59 Internet Marketing Life Lessons For Success, Fun & Profit
I have been doing Internet marketing for just over 7 years, I have created a lot of websites and learned a lot of lessons. Today I’d like to share some of the lessons I have learned along the way.
These ‘lessons’ may not be politically correct. They also may not work for everyone but I have found that they work for me.
Some of these points will contradict each other, that is life and that is business.
Of course I’d love to hear about your lessons and of course whether you agree or not with my lessons in the comments below.
- Be ethical.
- Exceptional Products can sell themselves – but it is not the rule.
- Don’t stress, tomorrow it won’t matter.
- Success is more important than money.
- Money is a bi-product of success and a great way to see how successful you are. Money in the bank is the Report Card.
- You can’t outsource passion.
- You can’t do everything yourself, delegate anything someone else can do.
- Grow quick, invest everything you can.
- Cease and desist letters deserve to be ignored. (Not)
- Cease and desist letters should always be answered.
- The truth isn’t slander.
- The best competition is your own competition (example: Retireat21).
- Spend outside your means, you will have to work harder, make more money and become more successful.
- Mac beat Windows.
- Two screens are better than one.
- Have a reason why.
- Write to do lists, lot’s of them!
- If you can’t do, don’t teach.
- Surround yourself with great people.
- If you want something from someone, do something for them first.
- Network at events.
- Don’t speak business at the bar.
- Good people will support you because of who you are and what you represent, not because of what you can do for them.
- Stay healthy, eat well.
- Your lifestyle heavily effects your businesses performance.
- Invest in your happiness.
- Forgive, forget, move on.
- People who rip you off, never amount to anything.
- Build something people will always remember.
- Credit for what you have done, isn’t important.
- Ego should come after you become successful and even then, it’s not recommended.
- You don’t know everything, learn.
- Have business partners, success comes quicker.
- When going into business with someone, create a long term agreement.
- If something is working, keep doing it.
- Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket.
- One massive thing is better than 10 small.
- Have an exit strategy, always be working towards something.
- Success often comes to those who don’t give up.
- Some people can’t be helped, don’t try.
- You can’t help everyone.
- Critics are never remembered, don’t worry about them.
- Do something for someone, not just so that you can say you did something but because you genuinely want to help them.
- Always negotiate.
- Ask and you will receive.
- What you focus on is what you get.
- Use the best designers and programmers.
- What you pay for, is what you get!!
- Some of your worst ideas are the most loved.
- The most successful people wear sandals and shorts.
- Complaining about people is time wasted.
- People who copy you, like what your doing. (or they are greedy).
- If your angry with someone, sleep on it first, before you reply.
- Telling people your idea will make it a lot more likely you won’t go ahead and do it.
- Entrepreneurs struggle to sleep, imagine walking into your dream house.
- Momentum is hugely important.
- Disappear for a while and people will quickly forget you.
- Whatever you do, for some people, it won’t be good enough.
- Give credit, where credit is due: Dad, Yanik Silver, James Schramko, Craig Ballantyne, Gideon Shalwick, Andy Miller, Clive Cable, Ryan Lee, James Deer, James Dyson, Josh Bartlett, Alex Jefferys, Dan Richards, Yaro Starak, Ryan Deiss, Perry Belcher, Brian Moran, Clement Yeung, Alex “Cool Guy” Maroko, David Sinik, Syed Balkhi, Rachna, Yanik’s Mastermind, His Underground Seminar Attendees and anyone else that has influenced my business in the past! Thank you guys.
About Michael Dunlop
I'm Michael, I created this site back in 2009 and since then it's received over a million visitors from all around the world. We offer tutorials and inspiration for online entrepreneurs wanting to achieve more.
50 comments so far… Leave a reply
Rachna
Loved the post Michael!
Michael Dunlop
Oh and how could I forget Rachna ;-) big time inspiration from when I first started! Love what your doing and hope your family are well.
Amit
Great list Michael! Thanks for the great post..
incomediva
GREAT POST WITH GREAT TIPS YOU'VE LEARNT . I WOULD CERTAINLY LEARN TO KEEP THEM IN MIND AND IMPLIMENT APPRECIATE THEM
Onibalusi Bamidele
Thanks a lot for the great article Michael! I love lesson number 4 about success more important than money. A lot of people define success by how much they have and they start to feel depressed when their money begins to go down - I use my happiness as a measure of success than my money, and I've been able to achieve more just by doing that. Aha, concerning the Mac beat Windows, I'm still a Windows user but I might get a Mac soon :). I'm also learning to negotiate as time goes by (after reading "The Money Secret" by Rob Parsons) and I'm starting to see that every little money saved could make a difference - if only I knew that when I started! And your point about successful people wearing sandals and shorts is really, really funny :)
Joshua Zamora
Great list Michael! Thank you for updating my facebook status for the next 59 days LMAO!! Should rename this post 59 Free facebook status updates about success! Can't teach passion!! Love it!
Haru
wow! superb list! some of them i have applied.. great job dude :)
Marian
Thanks Michael for sharing your lessons! It really helps.
Daniel keith stewart
great post michael,really valuable stuff :) would love to get you on an interview of mine in the next coming months if you have some spare time,im looking to follow in the footsteps of aaron darko but im struggling with traffic..any advice bro?
Erich Senft, CTA
Great list, Michael. I have found that being ethical is the number one item on my list ESPECIALLY if you are in an industry that has the potential to influence someone's net worth. Also, speak wisely...words have tremendous power. :) Erich
Rex
Awesome Post Michael.....got answers to some of my Questions...... Thanks.
Muhammad Noer
I love number 6. You can’t outsource passion. Passion make you keep doing the hard work and love it.
Trung Nguyen
59 lessons in 7 years? That is great experience of a success blogger, I love #4 point like Onibalusi. The success of an Internet marketer not only in money, I think, first of all, the success of the internet marketer is the method of conveying impressive or not.
Jeremiah
Great rules! I do have to disagree with with#13. spend beyond your means. This can be dangerous for a lot of people. I think there are better motivators for making more money than getting yourself into a pinch :-) I'm going to print these out and post them by my desk! Thanks! Jeremiah Http://www.Facebook.com/howigotabs - how to "really get six pack abs"
Michael Dunlop
Hello Jeremiah, Funny that you say you don't like 13, that's my favorite and most powerful. If I didn't spend so much money I really wouldn't have to work, so my business won't become bigger which would bring me more success. It works for me but obviously not recommended if you don't yet know how making money online works. Mike
Aman
Hi Mike, Well said!. I believe sometimes in work life we all want to take a risk when you are confident to work hard towards your aim. Aman
Zoe
That advice you have given is really good... everytime i come here i always get really good motivation and inspiration!! Well done
ZPtsotetsi
Super list Michael! I can personally agree with you on number 4.Success is more important than money and 7. You can’t do everything yourself, delegate anything someone else can do. Anyone that starts blogging or Business with the main aim in mind which is money, almost 99.9% of them fail. Why, because if things start getting tough or not going their way they turn to give up and run. When it comes to point 7, my example will be the largest corporate or the fortune 500 companies, all were started small, but delegations has lead those company to greater heights. Cheers and thanks ZPTsotetsi.COM
Bogati
Thanks Michael for the GREAT list of the life lessons for the marketing.
Rael
Great post Michael cheers :)
Shaun L
Nice list, my faves are: 3. Don't stress, tomorrow it won't matter. And 40. Some people can't be helped, don't try. #3 because even when some thing feels like a big stress one day, sleep on it and it'll won't seem as much a big deal the next day. I've learnt to tell myself that "tomorrow this won't matter", it really does help you cope with the stress at the time by putting things into prespective. #40 because i've had experience with this myself. You can hand people opportunities on a plate, but unless they are willing and motivated to move their life forward it will be for nothing. Don't waste your effort on people who don't make an effort for themselves.
Shelly
This is a great list. Most of these are in the back of my mind every day, at some point. The one(s) that stand out for me are the ones concerning ignoring or responding to "cease and desist" letters. From personal experience, these are not to be ignored. Respond ASAP. Get a lawyer ASAP. Those letters spell lawsuit if you ignore them. My two cents, for what it's worth.
Jeremiah
Hello Michael, Yes, if you have a good idea that spending money on your business is going to make you more money I agree to spend more money, but I remember a technique used by sales managers where they would suggest their sales people go out and buy nice cars, buy big homes that cost more than they could afford so that they would cold call harder, try to sell harder and make money to keep up with their lifestyle. This turned out to be very bad for a lot of people. They ended up not being able to make enough $$ to keep up. If you are making money and you have systems in place and you know that tomorrow you are going to make more money, then spending beyond your means is not that risky. I can see how spending beyond your means can be a motivator for some,but unless you have a system in place for consistently making you money it can be risky. When you say spend beyond your means do you mean in your personal life on personal things or on business things. I'm curious as to how you spend more to get more motivation to earn more. Thanks Michael! Jeremiah
Michael Dunlop
Hello Again, I completly see your point and understand what your talking about. I like to know people who work with and for me are short on cash because then they will work harder and keep working harder. As for myself, I know if I'm paying a lot of money to rent my house, a car, employees, eating out a lot, shopping, developmenet work etc etc. Then I know I have to pay for it, there is no doubt in my mind that I will not make enough money. This is how it started: I made $21,000 selling a site. Moved away from home Spending a lot monthly on expenses so I had to make more. I started blogging more. Started Popup Domination Made enough money to start saving. Then I got board and had to much money so stopped working. So... I started investing more, spending more on stuff, bought a new car, rented a bigger house. Then I had to work harder, now blog traffic has doubled and Popup Domination conversions have as well. Now I feel lazy again, so spending more money. Does that even make any sense? Let me know. Michael
Michael Dunlop
Of course, from all of this, my success has gone through the roof. If I stayed living at home, playing xbox a lot, it would be safe to say, I wouldn't of done most of this.
Fisayo @ Secrets of Entrepreneurship
Great list. Thanks Mike.
Jeremiah
Hello Michael, Yes, this does make sense! Fear of loss is a powerful motivator, if not the most powerful. It pushes us to get stuff done. Some people are motivated in the way you described, while some people just seem to be born with a strong "want" to keep succeeding, succeeding and keep on going, like they can't settle very well. I am more in your boat in the sense that I am not overly driven by making money, up to a certain point I am, but then comfort can kick in and you don't want to push as hard as you could. Personally, I set tangible goals, like things I want to buy with money and it pushes me to go out and get it. I am too much of a chicken to spend beyond my means as a means to motivate myself to work harder and earn more, LOL ahaha. Each person has different motivators that work for them. I agree with you though, in my marketing efforts if I say how to stop bleeding $50,000 in your business this year versus how to make $50,000 more in your business this year, the first message almost always out performs. Fear of loss is a pretty powerful motivator :-) Jeremiah
Rob King
Great Blog post Mike Glad I saw this post and sucks I missed you at Bedros's mastermind. Next time! All the best. Rob http://www.RobKingFitness.com
Jens Dalsgaard
Nice list. I do nor agree with all your bullets, but that is beside the point, as the list starts a new flow of toughts.
Ashley Porter
Like your list Michael...I can definitely relate to many of them...
Nick
I'd like to hear more about those cease and desist letters ;).
tony bordonaro
of course....great tips ...
Faruk
Michael's list is very very essential for online earning world & It is very useful for me.Thanks.
Sonia
Michael, Your list is well prepared. I can identify with a whole bunch of it. Definitely an eye opener and a library of reminders. Thanks for sharing this valuable list.
Jamie Hudson
Wow Michael, incredible list. Must have taken a lot thought. Will have to try and keep this stuff in mind. I've been in the Internet Marketing game since I was 12 years old. Started 4 years earlier than you if I'm correct. Tried just about everything, seriously. Network marketing, Affiliate marketing, CPA, blogging and just about everything else. Right now I just turned 16. You and a couple of other guys inspired me to start a blog just like this. A blog to voice my opinions, build an IM email list and a blog to sell shit with. Would love to get into contact with you, skype or something? We're both English and I think we'd both benefit from a chat. Thanks for all you do. - Jamie
Millionaire Acts
Hi Michael, I am one of the early readers of your blog before at RetireAt21.com. I can clearly remember that your "top lists" are my favorite posts because it shows comparison. It's good to be back here in your new website and it's nice to see you're doing better with affiliate marketing. I've experimented only once on affiliate marketing before and I found a huge success on it simply because one my sites topped on Google before where in it attracted thousands of visitors, thus generating sales on my affiliate product. With my two years in experience in blogging about personal finance and investments, I have built an authority. In fact, I was featured already in magazine and newspaper. The question I want to throw with you is that most of my visitors came from my own country, Philippines. I've been seeing continuous decline in my traffic for the last few months, which of course affects my earnings. I've been monetizing my personal brand site solely for adsense and sometimes from several direct link buyers. I want to seek your advice on how to better monetize my blog given the fact that most of my visitors are locals here, who are seeking financial advise on business and investments to help them better achieve financial freedom. Your reply is greatly appreciated.
Paul
Mike - Loved the article and the comments. Do you have any plans to hit any seminars this year like Blog World or Yanik Silvers underground if he does it?
Shin
Great list! I like number #50. I wear sandals and shorts!
Francisco noperi
Nice, post. i'm gonna have to disagree with 14, with mac beats windows. there's pros and cons between these two, it depends how your gonna use it. i'm a gamer, and i much prefer windows over mac, for customization, upgrading graphics card, and building my own pc. also most of the games, accessories, mp3 are mostly windows supported.
Russell Handy
Hi Michael, How are you, I love the list, thanks for giving out these great tips ! I would like to pass on my favorite quote to you and your subscribers. If opportunity doesn't knock, then build a door. Milton Berle Thanks again, Russell Handy Jr. CEO & Publisher of NextStopIncome.com Magazine - The Magazine for Internet Entrepreneurs
Jose
Great list! I can identify with #5 and I too like number #50. I wear sandals and shorts!
Gary
Hi Michael, Nice list. Excellent post for grabbing easy traffic. You know what would be great is a post on how you went about grabbing traffic when you were starting out. I know you've done various posts on traffic driving tips but what about your own experience back during the first few months of Retireat21 and IncomeDiary. I've written an article myself but I am not quite getting the traffic you see so your article would reach a wider audience. Gary
fazal mayar
this is exactly what I want to hear and read. I will be glad to make such a list when im gonna be successful Micheal, thanks.
Tim
Cool, brilliant inspiration love it!
Winlsow
Great post. Michael.....my first reply and i will print this to continue to remind myself =]
Fahim
Well Michael, its been great to have post like this ....thanks....I have been with your writings almost 4-5 months and this is my first writing...no doubt u have nagic in ur posts....keep posting !!!
Chukwuka Okwukwe Chukwuka
Good 59 tips. Btw, what do you mean by: "#9 - Cease and desist letters deserve to be ignored. (Not) " "You can’t do everything yourself, delegate anything someone else can do." What kind of jobs can I outsource on a blog?
Andrew @ Blogging Guide
Your 59 internet marketing lesson are truly amazing... internet marketing has been my main source of living for a long and who would thought that despite the income I am earning it is also my way of helping other people through sharing my thoughts and ideas.
Eric Burnett
This is a real Informative blog post, you have alot of great tips that will help anyone in Internet Marketing and life lessons for success, fun & profit. I really got alot out of this post. Thanks for Sharing
chetan
hello Michael and all your group thank you so much for sharing your experience . Thanks Michael
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