Internet marketing can be confusing. There is so much information and you can be pulled in so many different directions that it is hard to remain focused and come up with a plan that works. There are many books, eBooks, and websites dedicated to internet marketing, but it is hard to tell which are helpful and which are there just to make money for the site or product owner. That is why it is important to find a reliable guide to internet marketing.

There are literally thousands of books, websites, and training courses dedicated to internet marketing. Some of them are very good and helpful, but most are overhyped, outdated, and overpriced. I can't tell you how many times I have bought an internet marketing product and was disappointed. It happens more often than not. You can actually learn more from how a product is marketed than you can from the information found in many, if not most products.

There are 3 things to look for in a good guide to internet marketing:

1) Support - Is there somewhere you can go to ask questions and get good, detailed answers. Does the creator of the guide stand behind the product? At a minimum there should be a forum or customer support area where you can ask questions and get timely answers.

2) Self Contained - Does the guide contain everything you need to get started? Many programs have you buy one thing, only to sell you on another and another. This is very disconcerting. A good internet marketing guide or training program will be self contained. You shouldn't have to keep buying more and more to get the full picture.

3) Does it work? - Have other people used the guide successfully to set up a marketing campaign and make money. There should be many real, legitimate, success stories from past users of the product or guide. You need to know that it has worked for others and that it contains everything you need to know to get it to work for you.

You should also stay away from anything that promises you the world overnight. Phrases like "push button" profits, "make a gazillion dollars in 3 weeks", "our software will do all the work for you", "make a profitable website in 7 clicks", and other too good to be true promises are red flags that these are products you should stay away from. Internet marketing takes time and work to be successful.

If you are looking for a good quality guide to internet marketing, I have a 12 lesson step by step action plan on my blog to get you started. It is called the Mad Marketing Method and it teaches everything you need to know to set up a basic internet marketing campaign.