How to Make Money on the Internet

- This post is NOT out of date if it's close to Feb 6, 2011 -

A lot of people DREAM of staying home and making thousands of dollars off the internet each month without working...  Is this possible??
 Maybe, there's a lot more that goes into it but here's my basic approach to making money on the internet (or any where else):

1. Idea - So you thought of something that would be AWESOME!!  Great, jump online and see if there's anything else like it out there.  Use all sorts of different of search terms and check around.
2. Count the Number of Competitors - If none, ask yourself why and research it.  If there are, ask yourself if you want to COMPETE with them.
3. Ask Other People about Your Idea - This may sound dangerous but unless your friend is an evil, tricky millionaire - you're probably safe and you can get good feedback.

Here's where we will split into two sections: Online Website & Blog

Online Website/Service

1. Buy the domain ($9.00)
2. Create a 90 second video discussing the website/service and what it will do/provide. Dropbox did this, so did many others...
   
3. Setup a very nice looking page that describes what the service will be and ask for email addresses to join. This is a great way to gauge the popularity of the service with almost no risk/cost.
4. Post links to the video, page and service on www.Redit.com www.Digg.com, www.StumbleUpon.com and other conglomerate websites.
5. If interest is high enough for you, go forward with it!

Blog

1. Buy the domain ($9.00)
2. Connect www.Blogger.com, www.WordPress.com, www.Tumblr.com or www.BlogSpot.com to the domain.
3. Start Blogging.
4. IMPORTANT - You must be an expert in this field.  5-20 years of experience is an expert.  Any less and you probably don't have anything NEW to help people with.
5. Connect advertising and monetize!!

How to Protect Your Online Purchasing - Purchasing Safely on the Internet

- This post is NOT out of date if it's close to Feb 6, 2011 -

Hi Mom,

We were talking yesterday and I mentioned how I protect my credit card and bank accounts online with PayPal and you asked for more information. Here it goes - long description :)

To avoid online scams and piracy and to protect my purchasing information. This is what I do:

1. I only buy with PayPal - www.paypal.com - If a site does not have PayPal I will usually not buy anything there because I can usually find the same product on www.Amazon.com or somewhere else that does accept PayPal. If I pay a dollar or more at these sites, that's fine. It's worth the peace of mind.
   
2. I only put my credit card details into my PayPal account. PayPal asks for your bank account details, as well. DON'T DO IT. There's no reason. Your credit card details will work just fine and it provides another level of protection to you, i.e., Merchant -> PayPal -> Visa/Mastercard/Amex/Discover -> Bank -> You. The more layers the better.
3. I never purchase anything with my credit card on a site I am not 100% familiar with, www.bestbuy.com, www.walmart.com etc. Even then I am nervous and much rather use PayPal. If you do, check the domain in the web browser address bar. If it says something funny like www.walmartshop.com DON'T BUY ANYTHING. Always err on the side of safety. It's much better to go to the store and pay $5.00 more than to get burned online and have to dispute a $1,000.00 purchase on your account and get a new credit card.
4. I never purchase with my Bank Account details or check details. This is WAY, WAY, WAY too dangerous. 100 times as dangerous as buying with a credit card (debit card). 10,000 times more dangerous than purchasing with PayPal. When you purchase with your bank account you only have your bank as a refund recourse. We all know how GREAT service banks give. DON'T DO IT. It's not worth the risk or the hassle.
   

So why do I recommend PayPal?

PayPal let's me dispute or chargeback ANY purchase I make. So if I buy a lamp and it's not the what I thought it would be and the merchant does not return my emails/calls... CHARGEBACK. You will get all of your money back from the purchase.

Remember, the more layers the better. Safety First!

Aloha Mom, I love ya,

Paul