I received an email during the week from a reader of a
recent article "The 10 Most Popular Myths About Running
A Home-Based Business Online"
(http://www.ahbbo.com/top10.html).  That article was,
I admit, something of a vent which was long overdue and
it struck a chord with many readers who wrote in to let
me know that it described their experiences to a T. 

One Internet-experienced reader wrote:  "People ask the
most amazing questions, such as 'I put up a web site. 
When do I start getting money and where does it come
from?'"

Amazing but true.  I kid you not, I get emails like this all
the time.  They're what prompted the article in the first
place.  So, in this article, rather than venting, I'll be a little
more constructive and actually answer the question:  Just
how exactly DO you make money on the Internet?

1.  The simplest - join an affiliate program (hell, join LOTS
of affiliate programs) and spend your time and money
advertising and promoting it to drive traffic to the you-beaut
self-replicating website every other affiliate gets.  A la
Amazon.com. 

This is a VERY inefficient way of trying to make money
online.  And it will cost you a fortune before it yields a
return.  If it ever really does.  If you're VERY lucky, you
MIGHT just cover your costs. 

(If you don't know what an affiliate program is, read
"Affiliate Programs ... A Not THAT Easy Start To Your Own
Online Business" at http://www.ahbbo.com/affiliateprograms.html.)

2.  Create a content-based website, get traffic to it and use
it to promote your affiliate programs.  The trick here is to sign
up for affiliate programs related to the subject matter you
choose for your website.  The idea is that, by creating
a content-based website, you will attract targeted REPEAT
traffic, thereby increasing the odds that someone will buy
one of your affiliate program products.  This is a MUCH better
option than #1. and will save you a fortune on advertising.

3.  Create a content-based website, get traffic to it and use
it to sell your own products.  Anything that can be
delivered digitally is a good bet - software, e-books etc.

4.  Do #3. above and establish your OWN affiliate program so
other people can also sell your product in exchange for a
commission. 

Be sure to give them a you-beaut self-replicating website in
case they're following plan #1.  Hey - just because it won't
pan out for them doesn't mean you still can't get the benefit
of their hard work.  After all, if you have several hundred
affiliates, that's several hundred sales for you if each of them
only makes one sale.  And best of all, your army of affiliates
is each spending a fortune on advertising so YOU don't have
to!  And just think what a valuable learning experience all of
this is for them.  You went through it so why not them, right? 
In fact, they'll probably end up THANKING you one day!

(OK, I'm getting a LITTLE facetious here, I admit.  Back to
being constructive ...)

5.  Create a content-based website, get traffic to it and
make your site visitors pay for access.  You have to give
them SOMETHING for free, of course, but keep the goodies
on the top shelf.

6.  Publish an ezine (electronic newsletter) and when you
get 1,000 subscribers, start charging for advertising. 

7.  Do #6. above and create a website "home" for your ezine
and include links to your affiliate programs/own products.

8.  Do #7. above but make it a content-based site with
stand-alone value with the intention of converting website
visitors to ezine subscribers.  Then revisit #6.  Increase
your advertising prices as your subscriber numbers increase.

9.  If you have some special skill or training that you are
employing in an existing business, create a website as a
brochure for your services and attract business.

10.  Do #9. above but make it a content-based website
with the intention of converting site visitors into clients.

11.  Join a network marketing company, create a content-
based website to attract qualified leads and then link to
your network marketing company's website.

12.  Do #2. through #6., #8. and #11..  ALL of them.  At
the same time.

These are several of the main ways of making money on the
Internet.  I'm sure I'll receive mail letting me know of other
obvious methods that I've overlooked.  But you get the idea.
Note that not a one of them involves slapping up a website
and then sitting back waiting for $20 bills to spew forth
from the CD-ROM drive.  ALL of them require hard work in
order to yield a return so, if you're one of the growing
army determined to "make money with your computer",
decide how you're going to go about it, roll up your sleeves
and prepare to work.

_________________________

Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online ... practical ideas, resources and strategies for your home-based or online business. http://www.ahbbo.com