Did you know that 95% of all the people trying to make money online are FAILING to make a profit at all? Ouch! That might have dented your enthusiasm a bit.

There are many reasons for this high failure rate - bad programs, useless e-books that teach you nothing, and slick sales pages written by equally slick salesmen who can't wait to separate you from hard earned money! And there are equally culpable people who buy into this rubbish and, however unwillingly, contribute to the high failure rate.

We all need to take responsibility for the state of affairs that now exists on the Internet and lean to spot the 'red-flags' that are being used to lure you away from your money! It is equally important that we know the reality of Internet marketing - which is very different from what is being promoted in most online programs!

So, let's start with some common myths or what could more accurately be described as sophisticated marketing ploys. If you've surfed for any online business opportunities you will almost certainly have come across many of these - you might even have been sucked in by one or two of them!

1) Self-proclaimed "Gurus"

This is when an e-book author, or program owner, give themselves a catchy nick-name which creates the impression they are really successful. I won't mention names but just look for the titles that people give themselves - you will soon get what I mean.

Now, there is nothing wrong with promoting your own personal brand - that is what the whole science of "attraction marketing" is based around - but when you have no idea what their product is until after you have paid for it then it is simply a marketing ploy. They want you to remember their name - if you hear, or see it enough times, you may just buy into it.

2) Quick riches

With very few exceptions, most people will fall for the ploy of quick riches! We would all love to be wealthy quickly and easily without having to do very much for it! So, the strategy of "Quick Riches" appeals to our sense of greed and wishful thinking! This tactic is used at most money-making websites these days. You see it all the time "From Bankruptcy to $134,000 in 45 days". Of course, it is almost always a lie! But a very powerful one nevertheless, and one that people buy into every single minute of the day!

3) The "Do-Nothing" programs

This is closely aligned with the instant riches program, except this one appeals to our innate laziness! We would all love to have money pouring into our accounts with very little effort on our behalf - what a great system that would be! You will see online opportunities that claim: "You don't have to refer others", or,"You don't have to promote", or,"You don't have to do any work at all"!

That would be a really great program wouldn't it? It pays you lots of money and you don't have to do a thing for it! If it was true, and such a program existed, it would be the only one on the Internet - we simply wouldn't need anything else!

Of course, the reality is that some marketer is playing a numbers game. He or she knows that there are enough desperate or gullible people out there who will buy into this nonsense and hand over their money, so why not?

Let's use a little bit of common sense for just a second. Life just isn't like that - find me one conventional offline business where you can do absolutely nothing and still make money? There isn't one!

Why should it be any difference with online businesses? It is a basic principal of all businesses that success requires work! The "Do Nothing" program is one of the major reasons why 95% of people fail to make money online! People join without too much thought (other than holding onto the promise that they won't have to do too any work), and then a couple months later they realize that they aren't making any money and quit!

Before spending your hard earned money see how many of these strategies you can spot on any sales page you are looking at. The more of these ploys you recognize, the more likely that the program or information you are buying is a complete waste of your time and money.

Copyright (c) 2009 Steve Cowley