One of the main reasons, is that there are just so many Affiliate programs, Associate programs, MLM's, and Dealer ship programs, being touted everywhere you look, it is next to impossible to find a program that can actually produce what it's promoters say it will.

There seems to be little protection in place from dishonest promoters and con men. That is not to say all of the programs available are dishonest. There are hundreds if not thousands of very viable programs available. The problem that we face is sorting the wheat from the chaff.

The tendency seems to be, even with the legitimate programs, to stretch the truth in the effort to get you to sign-up in their program.

The proof is in the pudding. What is the first thing that happens when you join one of these programs? They send you to a site filled with promotional tools. There you find letters to send out and ads to post telling the recipients how great the program is and how much money your making. When in reality you haven't made a cent.

What induced you to join that program in the first place. You read one of the same e-mail's you just finished sending or one of those ads you just posted to 10,000 FFA sites. Telling you how easy it is to get in and begin making money. How much money is being made and how it's the only program making real money on the internet.

While in reality that e-mail or classified was from someone just like you that read the same ad or e-mail. None of whom has actually made a dime with the program.

You'll hear phrases like, "the best system for building profit" "automatic business building system" or "Make thousands from the comfort of your living room"

The above scenario is being repeated over and over ever minute on the Internet.

OK!!! Am I saying there is no money to be made on the internet?

Absolutely not!!

I'm saying that if your intent is to build an Internet business you will need to go about it the same way you would any other enterprise.

The only real difference is location, dress, and accessibility to millions of customers. What is he saying?, your asking yourself. Everything we have been told tells us that having an on-line business is an effortless mindless way to become rich over-night.

In reality if you look past all the hype and grandiose projections, operating an Internet business takes just as much time and effort as any off-line business. That is, if you want it to be successful.

So what's all the commotion about? That's where the location, dress, and accessibility to millions of customers comes into play.

Operating an Internet business allows you the comfort and convenience of doing business from whatever location you choose, and in whatever mode of dress you choose. The crowning jewel though, is that it gives you unlimited access to a customer base of hundreds of millions all over the world. Tell me any off-line business that can claim the same.

OK, OK, So tell us who's making the money and how they're doing it!

There are those out sitting by their pool or on a beach in the Bahama's with their lap top, running very successful on-line businesses.

How are they doing it, and what do they know that we don't? It's no big secret, the tools for success online have been around much longer than the Internet itself.

The first thing they did was to put on blinders when it comes to all the hype! They are smart enough to realize that it will take just as much effort and time to build an online business as it does an off-line business.

YES, there are many advantages and conveniences to working online, though proper work ethic still needs to be maintained! There are no MAGIC FORMULAS! There is no SECRET! Instant SUCCESS! is 1 in a billion.

Hear is what those successful on-line marketers are doing.

They have a viable PRODUCT and the business structure in place to accept orders and deliver that product.

Do you recognize that? Just like any other business right?

They have a reputation of honesty and integrity. Their product is something in demand or a demand can be created. They make themselves approachable for customers by making their Company name, address, phone number, e-mail address and all other pertinent information available to any and all that want it.

They don't try to trick customers into their websites. They use the same ethical methods that are used in any conventional successful business.

They have put in the work involved to make their business VISIBLE to the internet community. They have an easily navigable website that makes purchasing as easy and pain less as possible.

Their site is not cluttered with banners and buttons that make the load time like a wait at the DMV. They don't hide their product behind 50k of clutter. They let the customer know up front what they have for sale. They have a Q&A page to answer as many of the customers questions as possible. They make checking out as easy, secure and convenient as the current technology will allow.

Driving traffic to a website that is overly slow in loading, cluttered, screaming in neon colors or blasting the current rap music, is like taking a bus load of professional gamblers to church bingo game. They won't stay long.

Marketing their site is what takes up 90% of the successful on-line merchants time.

Marketing a website can be a very tricky business. Success depends on a great deal of variables. The end result of your marketing efforts should be to drive an unending stream of traffic to your website.

Marketing takes on a number of different forms.

1. Creating a user friendly environment, as discussed above.

2. Configuring your site to be user friendly in all browser environments.

3. Placing the proper META Tags for optimum search engine placement.

4. Ongoing and timely submission to those search engines.

5. Placing advertising in the appropriate places around the Internet.

6. Banner design for banner swaps.

7. Designing a vehicle for maintaining contact with your site visitors and customers.

8. Establishing a method of tracking your site visitors.

How they accessed your site How long did they stay What browser did they use What plugins did they have 9. Establishing ongoing relationships with other websites.

10. Follow-up all e-mail, form submissions and input from site visitors within 24 hours.

11. GIVING VISITORS A REASON TO VISIT YOUR SITE!

15. And that could be repeated on into infinity!!!

The how's, why's, and what's, on doing all of the above will be found in the Opportunity Update International business and marketing review. You may already be a subscriber to this innovative and progressive publication. If not I urge you to subscribe TODAY.

Also, do you have a program with a down line or upline? What better way to offer them help with their program than sending them to the subscription site for their own subscription.

Or consider offering your site visitors the opportunity to subscribe to the Opportunity Update directly from your website.

"Your Success Is Our Success"

About the Author:
[ jim Peters is Manager of NSI "SOLUTIONS". NSI specializes in custom website design,promotion, maintenance, domain registration ,site hosting ,site and graphic design, as well as e-commerce packages for small to medium sized companies. In other words "SOLUTIONS".]

online business