When it comes to succeeding online – whether that means starting your own online business, earning money as an affiliate, or something more, there is a world of confusion about what really works.

Create a content-rich site, some say. But that’s easier said than done.

Publish an ezine, say others. But what would you have to say?

Become a super affiliate we often hear. Again… HOW?

In the years I’ve been online I have been blessed to be able to learn what I needed to know to succeed online. Sometimes I learned from others examples. Sometimes I learned from watching others succeed online.

And sometimes I learned from painful (and costly) trial and error. Based on all of that, I’d like to share with you three keys that I believe can help you succeed this year, and beyond.

KNOW YOURSELF

The good thing about the Internet is that there are so many different ways to make money.

And the bad thing about the Internet is that there are so many different ways to make money.

So what’s a person to do?

Know yourself.

Respond to what feels right, what sounds right to you. Only do what makes sense to you.

If something you are considering does not yet make sense, learn more before spending your hard earned money.

Remember what you learned as a youth — if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

Nowhere is that more true than on the Internet, where scams and snake-oil salesmen abound.

So, how specifically does ‘knowing yourself’ help you succeed online?

Here is my best advice …

Give yourself time to find what fits YOU instead of trying to make yourself fit into any business or program.

If you are losing sleep over the ability to pay your bills and need some very fast money, you may be much better off getting a second job for a while than ‘starting an online business’.

I know — that’s not the advice you are used to hearing. But it’s the advice I would give my daughter.

If you can’t find a job in your physical location consider working for someone online in order to make fast money. You would be surprised how many successful online business people don’t have time to do what they know they should do.

• They should submit articles but they don’t because it takes too much time.

• They should set up a YouTube channel but don’t because they are busy with other matters.

• They know they should do more with social media but just don’t have the time.

There ARE situations where trading time for money makes very good sense – times where the efforts you make MUST bring a return or you will lose everything. In times like that risk is to be avoided. Doing what you know will bring in a return is the common sense choice.

This is exactly what I did when I was down to my last few dollars (literally). I wrote articles, sales letters, selling emails and more for whatever price I could get. If it put food on the table I would take the job. I wrote a 5000 word long sales letter once for about $100. We needed the $100 so I took the work.

You may be thinking “sounds good but I’m not a writer.” Don’t let that stop you. You have skills right now and the chances are there is a market for what you know or know how to do. Find that market and find the work if what you need is money this week.

A bird in the hand still beats two in the bush, and making any real money online when you are just starting out is hard. Very hard. Especially if you are in a situation where you can’t afford to spend time on advertising or other promotion methods. It’s a real catch 22 and sometimes working your way out is the best solution.

The truth you are not being told is that the “overnight success”stories are by FAR the exception… IF they are even telling the truth. Most “overnight successes” I know have been working at their trade for a long time before their name becomes “known”.

I’m betting you know these things “in your gut” so trust yourself when the voice in your head says “better think twice”.

Here’s another example…

If you are staying up until the wee hours of the morning viewing site after site that sound too good to be true then you are likely headed for trouble.

Someone is about to pick your pocket.

It might be with the promise of huge commissions or of doing all the work for you (why would they do that?) but one way or the other they are going to take your money.

When we are tired, frustrated and feeling a little desperate is the time when we make mistakes. We push on past logic and hope against hope that this site will be different. That this person might be your ticket out.

So be careful. Very careful.

GET OFF THE OPPORTUNITY TREADMILL

What does that mean? It means stop looking for the next big thing and start looking for the next real thing.

Specifically, if a business you are considering does not make sense to you but is asking you to ‘trust them’ please don’t.

Business online is just like business offline. Those who stick with things succeed. Those who jump around don’t. Those who invest time and money in things that seem right and have worked for others do well over time.

Nowhere is this more evident that in affiliate marketing.  I’ve read, but not confirmed, that the average person starting out in affiliate marketing stays with the program they choose for less than 90 days.

My friend, VERY few people succeed at anything new in less than 90 days … especially if they are doing that business part time. Are there exceptions? Sure. Will you be one of them? I hope so but it’s not something one can count on.

How about this alternative? Forget the word ‘opportunity’ for a moment and focus on the word ‘business.’

Here are a few clarifying questions that might help:

• Is the business you are considering delivering a real product?

• Does that product help people achieve meaningful goals?

• Do you understand how the business works?

• Have you succeeded with the system you intend to promote?

• Could you explain the business to your best friend and be comfortable?

• WOULD you share the business with your best friend and still be comfortable in the friendship?

If you answered yes to all of these questions you are in a great position for success. If not the odds of success become much lower.

FOCUS

We touched on this above but it is so important that I want to hover here for a moment more. In fact, I’ve written an entire article about focus you might enjoy.

You can read it here.

To succeed online,  (or offline for that matter) you will have to focus on one thing at a time.

• Focus your attention

• Focus your resources

• Focus your passion

• Focus your time

If you learn to focus your resources in this way on one thing and prove that it is for you (or that it is not for you) you will succeed online faster. Period. Far too many people have three blogs and four affiliate websites and are in a dozen affiliate programs and trying to do article marketing and setting up their Facebook page and trying to build their lists … all at the same time. It’s just not possible to do the work of five people alone. Something will have to give.

Must better to give the marketing method you truly believe in your whole-hearted efforts for 90 days and then know that you know you did your best.

One last word – the fact that something doesn’t work the first time does not mean that it will not work. Very few things you do well today were things you mastered your first time out.

• You had to learn to drive. Over time you became a good driver.

• You had to learn to parent. Over time you became an excellent parent.

• You had to learn your job. Over time you became an excellent employee.

It’s the same online. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of advertising where beginning advertisers wrongly think they can run one ad and have it succeed. Do some ads succeed on the first run? Sure. Can that be guaranteed? No way. If it could people like Donald Trump would buy up all the ad space and take their guaranteed profits to the bank.

Professional advertisers know that it takes testing – and patience – to make an ad campaign work.

If your first attempt at something fails, consider analyzing why and trying again before moving on to something else.

Use your focus to discover how to do better on the next try.

The list of people who failed on their first try and then went on to greatness is legion. If you have tried an online business and “failed” the odds are the business failed you much more than you failing it. Find something you believe in, make a strong commitment to learn what you need to know, give it time and I believe you will find the success you want and deserve.

And finding that is a beautiful thing indeed!