A lot of people today are turning to the internet to make money!
Some people are hoping to completely replace the income from a job that drains them instead of inspires them. Others would like to bring in extra money to go on vacations or have some other “extra” in their life.
There are some of those who hope to find something that brings in millions with the push of a button and no work. Others do expect to work just as much as they are now while others who expect to work hope to work less than they are now.
What category do you fall into? Or are you already making so much money that you don’t need anymore? (If that’s the case, what are you doing here reading this post??)
It’s important to know what your goals are before you begin looking for ways to make money online. It would be highly unwise to run out to Google or Swagbucks (a search engine that pays you) and just start searching “how to make money online”.
You will find yourself with an overwhelming amount of pages of search results. You won’t know what is a good fit for you or not if you don’t have an end goal in mind from the beginning.
Once you have a goal in mind you will be far more likely to succeed on your search. Before you jump in I want to share with you some ways not to make money online. Some will be more obvious than others.
20 Ways to Not Make Money Online
- Play games: Facebook Marketing does not include Farmville or Sorority Life.
- Purchase the first “How to Make Money Online” guide or course that you see.
- Purchase every “How to Make Money Online” guide or course that you find.
- Believe everything that you read on a site or hear in in a video. Check out the credibility of the person or program, even better if you can build a relationship and gain their trust.
- Join every newsletter and download every free ebook, audio, video, webinar, etc. You’ll waste your life reading, watching and listening. Also if you don’t know the authors you could be getting very bad info.
- Obsess over your money making accounts: you’ll waste your time if you sit there refreshing all day to see if you made any new money.
- Look at people as dollar signs instead of as relationships.
- Use people for what they can give you instead of what you can give them.
- Spend your time on Facebook posting about your dog, your irritating neighbors, etc.
- Don’t apply what you’ve learned, hope that just learning how to make money will put dollars into your account.
- Have no daily goals, if you don’t have a plan you will get distracted and spend most of your time on things that don’t bring in money.
- Specialize in everything, if you spread yourself thin there is no way that you can focus on any one thing and you won’t succeed at anything either.
- Don’t start a blog: blogging is great way to provide value, build relationships and trust, have a centralized online home, build a list, etc.
- Don’t work on a list. If you haven’t heard it already, the money is in the list. This was one mistake that I made, I waited too long to start building a list. You don’t need any money to start, try mailchimp – they are a great free autoresponder for those with a small or growing list.
- Fill your blog with ads, nothing will turn people off more than feeling like all you want is their money.
- Blame everyone except yourself for the lack of money flowing into your account.
- Don’t pay any attention to SEO or marketing your blog.
- Focus only on the SEO of your blog forgetting that you’re actually writing for your readers and not the search engines.
- Pretend to be an expert at something that you are not. Teach what you know, there will always be others who know less than you and want to learn from you.
- Ditch the personal development. We are all works in progress and we will always need to grow and better ourselves.
I would love to hear your thoughts and any other “how not to’s” that you have! Please share in the comments section and share, vote, etc. if you enjoyed this post.
To Your Success,
Thank you for reading! I'm Stacy, the owner of this blog. You can learn more about me here.
I'd love to hear from you, please share your thoughts or questions in the comments section.
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I don’t know why someone would think of creating a site but not be able to make money out of it. Well, if it’s for your own joy, then go for it.
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Stacy Reply:
November 25th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
I don’t know either. Some people create sites for hobbies, but even those can be monetized!
Stacy invites you to read… The Habit Building Challenge
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Any website which is integrated with Google adsense is a good place to start. You are already in the right place here in webanswer. You can write and publish your content at sites like Triond and bukisa, they are integrated with Google so you can earn from adsense.
To make a living online one has to be very determined and ready to put in some time and lots of work. In the beginning you may think that you are not earning much, but with time you start seeing the fruits of your work. Just be patient and keep answering questions here and soon you will be happy with your work.
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Stacy Reply:
November 25th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Abegail,
Yes, it does take time and work, the right kind of work and definitely research!
Thanks for sharing,
Stacy
Stacy invites you to read… How to Thrive Despite Difficult People
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[...] 20 Ways to Not Make Money Online [...]
Great post and really interesting list. Making money online is easy, making serious money online is difficult and can take years to get to grips with just like it can take years to become an expert at a job.
I have spent 2 years working online in my free time and only just started to see an income. I think a lot of the problem is the “make money online” packages that convince people that they could setup a website and click a button and the money will roll in!
I wonder how many people actually give up on the idea of making money online totally and turn their back on it and how many try for years making nothing!
Dax invites you to read… Stop your heartburn
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Stacy Reply:
November 25th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
Dax,
That is an important distinction, making money versus making serious money. It does take time to make that happen, there is no magical button!
Thanks,
Stacy
Stacy invites you to read… How to Move From Negative to Positive Thinking
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It’s pretty interesting but I took your points the other way around. I would avoid these things to make money online.
Joey Diaz invites you to read… Kotex tampons recalled
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Stacy Reply:
November 25th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
Sometimes it does help to look at things from a different angle!
Stacy invites you to read… The Habit Building Challenge
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Hi Stacy,
love that…even in business, it’s never about the money. Money is important of course and we all want to make money. Rightfully so. If the sole purpose of being in business is making money – regardless if it’s an internet business or not – it will be a very poor business, no matter how much money the busines makes.
In many internet marketing claims, it’s more than obvious that their sole purpose is making money. I always wonder how naively people spend thousands of $ with the hope of making money by first spending plenty.
To all who think business is about money, I recommend the book “Buiness stripped bare” by Sir Richard Branson.
Thanks for sharing this terrific list.
Be blessed
Oliver
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[Reply]
Stacy Reply:
November 25th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
Hi Oliver,
Thank you for suggesting the book, I really need to read one of his books. I hear about him and his books every week!
You make a great point that it can’t just be about the money!
Thanks,
Stacy
Stacy invites you to read… The Habit Building Challenge
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Awesome post, Stacy. Goal setting in an online business is very important. Your goals give you your job description.
I like your suggestion of not believing everything you read online. There is so much garbage out there that it’s so easy to get caught up in the wrong information. The best way to have success in this industry is to seek out someone who has the level of success that you’re trying to attain and find out what they did. Get them to coach you. Sometimes it might cost you a little bit of money but it’s worth it. Even if you’re on a tight budget, my suggestion is usually to go to places like Barnes & Noble to do some research. There is nothing that you’re going through that someone hasn’t figured it out and then wrote a book about it. Also, don’t forget the library.
Thanks for sharing, Stacy. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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Stacy Reply:
November 25th, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Thank you very much, Etieno!
Thank you for sharing the suggestion to go to Barnes and Noble to do some research. It’s so true that even on a limited budget there are options available!
Take care,
Stacy
Stacy invites you to read… 20 Ways to Bring Your Vision to Life
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[...] See the original post: 20 Ways to Not Make Money Online « Grow With Stacy [...]
[...] See the original post: 20 Ways to Not Make Money Online « Grow With Stacy [...]
hello!
this is a very interesting and fun post. so, here is one tip how NOT to make money online – simply throw away your computer, sell it, or give it to charity. Stay on the fresh air the more you can, and enjoy the life – you have only one!
EleonoraEOF invites you to read… Three Steps To A Creative Workout
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Stacy Reply:
November 25th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Hi Eleonora,
That will definitely ensure that someone would not make any money online!
Stacy
Stacy invites you to read… 8 List Posts to Help You in Blogging, Life and Business
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I too was spending my time on Facebook playing games and as a result I couldn’t do anything.
Aaron @ Goa Carnival invites you to read… Goa Holiday
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Stacy Reply:
November 25th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Aaron,
It’s amazing how much time those games can take!
Stacy
Stacy invites you to read… 5 Tools That I Wouldn’t Go Without
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There are many ways to waste your time without gaining anything. So it’s always important to concentrate on your goals rather than wasting your time.
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Stacy Reply:
November 25th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
There are countless ways to waste our time online! I find that I really need a list of what I need to do before I get on the computer or else I will end up getting distracted by at least five different things!
Stacy invites you to read… Honoring Our Country’s Veterans
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I see a lot of people who start blogs, but they don’t do anything to create their own products. You have to create something on your onw, even iif it’s just a simple, short e-book. Having your own product really gets you started down the path of being an entrepenuer.
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Stacy Reply:
November 25th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
Hi Richard,
Yes, creating your own product really helps you to stand out and is a really good first step. Once you’ve experienced success it becomes easier to keep the momentum!
Stacy
Stacy invites you to read… 8 List Posts to Help You in Blogging, Life and Business
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Online money making is not for everyone. It takes some people a lot of years to get started with it. There are thousands of scam sites are available online where you will see some beautiful adverts which will definitely attract you but in the end you will find nothing. Being specific and careful are the most important tactics to work and earn in online.
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Stacy Reply:
November 25th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
Monahi,
That is very true, thank you!
Stacy
Stacy invites you to read… Keeping Fit to Boost Your Confidence
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Nice Post.
I have never seen this post before.
Your Site was amazing.
You always share Valuable information with us.
Thnx.
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Thank you very much, Utsav!
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I completely understand some people only set up a website only for fun not for money. Why all purposes of something are for money? We can do thing just for happy for fun for hobby. Of course, in the course of pursuing happiness, earning money is also great idea.
Sophia invites you to read… My Way to Forex Trading
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Not everything needs to be for money, though if one wants to make money they should be sure to monetize their efforts!
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ha! what a great list! very true.
I liked when you said to pay attention to SEO but don’t focus on SEO. So true! Also loved the advice to not buy the first training you see or all the training you see, and to implement training and…
well lets just say I thought every point you made very good advice! Cheers
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:02 pm
Thank you very much, Rachael!
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This is a great list Stacy! If only making money online was simple. I once requested an information packet from a company that was endorsed by the Better Business Bureau and some other well-established organizations, and was disappointed to discover that it was a “pyramid” money-maker. Yes, they were selling a product, but in order to make money you first had to spend a lot of it. Just not for me.
Gwendolyn Gage invites you to read… Should A Novelist Write Critical Book Reviews?
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Hi Gwendolyn,
Many times we do have to spend money to make money, but we really do need to do our own research before we spend our money!
Stacy
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I don’t really believe in these monotonous online money making practices, I mean yea if its really what you want to do then by all means go for it. It’s just I believe that if you really want to to make money online and STICK at it then you should enjoy therefore making better content… content is king blah blah blah
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Yes, something most online marketers have heard many times: content is king!
Stacy
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Hi Stacy,
Great list you have here!! All of them are really true. Due to economic crisis, people should use internet as a way they can earn money from it not just a simple for fun thing.
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Very true, Mary! There are so many ways that we can monetize our efforts!
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What an interesting article, many time i have read the article about how to make money online, and very few deal with all the pitfalls of doing so.
what a great way to spend 10 minutes taking a break from legal filing.
Thanks!
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:10 pm
Thank you, Pete!
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Stacy, thanks for these tips. I am a self proclaimed expert at not making money online, but with your tips I might be able to make even less.
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:10 pm
Hi Alice,
I’m so glad that I could help!
Stacy
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Hi Stacy, what a brilliant list of NMMO (not make money online). Thumbs up for you!
viviana@attraction marketing invites you to read… Attraction Marketing Tips – Personalize Your Home Based Business
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Thank you, Viviana!
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HI Stacy, I loved your list. Funnily, I had to smirk. There is a lady who approached me to learn about internet marketing. I spoke with her once and all she did was complain that she was broke, couldn’t work, but didnt know how to start up a business of her own.
I told her that since she had lots of time on her hands, that she should start to do some research. I also sent her a lot of information and very helpful links.
Every day I get an invitation to play Farmville from her. (yes, she friended me on FB). Makes my eyes roll back.
Very solid advice Stacy.
Best
Jayne
Jayne Kopp@life and business coach invites you to read… Holding a Grudge is Like Drinking Poison and Waiting For the Other Person to Die
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Thank you, Jayne! Yes, the gaming is a sure sign of not wanting to make a difference online! At one point I started to play a couple of FB games to connect with people (talk about rationalizing!) but it wasn’t too long before I blocked those games!
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I guess 1 out 10 put up a websites for fun and make other people happy, because with the economic turbulence that is happening every where… I guess, most of us wants to earn for the family.. =)
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:13 pm
I think so too!
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Hi Stacey,
what a list you’ve got there..Great stuff. Its unbelievable how many options there are to generate a good solid income from the internet, diligently applying yourself to any one of these strategies can results in a successful home business.
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Hi Easther,
Great point, we must diligently apply ourselves at any money making effort. There is no “easy button” for making money!
Stacy
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Great list Stacy.
Haven’t tried to make money online since the Swedish tax authorities would take 70% of it + VAT, which is far too much.
Am amazed how many people online make all the mistakes you mention. Every week I get contacted by a stranger on, mainly Linkedin, who wants me to do something for him/her, buy their products and so forth.
Not to forget all the 20 year old experts who know everything there is to know about sales, marketing and anything else under the sun. It’s really a shame that some people waste their time buying their know how. It’s not going to lead to anything but less money in their pocket.
Catarina Alexon invites you to read… Would Harvard regard you as a great leader?
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:17 pm
Hi Catarina,
That really is too much in taxes! Wow!
It really is amazing how many “experts” there are out there!
Stacy
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Stacy,
You’ve got some great points here. Ultimately, I believe you have to apply what you learn and stick with one thing for several years.
Jumping around from thing to thing is a waste of time and money.
Chuckh
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:18 pm
Charles,
That is a great point, nothing will get accomplished by going from one thing to another constantly. We do need to apply ourselves!
Stacy
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Hi Stacy,
This list you wrote is definitely not the ways on how to make money online. I agree, not starting up a blog is a big mistake for anyone who would like to earn money online. I would like to add that ignoring your readers is a big mistake – such as not replying to their comments or emails. Who knows, your readers who do interact with you are your keys to online success. Thanks for sharing!
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Hi Felicia,
That’s a great point – we can’t just have a blog and ignore the proper way to run it! That won’t work either!
Stacy
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That was a nice post Stacy. Entertaining with good advice.
One of the things I would add is considering browsing the Internet and hanging around forums as part of work.
With an online business, it’s so easy to waste time doing other things and think that you’re working.
At the end of 2 hours, you may find that you haven’t done anything at all!
Actually…I still do that sometimes
Alan Cheng invites you to read… Email Marketing – Mistakes Marketers Make On Ruining Response Rates
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Stacy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Hi Alan,
Great point! I hate that feeling, that I just wasted a bunch of time!
Stacy
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Hey Stacy,
First time I’m on your blog and I have to say I LOVED this post!
It’s very easy to fall for these points you mention here when we’re just getting started and even worse, when we start all alone.
It is far easier when you have a friend who can lead and show the correct path or at least point us in the right direction than doing it all for ourselves.
I made several of these mistakes myself but it was part of my learning curve and process.
I believe that if you already have some decent time on the Internet Marketing area and you’re still making these mistakes then you’re definitely wasting time, money, efforts and heading for nowhere.
Good article, really enjoyed reading it!
Sergio
Sergio Felix invites you to read… Getting a Mentor, Gurus and Flying Solo
[Reply]
Stacy Reply:
December 12th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Hi Sergio,
Welcome to my blog! I agree that having someone who can show you the way is definitely ideal!
Thank you for stopping by!
Stacy
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Nice list Stacy, I think social media in general can be a good way to not make money online. I see people who must spend hours and hours on Twitter every day and seemingly interacting with the same people, I can’t see how that is going to lead to more business. Of course it doesn’t apply to social media as a whole but it’s certainly a big time waster.
Dan@web design invites you to read… Forget focus
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Stacy Reply:
December 13th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Hi Dan,
It can certainly be a distraction if there is no game plan! It’s very easy to get side tracked!
Stacy
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Facebook and Youtube are two sites that really consume most of my time. As a result, these addictions affect my everyday schedule. I find it really hard to discipline myself but hopefully, I could still make such improvement.
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Stacy Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 1:11 pm
It happens to all of us from time to time. I find that it helps to make a list of everything that I need to do before I start going to fun sites.
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Cosmin Hora Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 2:57 pm
As much as I’m trying to make a list of my daily activities, I’m having a hard time to stick with my own list. All because once I started to play the games in FB, I’m reviving my addition on it. LOL
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Stacy Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Delete the games!
They will do you in! They are too time consuming. Besides, facebook marketing is fun too – and more beneficial!
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Affiliate income is the easiest and fast way to make money online. Adsense and other PPC way of making money is very hard, you need to work a lot for it.
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Stacy Reply:
December 20th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
With the proper training it can be!
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You are perfectly right. If we try to do everything at the same time, we are bound to fail. Focusing on one thing is not as easy as it sounds, though. I had difficulty choosing the right niche for my own business. I had several tries from healthy food to nail products, but I realized these are not my cup of tea, I just thought the products would do well. Then I realized I am already doing things which could be somehow intertwined with online marketing. I like helping people and making life easier for those who need a bit of pressure taken off of their backs. I love finding things that are of benefit to certain people, for example this little gadget, the employee monitor. And after thinking in terms of cosmetics and food, I never would have thought I’d move to more cyber products.
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[...] 20 Ways to Not Make Money Online [...]
It’s interesting to note that the same tools that make some people money are the same tools that leave others in finical difficulty. Time is money, if used well it generates profits, people don’t seem to link the squandering of time to the squandering of money.
Davida invites you to read… Best Network Marketing Software
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Stacy Reply:
January 21st, 2012 at 12:51 pm
That’s very true, it’s not only time that is wasted but money!
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Stacy, putting tips in the negative is not new, but this version is easy to read and quite comprehensive. I just found this link on TrafficGenerationCafe and said, “Hey, I know Stacy; I think I’ll drop by.
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Stacy Reply:
February 22nd, 2012 at 2:06 pm
Thanks, Astro!
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Great list Stacy!
Love 18 and 19 especially. So many get involved in another person’s system and think they are experts and are sometimes told to present themselves that way but it is not the right way to do it. Another’s system is only good if one channels their own content through it without ever claiming to be an expert. My motto is, “Be a Mona Lisa, not a replica!”
Love your content as always!
Joe
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Stacy Reply:
March 28th, 2012 at 8:37 am
Thank you, Joe! I like your motto, that’s a great one!
Stacy
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I think this post is great, but it was a bit confusing using a double negative with “don’t do this”.
Alicia invites you to read… How to Save Money on Gas
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[...] 20 Ways Not to Make Money Online – If you want to make money online be sure to avoid these 20 money making pitfalls! [...]
Funny, cause when I started I grabbed the first book I found on internet marketing and it told me NOT to start a blog. Lol. It’s funny how many things you can do wrong in the beginning, and it’s all because of jerks who try to take your money and leave you needing even more.
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Hi Stacy,
I’ve been out for about 4 months with health issues and am just now getting back to my blog. Just tonight I was talking to my son about finding a way to make money on line.
Not sure what ‘list making’ you were talking about, but would like to learn more. Do you know what I should read or do first to get started? I got the name of the book that was referred to by a commenter. Thanks for the post. It is really great! Sally
Sally Brown invites you to read… Check Your ‘Mental Wellness’
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Stacy, It’s interesting how you incorporated all the wrong roads in a single post. You pretty much covered almost everything that cause wannabe internet marketers to fail online. Brilliant. And yes I remember walking through some of the wrong roads you mentioned in the list.
Spencer Jones invites you to read… 4 Keys On How To Build A Mailing List Quickly Using Forum Marketing
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You hit it right on the head with all of these points Stacy! It still amazes me the amount of requests I get to play games on FB, why?! And #20 is interesting, I hadn’t thought of that, hmm?!
Kelly Green invites you to read… Why You Should Take Email “Blasts” Out Of Your Marketing Vocabulary
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Excellent article, I just love how much you go in depth in this article. There are so many ways to make money online, what matters most is that which ever route you pick you stick with it, never give up, and learn as you progress. Am I not correct?
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[...] are some of the ways you can make more money from your site using WordPress [...]