The failure of many Internet companies during the late 90's discouraged many online entrepreneurs. Many came to believe that it was nearly impossible to make money online. But in reality, there is plenty of money to be made online.

Even though many early Internet companies failed, they did achieve one major breakthrough. They convinced millions of people to do their buying online. Shoppers have now been educated to buy online.

What is even more beneficial to the development of the E-commerce aspect of the Internet is that this breakthrough enabled hundreds of thousands of people to start selling online. Tools have automated and simplified many of the steps required to start conducting business online.

From eBay to affiliate programs there are now thousands of distinct opportunities to earn money online. What clearer proof is there to this than the hundreds of thousands of eBay sellers selling online?

So how can you join the rising number of entrepreneurs who earn a substantial income online?

For starters you need to be well informed. You need to read up on all of the latest online developments taking place. Message board sites such as Web Master World and Digital Point Forum act as a virtual community of online entrepreneurs. Valuable tips and ideas are being posted on a daily basis.

Based on my years running online businesses I have compiled the following list. In it you will find the current top methods for making money online.

Online Income Strategy #1

Google Adsense. Google Adsense is an advertising program launched by Google. It allows you to place ads on your site which are provided by Google. Google will then share with you the amount it is charging those advertisers. Since the advertisers are paying per click, you will earn a commission every time a visitor to your site clicks on one of the ads. Your income will increase based on the number of pages you have on your site, since every page can display the Google Adsense ads. Traffic is always key, like with any online program, so plan out a strategy to attract visitors to your site.

Online Income Strategy #2

Clickbank. Clickbank is a reseller of digital information in the form of eBooks. By signing up as an affiliate for Clickbank you can profit when one of your visitors buys any of their more than 10,000 digital products. They have a tool that enables you to create a text or html link to any of their digital products. You should promote a digital product which closely fits your audience. The more targeted the product is the more your customers will be interested in it. Commissions are as high as 75% on sale prices of up to $100.

Online Income Strategy #3

Set up a membership site. Membership sites are a great source for earning revenue online. They can earn revenue through multiple sources of income. For starters, you can charge a monthly or annual membership fee. Provided that your members are satisfied you will make more money when they renew their membership fees.

You can earn additional revenue by having Google Adsense ads throughout the site. Every time a member logs in to the site they will be exposed to the ads, potentially increasing the number of times the ads will be clicked.

Clickbank can be used in the membership site by having articles which recommend clickbank products. There are business and non business categories, so finding a product that will match your online audience should be pretty easy.

Online Income Strategy #4

Sell advertising. You can also build a focused niche site and sell advertising on it. For example, let's take a site geared towards single people in your local community. You could approach local restaurants and bar owners and ask them to place an ad on your site. In this situation the key to success is making sure that the site is reaching your intended audience. You can accomplish this by making sure the content of your site repeatedly focuses on the topic you have selected.

Online Income Strategy #5

eBay selling. eBay is probably one of the top methods for making money online. You can sell almost any product, new or used. Instead of having to attract customers, eBay supplies you with over 60 million potential customers. Since there are no membership fees or investment costs I definitely recommend this strategy. Start slow by selling your unwanted items, and then ramp up your business by ordering from wholesalers.

Online Income Strategy #6

E-zine. An E-zine is an electronic newsletter which is sent out by email. An E-zine is a very powerful online earning tool because it builds a relationship between you and your subscribers. Subscribers will appreciate the information you are giving them and will follow your product recommendations.

Think of how many times you checked out a website and made a purchase based on a recommendation you received by email. Your buying decision is heavily influenced by the trust you have in the author of the email. For this reason you need to build a strong relationship with your E-zine subscribers. Accomplishing this level of trust is based on giving your subscribers honest and reliable information.

How do you build your E-zine list?

Have a registration link on your site. Every time a visitor sees your site he or she should have the opportunity to subscribe to your E-zine.

At this point I am sure you want to know how to make money with your E-zine. Money is made by sending visitors back to your site where they can buy your products or by sending them to your affiliate links, whose merchants will give you a commission every time you send them a customer.

Remember that once you have mastered any of these online strategies you can apply them to all of your online ventures. Learn how to sell online, and you can sell any product or service you select.