Examples:

• If you relied on Google AdSense income prior to 2006, you probably saw it all but dry up a couple of years ago due to changes in terms.
• If you rely on PPC advertising for most of your traffic, a change in Google’s terms can drive your costs beyond your break-even point.  This happened to a lot of site owners in the past year.
• If you rely on affiliate income from a single vendor, that vendor can change any of their affiliate terms and send you down the tubes in a split second.
• If you rely on income from the sale of a product or service, a bigger competitor with deeper pockets can enter your space and drive you out of business.

Any number of things can change to leave you scrambling to keep the lights on while you figure out which way to go.  The only surefire way to keep this from happening to you is to have income coming from several channels.  Get your traffic from organic and paid search as well as offline methods.  Set up affiliate programs to let others help you sell your own products, and promote products offered by multiple vendors.  Offer your services to other business owners for a premium and use that as an upsell behind your other product offerings.

You have to prepare before the storm hits so that you’re ready to go if or when it ever happens.  And if it never happens, at least you’ll be enjoying the benefits of multiple streams of income.  This doesn’t mean to jump around between opportunities.  You’ll only lose focus that way and never get anything accomplished.  But once you have one or more income streams running smoothly, you owe it to yourself to work on setting up 2-3 different cash-generating methods.

And of all the ways you could possibly make money online, I think the fastest and easiest way to go from zero to profitability as quickly as possible would be to start a niche store.  This is especially true throughout the holiday season.  I’ve operated several of them for well over a year, and they continue to provide a nice monthly income.  Although they’re fairly easy to set up for someone with a little computer knowledge, they can be tricky for newcomers. The niche store site provides some good reference material to help you get started, but feel free to ask me a question if you get stuck.

I’ve learned some interesting ways to create sites that attract visitors and keep them coming back.  And I continually look for ways to add value to my sites beyond just the products that are available to purchase.  This is very important because anyone can set up these niche stores and compete with you.  You have to find a way to stand out from the crowd.  And you have to know how to get the visitors to your store in the first place.

That’s why from now until the end of the year, I’m going to be offering lots of tips and tricks for getting the most from your online niche store. There are several store scripts out there, so you don’t necessarily have to go with the one I recommend.  In fact, I’ll cover a couple of the others as well.  But I happen to have my preference simply because I think it’s the easiest to set up and maintain.

Go ahead and subscribe to my online niche store blog to be sure to get every tip as I post them.  It’s time for the holidays, and you’ll want to be ready for making some good holiday cash.

Here are a couple of earlier posts that may be helpful as you begin to build your new store:

Choosing a good web host 

Getting content for your niche store

Reasons for starting an online business

Finding good niche keywords

Getting traffic to your online store

That’s seems to be all we hear and see these days. 

The stock market’s down, age-old banks and insurance companies are dropping like flies, our retirement accounts are being decimated, we’re piling up so much debt that our grandchildrens’ grandchildren will still be paying it back, and on and on…

But did you know that many millionaires were made during the Great Depression of the early 30’s?  Most of these were the result of having plenty of liquid cash to invest in undervalued assets.  That’s the absolute best way to profit from hard times.  When times are tough, cash is king.  Because so many are already deep in debt or simply can’t borrow enough to keep afloat, those with cash to spend will find real bargains.

But what if you fall somewhere on the other side?  What if you’re in debt, barely paying the bills each month, or out of work?  How can you possibly find a silver lining to the dark cloud of the current economic environment?

What I would suggest is that you first stop thinking of the current situation as “bad” or “hopeless.”  I’ve heard these terms used a lot lately by friends and family, and thinking like this will only make things worse. 

Instead, try to think like an entrepreneur…

People still have money, and they’re still spending it.  I promise you this will not change.  Even if we were to enter a period far worse than the Great Depression (and this isn’t likely), people would still be spending money.  Granted, the items they buy might change, but the money will be flowing somewhere.  So you really just have to keep an eye on where the money is going and try to get in on the action.

One thing to watch for is mass panic. 

Gas stations are running out of fuel because of panic, banks have lost a lot of capital due to panic, retirement accounts are being depleted because of panic, and the list goes on.  The global economic system is based, in large part, on the perception of the masses.  When everyone feels good about things, they invest and spend.  When they don’t feel so good, they save and pay down debts.  And when they get really scared, they cash out their retirement accounts and stuff cash under their mattresses.  They’ll even start to sell off assets just to have cash on hand.

The media plays a huge role in this these days.  So watch the news.  When the news reporter says that it’s time to panic, get ready to buy assets at rock-bottom prices.  And when the President says this himself, you can bet that the wealthy are laughing all the way to the bank.

Just as businesses everywhere are “going green” to make a buck off of the new environmental movement, you can profit from the panic that results during tough economic conditions.  You can make money just by offering encouragement to those going through difficulties.  They’ll pay you to offer them hope in their darkest hour.  You can make even more by lighting a fire under them and pointing them toward the exit.  Show people how to make extra money in these “tough times” and they’ll invest in what you have to offer.

And here are a few ideas for you to profit online:

Offer free advice on weathering the tough economy. 

Provide tools for calculating debt repayment. 

Include links to affiliate programs geared to debt reduction. 

Include articles on investing in gold and other precious metals and place Google ads on the page for a little extra income.

Include articles on positive thinking, and run ads.  Or give away an encouraging ebook in exchange for an email address.  Then follow up with more encouragement with an occassional promotion for a niche-appropriate product or service.

There are many, many ways to profit even in the worst of times.  As long as you keep your head – even if you’re struggling financially yourself, you can make it through.  And with the right approach, you will actually end up in a better position on the other side as a result.

Plus, this is also great news for anyone selling on eBay.  With an army of affiliate marketers working day and night to promote your products, you’ll likely sell more with less effort.  If you haven’t heard, the number of web publishers promoting products on eBay is growing like wildfire.  That’s because eBay pays a percentage of their take on each transaction that is referred to their site via a third party publisher’s site.  And, what’s even better is that, as an affiliate publisher, you can promote products all around the globe through eBay’s partner sites in countries all around the world.

I’ve been making money as an eBay affiliate since last summer, and my income has grown steadily as a result.  I’ve enjoyed working with Commission Junction, and I plan to continue working with them to promote their expanding list of products.  I’m equally excited about the new eBay-managed affiliate program.  I’ve checked it out, and it looks very promising.  As I transition my sites to the new system, I’ll report my results.  You can see an example of one of their new affiliate web widgets in the sidebar to the right.  There are several different types of widgets available, and many more are on the way.

In the meantime, be sure to give the new eBay Partner Network a look.  It might just be the ticket to your online success.  And be sure to subscribe to the Profit with Your DotCom feed to stay on top of new and exciting ways to grow your new online business.

1. You have a global market.  If your local economy is lagging, you can sell to the whole world.

2. People will always buy items they need or want.  They will always find the money, so why not let them give it to you?

3. You can get started with a very small initial investment.

4. You can start part-time while keeping your day job.

5. You can work in the comfort of your own home.

As I said in my last post, I will publishing a series of videos to show you how to create a website that can make you hundreds – maybe thousands of dollars per month.  If you follow the steps I’ll be outlining, your success will only be limited by your imagination and determination to do the work.  It will require taking some action, but it won’t be overly difficult.  And with the step-by-step instructions I’ll provide, it won’t require any special technical skills.

While I’m preparing the first video and supporting documentation, there are a few things you can do to prepare.  The first is to look for a web hosting account.  When choosing an account, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. You will probably want an account that will allow you to maintain multiple websites for one low price.  One site probably won’t produce the level of income you seek.  You’ll likely want to operate several sites.

2. Some of the scripts we’ll be looking at will require the Zend optimizer.  Don’t worry if you don’t know what I’m talking about.  You don’t have to.  Just make sure the web host you’re considering has this installed.  The majority of hosts provide this.

3. Make sure the host supports PHP and allows multiple MySQL database installations.  Most hosts support PHP – even those that use the Windows operating system.  But for the scripts I’ll be demonstrating, a Linux account will probably work best. 

4. Look for a web host that provides quick and easy installation of scripts like WordPress for blogs and Joomla for membership sites.  This will make your life much simpler in the long run, and most hosts that provide this are very affordable.  This is usually provided through the hosts CPanel (their web management interface.) 

It probably won’t matter where you host your sites if they meet the criteria listed. In case you’re wondering, I host many of my sites with HostMonster.  I’ve had accounts with them for over a year, and I’ve been extremely pleased with their service.  I’ve only had to contact their support a couple of times, and they were very helpful.  I run dozens of sites on their servers that earn me money day after day.  But the choice is ultimately yours to make.  Just be sure to get an account that will grow with your business.

Next, you’ll want to begin thinking about the market you want to target.  The best way to do this is to make a list of things you’re interested in.  Also create a list of anything you’re particularly good at doing.  These lists may or may not be the same.  Don’t rush out and buy a domain name just yet because there are a few rules to keep in mind.  We’ll get into that soon enough.  For now, just begin thinking about what you’d like your site to be about.  Have some fun with it, and stay tuned for our next step.

But, on the other hand, entrepreneurship is becoming a more viable career choice.  I read somewhere that college graduates are choosing to go into business for themselves at an increasing rate.  It seems that stories about teens starting and growing a profitable online business are becoming the norm.  Of course, from their perspective, it’s all just fun and games.  When Mom’s paying your way, it’s easy to invest your time in a questionable endeavor that may never pay off.  But what if you’re Mom?  Would it be possible for you to make money online without risking everything in the process?

The answer is most definitely, “Yes.”  And in the next few days, I’ll be releasing a series of videos that go into detail to show you exactly how you could easily make enough extra money online each and every month to cover two car payments or the mortgage.  And if you’ll just keep applying these principles, who knows where you might end up? 

Try to avoid the doom and gloom stories.  They do nothing but sap your strength and prevent you from taking the action that will lead to positive results.  There’s a whole new game in the works.  The rules might be a little different, and the challenge might take us out of our comfort zones, but the excitement is unmatched.  It will take us back to where we need to be – back in the driver’s seat of our lives.

Stay tuned – much more to come…

I talk a lot about making money online.  But I have to be honest here.  I enjoy every minute of the work I do.  If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be doing it.  If, like the bumper stickers say, “I’d rather be …” (fill in the blank with enjoyable task of your choice), I’d be doing just that.  But the truth is I’d rather be sitting at my keyboard building websites.  That’s what I enjoy.

What do you enjoy?  If you don’t like typing, and you don’t like reading, and you don’t want to learn at least a little bit of programming, then don’t do it.  Don’t spend all of your time doing these things if you simply hate them.  Leave it to someone like me who really enjoys it.  Your time would be better spent doing what you truly enjoy.  You can still make money – maybe lots of money.

The great thing about technology is that it has created a channel for creative individuals and technical people to collaborate across the miles to create great things.  There are dozens of sites where you can find freelance workers to do just about anything you would need.  You get to request bids, and you get to choose the winner.  The whole process usually works through a reputable third party, so the risks are minimal for both the requestor and the bidder.

Check out sites like elance.com, guru.com, freelancedesigners.com, and ifreelance.com.  There are many such sites, and doing a quick search will probably return a list of freelancers that can provide just the service you’re looking for.  Also, you might want to read a book titled, “The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich.”  Timothy Ferriss has done a great job of detailing how to set up a business doing what you enjoy to build the life of your dreams. 

Think about it.  It’s not really about the money anyway, is it?  I just ran across the video below.  It’s part of an interview with Jim Koch, the founder of the Samuel Adams brewery in Boston.  In the video, he says that he set out to have fun – not make money.  And he’s right.  More people need to understand that life is meant to live.  Money comes in exchange for the best you have to give.  Use your talent and skills to the best of your ability and find others to help with the rest.

When I first decided to make money online, I thought I’d build a website and make millions.  I suppose you could do that if you built Google, YouTube, or Facebook, but I’m just not that creative or technically capable.  So, instead of millions, my first website made about $30 per month after expenses.  It was profitable, but far from the dreams I had in mind.

 So, I began to study various ways to increase traffic.  Through my SEO efforts, I increased the profit on that one website to about $50 per month and added a second website that also brought in close to $50 per month.  I decided then that volume was the key.  I would build dozens of sites and make a little from each one.  That worked to some degree.  I built a few more sites and began seeing several dollars per month from each.  But the work required to maintain all of the sites just wasn’t worth what I was making.  There had to be another way.

Then I signed up for a coaching program and added a few more weapons to my arsenal.  This time, I used private label rights to create ebooks and content for sites.  I added affiliate links within the ebooks and added product reviews to the sites to attract visitors.  I advertised with PPC ads, and I set up an autoresponder to build a customer list.  Things began to look up.

Next, I found a great script for building affiliate storefronts very quickly.  This script has allowed me to build one very profitable website and several others that continue to improve each month.  Added to the systems I’d put in place in the beginning, I was able to leverage my knowledge to quickly build a decent income with these new tools.  If I had found this system prior to learning the details of SEO, list building, and basic marketing, I wouldn’t have seen the same results.

So many people start trying to make money on the web and give up after only a short time.  They want immediate results, and when they don’t come, they assume it won’t work.  I read post after post about how those that make money online are all scam artists out for a quick buck.  While there may be a few, most are legitimate.  It is possible to make money online – and very good money at that.  It simply takes a little time and energy to achieve. 

If you want a free ride, you’d better look elsewhere.  But if you’re up for a little adventure, get on board.  There’s plenty of room for anyone willing to put forth the effort to achieve their dreams.

1. Anyone can run an online business.  It doesn’t matter if you’re 5 or 105.  There is no age discrimination.  Your site visitors won’t know - or even care – how old you are.  They simply want to find a website that provides the product, service, or information they’re seeking.   There’s also no discrimination based on gender, race, or any other factor that you might see in the “real world.”  Again, it’s all about what you have to offer.  It’s as simple as that.  It doesn’t matter if you feel that you’re physically unattractive.  It doesn’t matter if you have disabilities that prevent you from performing more physically demanding work.  What you might consider requirements for making money can be tossed out the window when you take your business online.

2.  You can operate globally.  Geography is a typical limitation to the success of a business in the real world.  You not only have to pay rent, but you also have to be sure the location you’ve selected is convenient for your customers.  You also have to know if the market for your products or services is large enough to support your business in that location.  Getting this right can be very tricky.  When you take your business online, you have the potential to serve customers all around the world.  It takes some work to help those potential customers locate you, and there are legal issues to be considered when selling internationally, but it’s possible.  My income comes from individuals all across the United States, and I don’t have to advertise in their local areas to let them know how to buy from me.  It would be impossible to accomplish this without the internet.

3.  Initial investment is extremely low.  Although you will want to invest some time and money in learning how to create and manage websites (or pay someone to do this for you), the actual investment necessary to start a business online is very low compared to that of starting a business offline.  Costs include registering a domain name, web hosting, keyword research tools for selecting and finding a good target market, and any costs necessary to create or obtain a product or service to sell.  It’s true that you’ll have some of these costs no matter where you choose to do business, but startup and operating costs for an online business are generally much lower than those for offline businesses. 

4. You can work from anywhere.  This is the one I like the most because I enjoy getting out and seeing the world.  It’s great to be able to carry your entire business with you in a laptop bag.  There are so many places to connect to the internet throughout the world that you can honestly work from just about anywhere you choose.  And when you consider that a lot of the work you’ll be doing can be done without an internet connection and uploaded at a later time, that makes it possible to actually work from anywhere in the world.  If you could choose to work anywhere in the world, where would it be?  See what I mean?  Isn’t this a great reason to make your money online?

There are many benefits to starting an online business, but the main point I’m trying to make here is that the internet has opened a door of opportunity that you really shouldn’t ignore.  Anyone, and I do mean anyone, can make money online.  All it takes is some creativity and the desire to make it happen.  If you’ll just begin, you’ll learn what you need to get you through each step of the process.  And if you want to get started quickly, read one of my earlier posts – “A Fun Way to Make Money Online.”  The system I describe in that post is the same one I’ve used to quickly and easily create online stores in numerous markets.  Get started now.  You’ll never know how far you can go unless you take action.

It’s true that the store script will create SEO-friendly URL’s that will help you to get traffic from search engines using long-tail keywords.  This is because the affiliate listings included in your store will typically include products closely related to your site topic.  These items will have titles and descriptions that provide content for the search engines to index.  When I first checked my site logs, I was surprised to see all of the keywords that were bringing visitors to my sites.

But, you must first make your site visible to search engines or you won’t have any traffic at all… 

To begin, I used the included WYSIWYG tools to add a few content pages.  I did some research on my site topics to create several articles that would be relevant to my visitors.  If you prefer not to write the content yourself, you may also use PLR content or articles from an article directory.  You could also hire someone to write the articles for you through a site like Elance.com.  Just be sure that the keyword you intend to target is mentioned in the article a few times in a number of different ways.

Next, I used the script’s page listing tool to add relevant product listings to each of the pages.  You can do this by selecting the specific product category number from eBay’s category list, or you can enter your own custom search term.  (Just be sure to check eBay to make sure the search term you use will actually return a list of products.)  Adding these listings will add relevant content to your page that may include some keywords you may not have even considered.

Next, I used IBP to submit my sites to all of the major search engines.  Because it often take weeks for your site to be indexed, you want to be sure to do this as soon as possible.  I know that you’ll often read that you shouldn’t do this because search engines will rank you higher if they find you through links into your site like from blogs or forums.  I’ve tried it both ways, and I find that submitting the sites up front with a good tool like IBP works best.  At least I haven’t had any problems getting my sites indexed – and quickly.

Finally, I write articles related to my sites’ topics.  I’ll make a few different versions of an article and submit them to sites like EzineArticles.com, GoArticles.com, and ArticleCity.com.  You can usually submit 3-4 unique articles on your topic to the top article directories to begin getting a few good links into your site.  You don’t really need to submit to hundreds of directories, especially now that search engines are smart enough to ignore duplicates.  Be sure to include a link to your site in your author bio because that will drive traffic back to your site.

You can then follow up by making relevant posts to blogs and forums, wihch include a link back to your site.  You’ll also want to alter the anchor text on the links when possible.  For example, if your site is about model airplanes, you might want to change between the anchor terms model plane, model airplane, or model aircraft.

NOTE: If you’re not familiar with the term “anchor text,” it’s the word shown in the browser that is linked back to your website.  The HTML looks like this: 

<a href=”http:\\www.profitwithyour.com\”>Make Money Online</a>

You replace the website address with your own, and the words between the >< brackets is the anchor text.  In this case, the anchor text is “Make Money Online.”

There are dozens of ways to get traffic to your site.  Using the technique I’ve outlined here will get you going quickly without a lot of effort.  You can always write more articles and continue to post in blogs and forums to increase the number of links.  Add to this numerous ways to get traffic from sites like StumbleUpon, Digg, Squidoo, MySpace, and YouTube, and you see just how quickly you can start building a steady flow of traffic to your new online store.