Since the Internet first started picking up steam around the turn of the century, people have been trying to find ways of making money and maximizing their earnings.
Most fail because they do not have the patience for it when they realize that running a successful business online can be as challenging as starting and maintaining one in the brick and mortar world.
Still, it is possible not only to make money online, but to thrive there.
You simply need the right product, good marketing tactics, and a strong infrastructure in place to help you automate as many duties as possible.
Start with the product above all else.
If you want to sell online and make big money, you need a product that carries with it very little overhead.
The product needs to fulfill some need that presents a real value to your target audience.
And it needs to have an existing base of people, who are looking for ways to get answers to burning questions.
While the specific category that you choose to do business in can be widely varied, it's always best to choose informational products whenever possible.
These have very little, if any, overhead and allow you to provide a service-in product form-for all of the people out there looking for the information.
Ebooks are particularly big sellers online because they allow readers to digest information at their own pace and in a manner that preserves privacy.
If a person wants to make a living as a writer online, for example, he can purchase a book that details hundreds of ways to turn that talent into a money making venture.
He can read it on his computer at work during dead spots of the day or during his lunch break.
When he's done, he can delete the file, and there is never any record of the activity.
This can happen for virtually any topic-gardening, marketing, starting a web business.
Once you've got the product that you want, it's time to market (NOT advertise).
The difference between marketing and advertising is that marketing targets a specific group of individuals based on interests and connects them to the product.
Advertising simply reaches out to anyone who's willing to listen.
By making use of the Internet and search engine marketing tactics, you can find buyers who are already running searches online for your product, and you can get your product noticed, all without ever making eye contact with your customers.
After you've got the product and the traffic, make sure that you have programs in place to automate fulfillment and payment collection as much as possible.
Time is money in the online world as much as the "real" one.
Maximize yours, and you will maximize earnings.