You Don't Need Your Own Product

A successful online business can be built at reasonable cost. Don't have a
product? That's okay. A topical affiliate site might be the answer for you.
This means you take your passion or hobby and turn it into profit. You don't
keep inventory; you don't have to deliver or ship products; you just
maintain your web site & enjoy being with your family. Even if you do have a
product, you many want to consider filling out your web site with other
affiliate products that relate to your site's theme.

I'm sure you've seen some grossly blatant affiliate sites with banners
everywhere & pop-ups that just won't stop popping. These are not the way to
make money - they just end up being kind of offensive.

Like I said, take your passion. For example, say you are really into
photography. You don't have to be an expert, but since you are passionate,
you will have a good knowledge base. You'll be surprised at what you learn
from building your site around this idea. Include photography tips and
articles. Build a newsletter and have your readers make submissions. Give
your customers a reason to come to your site - outside of purchasing your
products.

You will make commission from the affiliate programs, but don't simply paste
banners on your site - you need to include these products (whether it be
cameras, software, courses, books, magazine subscriptions etc.) in the
context of your site. Do editorials on the various products and services -
that way people will already be interested in the product before they click
on the links.

Yes, you will likely spend some money promoting your site, but you can
certainly do it on a budget. There are numerous free ways to promote your
site. Just think of the money you save in gas, postage, paper and time by
having an online business. The time alone is worth it!