It’s been two years since I originally posted my standard advice for all new members. Things really haven’t changed all that much, but I think we should revisit the topic.

Be careful who you take advice from. Many of the members here are just as new as you are and their advice isn't always accurate. Check to see how long they've been a member. Reach out to your Premium Coach (located in the Help Center). Otherwise, you're actually better off searching the topic bar on the WA main page, visiting the Help Center on the left sidebar, or Googling your question.

Think for yourself. This is YOUR business, success or failure rests solely on your shoulders. Don’t make excuses like ‘but so and so told me to do it that way.’

Don’t try to recreate the wheel. Stick with what Kyle/Carson/Jay present. Someday, when you have more experience, you can begin to tinker with your methodologies.

Choose either ‘Online Certification’ - for niches other than WA OR ‘Affiliate Bootcamp’ - to promote Wealthy Affiliate - don’t try to do both at the same time. Focus your energies.

Whatever training you choose, take it in order. Do not wander all over the course. Take a lesson, do the tasks, then move to the next lesson. Don’t read ahead.

Our community has rules that encompass far more than the title of this post implies. Familiarize yourself with them here:

https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/training/wealthy-affiliate-t...

When will you be profitable? Kyle has some great advice in these two posts::

https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/kyle/blog/expectations-of-on...

https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/kyle/blog/if-i-work-at-this-...

I took flak for this two years ago, but I still stand by this recommendation. When you begin to make money, hire both a lawyer and an accountant. If you had an offline business, you’d have to do this. DO NOT take legal advice from anyone who is not certified to practice law in your jurisdiction (aka, your state or country). Very few members on this site are lawyers or accountants, following their advice could land you in a lot of hot water.

The Terms & Conditions for every site you do business with are important. It doesn’t matter if you’re a customer or an affiliate partner. Reading and complying with them are not optional. If you don’t understand what they mean, that’s why you hired a lawyer. They can help you understand your rights and obligations.

Get Grammarly, it’s free. I’ve been an editor for 40 years and I still use it to check myself. This is definitely a must if English is not your primary language.

You can determine your SERP (search engine ranking position) by using an INCOGNITO browsing session to search for your relevant keyword. If your page isn’t in the top 2 or 3, keep working.

You’ve got this. No one is a better you than you. Trust your instincts.