As an article directory editor, I see many articles suggesting you can make piles of cash on the internet - but just how easy is it to do?

It seems that the modern dream of making money without leaving the comfort of your home is now a reality - at least if the web 'gurus' are to be believed. Yet for a beginner the task surely seems daunting - where do you begin? Let's look at a few options.

1. Buying and selling. A well-established form of making money via any platform, buying and selling is one that merchants have used since the dawn of civilisation. Simply put, you source products to sell at a profit. How easy is that? Yet to build a successful merchant operation anywhere is a time-consuming and demanding occupation, requiring its own special skills and know-how. So how does it relate to the internet?

Many people would think that having an on-line shop is the answer - and it's true that it can be. For a beginner, however, there's a heck of a lot to learn and quite probably a fairly big investment in terms of stock and associated necessary add-ons - maybe premises, staff, accounting programs and the like. It would seem that a much easier way to get into on-line trading is to start up an account with eBay and 'sell what you got' in order to cut you teeth in the mercantile world.

Indeed, an eBay shop can be embedded within your own website, where other products (subject to some eBay restrictions) can also be sold. It's a great way of driving traffic to your website! An eBay shop lets you get maximum exposure with minimum effort and know-how and can be a great proving-ground wherein to hone your business skills. But what if you don't want to be a merchant in the traditional sense? Well, another option may be -

2. Affiliate Programs. I've lost count of the number of articles I've read about being a web affiliate. It seems that just about every major player on the internet offers their own program these days so tailoring a package to suit your website shouldn't be too difficult and yes, this is an easy way to make some money via the web - especially if you also sign up for Google AdSense to further monetise your website.

Of course, you don't even really need a website to make money through affiliate work. Companies such as Clickbank let a beginner get into the game with even a one-page 'minisite', the only requirement of which is as a re-direct for affiliate links. It's so easy even I can do it! If a beginner is a competent article writer, or has the ability to become one, this can become a nice part-time income stream - so this is definitely an area where the newbie can score! That brings me to a third point, which is -

3. Information re-packaging. The explosion of informational products, especially e-books, has created a whole new raft of opportunities for anyone involved in internet marketing and it's one where any newcomer with an inquiring mind can make an impact.

The popularity of this kind of product stems from the fact that people use the web to find information. Have you tried doing that recently? It's like opening the lid of Pandora's box. Enter anything but the most tightly focused search and you get literally deluged with results. Result? Most people simply give up, opening the door for writers who can identify what people search for - and provide the answers. This is a mine so deep it's hard to see a bottom to it and it's definitely an area where any intelligent newcomer to internet marketing can make their mark.

It would seem, however, that the real trick for any newcomer to making money on the internet, whether it be by article marketing, viral marketing or buy-and-sell techniques is to thoroughly investigate several marketing avenues, settle on one they feel most comfortable with and do everything they can to master it before moving on to encompass further techniques. One of the greatest dangers that newcomers seem to fall prey to is 'input-overload' and this can be a major factor to disillusionment where internet business is concerned

So - to summarise, it would seem that the answer to the question posed by this article is - yes. There is room and opportunity for newcomers to internet business, providing that they don't succumb to the kid-in-a-candystore syndrome. Identify what you want to do and do it and remember -anyone can be a jack-of-all-trades but to succeed you simply must be the master of what you do!

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Steve Dempster is editor of Article Metropolis and also runs several websites. Learn more here about entry-level web-based business that anyone can do!