So you want to make money on the Internet and you need the crash course. In a perfect world this would be one of the first resources you come across in your search. However, more likely you have already tasted the confusing and tortured detours through flashy splash pages, spammy sites, free ebook you can get in exchange for your email address, upsells, downsells, one time offers and many opportunities to help someone else make money! All this because you dared to ask the question How do I make money on the Internet.

This article is your crash course. It will begin to answer the question for you. You do not need to suffer through a million confusing websites leading you from one questionable and costly "opportunity" to the next.

The first thing you need to know is that you can make money on the Internet without investing a dime of your hard earned money. This is very important. Yes, along the way you will find it beneficial to purchase a product or two that can help you make more money or do it better. However you should only buy those products after you have come to an informed decision that to do so will help you and not just the person selling the product.

I repeat: You can make money on the Internet without investing a dime of your hard earned money. Whatever you do, do not lose sight of that fact.

Now that you've got that straight, how do you make money on the Internet?

The simple answer is through Internet marketing. Internet marketing is the process where you connect people who are ready to buy a product with the product and you earn a commission when the deal is closed. You make this connection by targeting the keywords those ready to buy are likely to enter as they search for the product online, or even just for information related to that product.

However, due to a number of factors including the way the economy is going, I need to add a very important twist to the answer. Yes, you will use Internet marketing to make money online. However, it is my considered opinion that you will make money on the Internet not so much by selling affiliate products but by promoting free opportunities.

You read that right. You will be letting people know about free opportunities that they can join, and when they join, you have the potential to earn money from their actions. Rather than your referrals paying your commissions, your commissions will be paid by a third party that benefits from your referral.

This opens up a way for you to earn money not from other people who are cash poor, but from sources that do have money. These sources can be large corporations or local businesses--anyone willing to spend some money on effective advertising.

So before you pay a dime for this or that "system" or software or ebook or opportunity, learn about the many free ways you can make money on the Internet.

How do I make money on the Internet is an important question I answer on my website Online Marketing 101. Visit Online Marketing 101 to learn about some cutting edge totally free opportunities you can profit from.