Fear of commitment. To some degree we've all experienced it. Relationships are a difficult thing, whether they are social relationships or business relationships, we still have some natural hesitancy to fully commit to someone or something. As you search for Internet marketing solutions, from a company or packaged as software tools and applications, a little fear is a good thing. But if your fear controls you, the right Internet marketing solutions might pass you by.

Internet marketing solutions come in many shapes and sizes, and many times they will be accompanied by Claims or, even worse, Guarantees. And, when it comes to Internet marketing solutions, Claims and Guarantees should cause more fear than Commitment does. So in the instances where these solutions seem held up by Claims and Guarantees, treat them as you would any other relationship that seems too good to be true – with skepticism and a healthy dose of paranoia.

Common wisdom has taught us all through the years that things which seem too good to be true probably are. Internet marketing solutions are no different. A Guarantee that a company can get you a number one ranking or claim that they will put you at the top of Google within a given time frame definitely fits into this category.

Google itself tells you in their Webmaster Help Center that no one can guarantee a #1 ranking in Google. And, for better or for worse, the people who are making Google work are a lot smarter than most of us. So in these cases of Claims and Guarantees it's okay to let your Fear guide your decisions.

Which is not to say that all of those promises are blatantly false. It really could be that some of those companies have a “system” or “method” that will get you to the top of the search results, but, strangely enough, the guarantees don't seem to include the length of time you will remain at the top. And it probably goes without saying (but I'm going to say it anyway) that they also very specifically don't guarantee that you won't get banned.

And when we look at it this way, at least we can say that our Fear of Commitment is not completely irrational. Companies that employ unethical Internet marketing solutions can get you to the top. They can also cause irreparable harm to your business and reputation.

At the same time, if you want to succeed on the Internet you have got to face your fears, cope with your hesitations, and confront your worries. (And any other encouraging statements you feel might apply.) Because not every company is like that, and there are a number of ethical, established, and proven Internet marketing solutions, and the right Internet marketing company can help you build a powerful web presence and improve your overall marketing strategy.

A couple methods that are common practices in Internet marketing include search engine optimization (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC). Both require skilled and knowledgeable application, but both can help you develop your online strategy and work your way up the search engine results.

However, SEO is not a quick or instant method. It takes time. And we've already discussed how the companies that promise instant SEO are justifiable sources of fear. Unfortunately a company's fear of commitment can often influence decisions when, in fact, you should be standing up to your fears. Fear enters corporate mentality when things don't progress as fast as they think it should. The wrong expectations can create the kind of fear that leads to bad decisions.

We can draw the same analogy to social relationships. How many of them have gone south because, even though both parties want the same outcome, they let their different expectations about how to achieve the end result destroy their chances of getting there. If you want to succeed it takes time. And more importantly, it takes commitment.

The moral of the story: Don't let your fear of commitment stop you from trying to find the right Internet marketing solutions. Not every relationship is going to work out on your first try, but if you really want to achieve the best possible outcome, you'll keep at it until the method and the achievement are exactly what your business needs.