Tim Bossie.com

I remember the first time I put code to server and my first website was born. My first steps into affiliate marketing.

It was on a free web host (I know, but this was 10 years ago!) and was basically an affiliate link mall. What that means is I signed up for a ton of different merchants through networks like Linkshare and CJ, then placed links to each merchant in their own category. I would have a ‘food’ store, an ‘electronics’ store, a ‘book’ store, ‘music’ store, and every other category I could imagine. I was open for business.

However, the first few months were pretty rough. Actually they pretty much sucked. No traffic. No sales. I thought this was the World Wide Web where people just found websites. I didn’t even begin to imagine I had to advertise my website. I really didn’t want to. To be honest… I didn’t know where to begin!

Internet Advertising according to school of hard knocks.

Yeah. I did it the hard way.

Back in 1998 there just wasn’t a very large support system for people venturing out into affiliate marketing. There were a few people that was releasing ebooks and membership sites but nothing really all that special. Anyway, after several months of losing a lot of money and not seeing any type of return, I was almost ready to quit. Plus the fact that my wife was extremely annoyed (that’s putting it nicely) at me for “wasting all our money” for nothing.

What did I do? I stuck it out. Actually I began to learn how to advertise my website. I began to sign up for ezines, read articles, and check out a few ebooks. Keep in mind I didn’t have any more money so I couldn’t pay for any of the “guru” material. I had a big decision to make.

Probably one that many of you readers have to make too. Do I quite this thing or figure it out?

I am a challenge freak. If something is challenging me I dig in and begin to solve the problems. That’s what I did. I dug in.

From internet marketing failure to advertising consultant?

How does that happen?

One word. Well, maybe two. Stubborn and Perseverance.

I hate to give up and when I get something in my head I don’t let it go. That’s both good and bad, and I’m thankful that in this instance it was a good thing. I began to realize that advertising my website was something I would have to learn. And in much the same way, you have to learn it also. That might sound strange coming from someone who makes a living doing the advertising for people, but I believe it’s vital to your success as an online business owner.

I decided the only way I was going to learn was to do it myself. I began to write, test, write, study people, and write some more. The result is for the last 10 years I’ve been able to learn how to not only help myself advertising but help others learn how also.

That’s what this series of posts is going to be about.

Internet Advertising 101 in Ten Days

During the next ten days I will be blogging a series of posts designed not only to help you with real, relevant information about advertising on the internet, but also show you how. My goal, by the time this short little “course” is over is for you to be able to begin seeing how you can create your own advertising and start to see some success from your website.

Sign up for the RSS Feed, or come back tomorrow, same time, for Part 1 of the series.