10 Mind Blowing Ideas for Success on the Internet from Chris Ducker, Michael O’Neil, Noah Kagan and Kim Garst

I don’t have to work hard to convince you that in today’s world and economy, success on the Internet is as important for your wellbeing and business as water is for your health: you may do okay without it for a short while but ultimately you need it for survival.

It is sufficient to mention that, according to a recent study, over 80% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses; and that e-commerce, only in Europe, is expected to reach 510 billion euro in 2016.

Still not convinced?

Well, maybe you need to trust me on this one or just get off and read something else.

Because today I’ll share with you 12 mind blowing ideas for success on the internet I learned from five of the most prominent and successful people who operate on it.

#1. Mind Blowing Ideas for Success on the Internet: Chris Ducker

Chris Ducker is one of the most interesting entrepreneurs around. He owns companies in the Philippines and is well versed in the art and craft of outsourcing. He even wrote a best selling book about that called ‘Virtual Freedom’ (which incidentally, I’ll have to find, dust off and use to figure out how to reduce my current workload).

Chris also has enviable internet presence. His personal website – ChrisDucker.com – is where you can learn much of what you need to know about building a personal brand for growth and profit. Chris’s latest adventure is Youpreneur.com: an internet entrepreneurial community.

I met Chris Ducker at a conference recently and these are the four mind blowing ideas for success on the internet I came away with:

• Relationships should be treasured, not used. This is rather straight forward and the secret to successful networking. It is about giving praise where it’s due without cloying flattery, about growing relationships on shared passion and interest, on willingness to help and support and on mutual respect.
• Don’t build your house on rented land! You know how many Internet entrepreneurs pride themselves on their large Facebook groups and following on other Social Media sites. If you are one of them remember that these sites can spring unpleasant surprises on you, including closing your account. So, build on your own turf (or site).
• Market like a magnet to attract the people you want. Your marketing strategy should be very specific and targeted. You really don’t need many followers; what you need a dedicated followers.
• Sustainable success on the internet comes from long-game mind-set. The Internet is often seen as the place where fortunes are made overnight. In fact, the Internet fortunes are overnight successes that can take many years work behind-the-scenes. This also means that for long term success on the Internet you need to keep the long game in mind.

#2. Mind Blowing Ideas for Success on the Internet: Michael O’Neil

Michael is the guy behind the SoloPreneurHour.com: a podcast helping ‘the proudly unemployable’ achieve job security. Sounds weird, I know. Still, the podcast is doing its job well in a world of ‘work nomads’.

Michael really knows what he is talking about; existentially so. After all, he is proudly unemployable himself. He also works hard and smart and is a successful solopreneur.

Here is what I took away from his talk.

• Say yes to opportunities, not gigs. This is also about thinking about the long-term when considering current offers. Would you rather be paid £100 now or do for free something that will bring you thousands in the future?
• Success recognises hustle! Don’t know about you but I’m always apprehensive about approaching the top people in the field I work. More often than not successful people will appreciate being approached and being approached persistently. For them this will signal that you’re so dedicated that you are ready to hustle without a break; and they’ll help you.
• Pissing off 50% of the people who are paying attention to you means you are getting it right. Do remember the saying that you can’t please everybody all of the time? This idea is about that and also about standing for what you believe in.

#3. Mind Blowing Ideas for Success on the Internet: Noah Kagan

Noah Kagan is, as he puts it himself, the chief sumo at AppSumo.com: a site promoting tools for internet entrepreneurs. Chances are that if you already have a website – and you are using it for more than entertaining the world with cute pictures of your cats – you already know about AppSumo.com.

What is less known is that Noah:

• Worked for Intel;
• Became employee #30 at Facebook; and
• Was employee #4 at Mint.

He also prides himself on a string of Internet business failures; before he started and stuck with AppSumo.com, that is.

These are the ideas I took away from his talk:

• Don’t start the next thing; make the thing you have work better. I’ve seen this so many times. I’ve seen it in bloggers who start a new blog before they’ve developed the one they have to its full capacity and I’ve seen it in my doctoral students who change their thesis all the time instead of working on the argument they already have. Stick with the thing you have until you’ve really tested its limitations and the possibility for success it offers.
• Have you ever tried to pay for something with effort? I like this because somehow our civilisation has made a virtue out of effort and hard work. In fact, what we need is results.

#4. Mind Blowing Ideas for Success on the Internet:  Kim Garst

Kim Garst is a social media maverick. She is the co-founder and CEO of Boom! Social: a corporate branding and social media consulting firm. Kim has been recently named by Forbes as one of the top 50 social media influences and lays claim to a large number of other accolades in the social media and business world.

Kim Garst is also an engaging, wise and highly motivating speaker. It was a great pleasure to listen to her keynote. There were many pieces of wisdom to take away; here are the two that I’d like to share with you:

• I don’t want to be everybody’s cup of tea; I’d rather be someone’s tequila shot. Don’t the afraid to be authentic, exclusive and special on the Internet.
• Figure out who you are and what you stand for; this way you’d live life instead of life happening to you. Figure out what your core values are and don’t be afraid to stand for what you believe in. Once you’ve done that use it as a compass that guides your life.

Finally…

You’ll find much advice and many ideas on how to start, run and succeed with your Internet business. Some of this advice is outstanding, some is sound and some is plainly mainstream, unimaginative, obsolete or wrong.

Requires knowledge and sound judgement to be able to distinguish between these.

All ideas about success on the Internet that I shared here have two things in common: a) these are not your average run-of-the-mill ideas but suggestions that will make you think and consider your own situation; and b) these ideas come from Internet entrepreneurs who have a wealth of experience and are highly successful.

I intend to account for all these ideas in the future. Were you to ask me which are the three ideas for success on the Internet that I consider most important, these would be:

Which three of these ideas you’d consider most important for success on the Internet? Please share.