My Failed Journey in Making Money Online - Lessons Learned

In 2010, I first heard that people were making money online. At first, I was skeptical. “Do people really make money on the internet?” I asked myself. But after some research, I realized it was true many individuals were generating income online through different methods. Excited by the possibilities, I decided to jump in and try my luck.

My First Attempt: Blogging on Blogger

The first method I discovered was blogging. I created my first blog on Blogger, assuming that making money was as simple as launching a website. At that time, I had no idea about SEO, content quality, or audience engagement. I thought that simply having a blog would start generating income automatically.

To fill my blog with content, I took shortcuts I copied articles from other websites instead of writing my own. I then applied for Google AdSense, thinking I was just a step away from earning easy money. Once my AdSense account was approved, I made another big mistake: I clicked on my own ads, hoping to generate revenue quickly. Of course, Google detected this fraudulent activity and banned my account.

Rather than learning from my mistake, I repeated the same process multiple times creating new blogs, applying for AdSense, and clicking on ads myself. Each time, my account got banned. I must have done this over ten times before finally realizing that this approach was doomed to fail.

Exploring E-commerce – Another Failure

Since blogging and AdSense were not working for me, I decided to try e-commerce. I saw many success stories of people making a fortune by selling products online, so I thought I could do the same. However, I underestimated the challenges.

I tried selling different products online, but I lacked knowledge in product research, marketing, and customer service. Without a proper strategy, my e-commerce venture failed. I spent time and effort setting up online stores but didn’t make any significant profit.

Trying Every Possible Method - Still No Success

Determined to find a way to earn money online, I tried almost every method available. I experimented with freelancing, affiliate marketing, dropshipping, and other online business models. However, I lacked patience, consistency, and proper knowledge, which led to repeated failures.

At times, I felt hopeless. I saw others succeeding, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. It seemed like making money online was only possible for others, not for me.

A Breakthrough with Merch by Amazon

After several years of failures, I finally found something that worked: Merch by Amazon. I opened an account and started designing simple T-shirt graphics. To my surprise, I began making money earning between $100 and $500 per month.

This was the first time I experienced real success online. Although it wasn’t a huge amount, it was proof that I could make money if I put in effort and followed the right approach. This motivated me to keep going and improve my skills.

Returning to Blogging - This Time the Right Way

After my small success with Merch by Amazon, I decided to return to blogging. But this time, I did things differently. I took the time to learn about SEO, keyword research, and content marketing. I understood that blogging is not just about publishing articles, it’s about providing value to readers.

I created a new blog in English and wrote over 500 articles. However, despite my hard work, my website still doesn’t receive much traffic. But this time, I understand the importance of patience and persistence. I know that results in blogging take time, and I am willing to keep going.

Lessons Learned – How to Succeed in Making Money Online

I’m not sharing this story to say that I am a failure. Instead, I want to help others avoid the mistakes I made. If you’re trying to make money online, here are some key lessons I’ve learned:

1. Learn Before You Start - One of my biggest mistakes was jumping into different business models without proper knowledge. If you want to succeed, take the time to learn how things work. Watch tutorials, read books, and follow successful people in your field.

2. Be Patient and Consistent - Making money online is not easy or quick. Many people give up too soon because they don’t see immediate results. Success requires consistency, patience, and long-term effort.

3. Focus on Value, Not Shortcuts - In my early days, I tried to cheat the system by copying content and clicking on my own ads. But there are no shortcuts to success. The only way to build a sustainable online income is by providing real value to your audience.

4. Adapt and Improve - If something isn’t working, don’t keep repeating the same mistakes. Learn from your failures, adjust your strategy, and improve your skills.

5. Don’t Expect Instant Results - Whether you’re starting a blog, an e-commerce store, or a YouTube channel, you need to understand that success takes time. If you’re consistent and keep learning, you will eventually see results.

Looking back, I don’t regret my failures. They taught me valuable lessons that have shaped me into who I am today. Even though my blog is not yet successful, I now understand the process better and am willing to keep going.

If you are struggling to make money online, don’t give up. Learn from your mistakes, stay committed, and keep improving. The journey may be difficult, but if you persist, success will come.