My Journey into Internet Marketing: A Tale of Limited Resources and No Prior Knowledge

The Beginning: A Computer Novice

Four years ago, I was a complete novice when it came to computers. I didn't even know how to switch one on. However, I was fortunate enough to connect with some tech-savvy individuals who suggested I market my books online. This idea eventually evolved into online creative writing courses, which turned out to be quite successful. Despite the initial struggles and financial constraints, the steep learning curve and persistence led to a wealth of knowledge about internet marketing.

Early Attempts and Lessons Learned

Our initial attempts at marketing products were not very successful. As beginners, we tried various techniques such as search engines, web rings, banners, links, free classifieds, and a guest book. However, these efforts yielded limited success. We were often approached by other internet professionals trying to sell us something. Thankfully, we had no money to spend on promotion, so we didn't waste any capital. All our initial efforts were carried out on two free websites, Geocities and Tripod.

The Turning Point: Our Own Domain

Things took a turn for the better when we acquired our own domain at NZ Enterprise.com. Suddenly, all our sites got listed with Yahoo and other major search engines. This might have been due to the perception that we were more successful and larger than we actually were. Having a unique product also helped us achieve a high ranking. We also started receiving hits from lesser-known search engines like Looksmart, Snap, and Northern Light. The traffic to our sites increased substantially, and sales started coming in, primarily from our creative writing and money management courses.

Current Status and Future Plans

Currently, we are receiving over 200 hits a day and making sales most weeks. While sales are not as high as we would like, they are increasing rapidly. We started making a small profit after 18 months online, and sales have increased significantly since then. We do all our marketing online but plan to venture into offline marketing as more money comes in.

Our Marketing Strategy

Our main marketing strategy involves submitting articles on self-development and writing to e-zines. This has been instrumental in getting our sites noticed and increasing both hits and sales. It's essentially free advertising at its most effective.

The Power of E-commerce

Living in a small, isolated city of 30,000 people, we realized the immense benefits of distributing information globally at minimal cost via the internet. E-commerce is undoubtedly the future, especially for those in geographically isolated areas like us. We started this business with no capital, just a couple of tech-savvy friends, in one of New Zealand's most economically deprived regions. Now, we have a team of three people working in our "Sleepy Hollow", along with an American associate.

The Key to Success

In my experience, the key to success in internet marketing is a good idea, a lot of enthusiasm, time, effort, belief in oneself, and persistence. Having limited capital can actually be a blessing as it forces you to be resourceful and rely on your initiative.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, it's essential to master the basics and then persist. As we say in New Zealand, "hang in there, mate", and the results will surely come. I hope my journey into internet marketing inspires and aids you in your own strategy.

About the author:

Craig Lock is an author of numerous books and the creator of the original online creative writing course. He has been writing for the past seven years. Craig has had five books published on various subjects with another 12 manuscripts being published and marketed on the internet. He started the highly successful original online creative writing course.

For more information, visit Craig's website or check out his books here and here.