Making Money on the Internet: What Every Newbie Should Know

By Sherry Starnes
Posted Sunday, December 12, 2004

Are you ready to start making money on the Internet but don't know where to start? If you are, let me give you some free advice that will make it easy while providing you with tips that you may not know or haven't heard about.

One of the first thngs you will need is a money-making website. Without a functional website, it is extremely difficult to have a successful Internet Business.

You can get your own e-commerce website set up for free and usually within 24-48 hours. Avoid companies that offer to set your website up, furnish training, guarantee success, all for the low cost of $3,000.00. There is absolutely no reason to invest that much money to start your Internet Business. As I said, there are ways to get a money-making website for free and start your own business within 24 hours.

Once you get your website, you will need a hosting company which is the company that stores the data that makes up your website, on their servers. The company that builds your website will direct you to a hosting company. The fees for hosting your information is usually about $19.95-$20.95 per month.

What are you going to sell on your website. This may be a very difficult decision for many people. Your product or service should be something you are interested in. If you are interested in gardening, focus on garden tools, plants, gardening tips, etc. If you are interested in Internet Marketing, make your focus on e-books, websign, marketing tips, or technology. Focusing on areas of your interest will be beneficial to both you and your customers.

After you have set up the basics of your website, you will want customers to be able to view information and make purchases. In order for them to make purchases, it is very important that you are able to accept credit cards.

Probably the best way to do this is setting up a merchant account through your local. DO NOT get affiliated with a clearing house or other company who agrees to service your credit cards (for a fee) and then requires you to do business with THEIR bank. If that company and bank are out-of-state or not easily accessible, it is too difficult to develp a business relationship. Problems may occur that need your immediate attention and that is hard to accomplish when you are 500 miles away.

You should be aware that your credit card servicing company or clearing house will more than likely have access to your bank account. This is important to know just in case of a chargeback. In the event of a chargeback, funds are taken immediately from your bank account. A charge back can occur up to 120 days after the sale.

A local bank allows you to deal with such matters in a timely fashion. There are many good servicing companies. However, there are also several that will actually cost you money in the long-run.

Just remember, very little money should be invested to start your own home-based business. There is definitley money to be made on the Internet. Knowing the pros and cons before your start can save you a lot of time and money.

Best regards,
Sherry Starnes

About the Author
Sherry Starnes, author of "Making Money on the Internet" is an experienced Internet Marketer who is dedicated to helping you become successful in your own home-based business. If you are looking for the best opportunitiesthat will save you both time and money or if you want for more information about "Getting Started in Internet Marketing", sign up for a F-R-E-E newletter at (http://www.awesomebuys.net) or send an e-mail to awesomebuys@clgw.net and ask for more information.