How I got started online (and the early mistakes you should avoid)

When I restarted my online business last year after more than a decade away from the scene, I didn’t really know what to expect if I’m being completely honest.

I’d been interested in ‘making money online’ since I was a teenager, selling everything from ebooks to Beanies (remember those?) initially on eBay, and then later writing and selling PLR content for other marketers.

By around 2011, I had my own membership site and had built a small but pretty responsive email list, where I would promote my own products and earn affiliate commissions from other people’s. I can’t remember exactly how many subscribers I had, but I’d estimate around two or three thousand.

Actually, I just found an old screenshot of my membership site from back in the day…

Talk about embarrassing!

Despite that, all this was moderately successful and enabled me to earn a living from home, taking advantage of the fact I had moved back in with my parents and away from the astronomical expense of London.

But life moved on and I got busy with other things like freelance copywriting for clients. Slowly, the whole “make money online” dream drifted into the background, until I quit altogether.

But I kind of never fully stopped paying attention. I’d watch launches, read newsletters, and see people absolutely crushing it with digital products and affiliate marketing. A small voice in my head would always whisper:

“You could do this again, Dan – if only you just gave it another shot.”

So, eventually, I did.

My first launch (and the $2,000 surprise)

Fast forward to 2024 and I was keen to get something going again.

But which way to go?

• Affiliate marketing?
• Dropshipping?
• Selling information products?

Affiliate marketing interested me (and still does) but it always seemed to me like the real money online was made by people selling their own digital products.

But what to launch?

PLR products once again seemed the obvious choice and tapped into my skillset, but I had some serious doubts about whether PLR was still a ‘thing’ in the age of AI.

I decide to ask Tiffany Lambert, one of the major players in this space, and her advice was golden:

Go for it!

And so I did.

By summertime, I’d created a product and did a launch on the WarriorPlus platform – and the results honestly blew my mind…

• 100+ sales in my first 7 days
• Over $2,000 in revenue
• 65 new subscribers added to my brand-new list

Now, this wasn’t life-changing money by any means, but it was life-changing in what it represented: proof that this stuff still works.

Seeing those first few sales notifications land in my inbox… I can’t even describe the feeling. It was a mix of shock, excitement, and “holy crap, this actually works!”

The big mistakes I made early on – and how to avoid them yourself

Looking back now, I can see that I definitely didn’t get everything right in those first few months.

Here are a few of the biggest lessons I learned the hard way:

1. Overthinking Everything

I spent months planning and second-guessing myself before my first product ever saw the light of day. I’d tell myself I needed the perfect idea, perfect funnel, perfect graphics…

The truth?

Perfection kills progress. It really does.

And once I finally launched, I realised 90% of those worries didn’t matter.

2. Trying to do everything alone

I used to think I had to figure out every single piece of the puzzle myself – from product creation to funnel building to affiliate recruitment.

But when I started reaching out to others, everything got easier.

This business becomes 10x more fun, and profitable, when you collaborate.

3. Not getting products out fast enough

Procrastination is a dream-killer.

I lost months tinkering and tweaking when I should’ve just been publishing and learning from real feedback.

Now I follow a simple mantra:

Done is better than perfect.

What I’ve learned – and what you can take away

If there’s one thing I’ve realised over the last year, it’s that making money online isn’t about being a guru or tech genius.

It’s about:

• Creating something valuable
• Putting it in front of the right people
• Repeating the process

That’s it.

Affiliate marketing, digital products and funnels… They’re all just vehicles. The real magic happens when you take consistent action, even when you’re unsure, and just bloody go for it!

Where I am now

As I write this a little over a year later, I’m far from where I want to be, but I’ve found a system that works…

A formula that’s repeatable, scalable, and – most importantly – realistic for anyone willing to put in the work.

I’m not making huge amounts of money, but I’m building a sustainable business that gives me freedom, flexibility, and the chance to help others do the same.

And if you’re reading this thinking, “Could I really do that too?” – my honest answer is:

Yes, you absolutely can.

You don’t need to be a guru.

You just need to start.

And if you want to go deeper, I’ve written a full case study showing exactly how I launched my first digital product from scratch, step-by-step.

Download my “Starting from Scratch” Case Study PDF

It walks you through the entire process… From idea to launch to those first sales – and how you can replicate it for yourself.