Systems can run repeatedly, again and again, and  produce the results you want.

Let’s take a system in the form of a funnel as an example.

A funnel is where you start with a first product which is cheap or free. Preferably, it’s of high value in terms of content or use, and in terms of its normal price.

You offer this on a squeeze page. Thus, the visitor’s email address is gained.

You can then give another offer as a One Time Offer (OTO) immediately after the sign up, or give an offer in an email message or both.

If they buy this offer you then offer a higher priced product.

If a customer buys this offer, they can then start to be offered higher ticket products, eventually moving to high ticket products of hundreds of dollars.

As customers go down the funnel, less and less will buy the products as they get higher and higher priced. That’s why conversions must be as high as possible at each stage. Also, that’s why it’s called a funnel, because it’s wide at the entry point, where many people will take up a free or very cheap product, but gets narrower at the end as fewer people buy.

Now, this is a system which can be left almost to run itself once everything is working successfully.

As said, once tested to produce the best results, it almost guarantees profits. Also, it’s repeatable: you could set various funnels or variations of a single funnel.

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I’ve noticed a bias, if you like to call it that, in information you get on internet marketing.

The usual emphasis when this sort of stuff is being covered is on, basically, planning. That is, having goals, strategy, tactics and so on. Personally, I’m not too sure about the use of goals, at least the way they’re taught.(Can there be a specific way teaching about goals – do A then B then C ? I’m not too sure.)

Anyway, leaving the rest aside, you’re told to have a strategy (people interpret this as a plan of action or actions) and specific tactics to use as part of that strategy.

OK. All seems fine and dandy as far as it goes – especially the logic.

But then, what about the how?

This is where you need systems and processes. I’m not sure I’ve ever come across the first pair linked with this pair, in terms of internet marketing.

And, of course, it can be vice versa: there’s talk of setting up systems, but nothing on strategy. In fact, often they fall between. Here’s a mindmap, you’re told. Great! You look at it – is this a strategy or systems you need to set up?

Without being able to set up the systems and processes (“physically”, if you like), you have nothing. It’s useless.

On the other hand, if the claim is that this is “a system”, what’s the (larger) strategy it’s part of?

In either case, people are left in the dark! It looks good and can be useful but you’re still left having to fit things together.

So, when anyone sets out a strategy for their online business, it’s needs underpinning with the systems and processes that will bring that strategy alive. The questions are:

- What’s the system or systems that will operate?

- What processes will go on in those systems?

- What tools are needed to make the processes work?

- How will the tools fit together so you have a complete system in operation?

How often do you find any of these things explained? Not much, I fear.