Here is a simple formula to build a successful money-making online business:

* Carefully research several niches before choosing a theme for your site. You should be passionate about the subject and there must be a hungry market for it.

* Start building valuable content for both, your site visitors and the search engines.

* Build more content, distribute articles, participate in targeted forums... this allows you to establish yourself as the expert in your field, to win the trust of your audience and to attract free, targeted traffic from the search engines.

* Add new marketing strategies. Publish an e-zine to build your customer base, to establishes yourself as the expert in your niche, to gain trust...

* Once you have a site of at least 40 content pages with at least 50 unique visitors per day, start monetizing: Add affiliate links, Google AdSense, sell your products or services...

It just doesn't make any sense trying to monetize your site, as long as you have only a few visitors. Who do you want to sell to? Instead, focus on building more content, driving traffic, building your list...

Follow the "Content - Traffic - Trust - Monetize Traffic" formula and you can't fail:

* Build valuable content for your visitors and optimize it for the search engines.

* After some time, the search engines will start sending you free, targeted traffic -- traffic that will steadily increase.

* Provide valuable, problem-solving information. This allows you to build a relationship of trust with your audience and they will be more than happy to buy your products, follow your recommendations...

* Ok, now and only now it's time to monetize traffic: Place your affiliate links and Google ads, sell your own products...

Monetization comes last in the process of building your online business.. First, you should create valuable content, you generate traffic, you gain the trust of your visitors and only then it makes sense to monetize your site traffic.