I always wanted an internet business that runs on autopilot. Back in the early naughties, I imagined a system which churned money out while I was enjoying my life elsewhere! The idea became apparent after I purchased an ebook on eBay which taught a business system to sell on the auction site. See How To Start A Profitable eBay Business for the strategy.
The ebook purchase was what struck me – not really the system it taught. And although I made money from the strategy it taught me, the ebook seemed more “magical” to me. I had bought a digital downloadable product with my purchase. It was something which was sold directly over the internet without needing postage or handling. The complete sale was also automated and I immediately saw a huge potential in this model.
Internet Business That Runs On Autopilot – What Next?
I was using this eBay business strategy and buying and selling things for some time. But the business I was doing was time heavy and I had to personally answer questions about products I was selling and physically post goods out. This took up a considerable amount of time.
My days were split between searching for goods on eBay to purchase, answering questions from customers and trips to the post office to weigh and post items out. The business wasn’t making nearly enough money for all this time I was spending online. There had to be a better way!
I wanted an internet business that runs on autopilot; which could be scaled up, and largely ran by itself; and I was convinced it was possible. I just didn’t know how back then.
Internet Business That Runs On Autopilot – My Story
I realised that even though I was working for myself, and was using the internet, all I really had was a job that I owned. I was convinced that there must be a better and more lucrative way to use the internet for profit. So I abandoned the eBay strategy and looked elsewhere. At first I tried to create my own ebooks to sell. I wrote one on becoming a stuntman; something I had learned about some years before.
I didn’t sell any copies of the book but it did land me in some hot water in the stunt business. But that’s another story! However, I did learn how to set up a website and automate the payment process; which was part of the process. I wrote another one about becoming a TV extra too, but struggled to make sales.
The weak link in the online sales process was in marketing. I had learned some technical skills on the way, but my ability to put the product in front of the right audience was weak! So I put myself on several online marketing courses over the following few years. You can read about some of them in my article digital profit course review.
Marketing – The Key To An Autopilot Business System
Yes marketing. Marketing is key but not the only thing to consider for an autopilot business system. Without marketing, all the fancy “bells and whistles” of an online business simply won’t work. It took me some time to figure this out. When I first started out, I thought just putting up a website was enough. I though people would just somehow be able to see my website – perhaps because I thought I was so important! How little did I know!
If you imagine a shop opening up in a quiet neighbourhood, down a back alley, in a place no-one goes to, you have a small idea of what a website really is. A website is simply invisible in most instances. Without marketing, or building it on a good foundation, you’ll get no visitors, none.
But there’s more to a good business online too. You also need to provide some kind of value. Without an exchange of value, no-one wants your products. This is where affiliate marketing comes in. With affiliate marketing, you can market other people’s products. Other people’s products, I realised, offered far more value than my little ebook I created.
A Business Model That Works!
After a lot of failures online I eventually found an business model that worked! I had tried many things with some success but most met with failure! See my article 23 affiliate mistakes newbie affiliates should avoid. With the right business model, and attitude, you can build an internet business that runs on autopilot! How does this work? Here’s a quick overview:
- Use paid marketing – yes this article is an example of ‘free’ marketing or content marketing so I’m kind of contradicting myself here. But I also use paid marketing too. (I just like writing). Paid marketing is good because it’s fast and most importantly it’s scalable. Don’t ever forget you’ve got a global audience with an online business.
- To use paid marketing, you’ll need some awesome products which offer huge value (sign up to the free video series on this website to learn more). Small products pay small commissions. Large value digital products pay the most commissions.
- Use a program which offers recurring commissions. Recurring commission affiliate programs offer the opportunity to earn an ongoing commissions from each member sale you make.
- Leverage other people’s experience. Yes get help. Affiliate marketing can be tough but it’s far harder if you attempt it on your own. Sign up on this site for the free videos for access to an online community which offers help to its members.
An Online Business That Runs Itself?
But what’s the catch? Sure, an online business can run itself. But there’s heaps to do first. You need to set up a ready made sales funnel which offers a range of digital products. Then, you’ll need to learn marketing. That’s it! If you are successful, you can scale up your marketing and reach more and more people. Re-invest your profit back into scaling up your business. Operate it from anywhere in the world and keep learning and growing it.
With online marketing strategies and digital products, the whole thing can run 24 hours a day on complete autopilot. You’ll still need to test and measure your system though. But this is far less time consuming that working in a job trading your time for your money forever more! Far better to learn how to stop trading time for money and automate an online business instead!
Who Can Do This?
Most affiliates quit in the first few years of starting an online business. So I’d say you need to take this as a serious business from the outset. Don’t let reports of people making millions overnight with an online business fool you. Yes millionaires do exist in the online world, but by and large they’ve spent years testing and measuring their businesses before scaling up. Their “overnight success” took them years of hard work.
Anyone can start an online business though, whatever their background. The SFM digital success mentoring program offers a complete business system, strategy and online training and mentoring community to thousands of people all over the world. (You can sign up on this site for access).