I’ve seen these mistakes so many times, it’s not even funny. We need a moment of silence for all the fallen entrepreneurs in the digital era.

You think you need a strategy.

No, you don’t. Not yet.

What you actually need is to slow down and stop obsessing over “strategies” until you get the basics of running an online business first.

New entrepreneurs always focus on the wrong things when starting out. They waste time tweaking fonts, changing brand colors, or piecing together some fancy funnel before they’ve even proven they can get a single sale. Or follow what the more established businesses are saying their "current" strategy is.

New entrepreneurs need to slow down. There are some things that need to go in the oven immediately if you want to survive online.

But instead, most people skip straight to the shiny stuff. By the time they’re fully “set up” (website polished, Canva folder full, systems duct-taped together) they’re already exhausted. And worse? They haven’t gotten a single win yet.

So of course, discouragement kicks in.

• “No one gets my content.”
• “No one is clicking the sales link.”
• “No one even sees me.”
• And then the ugly lie creeps in: “I must not be cut out for this.”

That’s bullshit. It’s not true.

The internet isn’t against you. You just need to use it for what it is: a set of platforms where people search, scroll, and buy. And business itself is simple.

Running a business boils down to one thing: the exchange of value for money.

• Someone has a problem, desire, or gap.
• You create or offer something that solves it.
• They pay you in return.

Everything else — logos, funnels, websites, even “strategy” — is just all the stupid shit that gets you caught up in between.

So what should you be doing instead? Focus on the foundations that actually create momentum:

1. Powerful SEO Phrases

Your content doesn’t live in a vacuum — it lives in search. Whether it’s TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Pinterest, or even Instagram, people are typing in phrases every single day to solve their problems. If your captions and titles don’t include those phrases, you’re invisible.

SEO is not magic. It’s a footprint. The more you use strong, relevant search terms, the faster your content gets picked up and pushed to new eyes. But here’s the catch: it doesn’t happen overnight.

It takes a few months of consistent posting with optimized captions to leave a sufficient digital footprint. If you quit after two weeks because the numbers are small, you’ll never get there.

Stop thinking SEO is optional. It’s not. It’s the difference between shouting into the void and being discoverable by the exact people who need you. 

REMEMBER: SEO is the long game. It stacks up like the stock market if you invest a little more research into the key phrases you should be using.

2. Perfectly Understanding the Problem and the Transformation You Bring

Most new entrepreneurs talk about their offer in terms of what it is — a playbook, a course, a community. But buyers don’t care about the container. They care about the change.

You need to articulate two things clearly:

• The problem your buyer is living with right now (in their own words, not yours).

• The transformation they’ll experience once they work with you or use your product.

If you can’t explain that in one simple sentence, you’re dead in the water. People will scroll right past you because they don’t see themselves in your message.

Here’s the truth: people don’t buy when they understand you. They buy when they feel that you understand them. Nail that, and you’ll never have to wonder why your content isn’t clicking.

REMEMBER: Get out of your business and into your customer's head. It's not about you.

3. Refining Your Copywriting Skills Instead of Obsessing Over Your Visual Brand

Everyone wants the perfect aesthetic — the color palette, the logo, the website that looks like a luxury hotel. But visuals don’t sell products. Words do.

Copywriting is the engine of your online business.

• It’s what makes a stranger stop scrolling.

• It’s what gets them to click your link.

• It’s what convinces them to pull out their credit card.

You can have the most gorgeous Canva template in the world, but if your caption doesn’t make someone feel seen, understood, and ready to take action — it won’t matter. Hell, your caption can even incite curiosity or anger, but they got to feel something.

Refining your copywriting is about learning to write like a human, not a marketer. Stop using jargon. Stop writing essays that sound like corporate reports. Use tough-truth empathy: call out the chaos your buyer is stuck in, and show them the better path. That’s what converts.

4. Creating a Simple User Flow from Your Link to Your Sales Page

Here’s where so many entrepreneurs crash and burn: they finally convince someone to click the link in their bio… only for that person to get lost in a maze of random buttons, landing pages, and distractions. Or even worse: The button doesn't even work!

Your buyer flow should feel like a straight line, not a scavenger hunt.

The path looks like this:

1. Entry point → a reel, post, or ad that hooks them.

2. Link in bio → one clear next step, not 12 confusing options.

3. Sales page → says who it’s for, what it solves, and how fast they’ll see results.

4. Checkout → one button, zero confusion.

5. Delivery → they get what they paid for instantly.

That’s it. Five steps. No detours.

If your link tree looks like a buffet menu (and you're just starting out), you’re probably leaking sales. Your buyer shouldn’t have to “figure it out.” The simpler you make the path, the smoother the money flows.

Most people write captions like they’re scared to sell. Fluff, vibes, and nothing that tells me what the hell to do next. That’s not copywriting — that’s journaling.

Copywriting should tell people exactly what to do and why.

For example: “Visit my profile if you’re ready to launch and grow your business as fast as possible — no fluff, no bullshit.”

Final Word

If you’re new, stop chasing complicated strategies. The win comes from mastering the basics — SEO, clear problem/solution language, strong copy, and a simple flow from discovery to sale.

Get those four right, and you won’t have to wonder if you’re cut out for this. You’ll know you are — because the sales will start coming in.