Four Fundamentals of Making Money Online

It's hard to forget what you know - especially when you think what you know has brought you some modicum of success. But, when you reach a plateau - as I feel like I've done in my freelance writing career, it's time to re-examine systems and procedures so that you push through what's holding you back.

Freelance Writers: How to Make Money Online - Going Back to Basics

Out of some 100 or more hours of research (I've since put in more time that what I mentioned in my introductory post), I've learned that there are four fundamentals to making money online. They are:

1. Content: Before anything happens, you must have content. Why? When you think about how the internet works, it naturally makes sense. People use the information to find information.

Now, how they find and use that information will drive the two other points I'm going to discuss in a minute. But, you need the content first.

The Good News for Freelance Writers Who Want to Make Money Online

This is absolutely wonderful news for freelance writers because we are content providers.

So, you may be thinking, "Why then do so many freelance writers find it so hard to make money online?" Good question, and they are a myriad of answers to this question, which we'll explore throughout the series.

Just keep in mind that content is the biggest piece of this online-money-making puzzle. And you're the king of that jungle because you are a freelance writer.

2. Online Presence: Once you have content, you need an online presence. And, I don't necessarily mean a blog or website. In fact, you don't need either of these to make money online. But, you do need an online presence, which can come in many forms.

Again, we'll discuss this later in this series.

3. Search Engine Optimization: Once you have your content and set up your online presence, you need to know how to get found on the internet.

Just because you have an online presence does not mean that visitors will start coming to your site. Many online web marketers find it hard to get a few hundred visitors a month - no kidding. You need much more than this to make any kind of sales, so you have to work on driving traffic to your site.