Can you REALLY trust anyone in this Internet marketing business?

Hello again.

Thanks for continuing to take the time to read my blog posts.

As I’ve mentioned before, even though I am fairly new to implementing this model of Internet marketing…blogging hopefully useful info and providing digital products and services to people who come across my blog, or who subscribe to my email list, I am not new to the Internet and helping people. I’ve run a very successful website since 1997.

In that website niche of ventriloquism and teaching thousands and thousands of students how to not only learn the art of “throwing your voice”, I’ve also taught people how to write comedy, have stage presence, and most importantly, how to market their talents. You see, whatever niche(s) you target, you are not just being an expert in that niche. Most importantly, you must work on becoming an expert in marketing your product or service to your niche(s). Does that make sense?

While new to this digital product marketing/blogging world, over the years I’ve purchased all kinds of courses, software, training, etc., but am just now kicking in the determination to finally do something.

Which gets to the point of my blog title. Can you trust anyone?

I can’t begin to count the number of emails I used to get from countless “gurus” who promised they could help me achieve success online with Internet marketing, if I’d only buy their $7 book, $47 software, $97 video course or $597 training program.

Some of my lack of success was my own fault. I probably had a good product, but didn’t do the work required to see any results.

You do know being successful online doesn’t happen overnight with no effort, right?

But, there were many more things I purchased that simply did not deliver what the beautifully written sales letter promised. Or there was no support for the product after the purchase.

So, when you’re building an Internet marketing business, how do you know which tools, software, training to invest in? How do you know who to trust?

Here are a few guidelines:

1). Research the product being offered to you
Search online (and mainly in discussion groups) that give truthful reviews of the product.

Most of the time, the “reviews” for a new product you find will just be from affiliates who will post something that says. “Do Not Buy Joe Blows New Cash Cow Internet Machine Until You Read The Truth!”

When you read the review, it’s very easy to see it’s just an affiliate writing a couple of opening general “fluff” sentences and then giving you a link to their affiliate page to buy the product. It’s amazing how many affiliates do this exact same thing. And, the majority of the affiliates don’t even own the product they are pitching!

2). Research the creator of the product. Especially if it’s a training and coaching program.
If a program does not work, you WILL find truthful reviews online. Be sure to read as many real reviews as you can on forums.

Look at return/refund stats on places like jvzoo and clickbank.

But be sure to balance what you read. If you see 2 or 3 scathing negative reviews from folks, also try to find how many good reviews there are. The negative reviews simply might be from people who didn’t do what the course instructed them to do.

And, certainly do some research on the person who created the product. Search for that person online and see what people are saying about him or her, or the product.

3). How long has the creator of a product or service been online?
I’m not saying someone can’t be successful and create good products in a relatively short period of time on the Internet. But these people are the exception. The most respected Internet marketers have been around for a little while and have large followings. Also, has this “guru” created more than one of his own products?

Sure, people can make some money online by just selling as affiliates. But the true success stories, and the people you can trust, will also be creating their own products.

4). Are people willing to help you if you invest in their product?
Be sure you have support from the people you purchase products from. The really successful Internet entrepreneurs will have a system in place to help you during those times you are struggling, if you are making the effort.

5). Be sure anything you purchase has a money back guarantee
The biggest caveat here is that if a product comes with a 30 or 60 day money back guarantee, you have to do the work needed to actually find out if the product or service will do what it says it will!

Don’t buy something, look at it for a day or two, put it aside for the next 30 or 60 days and then ask for a refund with the excuse “because it didn’t work.” No, it might have worked. It was you who didn’t.

Even by following these steps, you’ll still probably get burned or taken advantage of my some unsavory Internet marketer. It just happens.

Eventually if you follow a few people online that seem to be providing good, usable content, you’ll be able to tell who is the real deal and those who are not.

My Ventriloquism 101 course still comes with a one year money back guarantee. That’s right. One full year. I know it’s a great course and that if people put in a little time to really check it out, they will easily see it will do what I tell them it will do – learn how to be a ventriloquist.

And I am available via phone or email even beyond the one year mark if someone has a question. I want to help people succeed if they are serious about it. Since 1997, and with over 6,000 copies of my course sold, I’ve only had two requests for refunds. That’s unheard of in information marketing.

That goes back to offering a quality product, that does what it says it will do and then offering support and a guarantee. That’s how I do business.

I know 99% of you have no idea who I am. But I’ve always lived by the statements I made in the paragraph above.

The purpose of this blog is for me to learn and then with that knowledge, help you grow your Internet marketing business. I am no expert yet. But I have nearly 20 years of marketing experience in other website areas and many of those methods will directly translate to digital product Internet marketing and blogging. I will share what I know with you in my writings in this blog.

I will never recommend a product, service or person where I have not personally invested in that person’s product or service. I will never try to sell anyone anything just because it’s possibly a way for me to make some quick cash. I have to believe in the product or service.

I will always give you my honest opinion in everything I write about, review or promote. That’s probably going to rub some people in the Internet marketing world the wrong way, but that’s how I do things. But remember, these writings are just that. My opinion. You have every right to agree or disagree with me.

And I will honestly answer any questions I can help you with, if I can. If I can’t, I’ll try to point you to the person(s) who can.

In my niche of ventriloquism, all of my customers know the above is true as it relates to me and the way I do business.

I hope to earn your trust as well, as you visit my blog and read whatever it is I’ve posted. I will not waste your time. By me helping you succeed (and you eventually doing the same for others) success for yourself is almost guaranteed.