When you first get started online, you read a lot of info about how to make money online. I know I did. But I didnt feel like what I read had a direct impact on what I was going to be able to do to make money. Either the information was a little vaguefind a product, or make a product (what do you make or find when you are just getting started, right?), and then advertise it. Just drive traffic to your site.

So I did just that. I wrote a book. I sent traffic to my site. All kinds of trafficmost worthless, some good. But I didnt make much money. I tracked the traffic, I tested it, I tested response ratesand I hung in there far longer than I think that the average person that wants to make money online does.

Then I discovered affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is where you simply promote another persons product and they pay you a commission. Of course I studied that too, and saw that there are cons to affiliate marketing. Sometimes you dont get paid your commissions. And you dont have as much control over your sales page as with your own site.

But, I looked at the pros, too. These affiliate products already have sales pages (boy, my first sales page was a disaster), they have been tested to convert, and you dont have to do any of the backend work like customer service and deal with PayPal or credit cards.

So I decided to test several different affiliate programs, sending them all traffic, and seeing which ones converted and sold and then paid me. And I am making money with affiliate programs. Case closed.

So how do I do it?

1) I set up a website that offers a free ebook (which is loaded with affiliate links) and an Ecourse that is mailed everyday. On the web site I put a web form that collects the visitors name and email address and sends it to my autoresponder (step 2).

2) I set up an autoresponder and wrote a series of letters that teaches people how to make money onlinein plain English, and simply, easy-to-follow steps.

3) In the letters I recommend a series of products that will help them learn the skills to become successful online.

4) When my subscribers purchase products from my ebook or my series of Ecourse lessons, I receive a commission.

5) I write articles just like this one, post them on sites just like the one you are reading this from, and watch the traffic come in.

As simple as it may sound, that is precisely what I do. I know that you can duplicate what I do, and if you do, you will make money.