At the risk of stating the ridiculously obvious, Internet Marketing is changing. Just because you're making money today won't guarantee you'll still be making money tomorrow. There are the obvious examples: Possum, Penguin, Fred and what not. But then there's new regulations, new technologies, changing interests and priorities of consumers, more competition (sometimes bad, sometimes good) and so forth.
Without a doubt, the money is still there to be made – but you might have to get creative and expand your horizons to find it. And when you do find it, don't rest on our laurels. Don't think you can set a funnel up and just ignore it and it will continue to deliver forever. You might wake up in a month or two and be shocked to find your account balance hovering near zero if you do.
That's why you've got to always be on the lookout for great ideas, and even mediocre ideas that are profitable. Make it a daily practice to write down at least 3 or 4 new ideas for making money and growing your business.
What happens if you don't walk for a week? Your legs atrophy. And your brain works the same way. Either work your brain relentlessly and it will get stronger, or don't use it and it'll harden into something useless.
The economy has been having it's own set of challenges for years and while it's better now for many people, there are still millions of people who are out of work or not making the money they used to make. So what are they doing? Many are turning to Internet Marketing. You might think this is bad because of increased competition, and it can be. But if you make a list of ideas on how you can capitalize on this, what will you discover?
First, these people will need training on how to do online marketing. That covers an entire realm of possibilities, including step-by-step courses and coaching.
Next, these folks will need help. They're not going to be experts at everything from building websites to creating products to getting backlinks to designing product covers. So if you're willing to perform services, there's money to be made.
Remember the TV detective Columbo? He would be asking the suspect questions, always very polite, very nice, acting like he needed help in figuring out what happened. Only he was smart – he was playing the suspect right until the end. My favorite part is when he would be leaving the room, and the suspect would be breathing a sigh of relief. ‘Whew! Dodged that bullet' the suspect is thinking. But then Columbo pauses at the door, or even walks out the door and then comes back in, and he puts his hand to his head like he just remembered something, and he says, “Oh, you know, I almost forgot, one more thing…” And then he'd nail the suspect with the real question, the one the suspect just didn't have a good answer for.
This should be you. You're a detective, always on the lookout for that “one more thing” that will make your campaign more profitable, that will increase your subscriber rate, that will double your conversions and so forth. Always be searching for the questions your prospects ask that lead to a breakthrough product. Always be asking, asking, asking “What do people want? What problem is keeping them up at night? What would they pay to fix, improve or eliminate?”
Get in the mindset of a detective and you'll view the world differently. You'll see things you missed a hundred times before. People will start to think you're psychic or something. You're not. You're just asking questions and paying very close attention to the answers. And you're using your brain – something a lot of people are too lazy to do.
Bottom line: Things are changing and they're going to change a whole lot more. Fall asleep at the wheel and your business will crash. Rely on what worked before and you will go broke. Continue to provide the same old products and the same old solutions and you'll find yourself standing still in the middle of a very fast race.
Be a detective like Columbo and you'll always get your paydays.
Without a doubt, the money is still there to be made – but you might have to get creative and expand your horizons to find it. And when you do find it, don't rest on our laurels. Don't think you can set a funnel up and just ignore it and it will continue to deliver forever. You might wake up in a month or two and be shocked to find your account balance hovering near zero if you do.
That's why you've got to always be on the lookout for great ideas, and even mediocre ideas that are profitable. Make it a daily practice to write down at least 3 or 4 new ideas for making money and growing your business.
What happens if you don't walk for a week? Your legs atrophy. And your brain works the same way. Either work your brain relentlessly and it will get stronger, or don't use it and it'll harden into something useless.
The economy has been having it's own set of challenges for years and while it's better now for many people, there are still millions of people who are out of work or not making the money they used to make. So what are they doing? Many are turning to Internet Marketing. You might think this is bad because of increased competition, and it can be. But if you make a list of ideas on how you can capitalize on this, what will you discover?
First, these people will need training on how to do online marketing. That covers an entire realm of possibilities, including step-by-step courses and coaching.
Next, these folks will need help. They're not going to be experts at everything from building websites to creating products to getting backlinks to designing product covers. So if you're willing to perform services, there's money to be made.
Remember the TV detective Columbo? He would be asking the suspect questions, always very polite, very nice, acting like he needed help in figuring out what happened. Only he was smart – he was playing the suspect right until the end. My favorite part is when he would be leaving the room, and the suspect would be breathing a sigh of relief. ‘Whew! Dodged that bullet' the suspect is thinking. But then Columbo pauses at the door, or even walks out the door and then comes back in, and he puts his hand to his head like he just remembered something, and he says, “Oh, you know, I almost forgot, one more thing…” And then he'd nail the suspect with the real question, the one the suspect just didn't have a good answer for.
This should be you. You're a detective, always on the lookout for that “one more thing” that will make your campaign more profitable, that will increase your subscriber rate, that will double your conversions and so forth. Always be searching for the questions your prospects ask that lead to a breakthrough product. Always be asking, asking, asking “What do people want? What problem is keeping them up at night? What would they pay to fix, improve or eliminate?”
Get in the mindset of a detective and you'll view the world differently. You'll see things you missed a hundred times before. People will start to think you're psychic or something. You're not. You're just asking questions and paying very close attention to the answers. And you're using your brain – something a lot of people are too lazy to do.
Bottom line: Things are changing and they're going to change a whole lot more. Fall asleep at the wheel and your business will crash. Rely on what worked before and you will go broke. Continue to provide the same old products and the same old solutions and you'll find yourself standing still in the middle of a very fast race.
Be a detective like Columbo and you'll always get your paydays.
JR Estrada shares practical tips, tools, and resources to help make building income online simpler and more approachable. Through this website, JR provides helpful content and recommendations, including the Plug-In Profit Site, a system designed to help beginners get started online with a website, step-by-step training, and built-in income streams.
Learn more about getting started with Plug-In Profit Site here.
Back in my day, if you wanted to know how a business worked, you walked in the front door and looked the owner in the eye. These days, everything is hidden behind these “digital curtains,” and frankly, it can be a bit overwhelming. But I like the way this post frames it: being a “Detective.” It turns a confusing tech problem into a bit of a crossword puzzle or a mystery novel!
I love this perspective, and that line about “walking in the front door and looking the owner in the eye” really says a lot. You’re right—so much of business today feels hidden behind digital curtains, and that can make it feel unnecessarily complicated. That’s exactly why I like the “Detective” mindset too… it takes the frustration out of it and turns it into something more practical (and even a little fun).
And honestly, your approach is still a strong one today—just in a different form. The tools may have changed, but the goal is the same: figure out who’s real, who’s honest, and how the business actually works. When you look at it like a mystery to solve instead of a tech wall to fear, it becomes much easier to move forward one clue at a time.
I really like the “detective” mindset you describe! It makes approaching online marketing feel like a puzzle rather than an overwhelming task. Quick question: when scouting new ideas, do you have a favorite method for spotting opportunities that others tend to overlook?
Thanks for breaking it down in such a practical way. It’s motivating for anyone trying to stay ahead in the digital space.
That’s exactly how I like to approach online marketing too: not as chaos, but as clues, patterns, and opportunities waiting to be uncovered. One of my favorite ways to spot overlooked opportunities is to pay close attention to what people are already asking over and over (in comments, forums, reviews, and social posts) and then look for gaps where the answers are either unclear, outdated, or too complicated—that’s usually where the gold is. I also like watching what beginners struggle with most, because solving simple problems in a clear way can be a huge opportunity. Really appreciate your thoughtful comment and encouragement—it means a lot!
Hi JR, bit disappointed with how short this post is as I was really getting into it but you definitely have given me something to think about. I suppose I am like a detective – I want to find out the secret, to solve the puzzle. If I am being honest I am not a successful Internet marketer but when I first started I was and been chasing this ever since. I understand the 3 fundamentals – good content, traffic and the right offer. I think a lot of it is trusting your gut and sometimes creating the right course of action can take some time. So this is what I’m working towards following my Intuition and making the right calls.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful comment—I really appreciate your honesty and the way you shared your journey. And you’re absolutely right, that “detective” mindset is powerful, because the people who keep asking questions, looking deeper, and trying to solve the puzzle are usually the ones who eventually break through. I also appreciate the feedback about the post being short (fair point!), and I’m glad it still gave you something meaningful to think about. It sounds like you already understand the core pieces—content, traffic, and the right offer—and I love that you’re leaning into intuition too, because that inner sense gets sharper with experience. Keep trusting the process, keep making those calls, and don’t count yourself out for a second—you’re clearly still in the game.