Top 5 Dot Com Myths Debunked

Most people who get into business know what's involved. They have completed hours of research before getting into it. That's great! Even so, we may still have some myths that need to be debunked. Now and forever. We all may have some lingering ideas; after all many have these myths are quite tempting. However, it's important for serious business owners to quickly get them out of the way so some really forward moves can be made. In the world of the Internet businesses, the industry is rife with myths that ultimately can be as harmless as a distraction or as worse as a serious loss in capital, which could ultimately lead to business failure.

There are many persistent myths out there but we'll go over the most popular ones.

  • You don't need money to start! This type of claim coupled with you can make thousands in a few weeks or similar statements have misled many. Although there are some solid marketing techniques that may not cost you anything, it's unlikely you can start a profitable e-business without a dime.
  • You can get by on free advertising alone. One of the great things about the Internet is that it dramatically reduces startup and overhead costs, including advertising. There are loads of free classified ads costs, but based on my own research most of these sites produce little or no traffic. Majority of the people who visit these sites are just placing their own ads and are rarely interested in spending any money on your product or service. The same is true for "free-for-all" link pages. Once you've decided to become a serious e-business owner, you need to step up your game. The idea of getting something for nothing is just as unrealistic online as it is offline.

    Some legitimate free advertising that you can use include link exchanges, banner exchanges, article submission, ad swapping with other e-zines, and forum participation. There are other types of course but the above list gives you an idea. In the case, you are specifically targeting people who are interested in your product or service. Remember prospects, not suspects.
  • You don't have to deal with people. Many novice small business owners think a few auto responders and occasional e-mail will help them avoid the tedious task of customer service. E-businesses have much lower customer service expenses than other types of businesses but it doesn't mean you don't want to provide your customers with options. It's a good idea to set up a special phone number, during specific hours where your customers can reach you. Even if you have to start with just a voicemail, it's a start.
  • You can get rich overnight. There is no other way of doing business than over the Internet that offers such a great promise of wealth. The costs of a start-up e-business are minimal but it doesn't mean that the dollars will pour in. Like any other businesses, success depends on effort, the execution of solid marketing strategies, and most of all a great product or service.
  • You don't need to be knowledgeable about traditional business practices. People sometimes have the misconception that running an Internet based businesses is completely different than other types. Although e-businesses have their own set of rules, for the most part traditional business practices will go a long way. Regular visits to the Small Business Administration (http://sba.gov) will have novice business owners get their bearings.

    • This is not a definitive list but it shows some pervasive myths that can potentially get in your way on the road to e-commerce success. Becoming familiar with them will not only help you in your own business endeavor but it will also help you avoid suspicious and far-reaching business propositions.

    Copyright © 2005 Rhonda Winn - All Rights Reserved. Rhonda Winn has been helping small business owners since 2000. She is the author of the popular eBook, "How to Live Your Dreams and Achieve Unlimited Wealth in Small Business" Receive the first chapter free, when you join her bi-monthly newsletter today: SmallBizStartupKit.com. Her site contains dozens of free downloads, articles, forums, resources, journals, and more.

    You are free to publish this article as long as the content remains unchanged and copyright notice and byline is not removed from article.

    In The News:

    Google News
    Updated : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:08:18 GMT

    Ike blasts Turks and Caicos as Category 4 storm - The Associated Press


    Canada.com
    Ike blasts Turks and Caicos as Category 4 storm
    The Associated Press - 47 minutes ago
    PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos (AP) - Hurricane Ike damaged most of the homes on Grand Turk island as it roared onto the Bahamas, raked Haiti's flooded cities with rain and threatened the Florida Keys on its way to Cuba as a ferocious Category 4 ...
    Video: Haiti suffers floods as Hurricane Ike hits Caribbean - 07 Sep 08 AlJazeeraEnglish
    Eyewitness: Waiting for Ike BBC News
    ABC News - International Herald Tribune - United Press International - Bloomberg
    all 3,120 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:20:36 GMT

    No. 4 Florida Pulls Away From Miami For Win - AHN


    Washington Post
    No. 4 Florida Pulls Away From Miami For Win
    AHN - 29 minutes ago
    Gainesville, FL (AHN) - Tim Tebow threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns, lifting No. 4 Florida to a 26-3 win over in-state rival Miami Saturday.
    Marve's debut gives Miami (Fla.) reason for hope SportingNews.com
    Tim Tebow leads Florida past Miami Los Angeles Times
    ESPN - Seattle Post Intelligencer - Honolulu Advertiser - Orlando Sentinel
    all 684 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:39:03 GMT

    Land Of Big Science - Newsweek


    CBC.ca
    Land Of Big Science
    Newsweek - 20 hours ago
    The Large Hadron Collider is a symptom of America's decline in particle physics and, some fear, in science overall. By Fred Guterl, William Underhill and Sarah Garland | NEWSWEEK Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.
    The Final Touches For The Large Hadron Collider's Launch eFluxMedia
    When European physicists bring their monstrous supercollider to ... Chicago Tribune
    Telegraph.co.uk - Ars Technica - Register - TG Daily
    all 400 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:13:15 GMT

    Evans KOs Liddell at UFC 88 - FOXSports.com


    Vancouver Sun
    Evans KOs Liddell at UFC 88
    FOXSports.com - 7 hours ago
    by Elias Cepeda, InsideFighting.com Rashad Evans shot himself straight to the top of the long list of challengers in the UFC's light heavyweight division with a devastating knockout win over the sport of MMA's top name and former champion, ...
    Liddell Loses Luster With UFC Defeat To Evans AHN
    Rashad Evans knocks out Chuck Liddell The Associated Press
    USA Today - Yahoo! Sports - Los Angeles Times - Washington Post
    all 245 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:18:30 GMT

    'True Blood': Something More Than Human - PopMatters


    Canada.com
    'True Blood': Something More Than Human
    PopMatters - 56 minutes ago
    by Cynthia Fuchs Bill Maher thinks vampires may be overstepping by demanding “basic civil rights just like everyone else.” He asks his guest on Real Time, a representative for the American Vampire League, “Doesn’t your race have a sordid history of ...
    'Six Feet Under' creator behind HBO's 'True Blood' Chicago Sun-Times
    'True Blood': Undead On Arrival Washington Post
    eFluxMedia - E! Online - Naperville Sun - Cape Cod Times
    all 228 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:11:56 GMT

    Health Highlights: Sept. 7 2008 - U.S. News & World Report


    Seattle Post Intelligencer
    Health Highlights: Sept. 7 2008
    U.S. News & World Report - 1 hour ago
    On the heels of the huge nationwide salmonella outbreak that caused more than 1400 illnesses from Mexican peppers, a regional Oregon alfalfa sprout distributor has recalled its product in Oregon and Washington state after the sprouts were linked to 13 ...
    Salmonellosis outbreak prompts sprout recall Forbes
    Salmonella outbreak traced to alfalfa sprouts Seattle Post Intelligencer
    TheMedGuru - Seattle Times - eFluxMedia - HeraldNet
    all 78 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:07:54 GMT

    Gates outacts Seinfeld in Back To The Future - CNET News


    Scientific American
    Gates outacts Seinfeld in Back To The Future
    CNET News - 14 hours ago
    Which is why Crispin Porter Bogusky, the agency responsible for the otherworldly new Microsoft TV spot featuring the clowning Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld, is already happy.
    Microsoft's Renewed Vista Strategy PC World
    Journals week in review: news from One Microsoft Way Ars Technica
    New York Times - InformationWeek - CRN - eFluxMedia
    all 527 news articles

    Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:01:52 GMT

    RSStoBlog
    RSS Parser


    PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

    Adsense websites

    Excuse Me, Are You Wasting Traffic?

    The largest cost and concern of an internet business is... Read More

    Leading eCommerce Consultant Admits You Should Only Listen to One Real Expert! (And its not him!)

    Let me share with you a secret that most marketing... Read More

    How to Receive Payments for Your Online Sales

    Once you decide which products you are planning to sell... Read More

    Web Store - Why Do You Need One?

    Internet has opened a new era of business opportunities. Each... Read More

    Intranet Project ? RAD or Waterfall?

    Building BridgesI have often used the analogy of building a... Read More

    Make That 3 Billion

    My previous article I wrote called "One Point Two Billion"... Read More

    How Do You Make Money Online?

    If you learn how other people make money online, I... Read More

    Accepting Credit Cards For Your Online Business

    Did you know that one of the best ways to... Read More

    10 Reasons To Survey Your Visitors, Subscribers And Customers

    1. To find out what type of content visitors want... Read More

    Is ClickBanks Popularity Drawing To An End?

    ClickBank is the Internet's most popular payment processor for online... Read More

    Tell Site Visitors What To Do

    Your site visitors make all the choices when it comes... Read More

    Ecommerce - Boost Your Business ROI

    Did you know that over 90% of all online orders... Read More

    Google to Compete with PayPal?

    PayPal is secure in its domination over the electronic payment... Read More

    7 Questions to Ask A Potential Internet Merchant Account Provider

    Recently I went looking for an online merchant account, with... Read More

    The Five Steps of E-Commerce

    You set up a retail business, you advertise in your... Read More

    Outsourcing Your Ecommerce Order Fulfillment

    When your eCommerce business grows to the point where you... Read More

    How To Implement E-Business Solutions Successfully

    Pitfalls of E-business solutions installation processA large distribution company has... Read More

    How To Accept Credit Cards Without a Merchant Account

    To increase sales on your website, you must accept credit... Read More

    Government Buying and Selling on the Internet

    Global Insight, a leading economic and financial forecasting company, (formerly... Read More

    Selling From Your Website

    Greetings!Friends and relitives ask us all the time " How... Read More

    Dont Get Ripped Off Getting A Merchant Account

    Far too many people get ripped off when setting up... Read More

    Shopping Carts and the E-Aisles

    Have you ever gone to the store and thought you... Read More

    Website Marketing: 10 Resourceful Things You Can Do With A Product That Doesnt Sell

    Do you have any product that has not been moving... Read More

    The Five Most Commonly Encountered, Off-putting E-commerce Errors

    While getting less public handwringing than during holiday season, the... Read More

    The Top 10 E-Commerce Ways to Follow up with Clients - Part 1

    Did you know that 80% of all sales are made... Read More