Is Making Money Online Hard ?
Last Update: September 11, 2015

Yesterday I told a friend about my online business. Once I told him how long I've been doing it and how much money I'm making his wheels started turning.

His first question was, "is making money online hard"?

My short answer to this was and still is, "No, it's easy if you're a member of Wealthy Affiliate".

Now I don't mean to say that it's EASY peezy lemon squeezy. It really is a lot of work. It requires focus, dedication, consistency, discipline, patience and passion. Among other things.

BUT the training here at Wealthy Affiliate really is amazing. It shows us step-by-step how to do anything and everything and in a way that makes it seem easy.

It's also great that with affiliate marketing you get to work on something that you are passionate about. The training here teaches us to pick a niche that we have a genuine interest in so writing and researching this topic is fun and enjoyable.

Another big factor is THE PERSON. Everybody is different and this business is not for everyone. I often think about some of my family or friends and I wonder if they could be successful at this.

Most of them I say Heck No they couldn't. Not because they aren't smart enough or hard working enough but just because they hate writing or they hate computers or hate the thought of not knowing exactly how much money they will make this month and next month.

For me it's perfect and thrilling and the sky is the limit. I couldn't imagine not doing this.

I'd love to hear some of the members thoughts on this.

Do you think internet marketing/affiliate marketing is hard? Can you even answer that question?

What is the hardest part for you? I know a lot of people struggle with writing and a lot of people struggle with the self discipline it takes to site down and be productive. Let me know.

Cheers,

Robert

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GaryMoorey1 Premium
Hi Robert I have been a Premium member with WA for just over 6 months now and I have not made a bean and this is because I run a full time business and I dont have much time for my WA work but I have made 2 websites I am learning about SEO and Keywords , I have put some content on my sites and I am making slow but steady progress, on my first site I tried to run before I could walk but I know how to get a Domain name and I have started on my second site and I am learning all about keywords, so 6 months ago I did not have a clue how to do all this, as for making money being easy well I would have to say unless you complete and take action on the training then it will be difficult but I am looking forward to making my first pound Robert and hopefully that day is not to far away. Have a great day.
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Firekeeper Premium
My hardest challenge is to sort out and see which tasks are most important besides writing. And of course the patience to wait for the reward...
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Mark1957 Premium
There are lots of different challenges as you know Robert and some people take them in their stride while others struggle with even basic stuff but the bottom line is that it can be easy, but only if you know what you're doing.

I think quite often the first dollar is the most difficult because once you have earned that it should be "rinse and repeat" from there onwards.

Some struggle to make a buck, others earn millions....the very idea that somebody can make hundreds of thousands a month seems crazy, but people are doing it.

When you have the opportunity to lever the spending habits of millions of people on the net 24/7 with unlimited income streams you can understand why it's possible to make ridiculous amounts of money but there are barriers to getting to that situation with mindset and education being high up on the list.

Don't limit your mind, get the education here that you need and you can be on the way to earning stupid amounts if that's your goal.

Mark
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Newguru Premium
@Mark1957
Excellent response Mark. Thanks so much for sharing.
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Mark1957 Premium
@Newguru
You're very welcome Robert.

Freeing ourselves of the shackles of small mindedness is one of the great challenges of success in online marketing, I'm trying my best to do just that.

Mark
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SamiWilliams Premium
Unfortunately I have not out grown the need for challenge! I find that for me the discipline is the hardest part. There are SO MANY SHINY OBJECTS HERE! I have surely enjoyed the few steps I have taken and look forward to many more.
Sami
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Newguru Premium
@SamiWilliams
I've found that the only way I can be productive is by setting myself to s shedule and not breaking it for anything.
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peter65 Premium
Hi, my area of difficulty is in writing, i love internet marketing, don't want to quit WA and internet marketing business, though haven't made a dime, looking forward to making it my main stay as am about to retire. How do i solve this problem?
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Newguru Premium
@peter65
All I can say is just keep adding content. Add as much as you possibly can and make it good keyword rich content.
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NicheRay Premium
What I find hard is that it seems everyday the internet changes and it takes a lot of focus to stay updated on your website/websites.

I almost quit WA a couple of weeks ago since I have not made a dime yet. Than I realized it was my fault not WA.

I also was racking my brain for affiliate products to promote and realized right in front of me was my own product to promote. I am fully energized now and will stay with WA for the long haul.

It is also hard when family and friends say that I am wasting my time. I will prove then wrong and will have something I can do even when I am 90 years old.
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Newguru Premium
@NicheRay
That's a good point that you can do this even when you're 90. Great way to look at it.
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Firekeeper Premium
@NicheRay
Hey Ray, I'm wondering what you did wrong a s you said, since I'm in a similar position. After 7 months nothing. I don't know. Any idea?
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NicheRay Premium
@Firekeeper
Hello, I was trying to sell affiliate products that were not good products and now concentrating on selling my own products.

Problem I see with a lot of affiliate products out there is that you have tons of competition trying to sell anything they can for money, whether it is a good product or not.

I did some reality checks and saw that I was promoting things that I would not purchase myself. If your heart is not in to it than you cannot sell it in my opinion.

You also cannot take shortcuts with WA training which I have done.

I am now selling my fiancés dog pastel portraits on my dog behavior website and working on creating my own e-book on bad dog behavior.

Hope that helps, thanks Ray
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Firekeeper Premium
@NicheRay
thanks, yes that's true, to ask yourself if you would buy it!
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KatieMac Premium
I would not have been able to get going let alone make money if it was not for coming across WA, it is amazing to hear the amount of people I know who do not think it is possible
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Newguru Premium
@KatieMac
Most people don't think it's possible. But anyone who gives WA the time of day and looks into it genuinely can then see that it's legit. Thanks for the comment
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KatieMac Premium
@Newguru
yes they can shame a lot will not give it the time or chance, have a good day
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WestBay Premium
Hi Robert, Oh yes making money online this is the good life..?
My number 1 dream, I love it!
Many other friends and family are very consistent with, that's a fools way to make money..?
Wasting your time and hard earned money.
You should be looking for a part time proper job..?
No thank you, I've had many of them for over 40 years now!
Time to have a change and with all my new friends here at WA and the knowledge I have learned with building an online business I am progress all the time.
Writing is not my number one subject, but I am making great improvements at this also. As the more I write the better I become and the faster the keyboard can click...!
Hell, some evenings I am sure I have seen steam leaving it...?
Well it gets hot in here, what else can it be...?
Thank you for sharing this post.
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Newguru Premium
@WestBay
Writing does get easier with practice. I've also noticed that my writing has become almost effortless.
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onlinejim Premium
Making your first income is hard. Rinse and repeat then.
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Newguru Premium
@onlinejim
Sure feels good once you do it though
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DarleneB Premium
Now that I'm starting to make money on my websites, I am so motivated. Since I've joined WA, I can't wait to start in the morning.

The hardest part for me is, something always seems to pop up & takes me away from my work. When I come back, I've lost track of where I left off. It's hard for me to refocus again. I have to start using the "no" word more often so I can get the course finished.

You're right, everyone is different & it's not for everyone. I have relatives that just shake their head at me & think I'm wasting my time. Their comments just go in one ear & out the other. For the first time in my life I actually love my job.
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Newguru Premium
@DarleneB
That is so awesome that you love your job for the first time in your life. I'm the same way. I truly am passionate about what I do and it's a great feeling.

Thanks for sharing.
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whitsunday Premium
I so agree with you that it is perfect and thrilling, I love those words.
The hardest part for me is finding time to do everything I want to do with my websites. I'm at a point just now when activities that use my time are a little annoying. I just want to dive in and keep going, like some marathon swimmer.
I'm more driven and excited now than when I first started.
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Newguru Premium
@whitsunday
That is exactly how I feel. More motivated than ever. Thanks for the input.
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ElwinDutton Premium
Hi Robert, Well i have been at it for a few years now.Have not made much money either.As for doing wordpress and my website it has been a challenge and i am also addicted.But in the back of my head i keep saying to to myself one of these days i'm going to hit it just right an then look out because i'm going full bore.One thing i will never do is give up because i am like you ,can't imagine not doing this.You have a great post.
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Newguru Premium
@ElwinDutton
That's a good attitude, keep going. You will make money if you keep at it. But it seems like you're enjoying it and that's important too.
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lindasea Premium
Hello Robert,

Your question I found very interesting and thought I would come and read your thoughts.

I SO agree with you that creating a business with the aid of the training here at Wealthy Affiliate makes this a much easier process. I have loved learning and developing my website. The training is stellar and it methodically moves one's business into existence. There are many within the community who are doing well, have been earning an income and in time have become full-time internet marketers.

The key to all of this has been to know it will take time to build traffic and create authority. My challenge has been getting the writing done. And its not because I don't like to write. That has always come easily to me. I have to edit for clarity and brevity, my posts often exceeding well over !,000 words.

So...no affiliate marketing is not hard. The hardest part is the consistency and the waiting. It's a matter of discipline really. Trying to get into a routine so that I can at least put up 2 posts and pages a week. My research takes me about a day. I'm thinking I need to find a way to skim that down and once I have material enough to run with it, rather than being in the "perfection" mode.

I wonder what others think and what their experience has been.

Linda
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Newguru Premium
@lindasea
Linda,

Thanks for the input. I agree that the hardest part is consistency and discipline. There have been way too many days where I was planning on writing a nice long post and I ended up watching Netflix instead. I need to be a little more structured and stick to it.

Thanks for your great addition to this blog.

Robert
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lindasea Premium
@Newguru
Ha...I get this. My distraction isn't Netflix, noooo, which I'd love to have now and again to just chill. My time consumer is to be pulled too many ways and ups and downs with my teens. Thats' been the worse with only 24 hours and sleep necessary and all....
"-)

Glad to hear what others could be finding hard, like edutton.

Smile away the day, I say! Fussing over things doesn't make a bit of difference anyway.

Linda
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carcol Premium
@lindasea
Like you Linda, my posts take two or three days to research and produce so I have limited myself to one post per week. My content is technical and requires a lot of research to add to my personal knowledge to produce my blogs.

I don't know how to increase my productivity without being desk bound 7 days a week. I don't think that would be good for me or my site and visitors.

Colin
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lindasea Premium
@carcol
Hello Colin! Yes, it sounds like you have a good attitude about your content and the need to be accurate while putting something out there in the great big wide world of the web. "-) I can't stand the thought of publishing something that could be misconstrued or lead someone in a wrong direction. My intent with my site has been to share my learning curve so as to shorten that of other parents who find themselves raising a special needs child. so, you can imagine it can get pretty personal.

You have the right idea, though. Take care of yourself, make time for your lovely wife and write one post a week until the juices start to rev up.

I seem to be in the mode of one post per week but want to bump it up to two a week and I'm looking at ways to accomplish that goal without becoming anchored to my desk. So....I totally get what you are saying. The goal, of course, is to be seen as an authority and in time with that should happen for both of us.

Keep smiling! Its oh so good for the heart. "-)

Linda
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