Internet Marketing 2009 – Starting an Online Business

Internet Marketing 2009 – Starting an Online Business

Internet marketing has grown exponentially since it’s inception in 1994, as more and more people around the world start an online business either to earn some extra cash or to become work-at-home entrepreneurs to escape the rigors, stress and limitations of corporate existence.
And as 2009 dawns, the prospects for making money online through Internet marketing have never been brighter. While much of the offline world languishes through the Great Recession, those doing business online will still see growth this year with more people making money online through Internet marketing than ever before!
In terms of starting a business online, your first choice has to be what area of Internet marketing you want to begin with. For all intents and purposes, their are three different main categories to consider…
The easiest, and usually quickest way to start making money online is Affiliate marketing. This is usually the first step for Internet marketing since you don’t need your own products, can get started with a very low investment, and can often start bringing in the first profits in a relatively short time. To start affiliate marketing, a blog, an autoresponder and a method to collect opt-in subscribers is usually all that’s required at first.
Next up is mainstream Internet marketing, which is best described as teaching people to market online, and selling them the tools and resources to accomplish this. But be warned – this is probably the most competitive area of doing business online, and you’re competing directly with people who are expert marketers both online and offline.
Starting an Internet marketing business requires expertise – either your own or some purchased – such as products with resell rights or materials you outsource (have ghostwritten for you). And again, you’ll need a blog, an autoresponder to send out your e-zine and e-courses, and at least one, though probably many, websites.
The third option, Niche marketing, is usually the next step for those starting out with affiliate marketing, but you can choose to start off with it too. Niche marketing refers to specializing in products – tangible goods or digital downloads – that appeal to people in one specific niche, or area of interest. Popular niches to market to include travel, pets, health & fitness, kids, music, sports, etc.
If you have a hobby or passtime you love, chances are you’ll stay more interested and motivated with your niche marketing than if you pick a field you know little about or have no great interest in. Again you can create or purchase your products to sell online, and the main tools to start out with are the same – your blog and autoresponder, plus a site or salespage and lead-capture pages.
Take a bit of time to research each of the three areas, then decide on your initial area of focus and jump right in. There are a great number of us earning a comfortable living online through Internet marketing, and our ranks are growing daily… Shouldn’t YOU be pursuing your dreams and working toward YOUR dream lifestyle too?