So, you want to start an Internet-based business, or market your existing or traditional business online. What’s your strategy?

Yes, you do need a strategy. You may have read those flashy websites that tempt you with phrases like “Make money while you’re lying in bed!” or “Generate thousands in revenue without lifting a finger!” Ask yourself this: do you honestly know or have you heard of anyone who has become an instant millionaire (without winning the lottery, of course)?

That isn’t to say you’ll have to bust your butt in order to make money on the Internet. You won’t have to take out a second mortgage, work 90-hour weeks, or sell your children on e-Bay to be a successful Internet marketer.

There is a secret to Internet success: strategy.

Map out your journey to Internet success!

It sounds simple, but it’s the absolute truth. Most people who decide to market on the Internet don’t look before they leap. They don’t do their homework; they don’t bother learning anything about the business or the industry. They are lulled by promises of instant cash rolling in to their bank accounts—and they are inevitably disappointed when it just doesn’t happen.

You can be different. You can become one of those amazing success stories other people turn to for inspiration. All you need is a plan, and a little bit of patience.

Why are you considering Internet marketing? There are a number of reasons you might have decided to go for it. Do you:

• Despise your nine-to-five job?
• Long for financial freedom and a deeper purpose in your life?
• Live with the disappointment of a failed home business?
• Wish your hobby earned you money so you could quit your job?

All of these reasons and more are excellent motivations for success. But without a plan of attack, your dreams will fall by the wayside, and you’ll return to your nine-to-five world with even more loathing than before.

90 percent of small businesses fail within three years of start-up. Some are due to lack of financial backing—but fortunately, Internet businesses don’t require massive amounts of start-up capital. The majority of failed businesses are due to a lack of direction at the outset. If you don’t know where you going, how can you expect to get there?

If you’re reading this book, you are taking the first step toward formulating a successful Internet marketing strategy. More than anything, a little knowledge goes a long way toward carving out your online niche and turning a profit from the beginning.

What will you learn? Here are just a few examples of the valuable information contained in the following chapters:

• Why Internet marketing is for you
• The biggest online marketing mistakes
• How to create a business website
• Tips on generating website value
• How OTO marketing works
• Why blogs work, and how to get your own

Take the time and the dedication to plan your Internet marketing strategy now, and you will not be disappointed when you create a solid online business that will allow you to quit the rat race and make money doing what you love.

Let’s get started!