What You Dont Know Can Hurt You

By James Capobianco
Posted Sunday, August 22, 2004

You know that old saying "What you don't know can't hurt you". Well that's not exactly true on the Internet. Knowledge is very important and you should learn as much as you can.

Ignorance is NOT bliss, when it comes to doing business on the Internet. The more you know the better equipped you will be to succeed in what ever your goal is.

In this article, I would like to explain to you that not only is knowledge important; but to succeed on the Internet you have to USE what you've learned.

I've been marketing on the Internet for some time now and I've learned a few things. When I started, I was eager and open minded. I believed most of what I read and some of what I was told by those I considered more knowledgable than me.

As time went by, I spent more and more of that time (and money too!) gathering information on anything concerned with doing business online and Internet marketing.

I searched and surfed the Web for hours...days...and months on end. I filled Zip disks, my hard drive and file cabinets with information and software I downloaded.

Some of the information and software was free but most of it I paid for. I tried not to fall for the "too good to be true" ads. However, I did try a few. The ads were so enticing. After all, I am human, I have needs and wants and they touched every nerve. Maybe I could "make a lot of money, in a short time, doing nothing. Guaranteed!"???

I don't think so!!!

After awhile I realized that the only people getting rich were the people placing the outrageous ads and getting fools like me to bite.

So began my education...

Armed with this new found knowledge, I resisted the ridiculous claims and focused on the more reasonable ads offering information and advice on how to have a steady income stream from various sources, design a Web site, place high in the search engines, advertise and on Internet marketing as a whole.

These ads, salesletters and Web sites, were well written and authored by Internet marketing people I came to know and respect through my time online.

I still downloaded a ton of information and software. Some for free, but most I paid for. The difference this time was that I was more comfortable with my decisions. Now in my hours...days...and months on the Internet, I was dealing with people and companies that were stable and well represented in the Internet community. What they had to say made sense.

The prices of the information and software I purchased ranged from several dollars to several hundred dollars. The quality of the information in almost all cases was excellent. It was as advertised. I got what I wanted and I was able to use some or all of it in my business strategies. I mention this to show you that you can pay a little or a lot to get good quality information.

Then I began to realize something very interesting. Regardless of the price, much of the information and software was saying or doing the same things.

Phase two of my education began...

Too much information? Not at all! Just like, "you can never be too rich". You can never have to much knowledge.

No! The point is this, there is so much information on the Internet, that at some point you have to STOP collecting it (unless your a library) and start USING it.

The light went on! I would have to become more selective in my quest for knowledge. Not stop learning.

I was at the point where most of my time was being consumed by gathering and reading tons of information. I was not putting the knowledge I was gaining to use in my own marketing efforts. The information and advice was great, now I had too apply it.

And the worst part was that much of the information was a rehash of information from another source. Now don't get me wrong. While a different slant or perspective on something may prove very helpful, the same stuff over and over just wastes your valuable time. At some point you have to use what you learned and be selective in your information gathering.

In conclusion this is what I have learned:

* Read everything you can on your area of expertise, after all that's how you become and expert.

* Avoid the "hype". Use a little common sense pursuing the "too good to be true" opportunities.

* Follow the advice of the few Internet marketers you've come to know and trust.

* And most important, realize that at some point "you have to take the bull by the horns" and put what you have learned into practice.

Do these things and WHAT YOU DO KNOW CAN help you to succeed!

About the Author
James Capobianco has been self-employed for over 25 years, both on and offline. At his web site, Cap-Tech.com, and in his newsletter, The Cap-Tech Times, he shares his experience and expertise when it comes to owning your own business. Come pay a visit at (http://www.cap-tech.com?art11)