I am permitted to say paulitza at hotmail )and any comments by other “beginners” are welcome.
Thank you
Erica
Back to the basics: Being a ‘brick and mortar’ guy all my life I sort of came into this online marketing world this year thinking Wow look at all the opportunity. Well, guess what, there is!
And like anything thats a success it takes the basics, and Derrick you know what it takes. A plan and then ‘execution’ and thats where most fall short. No instant gratification.
Great article and thanks for putting things in perspective.
victor
I do not have any personal website. I have about four affiliate website and have not make any money from any of them.
What do you reccommend I do?
Thanks for your article “Learn the Basics of You’ll Be Chasing Your Tail Forever” I have always believe that learning is the key to any kind of success. I have downloaded many tutorials including some of yours. Your article just send it home in a special,dynamic and awakening way.
Thanks again,
Orlando
Hi,
I totally agree about “putting in the work”.
However, putting in the work guarantees nothing.
You say you spent 200 hours before you made any money.
To my way of mathematical calculation, that is less than 5 weeks.
I’ve been putting in 12 - 16 hours a day - 7 days a week for nearly 3 YEARS and I still only make sales of about $20 a month and, consequently lose over $300 a month.
I use NVU as a website builder. I have Miocrosoft Front Page but only an IT genius could ever use it - like Wordpress.
You say
1. Get a list of leads in a target market
2. Sell a product that the market wants
3. Follow up with related products and services
This is all well and good - but you have them in the wrong order. You have to sell a product first. THEN you have a slim chance of that person signing up to your list.
Personally, I’ve not had one singe person ever sign up to my list from a download page after a sale.
As for things going ‘viral’ - that old myth.
I’ve given away over 6,000 e-Books with my site link and Clickbank links.
NO sales from the site NO Clickbank affiliate sales.
I know that, today there are thousands of e-Books on the market. The slight problem is that none of them teach you anything. They are mostly hype and what isn’t hype is just blatant lies.
I have yet to find an e-Book worth reading.
How anybody could learn Photoshop, Frontpage, Word, WSFTP, Perl, Javascript and PHP in 5 weeks is beyond me. The equivalent of at least 2 x 4 year University Degrees in less than 5 weeks - how clever you are!
All in all nothing changes - the hype merchants and coonfidence tricksters get rich - the plebians get poorer.
The whole reason for Internet Marketing. The strong can feed off the weak.
Sad, isn’t it?
Hi Derrick,
Your email received today titled… “Re:-the 4 week training program.” with the links to your valuable content which I’ve read with total appreciation.
I have for many years nursed a desire to pursue IM (I come from a successful marketing career in the bricks & mortar world)and early this year I commenced researching to gain an appreciation of what may be required to successfully launch this new endeavour.
I’m blessed in that I have a “marketing mind & eye” so this spared me from being substantially mislead & frustrated by the sheer volume of information & claims (instant riches for nil effort etc.) Whilst I’ve had to sort through a huge amount of data,I’ve managed to access valuable info.along my journey.
I now know I’m further blessed in finding you & your resources.I feel confident that you provide my final link to commencing a successful IM career. I wish to “sit at your knee” and be a diligent deciple.
Thank You,
Doug.
Hi Derrick,
I like “sad isn’t it?” Have been trying to get going in marketing and have had similar results to him. I have to date spent $30,000.00 and I don’t get bored and flit from one product to another, however most “sharp” operators know that by promising to lead you by the hand and take you step by step that unknowing people will actually believe them and try to get the knowledge they need.
The last “program” I’ve bought is definitely the last as if it doesn’t deliver on it’s promises I’ll be bankrupt.the other problem is there’s no more to pay. Well is the good fairy going to pay the hosting, the domain name, the autoresponder et al? I think not so this has also taken a sizeable chunk of my cash, and you just have to go yo seminars and mix with the gurus and learn and be noticed get JV’s etc etc etc, who is going to pay my airfare from Australia and give me socializing money so I can do just that? It was a seminar that got me into this situation in the first place. The Fox Terrier in me has a hold of I/T marketing trouser leg so I’m not giving up until my last dollar is gone. Oh! by the way I put in about 40 hours a week as I have a full time business to run, am a mother and grandmother as well as a wife so have to fit all these events as well as normal household duties in to any given week, I’m 65 years old and most 30 year olds would give up when faced with my challenges but I know it’s goin to come to me one day and I wont have to live on an Australian pension of $248.00 per week. Just above the poverty line.
I have followed your work with interest and wish I had gotten into your program when I first noticed it but I can’t take back what I’ve done so have to press on with more resolve than ever. The stupid thing is what turned me off reading your email originally was all the computer bits throughout it, I found them totally distracting and any emails I get with those in I just delete.
Much gratitude for allowing me to have my say.
Maureen
Hi Derrick,
I love this article because it is straight forward and it is what many people don’t like to hear. Because with all that
hype advertising making the internet marketing business as an money printing machine overnight.
I have my off line business and know what it means to have a business. No business is easy. It doesn’t matter if it is off line or online. You have to work. The only difference is that you work more on a desk and work more with your head.
But at the end you wore off your back from hours and hours sitting. Without the right mindset it is almost impossible to keep going. If you don’t have the right mindset you will get frustrated very soon.
I have worked my tail off in the off line business over 30 nears now and I never got tired. Now I do this online as a part time business and I really like it.
You know Derrick if you are not with a certain passion for what you are doing there is no way succeed.
The moment I really got more into the basics and started doing thinks step by step by myself it got better results.
But you have to stick to it and work on a daily basis. Everything that has to do something with computer it takes a lot of practice otherwise you forget a lot of stuff very easy.
I enjoy your articles and love your affiliate program.
Anton
Hi,
This article and the comments are really down to earth and shows the reality of life. Nothing good comes easy. The problem with internet marketing is that a lot of people are not teaching newbies the basic stuff but want to get as much money as they can get by giving information piece-meal. As someone wrote I am going to get rid of all the junks gathered before and start learning from you. Thanks so much. Mayowa.