I have searched all over the web to pass by the typical ways to make money
on the web- eBay, amazon affiliate stores, information marketing,
affiliate marketing, drop-shipping, consulting, etc. But there is one that
I want to focus on, because I do not believe it's a good use of time and
energy.
Café Press- A background.
Café press was started with the idea that anyone could start an online
store and customize things for people to buy- coffee mugs, t-shirts, knick
knacks, other junk.
I am sure that there are people making a living off of café press, but
I do not personally like this site. Unless you can generate a ton of
traffic or have a "brand" of your own that people will recognize, this
site is not recommended for the average "newbie."
The Story: I started a store based on an island theme, and although it
was great seeing palm trees on all my stuff, the prices are pretty steep
for some of the items, and it turns out to be one of those things maybe
your uncle buys just to be nice. But people can't wear the stuff all the
time... they already have a favorite coffee mug. Is it really worth all
that time setting up a store just to have a few people buy things they'll
never use again? I don't believe so.
Again, don't get me wrong... I'm not knocking Café Press. It's a great
idea. But when you are getting caught up in ways to make money on the web,
pass this idea by. You'll be happy you did.
But let me ask you, what kind of product has virtually no overhead and
returns much greater than ANY physical good can? Information. That is how
many more people are becoming wealthy on the Internet; in the sale and
promotion of digital products. You can give and receive an incredible
amount of valuable information about any subject imaginable through this
medium.
As an action step, start researching the various business models
concerning information businesses on the web. The three free ebooks I give
away on my blog focus on information marketing, which is a much easier
model to follow for the busy professional or those pressed for time. No
pun intended.