Butt ugly.

Sorry, but there’s just no other way to describe it.

Some Internet entrepreneurs seek out and invest in sleek, efficient systems. They develop an Internet business plan that’s cohesive, streamlined, cost-effective.

The visual equivalent to their systems would be arriving at their destination driving a top-model car, buffed and shined, engine humming… with a driver jumping out to hold the door as they exit gracefully.

But other online marketers go a different way.

They are so overcome by their desire to make money online quickly and cheaply that they jump every time some Internet guru offers a new freebie or introductory rate. They’ve got an e-dust covered collection of tricks, tips, secrets, and “surefire strategies” big enough to choke a zip drive.

They’ve used some of this, and some of that to learn Internet marketing. Some of it is contradictory. Some of it is just plain wrong. Some of it might have worked – if they’d stuck with it long enough.

The end result is this Frankenstein of an online business. Butt ugly. Barely able to function or move.

It’s the virtual equivalent of arriving an hour late in a beat-up 1992 Geo Prism with paint damage, no rearview mirror, lights cracked, coughing black smoke. And the driver has to climb out of the hand-cranked window – on the passenger’s side – because the doors don’t work.

The worst part is, when the Dr. Frankenstein Internet marketer meets the guy with the sleek system, and they start talking about their start-up costs and processes.

See, Mr. Sleek spent a little bit of money up-front. He bought a proven system, one that started him from where he was (nowhere) and step by methodical step, took him to where he ended up – with a profitable online business.

He learned, little by little, the habits and practices that helped him build solidly. There were times he was tempted to stray, to bite when another system came along – but he didn’t. He stuck. And now he’s figured out how to replicate his success again and again.

He’s not looking at his credit card bills from the past year wondering why on earth he bought this software and that “guaranteed” traffic generator system.

His inbox isn’t stuffed with emails from every Internet guru out there – it’s actually pretty orderly.

But Dr. Frankenstein had major hesitancy about buying a system to start with. He’d already established a track record of flitting from one “big idea” to the next, and he was afraid this whole “making money online” thing would crash and burn just like the others.

So he pieced together a funky plan – if you can call it that – and looked for bargains wherever he could find them.

What he built was full of holes. So he’d finally give in and invest a little in a patch – which never quite fit properly. He’s making some money, now and then. But he’s starting to lose hope and patience, because after all this effort, he’s really not getting anywhere.

When all is said and done, Mr. Sleek paid more for his system at first – but has made that investment back many times over. And he’s basically holding the keys to his own little cash machine. Dr. Frankenstein eventually paid about as much – but is left feeling like Internet marketing is just one more thing that didn’t work for him.

If you’re serious about making money online, and want to do it in a way that actually produces what you want, follow a proven, unified system. Step by step, you’ll make it – but if you go running off looking for free short cuts, if you ever manage to reach your destination, it’s not going to be a pretty sight.

Talk about an unanswerable question! It’s up there with:

- What’s the best fruit?
- What’s the best name for a dog?
- What’s the best city to live in?
- What’s the best vehicle to drive?

It all depends on who you ask, what their preferences are, and what they want to achieve. There are countless ways you can make money online, but really they boil down to three main categories.

You can make money online as an affiliate.
This is probably the easiest way to get started. Basically, you choose a product you like, then tell people about it online. If they agree with your recommendation and buy the product through your affiliate link, you get paid.

You can make money online through advertising.
For this kind of business, you create a informational site that you fill with valuable content on a specific area you’re interested in (and that others are interested in, too!). The goal is to make your site the go-to resource for information on that topic. Then once enough people “go-to” your site, you can make money by allowing advertising on the site.

You can make money online by selling information.
This one’s my favorite, and I’ll tell you why in a second. Building an online information marketing business involves creating an information product and selling it.

What I like about selling information online is that it’s like the perfect storm for Internet success.

1. Inquiring minds want to know. People can never have enough information. Books, newspapers, magazines, newsletters – the fact that entire industries have been built around publishing information means it’s a market that’s buying.

People have problems, questions, hobbies, interests, and lots more reasons they go looking for information – and many times, they’re willing and even eager to pay for that information. Information marketing is a market that will never dry up.

2. Those minds want to know RIGHT NOW. When you’ve got a question, you don’t usually want to wait a week to find the answer. Information marketing has this capability. Your customers can click to buy, then start reading immediately if you deliver digitally. This also saves you a lot on the expense side of your business. If you have no printing costs and no shipping costs, it’s that much more pure profit in your pocket.

3. You don’t need an office space, a warehouse, or even a staff of employees. Opening a brick and mortar business usually has all of these overhead expenses. That’s risky!

That’s a lot of pressure each month, hoping you’ll bring in enough customers to make back your investment, and then hoping for a little profit on top. All you really need is a proven system to follow, a computer, and Internet access.

4. You can make higher profits by selling information than you can with either of the other Internet business models. As an affiliate, you only get paid a small percentage with each sale that comes through your affiliate link.

As an information marketer, you get the highest percentage profit on every dollar that comes in from sales.

Now, there’s also a question behind the question, “What’s the best online business?” – and let’s just take a moment to look at that.

For some people – especially the perfectionists among us – this question is nothing but one big obstacle keeping them from doing the most important thing of all… getting started.

I can definitely understand the desire to do it right, but if you stay “in the question” of which online business is best rather than taking the first step, you’ll stay stuck.

It’s pretty common to feel overwhelmed by all the different options. In fact, that is one of the “7 Success Killers” that prevents so many people from succeeding at building a successful online business.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck, I highly recommend you check out this free video that reveals the 7 Online Success Killers (and their solutions) at http://www.nitroblueprint.com/7successkillers/

You’ll learn exactly what to avoid and how to solve the most common obstacles that prevent people from succeeding with their internet business. ->> http://www.nitroblueprint.com/7successkillers/