Before you even start jumping on the internet marketing bandwagon, you need to be aware of its myths, fallacies, and fairy tales. Yes, internet marketing is fascinating, it has incredible rags to riches fables, and you are dying to get a piece of the pie. But before you do, take a breather. Maybe these tips will help you save the shirt you’re wearing on a rainy day.

Myth #1: Internet marketing is a piece of cake

If it were that easy, everyone and their girlfriend would already be electronic millionaires. However, compared to traditional brick and mortar businesses with huge overhead expenses like rent, salaries, etc., it is certainly more lucrative. Overhead costs are minimal and affiliate marketing gets you started quickly making some decent profits.

Myth #2: Everyone makes money online

Can everyone fly a plane? You may be willing to learn to fly it, you may even fly it one day, however most people won’t even make the initial effort to learn to fly the plane. The same logic applies to making money online. Everyone knows that they can make a lot of money online, but only a few pursue that dream with hard work, determination, and a little luck.

Myth #3: Internet Marketing = Get Rich Quick

The only way to ‘get rich quick’ on the Net is to win a lottery. Banish the idea, get rid of it completely and erase it from your memory banks! Start building a genuine online business with real fairness, sincerity, and dedication, and do it consistently over a period of time. I guarantee you will get rich if you follow my advice. The good news is that internet marketing is less risky than a traditional business and also requires relatively less time to establish and grow.

Myth #4: It’s Zero Cost

There is no such thing as a free lunch. Everything costs money, from your internet access costs, to the cost of buying a PC, to website affiliate membership fees, signing up for an internet marketing plan, etc. Costs arise everywhere. However, startup costs are relatively more reasonable here than in traditional businesses.

Myth #5: It’s too late to start now

It’s never too late to start something, if you know your target market, that is. Don’t even try to become a Google or MSN newcomer. You may fail before you even start. Think of niche marketing as a solution to low-paying dead-end jobs or loss-making businesses you own.

Myth #6: Built and it will sell

This is the opposite of the previous myth. Either it’s too late to start or it’s too easy to start. This is garbage. This myth promotes the fallacy that if you limp an old site, people will flock to it. Why should they? Will people pay good money to buy a bullock cart, if they put it all together and make one? Similarly for the Internet. If you have planned a site, have drawn up a good business plan, and implemented it effectively, then buyers will come to you. And not a moment before that.

Myth #7: Only Tech Gurus Succeed

Bill Gates is not one. And anyway, technology has advanced so fast that you can find fancy tools and software, sometimes even for free, that help you get everything done at the click of a button. For example, the old HTML required hours of coding and months of training. Now, with the help of editors, templates, tutorials, etc. What you see is what you get (WYSIWYG), even a grandma can create her own website in minutes.

Myth #8: Everything is pure advertising

Well, there is no smoke without fire. People are not crazy about quitting secure jobs to venture into online marketing. It’s not all hype in the same way that it’s not just a piece of cake. In between these 2 extremes is a viable and smart working system that will help you achieve great success as long as you are ready to work hard and smart.