With so much variety in the marketing information on the Internet, it's difficult to separate fact from fantasy. Before you even start, you need to destroy five Internet marketing myths.

Myth 1: It all starts with a great web site.

If you owned a jewelry shop, visitors would immediately know what you're selling. They will either come in or not. An Internet business is totally different. The greatest website with the flashing colors and videos won't work if customers can't tell what you're selling within five seconds of entering your site. Content is the key.

Myth 2: More traffic equates to increased profits.

You can have a thousand visitors a day for a year. If nobody spends money, your profits won't increase. Naturally not everyone spends money on a first visit, but you want quality traffic; not just quantity. When you advertise, it's vital that you know your target market because then your conversion rate is much higher. Get feedback regarding your site. Is it clear to people who don't know you? If not, then you have more work to do.

Myth 3:  Do whatever it takes to build your list.

Having a large mailing list can be a very valuable asset to your business. However, the quality of names is more important than the quantity. If your list is mainly filled with people only interested in freebies and they never buy anything, then they're of less value to you. There's no point putting names on a list just to increase the size.

Myth 4:  Killer written content is the secret to sales.

This could be summarized in one sentence. Don't believe everything you read. Yes, there are loads of unbelievable claims out there about making great money doing this or that, and some of it is true. But a lot of it is also just plain hype for the suckers. You need to decide if you want to be the "slick used car salesman" that nobody trusts OR the honest business owner with integrity. If you don't have great writing skills, this is one area that can easily be outsourced. But integrity is the key.

Myth 5:  Just follow this perfect business plan and become rich.

The only "guaranteed way" to get rich is to scam other people. Assuming you're not someone like that, then you have to realize the only real way to grow a solid business is by building relationships with other people; customers and business people alike.

Knowing how to destroy these five Internet marketing myths puts you ahead of lots of others and will save you heartache down the road.

Tags: Internet Marketing, internet marketing myths, internet marketing tips, online marketing

posted by Chris Simpson