Did you realize that “how to earn money online” is one of the most common search terms on the internet. It’s no wonder, especially in today’s economic environment when just about everyone could use some extra money. Add to that the popularity of internet marketing and the knowledge that people now have that it really is possible to make money on the internet, and you can see why so many people are searching for how to earn money online.

In today’s post I am going to lay out a plan for anyone that is curious on how to earn money online. It does not matter what products you want to sell, it does not matter what industry you want to pursue and it does not matter what subject you are passionate about that you want to start your business. This process will work for any business that you want to start.

My recommendations include both free internet tools and some paid tools. You can get started for free if you want, and you may even be able to have some success without spending any money. But my experience is that you have to purchase a few basic tools that will help you be successful. So with that in mind, the recommendations below are a mixture of free and paid products and we will note the costs below where they are known. Here we go . . .

How to earn money online

1. There is no need to build a website anymore. The only option you should consider is a blog, and we highly recommend the WordPress blogging platform. You can also use Blogger, but WordPress is the much better solution because it is open source and there is much better support through blog plugins, etc. You can use either WordPress or Blogger as a free platform, or you can have your own domain name and hosting account. We will discuss that in more detail below. But without a doubt, a blog is much preferred over a static website because blogs provide a great content management system where you can easily add new content on a consistent basis – which is one of the keys to internet marketing success. The blogging platforms are totally free, and you can use free blog themes that make your blog look very professional.
2. If you want to be serious about your internet marketing business, you need to have your own domain name, we recommend GoDaddy.com. The domain name should be chosen after much careful consideration AND Keyword research. Just picking a name out of the air that sounds cool is harder to build page rank than a domain name that is structured around your targeted keywords. We will discuss how you choose a domain name below when we discuss Keyword research. A domain name will cost you $10.69 per year, it’s better if you purchase a name for at least 2-5 years
3. If you have your own domain, then you will also need your own hosting account, we recommend HostGator, which provides unlimited hosting accounts under one account. That means that as your business grows you can have multiple blogs or websites under one account which will save you tons of money over the long term. The hosting account will cost you $7.95 per month, a very affordable price for the level of hosting services that are provided.
4. The most important component of your internet marketing business is Keyword research and keyword optimization of your website or blog. There is only one way you can get this information and that is through diligent and detailed keyword research. While there several options available, including some that are free, you really need to buy a professional keyword research tool, our favorite is Keyword Elite. With this tool you will be able to simultaneously pull keyword search history from Google, Yahoo, Ask, Wordtracker and KeywordDiscovery. My version of Keyword Elite runs pretty much non-stop as I use it extensively for keyword research for articles that I want to write, social bookmarking submissions and much more. If you want to be successful, you must have good keyword research and you need to purchase your own version of Keyword Elite, which sells for a one-time charge of $197.
5. If you are somewhat new and you need some coaching along the way, look to the leaders and follow their advice. That’s what you will find in the internet marketing business, everyone is willing to help everyone else to be successful. One of the best mentors I have found is Jack Humphrey at Blog Success. There you will find a wealth of information on how to be successful at bloggin including video tutorials, email newsletters and more. You will get a great education on what works, what doesn’t work and how you can accelerate your success. In addition, members get private access to really good internet marketing tools at no additional cost. Blog Success is a monthly membership at $39 per month, and I can tell you personally, it is worth every penny and more.
6. Pick your topic, do your keyword research, find some affiliate programs to join that are complementary to your blog topic, and start blogging away. You can also write articles for free at article submission sites such as EzineArticles.com which will help drive traffic to your website.

That’s it, you do not need anything else to be successful. The total bill comes to $197 one time for Keyword Elite, $10.69 per year for your domain name at GoDaddy.com, $7.95 per month for your hosting account at HostGator, and $39 per month for your membership at Blog Success.

These are the exact same tools I’m using and I am pleased to share these with you so you can also learn how to earn money online.