Overcoming Cyberspace Fears
With
all the doom and gloom surrounding the past Dot Com meltdown, it
seems that fear still replaces optimism for many people who are
considering making a living in cyberspace.
No doubt, there is quite a bit to be pessimistic
about in today's world. Here
are some of the more common fears that I've encountered:
- "The party's over and I arrived
too late to stake my claim in cyberspace."
Reality : It's true that the heady days
of easy money and instant Dot Com millionaires are behind
us. But the fact is, the Web is still a young medium and
it still has enormous potential that hasn't even begun to
be tapped out yet.
However, what is overlooked is that the Web
itself is alive and well. Millions of new Web sites continue to emerge every
month. And overall traffic for the Web continues to rise. The fact is, without
exception, the disgraced Dot Coms of the recent past that crashed and burned
were companies that really didn't have solid business
plans for profitability.
In reality, the only reason their stock prices soared in the first place
was a combination of easy money, recklessness, greed and an absurd temporary
mania for all things Net-related.
However, the fact remains: if you have a good idea, and a
solid business plan for a Web site --- and
you're willing to work hard --- then opportunities
for success still abound in cyberspace.
- "I'm not a tech person. Building
a Web site and making it successful requires complex
skills that I don't have."
Reality : I hear this particular fear expressed
quite a bit by people who would love to set up shop on the Web and
earn a living in cyberspace. And in todays internet, that fear is
unfounded, especially with pre-made web templates. In
fact, you'll find that your biggest
challenge is not building a site, but drawing visitors.
And as far as drawing visitors goes, you really don't have to be a Web guru
or a tech person to achieve this. We're not talking about rocket science
here --- simply relentlessly doing the basics and doing them well: making
your site a compelling and useful resource that people will bookmark; learning
about the search engines; working out linkbacks
with other sites, etc.
Building a successful Web site doesn't necessarily have to involve any complex,
specialized skills. Rather, it involves a series of
repetitive (and admittedly sometimes tedious) steps, over and over again. It's a task that any determined
and focused person can achieve.
Incidentally, HTML (the coding used to create sites)
is really not hard to master. HTML Tutorial : http://www.htmlgoodies.com.
This is where I first started. Also, there are many Web Editing programs
that will write the code for you.
The reality is although the early Dot Com bubble
has collapsed, the dream remains alive and well for many thousands
of Webmasters.
If you have a Web site, or are thinking of starting one, then be
prepared to work hard to meet the many challenges you'll face. And
you should know at the outset that it's counter-productive to have
unreasonable expectations. Stay firmly grounded and on course and
your dream WILL become a reality.
About The Author
Suzanne Fyhrie owns and operates OneWay Advertising and Design. She specializes
in marketing and graphic design.
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