Its Not That Hard: Expert Shares Practical Tips For Internet Marketing Novices

Try to run a search for the name Edward Gilbert. You'll garner about 2,700,000 hits, and the most prominent of them would refer to Edward Gilbert the doctor, Edward Gilbert the lawyer, and Edward Gilbert the deceased professional wrestler. None of them though, would point to Edward Gilbert, the internet marketing millionaire.

"I'm not comfortable with self-promotion," said Edward, or Eddie to his friends and clients. He used to be one of the top "dropshippers," or wholesale distributors in cyberspace, having supplied various products like vintage shoes, hip hop accessories and charms to many people worldwide. Currently, he considers himself as a retired internet marketer and has invested his online earnings in the real estate game. The real world real estate, that is.

Eddie's a relative latecomer in the online business, as he had his first brushes with the internet only in 2001. Back then, he was an assistant to the postmaster's office of his state and was being groomed for eventual succession.

So what brought about Eddie's shift from slow mail to e-mail?

"I always thought that the internet was only good for porn," he answered, sharing a sentiment we all felt at one point. "It was the new millennium and I was running a 586 at home," he continued, "I never felt the need to have a new setup that would just perform the same tasks."

But one day that fateful year, his daughter won a new computer from the local YFC. "She's the real entrepreneur in the family," Eddie proudly proclaimed of her daughter Joy Marie, "she won a small scale business plan competition at the age of 15." The new computer allowed them to use the AOL CDs that have piled up in their home, and this opened a new world of digital possibilities for the Gilbert family. Eddie would often call in sick for work just to discover the then uncharted reaches of cyberspace.

One thing led to another. Eddie soon discovered E-bay where he started selling small woodwork tokens that were carved by his brother.

"I wasn't able to sell anything, which didn't do much to Brian's (his brother) ego," he said. "I'd go home from work every day and excitedly log on, only to find out that no orders were placed."

But this initial frustration did not discourage him. After a couple of months, Eddie decided to dabble on public domain information (PDI).

"I got the idea from David Vallieres," he narrated, referring to the E-bay power seller who is hailed in the internet marketing community as one of the more prominent masters of the trade. "He mentioned how Walt Disney made an empire out of PDI." Armed with renewed vigor, Eddie made his research and discovered the demand for some books belonging to the public domain.

"That caused me to visit the local library," he continued, "I borrowed some books, scanned them, arranged them really nice, packaged them as e-books, and within two days, I earned close to $2,000. All net." Despite his careful planning, the result still came as a surprise for him. "I never thought that I could actually earn money from the internet until I made my first sale," he shared.

"Selling PDI is very cost-efficient," Eddie confided, "you don't have to pay anyone any royalties. Minimal capital is needed, and all the profit is yours to keep." Eddie realized that as big as E-bay was, it was not his entire market. He developed a site wherein he could advertise his book and offer it for sale outside of the said auction community. At first, traffic was slow, which forced him to remove the guest counter in the main page so that his few visitors won't get the wrong impression.

"Then I discovered about link exchanges and attaching your site to your online persona," Eddie continued. "I tried to make friends with fellow webmasters and they included my site as one of their links for free. I also tried to advertise my site as much as I could. I included its address in my profile's signature in all the discussion forums I joined and e-mail responses I wrote."

The visitor count gradually increased and he was starting to make sales from his website. It was at this point when Eddie learned about search engine positioning, which, back in 2002, was more of a myth than a fact.

"I invested some of my earnings on a traffic expert," he said, referring to what Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experts were called three years ago. "I have no regrets as traffic did increase and so did sales, so I got back what I spent in a week or so."

After a few months, Eddie gave up his day job as his online income was providing him some substantial earnings. And since his site has been generating most of the profit for his PDI products, he was able to shift his attention back to E-bay where he started offering goods he bought in bulk from contacts he was introduced to, both online and offline.

"It's the basic system of a profitable barter," he explained, "buy and sell, man! Buy and sell! You buy goods at a lower price, and you sell them for a little higher amount."

Earlier this year, Eddie's total online earnings have reached close to two million dollars. "I never had to employ anyone, except for those who had to carry my wholesale orders from another state to my place," he added. With the income he has gained, Eddie has decided to take a temporary hiatus from his online adventures to weave his magic in the real world.

When asked what advice he could give for beginners, Eddie was quick to reply. "Don't give up on it," he said, "just remember that Rome wasn't built in a day."

"It's not that hard," Eddie continued, "just don't forget to have fun."

© 2005 Gunnar Berglund

Gunnar Berglund has been a "internet- hardworker" for the last five years He publishes the Meonit Gazette http://gazette.meonit.com and runs http://www.meonit.com and http://www.grabinternetprofits.com

------------- ------------------------------

---

Advertising That Yields the Best Results

In today's world, online advertising is KEY to the success... Read More

How to Put Your Bookmark on Top Every Time

Do web surfers really bookmark websites anymore? A good friend... Read More

8 Myths About Online Marketing

These myths about online marketing. Seasoned marketers and beginners alike... Read More

5 Ways to Educate Your Prospects for More Sales

It's impossible to sell a product or service without demand... Read More

Internet Marketing Online: How To Help Yourself By Helping Others

If you want to go far in business, and be... Read More

I Was at the Point of Giving Up With My Website - Then Something Wonderful Happened!

This wasn't meant to sound like one of those "rags... Read More

Resources For Staying Current of IT Advancements For Online Business Owners

The internet and associated technology changes at a relatively fast... Read More

The Worst Internet Marketing Strategy Ever?

Many people are downright frustrated.And when you look at their... Read More

How to Hit the Target for Your Internet Marketing Through 5 Self Help Questions

Recently, I stumbled upon a simple way to hit the... Read More

FSBO Upscale Manhattan Co-op -- Only Strongest Offers Entertained

Had I known in 1985 what I know now about... Read More

Niche Marketing: Broker Your Way To Profits

If you haven't started your own niche business yet because... Read More

Five Foolproof Ways to Improve Your Web Site Sales

When you run an online home-based business, your web site... Read More

Dollars In The Details!

When it comes to your marketing message, the little things... Read More

Online AD Tracking ? An Ongoing Process

Without tracking, your online advertising is just a shot in... Read More

Profitable Online Marketing - Guaranteed!

When you boil it right down, there are really only... Read More

The Paradigm Shift of Internet Marketing

There is a trend going on in the world of... Read More

Ask Questions? To Help Find The GOLD

Here's another great idea that the gurus are using to... Read More

With Todays Internet, Is Banner Advertising Worth Your Time?

A banner exchange program is a network of websites that... Read More

The REAL Secret to Building A High-Profit Internet Business

My wife laughs every time she sees me doing it.At... Read More

The Google Toolbar & Search Engine Optimization

Like many other useful toolbars out there so is the... Read More

Have You Got Your Ear To The Ground Or Your Head In The Sand?

What happened on your website yesterday? What about last week... Read More

Visitor Traffic Statistics 101, or, The Who, What, When, Where, Why & How of Web Analytics

As we all know, visitor traffic is crucial to the... Read More

Internet Marketing - Advantages and Disadvantages

Everyone seems to be jumping on the internet marketing bandwagon... Read More

The Magic Upsell Technique

Just like the infamous thank you page that a buyer... Read More

HOLY TRINITY: The Three Focal Points Of A Successful Online Venture

"For which one of you, when he wants to build... Read More

Joint Ventures - 8 Incredible Ideas to Boost Your Web Business!

A joint venture is when two or more businesses work... Read More

Marketing on the Internet: Legal Rules of the Road

The Internet is connecting advertisers and marketers to customers from... Read More

Scam And Scheme Free Advertising For Your Business Web Site

Since I own my own business web site and have... Read More

The Best Kept Secret on the Internet

What is the Best Kept Secret on the Internet?This is... Read More

Make Money With A Business Opportunity Online

There are so many business opportunities these days that promise... Read More

Raising Your Rates Can *Increase* Your Business

How many times have I heard literal horror stories from... Read More

Paid Customer List On Autopilot?

How do you get a truckload of buyers eager to... Read More

Internet Marketing: 10 Killer Internet Marketing Tips To Multiply Your Sales

Hello, do you feel low because sales at your website... Read More