Legitimate Ways to Make Money on the Internet

• With so many "get rich quick" advertisements screaming for your attention on the Internet, would-be entrepreneurs can get dejected about the ability to actually make money on the Internet. Many promise the world and don't deliver, others make you pay for products or services that get you nowhere, and still more are just plain illegal. While there are plenty of schemes out there that are not legal or don't make money, there really are legitimate ways to make money online.

Sell Through a Marketplace

• Sell through an established marketplace like eBay or Etsy. These are both examples of online stores where individuals can use the existing market to sell their own merchandise. The benefits for the seller are that the existing framework eliminates the need for the seller to create and spend money on his own site, and he can take advantage of the huge customer base the stores already have. Sellers upload their products, pay a listing fee, and pay a small percentage to the site when goods are sold. A large eBay store can make several thousand dollars a month.

Sell With Your Own Store

• Build your own Web store. People buy online for the convenience -- you can shop without leaving your home. Many companies offer complete business solutions in which they build your Web site and install a shopping cart with a merchant account, so you don't need to be technically inclined. This can run you several thousands of dollars. If you do have a technical background or you are willing to risk some trial and error you can probably figure out how to do it yourself quite cheaply. A successful small business can make a few thousand dollars a month and larger one much more.

Monetize Web Content

• Publish your own copy and earn money through advertisements. If you have enough to say about a particular topic, you can publish your material and add ads to the site. Blogging is the typical way to do this, where you publish materials at a certain frequency and readers come to hear what you have to say. Free platforms such as WordPress make this incredibly easy to produce. When customers click on the ads, you make money. Google AdSense is a popular ad program, but there are others, many of which are tailored for specific niches. This schema takes a while to build up but it can be incredibly successful. After about three years, a successfully monetized site should bring in a few thousand dollars a month.

Charge Membership

• There are Web sites that offer exclusive information or other incentives for a membership fee. For example, you can gain access to market reports or a hairstyling forum for monthly or annual dues. If you have something to offer, it is similar to selling a product and people will pay what it is worth. You can charge monthly or annual dues for these rights. If you charge $100 annually and get 1,000 members, that's $100,000 if you have something worthwhile to provide.

Freelance Work

• Freelancers can make a steady salary through websites such as Elance. Employers post projects and freelancers bid on them. You can build a steady client base that will eventually provide a stable job source, or you can continually find new and interesting projects. Popular disciplines are programming, Web design and writing. A freelancer can make a regular, full-time income or do some part-time work to supplement a different job.