If you have been on the internet for a while now, you would have probably come across one or two programs or courses offering ways to make money online. Further research may actually reveal that there really is money to be made on the internet.

You may have also initially started out being just curious on the subject of making money online but with all the information gathered, you now know that it is a valid alternative source of income and it is something you wish to pursue.

The easiest and quickest way for anyone to start making money online is through Affiliate Marketing. For the uninitiated, Affiliate Marketing is simply the process of promoting and recommending of a product leading to a sale, by a third party in exchange for a commission. Neither a website nor a mailing list is required to start promoting.

All you need to do is to promote your unique link provided by the merchant at sign-up, to drive traffic to the merchant's website. Any sale effected by your promotional efforts will be trackable to you by way of your unique link and a commission will then be paid.

The concept of Affiliate Marketing is so simple that many make the mistake of thinking that they will be on the road to overnight riches just by throwing in a few affiliate-linked advertisements. They fail to realize that like any other conventional business, it still requires some effort.

There are 3 important ingredients in the recipe to a successful affiliate marketing business start-up:

A proper mindset.

You need to be aware that the affiliate marketing business, just like any other conventional business of sales and promotion, requires effort. Even though the hyped-up sales copies promise instant riches with the throw of an affiliate link, it is not a get-rich-quick scheme. For you to make a decent income from it, you would have to work at it. The plus-side to this is that when done properly, affiliate marketing can bring in a consistent flow of substantial residual income.

A willing-to-learn or teachable attitude.

This is especially true for those with a minimal knowledge of computers. While it may be possible to earn commissions solely through pay-per-click campaigns, you do need your own website to build a lasting, profitable business. The technical reasons behind this cannot be stressed often enough.

To put up your first website, you will need some basic knowledge on how to edit simple HTML codes, how to get a domain name and web hosting and then learn how to upload your website.

After you have gotten your website up and running, you will then need to learn the mechanics of driving traffic to your site. Also, if you do not have a marketing background, you may want to learn how to write good sales copies to increase the conversion rate of your web pages. A good sales copy would most likely convert the visitors to your website into customers.

Persistence and perseverance.

You should know that you cannot expect to see dramatic results overnight. Take going to college, for example. You will need to labor for at least 4 years for a degree.

There may be successes as well as failures. Some sales may hit the roof while some may just bomb. Like any other conventional business, you just have to keep at it, make necessary improvements and never, never give up.