Category: Make Money Online

Don’t Be a Quitter! My Take on $75 in 8 Months & The Real Affiliate Mistakes That’ll Sink You

Alright folks, is affiliate marketing still worth it? Bob here. I just stumbled upon a Reddit post that hit me right in the gut. A good newbie poured 8 months into an affiliate site only to make a measly $75 and then threw in the towel.

Sound familiar? We’ve all been there, or at least seen it happen. But here’s the kicker: their mistakes are painfully common, and if you’re serious about this game, you need to hear about ’em. Let’s dig in, shall we?

The Story: $75 in 8 Months

So, the user, ‘murkomarko’ over on r/Affiliatemarketing, laid out their journey with a home coffee brewing site. They ended up pulling the plug after only $75 in revenue over 8 months. Now, they were honest enough to list their blunders, and man, are they insightful.

You can check out the full story here: My first affiliate site made $75 in 8 months then I quit. Here’s all my mistakes

My Take on Their Four Big Mistakes:

• Obsessed with keywords, leading to robotic and impersonal writing: This is a classic rookie error. You try to stuff every keyword variation in there, and suddenly your writing sounds like a bot wrote it. Guess what? Google’s smarter than that now, and more importantly, people are. Nobody wants to read stiff, unnatural text. You’re trying to build a connection, not win a keyword density contest.
  
• ‘Post and pray’ traffic strategy with no promotion outside of SEO: Oh, the ‘build it and they will come’ fantasy! SEO is crucial, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not a silver bullet. Relying solely on organic search is like having a fantastic shop but never telling anyone it exists. You need to actively promote your content, spread it far and wide. Otherwise, you’re just whispering into the void.
  
• Promoted products they hadn’t used, making their reviews inauthentic: This one drives me absolutely nuts! How can you genuinely recommend something you’ve never touched? You can’t talk about the little quirks, the real benefits, or the slight drawbacks. People aren’t stupid; they can smell a fake review a mile away. Trust is the currency of affiliate marketing, and if you lose that, you’ve lost everything.
  
• Quit too early, just as traffic was starting to tick up: This is the heartbreaker. Eight months might feel like a long time when you’re making pennies, but in this game, it’s barely a warm-up. Affiliate marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency and patience are your best friends. Often, the breakthrough is just around the corner, and quitting then means all that effort was for nothing.

Let’s Simplify Things: Imagine a Coffee Maker

Alright, if all that jargon flew over your head, let me simplify things. Imagine you’re trying to help your friend pick out a new coffee maker.

• Don’t talk like a robot: You wouldn’t say, “This coffee maker optimally brews coffee at maximal temperatures for superior beverage consumption.” You’d say, “This little machine makes a killer cup of Joe, and it’s super easy to clean.” Write like you talk to a friend.
  
• Don’t just whisper, shout a little: Once you’ve written that great review, don’t just leave it on your website hoping someone stumbles upon it. Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, post it on a coffee-lovers forum (if allowed and relevant). Tell people your great advice exists!
  
• Only recommend stuff you actually know and love: If your friend asks about a coffee maker, you’d only tell them about one you’ve used yourself or heard amazing things about from someone you trust. You wouldn’t just make something up. The same goes for your affiliate site. Buy it, try it, love it (or hate it, and explain why). Your honesty builds trust.
  
• Patience, grasshopper, patience: Building something worthwhile takes time. You wouldn’t expect a garden to grow overnight, right? You plant the seeds, water them, wait. It’s the same with an affiliate site. Keep working, keep learning, and eventually, things will start to bloom.

Turn Mistakes into Wins: Build an Email List!

Now, let’s talk about turning these mistakes into wins. The ‘post and pray’ strategy is a killer, and it comes down to not having a direct line to your audience. That’s why I always recommend building an email list from day one. It’s hands down one of the most powerful assets you’ll ever have.

Think about it: you write a fantastic review, you publish it, and then what? If you have an email list, you can immediately notify your subscribers, driving instant traffic back to your content.

This isn’t just about traffic; it’s about building a direct relationship. You can share tips, offer exclusive deals, and continue to provide value, establishing yourself as an authority.

Plus, an email list is an asset you own – no algorithm changes can take it away from you.

Tools like System.io or Aweber are fantastic for beginners and growing marketers. They make it easy to set up opt-in forms on your site, segment your audience, and send out engaging newsletters. Start collecting those emails now; you’ll thank me later.

Starting an online business is exciting — but also terrifying.

On one hand, you want freedom, purpose, and income beyond a job you dislike. On the other, you know the risks are real. Statistics don’t lie: most online businesses fail within the first few years.

But here’s the good news: many of those failures are preventable.

After 20 years of studying (and stumbling through) online ventures, I’ve seen the same patterns play out again and again. If you want to succeed, the first step is knowing how not to fail.

Let’s look at the five most common online business mistakes and how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Building a Franken-Strategy

Tempted to mix a dozen tactics from different “gurus” into your plan? That’s a recipe for disaster.

Trying to chase Instagram hacks, sprinkle in some Facebook ads, add SEO on the side, and then throw in webinars… is how you end up with a chaotic Franken-strategy.

What to do instead: Pick one proven strategy from a mentor you trust. Commit to it long enough to test it properly. Once you’ve mastered it, then adapt or expand.

Mistake #2: Doing Everything Yourself

You can’t be the CEO, marketer, designer, copywriter, and customer support rep all at once. Many entrepreneurs burn out because they try to wear every hat.

What to do instead:

• Delegate small tasks to freelancers or VAs.
• Invest in tools that save time instead of building everything from scratch.
• Focus your energy on revenue-generating activities.

Think of it this way: your time is your most expensive resource. Use it wisely.

Mistake #3: Making It All About You

Here’s the hard truth: your audience doesn’t care about you. They care about what you can do for them.

Too many entrepreneurs design their websites, write content, and build products around personal preferences instead of customer needs.

What to do instead:

• Research your audience.
• Create content that solves their problems.
• Design your site and offers for their expectations, not your ego.

Your brand should reflect your audience’s desires more than your own personality.

Mistake #4: Copying Someone Else

It’s natural to admire successful entrepreneurs. But if you try to be a second-rate version of them, you’ll always lose.

Why would someone choose your imitation when they can have the original?

What to do instead:

• Differentiate yourself.
• Take inspiration, but apply it to your unique niche, format, or voice.
• Lean into what makes you different, not what makes you the same.

People buy from those who stand out, not those who blend in.

Mistake #5: Refusing to Make Sacrifices

Starting an online business takes time, energy, and consistency. Yet too many people believe they can succeed without changing their habits.

The truth? If you’re not willing to trade some evenings, Netflix binges, or weekend outings for building your dream, it won’t happen.

What to do instead:

• Track how you spend your time.
• Identify what you can cut or reduce.
• Make deliberate sacrifices now to gain freedom later.

No one said it would be easy, but it will be worth it.

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The Path to Online Business Success

Failure isn’t inevitable. If you recognize these mistakes — and take steps to avoid them — your chances of success increase dramatically.

• Stick with one strategy long enough to see results.
• Delegate instead of drowning in tasks.
• Focus on your audience, not your ego.
• Differentiate yourself from the crowd.
• Make the sacrifices that matter.

And most importantly? Start. Perfection isn’t required — persistence is.

? Want a step-by-step roadmap to avoid these mistakes?

Download my Free Online Business Success Checklist here.