This is it. You've read enough books and listened to enough tapes that really don't tell you anything specific about how to put money in your pocket. Put down the success books, you're about to learn 5 methods you can start using today to help grow your business or get it started. There are a million ways to make money, especially on the Internet, but in case you don't want to have to invent them all, we're going to get you started with 5 Clear-Cut Ways to Make Money on the Internet.

The Five

The first method, and often unused, is to take advantage of the public domain. Public Domain can be a tricky concept for some. But basically it means what it says, the work (be it literary, music, photography or art, government publications, audio recordings, or any other previously-copyrighted work) belongs to the public and not specifically to one individual or association.

There are many factors at work when it comes to public domain. Some works (such as books) may have been copyrighted before, and the copyright has expired. You do not have to pay a royalty or receive the creator's permission to use these works.

Any work created by the U.S. Government (including photographs, motion pictures and videos, radio broadcasts, white papers, forms, and other literature) is also public domain and copyright free.

In addition, all work published before 1923 is now part of the public domain, and can be used freely. This is a great way to create information products for resale without you breaking a sweat and guess what? You never ever have to pay a royalty.

The second method, and a great way to boost your image and make money on the Internet, is by interviewing experts. You can record the conversation and sell it as an audio recording, including as a podcast.

You also have the option of transcribing that recording and adding it to your site as content for paying members or selling just the transcript as a "Featured Report". Being 'seen' with an expert in any field is a great way to increase your credibility with current and prospective customers.

The third method was hinted at above and that is through the use of paid membership websites. Membership websites can work whether you're selling a product or a service. Remember, though, that members always deserve special attention, so be prepared to go the extra mile for them on a regular basis.

Executed successfully, membership websites can lead to a solid residual income, not only from the renewed memberships, but also from advertising. When you grow your membership base, you are growing regular customers who pay you on a regular basis for your opinions or services, you are the expert.

When you endorse another product or service as an expert, it carries more weight with your members. They will be more likely to buy what you endorse and therefore advertisers will really like it if you show what they offer.

The fourth method was also mentioned above. Podcasting. It was named the 2005 word of the year, but don't be mislead. You don't need an iPod in order to listen to or download a podcast. Some companies have referred to "podcast'' as meaning a "Personal On Demand Broadcast''. Very simply, it is a file that is audio, video or a mixture of both. It can be downloaded free to a computer or portable media player or you can sell them.

Many radio shows offer podcasts of past shows from their websites for a marginal fee of course. You can have your own radio show on the Internet. You could sell the audio or video files in 5-minute clips or combine them for 1-2 hour broadcasts. The limit is really your own creativity.

Finally, the fifth method for making money on the Internet is through the use of teleseminars. If you are part of a skilled trade or really if you are skilled in anything, then you have knowledge of something that others want. You can record yourself teaching the subject.

Painting techniques, home-improvement secrets and even history lessons can all be recorded as teleseminars for your soon-to-be students. You can invite some experts to come in and share their own views. Show the beneficial impact people have experienced from putting your techniques into practice.

There you have it, 5 rock solid methods of improving your current income level. Just using even one of these techniques successfully can have a dramatic effect, but a full-service company will use a combination of them all. Even if you're selling one product or service, packaging it in different ways will appeal to different types of people.

Some would rather see your message as a teleseminar, while others would like to hear what the experts have to say. Still others might be interested in a similar product or service that you advertise for on your site. Test out different combinations and ask your customer list what they'd like to see. The more choices you offer, the greater your income will grow.