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I built my first website at 15 years old. I built my first website with the intention of making money at 16. Based on what I’m about to tell you, you could say it took me either 3 years to “make it online,” or 4. Three as at 18 my blog managed to get me a lucrative job in the internet marketing field or four as I managed to quit my job and start working for myself.
Either way, I am successful online but my success took a very long time. Time that has obviously taught me some lessons along the way. You can find people promising you overnight riches online or success in two weeks, but that’s not what you’ll read from me. I think these things are possible, but they’re the exception. They’re not easy to make happen. Instead, I believe that a genuine, ethical, liveable income can be generated online within 6-12 months. Perhaps more importantly is that I believe this online income can be achieved by someone of any experience, gender, or age. That means you.
Looking at my own learning curve, however, you could work out that it took me around 36-48 months to do what I have now proven I can do in 12. And, while I believe the learning curve is important, I still want to teach you all how to avoid the pitfalls and bad habits that I did on this journey so you don’t have to go through them yourself.
Got that? Awesome.
Focus On Something You Love
Sometimes I feel kind of obvious when writing blog posts as I have to give advice you’ve probably heard one hundred times before. Although that may be the case, I still feel it is very relevant to bring up this point. After all, it did save me a lot of time and that’s what I’m teaching you here.
The first website I ever built was about computer tips. Computers were something my younger, geeky-self was into at the time, so that’s what I decided to write about. I spent weeks working day and night on the website and absolutely loved it. I didn’t care that my time investment hadn’t made me a fair return. Instead, I was just enjoying the process of learning new things and talking about things on which I was knowledgeable.
My next website was about DJ’ing. At the time, I had owned turntables for 6 months and was improving my skills in the area. In the online space, MySpace were dominating with their idea for a social network online and were quickly becoming the website that everybody had to be a part of. Because of this, we decided to create a MySpace with a ‘DJ twist’ which we called: MyDJSpace.
This site was actually very successful: we quickly grew to 10,000 members, we ranked highly in Google for DJ related terms and we were even highlighted in the book DJ’ing for Dummies. I don’t work on the site now and I’ll spare you the long story of how that happened, but it is another example of a site that I loved working on and became successful.
After this however, I wanted money. I had worked hard for over a year and didn’t have much to show for it. I started returning to the webmaster forums where I used to spend so much time and see what worked for other people. I started about five websites that I quickly hated: a celebrity gossip blog and four proxies (?).
I made around $5,000 through my websites over the next year and over $20,000 through coaching about internet marketing. I was starting to get somewhere, but I really wasn’t enjoying what I did.
It took me a full three years to start another website that I actually passionately cared about (PluginID) and once again, the site turned out to become a massive success. Take something from the obvious fact that you should not only do what you love, but the three times I have, a lot of things have gone my way.
Do Not Stop
As I mentioned earlier, my belief is that to make a solid income online, you need to dedicate about 6-12 months in pursuit of the results you want. Things may happen earlier and some people may land on a goldmine, but generally, I think that is a good timeline to use. Because of this, you not only need to work on something you love in order to have the energy to keep going, but you also need to make sure you don’t stop once you get started.
Looking back, the amount of websites I have started and then gave up on is embarrassing. Thinking about all of the money I wasted on domains I let expire, scripts I didn’t use and work I hired for projects I no longer care about isn’t nice. But it did happen, and it happened a lot, so I want you to avoid it.
Can you promise me that?
Can you promise me that the next website you start or the one you care about most right now will get your consistent attention? Note how I don’t recommend you give all of your attention, just what is necessary for a long period of time. A lot of people will disagree with me here, but websites in pretty much any niche will make money. If you’re going to work hard on any site for at least 6 months, there will be the potential to make at least a few hundred dollars per month.
It may not allow you to quit your job, but now you have the foundations to take what you’ve learned and boost your income up to the next level. Do what you love, and don’t stop doing it.
Unless, of course, you have a genuine, no-bullshit excuse for quitting.
Ignore 99% Of People Who Make Money Online
It’s probably very stupid of me to say this as I’m a blogger who would like a bigger audience, but I am still referring to myself in this section title. For the most part, once you have your first website up and you’re starting to take action, ignore pretty much the entire internet marketing industry.
I do say most people here, and not everyone. If there are blogs like Problogger, Copyblogger or even this one which you find provide a lot of value you can’t miss (or can’t get elsewhere) then keep reading them. However, if you’re just reading and following instructions blindly for the sake of doing something, then please stop now.
The number one hindrance to my success online was constantly building new websites or trying new ideas I thought would make me money quicker than doing what I love. I was at the stage where I would constantly build new websites in industries that I knew were making money, rather than ones I cared about. To see how stupid this is, ask yourself whether you would keep quitting your job and moving to new industries because your friends get paid more money than you.
For me, of course, this is a total learning process, but it doesn’t have to be for you. I imagine that it is still very exciting to get into the internet marketing world now with thousands of people promising you easy success. I really don’t want to take that excitement away from you, but I do want you to be realistic. Let’s just put it like this: the numbers that get thrown around as figures you can make online are possible to make. The timescales in which these are promised are generally not.
Anyone that has built a website worth owning has created it in months or years. Not weeks. Only focus on things like my $1m case study if you’re actually trying your own methods to make money. Otherwise, you’re just a sheep like I was and I’ll congratulate you in three years.
Although I would love it to be one.
| If you’re looking for some of my personal recommendations for people to follow that are going to be much ‘bigger’ in the next year then I point you in the direction of: Adam, Adam, Sean, Bud, Nathalie, Pat, Ram, Jade and Ivan. |  |
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Hey man – I love the line “ignore 99% of the people who make money online”. That’s seriously the single best piece of advice I’ve read about internet marketing fullstop. I think for myself, there’s this compulsion to do exactly what you point out – and flit from option to option or, worse still, to try and do something I don’t like, because my digital neighbour is making a few bucks from it. It’s not only inauthentic and all the fuzzy darling terms of social media fans, it’s just plain old crap business practice.
Also too, i’ve got a tendency to spend a lot of time testing the waters and tinkering and asking questions that begin with “what if” – I think maybe if I stop worrying about such things, i’ll get a lot more done. Cheers!
Hey Pat!
I really appreciate your awesome comment. I have nothing to add to what you say, as I can completely relate to it and totally agree
I hope to see you around here again, buddy!
Yeah, I am really agree with you. Just like me, I have wastes a lot of time doing MFA sites which doesn’t really suit my passion.
In the end of the time, I’m done with in and only make a quality blog that give input to others.
Hey Syuxx,
It definitely sounds like you’re on the right path and have been through similar experiences as I have.
P.S. Your blog design looks great
Glen,
Your story is very inspirational. Proves how one can earn a living if they continuously work on their passion without giving up.
People want success overnight which is not going to happen (unless they are the luckiest guy/girl). My friends in university ask me about blogging and I teach them all the basics. The next day, they’ll start a blog in blogger, write one article and ask me the next day why they are not earning money. I tell them that it takes time to start earning any money. But they don’t have the patience to wait. Well, its good for us if there are less competitors right? 😉
From next time, when someone asks me about making money online, I’m going to point them to this post. This will make them realize how one can earn a living if they work hard.
Congrats on your success. I always look up to you and a few others because of the same age group we belong to.
P.S.: Thanks for the mention at the end of the post. I’m powered up right now to work more, especially because I have something to prove. Will bookmark this post and check it out whenever I need inspiration. Will try to connect with others in that list too.
Brilliant man. I’ve fallen into the same trap – I have 5-6 websites up and running that I thought were good ideas at the time, but I didn’t follow through because I simply didn’t like making them. Even though they may have been money-makers, I didn’t complete them out of disinterest and lack of motivation.
The problem is, defining what you love is harder than I’ve realized! I can’t just make a list of things I’m good at and interested in, then make a website around that.
I completely agree with everything. It took me a long time to start making money online as well and I followed pretty much the same path as you. I still have trouble with starting new websites just because I think it’ll make me money, but I’ve stopped that completely in the last few months and the impact it has had on my overall happiness and business is tremendous.
Follow your passion. Be yourself and work hard. Keep rocking Glen!
I also loved your point about ignoring a lot of the advice out there. What’s amusing is how widely varied that advice is–you can read A on one blog, and B (completely the opposite) on another, while both authors are seemingly equally successful.
I think it just goes to show you that following your own instincts is usually the way to go anyway.
That’s a great point, and something I’ll probably cover in the future.
I’m speaking totally from experience, and don’t think constantly starting (and stopping) new websites is not a good strategy
Thanks for your comment!
Hey Glen!
Great post! I have done the same in starting new things all the time instead of focusing on just one or two. THat is what Im doing now and hopefully in 6-12 months Ill be making a decent income online
Keep up the great work!
Cheers
Diggy
Glen,
thumbs up. It is a great reminder to not fall off the track
Micah 2:1 You shall not succumb to get rich quick schemes. Woe to those who plot money making online wickedness as they lie abed!
Glen. Good advice here. I think so many people think that it just happens overnight. It takes awhile in the beginning….a very long while, especially if you know nothing about internet marketing. Less than six months ago, I had never heard of the terms, SEO or Google PR. Now I am very familiar with them, although I still have A TON to learn. There certainly is a steep learning curve that takes time to get over and I’m glad that you point that out. I think 6 months might even be a quick time frame, although I think it depends on the time and commitment you put in….also on where you spend your time. I could go on as I really agree with all of the other stuff you said here, but i’ll leave it at that for now. Hope you’re enjoying Amsterdam!
Hi Glen,
Great post and one I’ll keep in mind before starting on any new ventures online. I’m on a pursuit to make a livable income, online, passively and all, and don’t expect to do this overnight. I think I have figured out that I will make it happen simply because I know that it takes work and patience, while 90% of newcomers will give in and move on.
Maybe you can give out advice to us newcomers to the game, the things we should be doing to getting our blog names out there and getting a few consistent readers.
Always looking forward to your posts!
-Moon
Hey Glen!
First thanks for including me in your “going bigger in 2010” list. The feeling is mutual because I know you’re always moving forward too, and I’m in good company. 😉
Second, oh my goodness I cannot emphasize the importance of what you’re saying here. I spent a lot of time and effort starting web sites, trying new marketing techniques, you name it. Essentially getting sucked into internet marketing hype. Though admittedly, I did learn a lot along the way. But most of my success came when I actually stopped trying to “learn as much as I could” and started to just make it happen and take action.
So yes, ignore those 99% of people. Do your thing, and success will come.
Over night success teaches nothing. You can give a man a fish but then when he is on his own he starves. When you teach a man to fish however, he is able to repeat the process again and again and again (paraphrased an old zen story.)
I’ve been blogging for about a year and half now and my results are by no means staggering. Sure it’s taken me a lot longer than what it should be to be at my level.. but I’ve experienced a great deal of lessons in the process. These lessons will benefit me greatly down the road.
The good blogs are good because they stay at it. The weak quit. Consistency is king.
Thanks for putting me in such good company, Glen. And thanks for always being such a gentleman. I don’t know that there’s another dude online who balances confident swagger and gentlemanly behavior quite as well as you do.
Ignore 99% of people who make money online – that advice is GOLDEN. Second only to do what you love and keep on at it. It isn’t easy. There’s much to learn and the six month slog can be deadly, at least it was for me, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel and it’s brilliant.
Thanks Glen. I have always been the type of person to start several projects and take them to a certain point before quitting due to boredom or frustration. Blogging hasn’t been any different. I am relatively new to blogging as my blog spineatopia is a natural health care blog and I’ve been working on that for about 4 months. Because it wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do I started another blog called forty2fifty, which focuses on lifestyle development and my journey into mid-life. I’ve been working on this blog now for 2 weeks and find myself wanting more, quicker.
I literally have to fight these feelings down daily and keep plugging away.
Another big mistake I make is checking the stupid statistics way too much.
Anyway, love your work and can’t wait to keep following.
Another interesting post. Thank you.
I often read about people making X amount of money per month on a blog. What I would love to read about is how to go about doing so. What are the recommendations? Is it selling ad space, writing ads, blogging about products? No one seem quite sure as to what the first steps are.
I totally agree. When I start my website last May, my co-writer and I agreed that it would probably take three years to make it something. But we know it will be three years of hard work and effort.
“Because of this, you not only need to work on something you love in order to have the energy to keep going, but you also need to make sure you don’t stop once you get started.” – You’re right. The only thing you don’t cover – what if you started out loving something and then decided you just weren’t that into it anymore?
“Ignore 99% of people who make money online” – when I saw this, I was all ready to make a smart-aleck comment, but you took care of that.
Very inspirational post Glen…I’m so jealous (in a good way – keeps me fired up) of what you’ve been able to accomplish in such a short time, but very happy for you too. You deserve it.
One of the best damn posts on the realities of Internet Business I’ve read in a long time. Ignoring that 99% is definitely a challenge, but what I’ve found during my trials and errors is that some people have a message you enjoy, others just make a lot of noise. After awhile ignoring the “noise” gets easier the more focused you become on your own projects.
Thanks for your honesty and great content Glen.
Sound advice. Love what you do. This gets you though the obstacles which will pop up.
Wow, superb advice here, more people who are interested in online marketing should read this article. There is so much valuable advice here, but for me I think the point about doing what you love is the most important. If you don’t have true passion for something it will eventually show.
Adam, Pat, and Jade (along with yourself) are on my watchlist. You guys are great reading and very action oriented. I’m sure you will all be huge.
Definitely stop listening to the gurus. Great advice. I only watch 5 blogs and this is one of them. Stay out of the forums. Focus on building pages and building links. Its almost too easy, but also very easy to lose focus. Can’t wait to see what happens with the $1m case study.
[…] How to Achieve in One Year What I Did in Three […]
Great post – because it is so true, especially the line about ignoring 99% of people who make money online.
I can really relate to having lots of websites that just died because there was no love there. It’s hard to make money online with something you have no interest in – if you have to generate content and have to give the site TLC on a regular basis.
If someone wants to simply propagate the web with a load of junk and RSS feed aggregator sites then they probably don’t feel the pain of having to maintain a site that isn’t interesting to them and so it’s doable. Like you mention Glen, you will have a lot more fun and staying power to make a living online if you are creating a web presence about something you enjoy.
Great post there. Lookind back at myself starting my first site 10years ago, I have gone through a lot of try and fail things. Now having my own Internet Marketing business but still not making what you are online…
Definitly reading your other posts!
Do you have any tips for someone that english isn’t is mother tongue and for with writing is a bit of a pain? paid writers, proofers? etc…
thanks!
-Samuel
I agree totally with this really good post. If you try and build a website based on money and commission and what’s cool, you’ll end up losing interest and energy very quickly. You have to love what you do and that means creating the content.so the content has to be a high intrest subject for you.
There are way too many people out there claiming to be experts and misguiding newbies into the wrong corner.
Congratulation for another great post. I’m on the road to become a blogger. I’ve read tons of post about blogging and I can freely say that very few sites about Blogging (even popular ones) say what people really want. Your site is one of the rare exceptions. Continue with the excellent work in the future.
Hi Glen,
Just wanted to thank you for this awesome post. I was about to commit some of the mistakes you talk about like stopping focus on my main blog that I have been sticking with and love for 8 months now but am just not making any real money yet but after reading this post of yours it has me on track again. Not only that I was just in the process of purchasing some domains in industries I really do not have an interest in so you once again helped out there. Keep up the great work and I have already told a bunch of my mastermind group about your site and this topic specifically since there are several of us loosing momentum but I think this will get us all fired up again.