“But I don’t have a website; I don’t even know how to build one.”
This is one of the most common concerns expressed by people who want to make money online. Its understandable that people would think this way because the internet is made up of networks of websites. How to go about owning a piece of virtual real estate is the issue at the core of this myth.
Myth: You Need A Website To Make Money Online
One of the key points that attracted me to internet marketing initially was the fact that I didn’t need a website in order to make money.
I was like, “Really?”
I then learned about a method called “direct linking”. This was around 2005 when Google Cash was big and Adwords was easy.
It doesn’t work as well now but I can remember getting my first sale using “direct linking” which is where you link directly to the merchant website from your Adwords ad.
This is what proved to me that you didn’t need a website to make money online.
Then I learned about bum marketing.
What is Bum Marketing and Why You Don’t Need a Website
The concept of BumMarketing is that you could take a bum off the streets and give him a computer and internet connection, show him a few steps and he could make money.
It requires no start up capital and no website since we won’t expect a bum to have either. Its really article marketing for people who don’t already have money for advertising or their own resources such as hosting.
Instead of having your own site, you can submit articles or build pages on sites that allow you to create an account and submit content.
For example, you can sign up with Blogger and create a blog which you can use as a website. You can sign up for user generate content sites like Squidoo and Hubpages and build pages where you can promote affiliate sites and make money in the process.
There are other ways you can make money online without having to create webpages such as writing articles for other people, designing graphics, proofreading and other freelance work.
The Truth
Most people who want to make money online usually want to do so for the long term. The truth is, if you’re serious about running an online business, at some point you’re going to need to have your own website.
There is no buts about it.
While its not necessary to have a website when starting out, its not a wise idea to rely on other people’s web properties to do your business. 
To rely on others means giving up control over your content and putting a restrictive ceiling on your earnings. Rules change from time to time on these sites and you may one day find that your whole business has collapsed just because you aren’t in compliance.
As an example, Squidoo changed a few rules last July and some people I know found themselves back at square one because all their marketing efforts revolved around Squidoo.
With your own website, you make your own rules and do whatever you like for as long as you like.
My advice is if you’re now starting out, use free sites and build up some income, then reinvest that money back into your business by getting your own hosted website. It will only cost you less than $10 for a domain name and you can get $0.01 a month reliable hosting with HostGator.
Install Wordpress and you’re in business.
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