A natural skeptic, I understand your reservation when reading about 'techniques' and 'plans' to make money online. The whole industry seems to be full of scammer and snake-oil salesman who simply want to make a quick buck off of you. But there are millions of people profiting from internet business ventures, so what exactly are those legitimate ways to make money online?

Separating Fact From Fiction

The truth is that many of the most profitable ventures didn't start out like that. There was a whole process of trial, error, and invisible-ness that you missed out on before someone sent you a link to an "awesome site".

Most people just glaze over the fact that many businesses fail, but successful business people simply pick up the pieces and start over again. It's not the business that succeeds, it's the person running the business.

If you are ready to start making money online, then you need to sit down and have a talk with yourself about things like planning, persistence, and setting long term goals (several years in the future). Almost no one creates a success story over night, and those that do, are probably leaving something out of the picture.

Separating Gurus from Mentors

No doubt, if this is your first virtual business venture, you're going to need some guidelines, or at least a helping hand to point you in the right direction when you don't know what to do next.

The internet has no shortage of people providing free information, but the quality and validity of such information varies widely. As part of a few online business communities, I see 'gurus' pop up all over the place, claiming to have 'secret systems', and 'guaranteed results'.

This is a bunch of B.S.

Actually, you might be surprised that the most profitable businesses are quite simple. Their legitimacy is proven by the fact that there's nothing new and exciting about them, just a proven plan that works both Online and OFF.

Niche Marketing VS Authority Sites

For example, the core model of a niche marketing business is simply providing products to customers that are looking for them. By reviewing products in a simple, visually attractive, and helpful way, you are providing a customer with a service, ie helping them find a product that matches their search in Google.

Furthermore, 'curating' similar products in one central location is also known as building an authority site. By honestly writing about an industry and the products within that industry, you can establish authority on the web as a useful, helpful, hub of information.

Building authority takes time, but it is one of the most effective and profitable business models online. The interesting thing is that there's nothing 'secret' or 'revolutionary' about it. Simply be helpful, informative, honest, and up-to-date, and you've got a winning combination.

These are not the only legitimate ways to make money online, but they are my favorite, and they are how I run my own business from the comfort of my home.