If you don't know these things before you start making money online, you could be in for a world of hurt and disappointment. You will waste your time, lose money, and you will likely quit before anything good happens. Here's what you need to know so this won't happen to you.

A lot of people fall for traps and scams when they start. It's hard not too-they are everywhere online. Things you should avoid are multi-level marketing schemes, Google cash related products, and pyramid schemes.

Multi-level marketing schemes usually promise you great payouts if you get in early and build your downline. This generally doesn't work. Instead, what will happen is that you will waste a lot time and effort.

Some tell-tale signs of a MLM scam are 'guaranteed income', 'we will build your downline for you', and crazy claims about 'miracle products'. Other indicators are if you only make money by signing new members or if there is no actual product to sell.

Googlecash products, like Google Money Tree, are well known scams online. There are many fake stories about people using it to make money. However, these generally don't work and they often have hidden monthly fees around $70 or more.

Pyramid or Ponzi schemes are also something you should avoid at all costs. These are completely unsustainable business models that rely on new people buying into the system. Once new members stop coming, the bubble bursts, and a lot of people lose money. You can tell whether or not an opportunity is a pyramid scam the same way you would for multi-level marketing.

The saddest part about all the false hope these schemes are selling, is that they give people the false impression that most opportunities online are fake. This couldn't be farther from the truth.

The reality is that there are many legitimate ways to make consistent profits, and some of them have amazing income potential. The best place to start would be through affiliate marketing. This is a proven, safe and ethical way to make money.

In affiliate marketing, you sell other peoples products and earn 50% or more per sale. A lot of these products come with marketing material and instructions on how to sell. All you have to do is follow simple steps.

Places like Clickbank.com have many proven products available for you to sell. However, to be extremely successful with affiliate marketing, you will probably have to purchase some guides or training courses, which will give you a shortcut and ensure you have long term success.

An even easier way would be to do paid surveys online. Here, companies pay you to offer your opinion. A great place to start is at SurveyFarm.com which lists the top survey companies for you to choose from.

The fact is, there is no better time to work from home and build your financial future online. However, keep your eyes open for the above scams and stick to the legitimate methods. If you do that, the sky is the limit!