Make Money Online - The CaymanHost

08/05: Can You Ever Trust An Online Marketer?

Ever since I first went online back in the early 90's, there has been no shortage of scaremongers and those who delight in telling stories to ignite fear and mistrust of the internet. I'm not saying none of these are justified, plenty of them are, but there are people who would have you believe that you should never trust anyone online - period.

In terms of all the millions of people who decide to try and make some extra money, or even a full time living on the web, the failure rate is extraordinarily high. I believe that one of the reasons for this is the paranoia instilled in them by others. FOBRO I call it.

If you are going to try and make a go of it online, you are going to have to suspend your belief that everyone out there is a con artist, a liar, and a ne'er do well. If you don't, you probably won't make it.

Let's take a step back though and consider why so many people believe that the internet is swamped with dishonest, bad or downright shady characters. Well, it is true that there are plenty of those types operating online, but in all honesty the internet is no different to the real world. Applying a little common sense is all it really takes to stay out of trouble. When you see one of the many variations on how to make huge life altering amounts of cash online in no time at all and without lifting a finger, sure, keep that healthy skepticism close at hand. 

As someone who recommends and sells on the internet I am well aware that overcoming customer doubts online is a difficult and ongoing battle, particularly if you are an unknown entity as opposed to a household name. Anyone who sells anything online will inevitably face dealing with an unhappy customer at some point, and unfortunately, the "FOBRO factor" (Fear of Being Ripped Off) often makes this an even more difficult task than it would normally be.

You constantly come across individuals online lashing out at people and companies who they perceive have done them wrong - sometimes they have a case and sometimes they don't. In the internet marketing field, this kind of thing is rife. Some would argue that is because the arena is full of hucksters and I'm not going to deny that there are some less than honest people out there. However, I have also found that people's complaints often arise from a situation for which they share equal blame. I've touched on this in relation to web hosting before but let's look at other some other areas.

Let's take the person who buys an IM product that calims to show them how to make money from a specific venture. They buy the informational product, read it and then do nothing. Naturally, they don't make any money and somehow make the leap of imagination that they have been cheated. But have they? If the product they bought promised information and delivered it, they surely got what they were prepared to pay for, did they not? Their failure to act on said information does not, to my mind qualify the seller as a cheat or a liar.

There are many examples like this, and sadly they often arise from a lack of understanding or knowledge. I recall a product launch over a year ago where many people willingly parted with their cash only to realize that they had neither the knowledge or systems in place to use what they paid for. Why? Because they didn't understand or even look into what it was they were buying, got caught up in a huge marketing whirlwind and then claimed they had been ripped off.

I had a recent experience myself where, due to a slight glitch with a payment processor, I was accosted by an unhappy customer. I should add that the amount of money involved was very small, and that it took me 13 minutes to respond to the initial email. Despite immediate action which would have resulted in her receiving her download within the hour, her FOBRO mentality blinded her to all reason.

I refunded the money right away. Why? Because to argue would have been pointless, the customer having convinced themselves that someone was going to disappear with their cash and laugh at them from the safety of their luxury yacht anchored in the Bahamas, paid for with their ill gotten internet millions. So, instead of a really good bargain, the customer has a war story to tell and another "terrible experience" (her words) online to add fuel to the fire. FOBRO. Justification - absolutely zero. This is how the mentality thrives and is indicative of society as a whole. A sheep bleats, and other sheep will naturally follow.

The owner of the program in question is a very honest and respectable marketer. I would also add, that I consider myself honest and trustworthy too. My mama raised me right.

It is also true that many people still have a hugely irrational fear of giving out an email address online. There really is no need. One thing honest marketers really don't need is being labelled a spammer. As a result, double opt-in email marketing is the only path they will follow. This is great for you whichever side of the fence you are on. If someone offers something for free to get your email address and you really want the gift, sign up. The FOBRO should not stop you - it's what grandma used to call cutting off your nose to spite your face.

You can always set up an email account specifically for the purpose with Gmail or similar. If you really don't want to hear from the marketer again, opt-out as soon as you have the gift. It's simple, there should be no FOBRO. In actual fact, being on a few email lists is far  more likely to be of benefit to you. Does it bother me when people subscribe just to get a free book or report and then remove themselves? No, it doesn't - I offer the information freely and can't expect to hold a person hostage in exchange and wouldn't wish to. That attitude is the only one to have as far as I'm concerned.

So where am I going with all this? Well, I'm trying to point out that just because somebody sells something online, or recommends services or products, or points you towards something that is free, there is not always a catch. A lot of the time, these offers are very genuine, even the free ones and yes, even the internet marketing ones.

For you, as a marketer, you need to believe that sometimes, there are really people who are offering to help you. Yes, a reasonable degree of caution is advisable, but if everytime you see an attractive offer or read a testimonial or endorsement and your FOBRO kicks in immediately, you might not be cut out for making money online. You have to keep it all in perspective and understand that sooner or later you will find yourself in a postioin where you wish or need to buy something to help you in your own online marketing efforts.

Nobody can force anybody to buy something online, nor can they force them to download a free product or take a free trial or anything else. When it comes to the Internet, as a medium of communication you, the user, have complete control. If you're not happy about any aspect of an offer, ask before you buy - isn't that what you would do in the "real world"? As far as free things go, what do you have to lose? Marketers, despite their sometimes less than enviable reputations cannot turn up on your doorstep and threaten death if you won't buy their latest offer.

So, despite the horror stories from your neighbor, your workmate, your relative or friend, keep an open mind, use a little common sense and remember that making money online does not have to be a dirty word.

TCH