Five Reasons Why You Still Aren’t Making Money Online

One of the most misconceived and annoying views people have on online/affiliate marketers, is that you are doing something illegal to make money… or simply that you make money so easily. In truth, it’s anything but. There is no other industry where a teenage kid, out of his room can make thousands of dollars per day. This is the magic of online marketing and when the dedication and effort is put forth, the dreams of financial stability can come true. Unfortunately, no matter how long we continue to make money and share our stories, there are still those who aren’t willing to take the next step to “try” and start making money online.

Over the years I have heard a lot of excuses why others have not tried making money online. I listed them below and my reasons why they should not be excuses at all, but instead motivation.

I Don’t Have Any Money
– When I first started making money online in my mid teens, everything I did was without advertising costs. At this point I was still learning everything and affiliate marketing was very new. I started building up my own sites (used free web software), hosted them on free AOL pages, getting them listed in search engines (free listings), link trading with other sites and building up mail lists (free mailing list hosting). It wasn’t till a year or two after that I actually started to spend money on growing my sites and my finally getting my own shared/dedicated hosting. One the small amount of money came in, I was able to save up and it was soon an overflow of monthly revenue, increasing each money. If not having money to spend on advertising is your main, this is one of the last reasons and most critical reason why you should start making money online. (Granted, there is much more competition today than there was 10 years ago, but the opportunity to make money without putting a lot of money up front still exists.)

I Don’t Have the Time
– Everyone’s time is valuable, which makes working for yourself that much more important. It’s understandable that you already have a job and have other errands and tasks to take care of. However, if you can take a few hours a week to start learning about making money online and how you can build something small and grow it over time, you will free up that much more time in your life later on. Think of your time as an investment.

I Know Nothing About Online Marketing
– The best part about the online marketing community, is how much everyone is open to sharing ideas and helping others out. There are thousands of great blogs out there which provide detailed information on all marketing types. Whether you are looking to make money with blogging, ppc marketing or building up your own site. The information is out there, and best if all it’s free.

Everything Has Already Been Done
– As much as it may seem that every niche is saturated and there aren’t any ways to make money online… it’s the complete opposite. To think there aren’t any new methods to make money online is just ridiculous. Millions of new ideas and marketing efforts are created every day, it’s just a matter of pushing them and making it work. Just think about social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace… they were even around too long ago and they are massively huge now. What’s the next big (or small) idea that no one has grasped onto yet?

I’m Not Business / Entrepreneurial Material
– The last point and usually most discouraging is, how many people simply feel they do not have what it takes succeed in a business environment. I’ll be the first to tell you, it does take a certain type of mindset to successful run a business and succeed more than others. However, how many people out there hate their every day jobs and are barely making enough for everyday life. The big question to ask yourself is, would you rather continue hating your job and working for someone else, or learn what it takes for work for yourself and potentially greatly improve your lifestyle.

What everyone needs to realize is making money online is not an over night success. How many years did you go to school, then on to college? How much of an investment did you spend on college before moving on to your job? The ability to make money online is no different, the time and effort must be there.

So what’s your excuse?

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32 Comments

  2. In all fairness about #1, there's much more competition these days so having some disposable money can make the process that much easier.

    Oh shit, I've gone ahead and did it. I replied with an excuse to a post about stoppping to use excuses!

  3. <a class="replyTo" href="#comment-96405" rel="nofollow">@Wesley:

    Good point, and no doubt about it Wesley, the competition is a million times more than it was 10 years ago, but in all fairness, so are the opportunities to make money. It wasn't so much a point to say it's easy, but the possibility it there to start without putting any money up front.

  4. I've purchased email autoresponders, domain names, hosting plans, membership software. I have multiple products online, a membership site for guitar lessons, blog regularly, have some affiliate products and have thousands of people in my email lists. I'm taking massive action. But the sales are still dismal. So even though I have the persistence and focus I need to figure out how to convert the prospects. So as much as possible I need help getting to that next level. Any comments will be appreciated.

  6. Good post,

    I find it good to read these sort of 'excuse' posts because this time 5-6 months ago I was one of the people making them 😛 Since actually putting in the work I would never look back and even if you make a loss in affiliate marketing you learn so quickly the money is irrelevant.

    I can understand the time factor being a pain, I have a full time job aswell as working online when ever I get a chance but I wouldn't have it any other way. Other than taking my full time job out of the equation 😛

  7. Nice list Zac

    Question for ya – when are you releasing your winner for the ML contest?

  8. Hey Zac, great list. The excuse – everything already done

    I would agree that practically everything already has been done. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean you can do something better. Humans are always about growth and change. We take something and make it better. Also, many of the best blogs out there are blogs on how to make money! That means there are an infinite amount niches to try and bring to the top.

    I'm blogging on personal development. It's been done, but I'm adding my own creativity and twist to it. Just as how one should make success of any blog.

    What do you think Zac? Would you agree?

  9. <a class="replyTo" href="#comment-96425" rel="nofollow">@Collin – Affiliate Marketing:

    Collin, MarketLeverage is working on that now. I assume the announcement will be this week some time.

  10. These are good responses to popular objections. Of course, it may be that some people are just being realistic: they don't have what it takes to make money online. But I like your positive and motivating approach.

  12. The ability to make money online takes both time and effort and discipline and for sure positive approach. I think the most universal recipe of the pie.

  13. I think, I write then Do it. That's what people should know. If you want to talk to me make it one sentence long and do something so that i will believe what you say.

    No excuses.

  15. One of the biggest challenges is overcome technical challenges in getting things done. I know it because I'm serving exactly this market right now.

    Combine this to your list, suddenly there are enough excuses to procrastinate. People find it hard to believe that they have to work hard and expect overnight success. It takes the right mindset to be persistent and patient.

  16. Hey Zac, I think that all these points can be resumed in a single phrase: People is afraid to take actions.

    They have a limited mind and they are afraid to fail in their first try. Well, as you said, success is not an over night thing. Only persistence and lot of patience will lead you to succeed.

  17. Zac, you hit the nail right on the head on this one! If people are too pessimistic about making a real living online, then they will not truly earn a single dime. It's a matter of mindset, perseverance, and action that's needed to get things going. As Albert Einstein puts it:'Nothing changes, until something moves..'

    Also, if the internet marketing is not a true business, why are there so many people making six-figure income online? 🙂

  18. Great article Zac.I am also the person who feels i don't know how make money through this affiliates and all.

    I feel who will guy stuff through blogs.And also i wonder how people making money with those only.

  20. I'm guilty of one or two of the excuses as well, but yet my other excuse for not being able to make money online that you didn't list up there is basically, my blog is too new. too little traffic to get any kind of conversion, at least that's what i think.

    my goal of 09 is actually to make money online with my blog so I can prove to the non-believers around me that with hard work and effort you can actually succeed in things that others perceive to be impossible.

    your stories on your blog is inspirational to bloggers like me and im pretty sure others agree.

  21. Zac,

    I'm going to Affiliate Summit West 2009 to meet and learn from the pros like yourself. By the simple act of helping Shawn Collins with his microphone at BlogWorld Expo 2008, he gifted a Platinum Pass for me to Affiliate Summit West 2009!

    It is examples like this, of first doing something for the other person, before asking for anything.

    Making money on-line is a daunting task, just like any start-up enterprise, focus, attention to essential tasks and networking are key. Having an interesting elevator speech (90 seconds or less..) also improves the chances for success.

    All of the successful Affiliate Marketers I have met have had a mentor or two. Creating meaningful business relationships with a successful Affiliate Marketer enables a shorter time-frame for profitable web marketing.

    Thanks for a timely and motivating post. I look forward to meeting you again at Affiliate Summit West in Las Vegas.

    Respectfully,

    Nicholas Chase
    http://www.twitter.com/nachase

  22. There is only one thing holding people back from success and that is themselves. You can have the greatest idea of all time, but if you do not take action then that is all it will ever be… an idea. Lack of action is the missing ingredient to success….bottom line.

  23. True. There really is no reason most people can't get started, working on affiliate marketing or some other means of making money online. It's similar to many other things, like exercise. People know they should exercise. Exercise isn't rocket science. And it doesn't even require any money. But how many people out there don't get enough?

  24. My biggest excuse is focus. I'll put a campaign together and spend some decent time getting it launched. Then if it doesn't immediately provide a return, I move on. Instead I think I need to spend some more time tweaking and testing different things. I know my campaigns can make money I just need to stay with them a little longer.

  25. I can see how some might think they can't do it because of money, but I had no money either – that's where the credit card came in handy. Even without money or credit you can still start off small and work your way up – just don't expect to be successful over night.

  26. Good post Zac. I remember when you spoke at affiliate summit awhile back and how many hours you put into one of your sites. Your spent countless hours for a few years to make that happen. Dude it is no joke trying to make money online. But when the first sound of the cash register rings, you think to yourself " I'm free!!" . Then you just have to keep being persistent and keep repeating your task day in and out until the sound of that cash register numbs your ears.

  28. It's so easy to get stuck in excuses because you hear them around you everyday but when I just got tired of being sick and tired of my excuses, creation flowed, action was passion and it was just fun to contribute and see results.

  30. Great post Zac! I'm close to giving up but your post motivated me to continue and keep trying

  32. Nice post. I agree with all the reasons. I also think that people don't understand that the amount of work they put in at a job is a lot MORE than they would put in online. However, the idea of working online scares them. People need to understand the sheer potential of making money online. Failing is ok, but if you keep pushing, the money will start rolling in. It's awesome!!
    My recent post Turning a Cold Market Into a Warm Market To Increase Conversions

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