How to Grasp The Nettle
Grandparents have an annoying habit of knowing more than their offspring.
When I was just a few years old, my Grandmother told me not to touch the nettles because they would sting me. My limited knowledge of the natural world was enough for me to see the absurdity of a plant that could hurt me.
To prove my point I grasped one firmly between finger and thumb.
A few tears later, and I’d learned my lesson.
Some years after that, my Grandfather told me it was possible to grasp a nettle without any pain. My gradually increasing knowledge of the natural world was enough for me see the impossibility of that statement.
My Grandfather proved his point by swiftly grabbing a dangerous looking leaf, squeezing it in his hand and finally letting the devastated remnants fall to the ground. All this, with no apparent harm to himself.
I never found out the correct technique for grasping a real-life nettle, but I did learn the importance of experience. No matter what truth you’ve convinced yourself of, hard-earned knowledge will surpass it every time.
Consider the following.
When you started your venture on the internet, you likely came from one of two different backgrounds.
1) You learnt some HTML, built a website and then realized no-one was going to visit unless you marketed the website. Traffic exchanges, FFA links, safe lists, auto surfs, search engines, paid-to-read, paid-to-surf. The sheer range of alternatives were daunting to say the least. You wondered where to start.
Or,
2) You discovered web marketing while surfing the internet and learned all about the different ways of bringing traffic to your website. You became adept at working various programs to bring a steady stream of traffic to various affiliate programs. But in time you realized this wasn’t enough. You needed your own website. HTML, style-sheets, java, FTP, hosting. The sheer range of knowledge required was daunting to say the least. You wondered where to start.
Whichever stage someone begins at, when they hit that crossroad they often decide that there is just too much to learn to understand both disciplines.
So you have a website with no traffic. Or traffic with no website.
And, you know, the truth is… if you are going to be successful on the internet, you need to know how to do both.
At some point, you have to take the plunge and learn web marketing AND web design.
Of course, you can make money simply by sending traffic to affiliate programs. Or by joining and ditching program after program. But that sorry excuse for a business is not welcome here. And if that is your style, you’re not welcome either.
An internet business is about making an income and providing the visitor with a service or resource.
Extending your field of knowledge is a nettle worth grasping. Yes, it takes time. Yes, it’s hard work. It’s called a job.
And any pain that comes with it is worth the trouble to expand your expertise. When I grasped the literal nettle, it hurt, but I learned the sense in listening to those with more experience.
If you need to know more about web marketing, check out our archive , study the lessons at MPAM and keep reading The Nettle Ezine.
If you need to know more about web design, buy a good book on HTML and get started. It’s a whole lot easier than you think and even a basic knowledge can enable you to build a competent web site. If you need ideas on the design itself, keep reading The Nettle Ezine as the next few articles are dedicated to this topic.
If you’re at that crossroad and wondering whether to stop or to keep learning, take a deep breath and grasp the nettle. I can’t guarantee it won’t hurt, but we may be able to help you take away some of that sting.
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This article first appeared in The Nettle Ezine.
If you enjoyed it, why not try The Nettle Magazine at www.thenettle.com
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