unintuitive

Reality #5:  It’s easy to make money online.

Don’t get me wrong here, no one’s going to be throwing cash at you, but earning money online is not as difficult as some make it out to be.  Here’s the big secret to making money, online or offline: provide value.  If you don’t have anything of value to offer people, then don’t expect anyone to pay you anything.  This seems obvious to me, and maybe to you too, but it’s surprising how often I read blogs or forums where people seem to have skipped this step, and are getting frustrated.

Hint: advertising alone is not valuable.  If all you’re doing is buying PPC ads and direct-linking them to affiliate offers, don’t be surprised if you have a hard time scaling, or even turning a profit.  Professionals with a sizable bankroll who are experts at keyword research and ad copywriting might be able to get away with this strategy, but new internet entrepreneurs will experience a lot of frustration with this method.

Reality #4:  There are dozens of ways you can earn money online.

Here’s an easy alternative: sell a product or service directly.  It doesn’t matter what it is you sell, because someone out there will buy it - guaranteed.  Just look at all the crap for sale on eBay or craigslist.  Your best bet is to create your own product, just like Tim Ferris suggests in his book, the 4-Hour Work Week.

Or you can try selling services.  Know how to throw together a WordPress installation and modify a template?  Someone will pay you to do that.  Have you ever written a blog post?  Someone will pay you to do that, too.  Like to write?  Become a freelance writer, like Chris did, and you can earn a big pile of money.

What’s the best online business opportunity for you?  Here’s a quick rundown of seven ways to earn money online by starting your own business.  In reality, there’s a limitless number of ways to earn money online.

Just provide value.

Reality #3:  You can make money online fast.

True!

Now, can you make a lot of money online fast?  Eh, that’s a little tougher.  There’s no such thing as a get rich quick scheme that actually works.  The only money to be made there is selling this faulty dream to desperate souls who don’t know any better, which actually ain’t a bad idea if you’re okay with being a scumbag.

But it’s entirely possible to start earning enough income to live on within just three or four months of work.  I’ve done it by selling services, like SEO articles.  You can too.

Reality #2:  You don’t need a lot of start-up capital to make money online.

They say you gotta spend money to make money.  Not true, at least on the internet.  Actually, promotion is free if you’re a do-it-yourself kind of dude.  If you’re not, don’t worry.  There are plenty of professionals out there who will help you with web promotion on the cheap.

WordPress to run your sites is is also free, and is probably the best content management system available - even better than most of the paid solutions.  So are themes to style it for the most part (some premium wordpress themes are worth their low cost, I’ve found).  Reliable shared hosting is as cheap as $3 to $5 per month.  That’s pocket change, folks.

Once you’ve got a website up, all you need is an idea.  Those are free too.  Just make sure yours is a good one (See #5 above.)

Pro tip: avoid pay-per-click advertising unless you’ve got money to lose figuring out what works.

Reality #1:  Success in online business requires persistence.

You don’t have to be technically adept nor have a keen business mind, though both help.  There are plenty of sources that will teach you what you need to know about the technical and business aspects of internet entrepreneurship.

What you do need is patience, a willingness to learn, and the balls to keep with it when you’re struggling.

To sum it up: practice, baby.  Don’t give up, and don’t get discouraged if you’re not earning thousands in your sleep.  It takes time and effort to achieve, but it’s worth the effort - that is, if you like working in your PJ’s (I do).