You've heard the hype. You've seen the success stories. Yet, you still don't know anyone personally who works completely virtually. But it sounds like such a great way to work!

No more hassling with traffic. Spend your time getting a bit more done around home instead of driving down the highway.

Ah.... Utopia!

But does it work? Can I really do this?

Ten years ago, probably not. Back then it seemed like making money online was just a far-fetched dream for most people. But move forward 10 years to today. The advances in technology now place this utopia within reach.

The rapid and diverse growth of the Internet is mind boggling. But not just for email and entertainment. Business has moved to the web. Today there are almost endless opportunities to make a full-time income from the Internet... and all from the comfort of your own home.

Let's take a look at the top six most effective ways to make money on the Internet. The even better news? In most cases, if you have a computer and Internet access already, you can start without investing a cent of your hard-earned money.

Take a bit of time as you read through this list. Pay careful attention to the pros and cons of each. This will give you a better understanding of what's right for you before you jump in with both feet.

Method #1 - Sell on eBay

While most people start on eBay by selling things they no longer need, you can actually buy things specifically to sell on eBay. This was one of the most popular entry points for a lot of today's Web entrepreneurs. Because of the popularity of starting this type of business the competition is now fierce making selling on eBay a lot harder than it used to be.

But it doesn't have to be hard for you!

The trick is to sell niche items which are hard to find internationally. If somebody in the US is unable to get their hands on a specific item, but somebody in the UK can easily source it for cheap, and there's a great potential for a trade... and a great eBay business.

The problem with eBay is that your business is open to millions of prying eyes and people can use advanced tools to spy on your business legally. If they see you're making good money, they will often find out where you're getting your product from and most likely undercut you. However, you will probably do the same thing when you are determining what to sell, so don't be scared off by that. Just make sure your profit margin is high enough to allow you to lower your price if necessary.

Method #2 - Become a Virtual Assistant

This is a great way to start making money from the comfort of your own home. You are still trading your time for money like you would a normal job, but without the hassles of going to an office to do it at a set wage. This is usually a great option for stay at home parents, or people who have difficulties getting outside of the house often.

Anything from basic administration to bookkeeping to customer service to handling search engine optimization and more can be done as a virtual assistant, so there's plenty of opportunity out there. The more skills you can offer, the more potential there is.

You can get jobs individually or through a co-op website. Just make sure that the person or company that hires you can be trusted, as you probably will not ever meet them in person. Get references!

Method #3 - Set-up an Online Store

Another classic route for people looking to start their own business from home is to set up an ecommerce online store. However, don't think you can just set-up an online store equivalent to Wal-Mart online! Once again, you need to specialize to survive.

Are you seeing a pattern her? The more specialized your offer, the greater the potential for success.

The great news is that more and more people trust the web these days and are willing to make purchases online.

That means you have a whole world of possibilities to explore when selling goods online...from home-made candles, through to barbecue grills... there are endless opportunities out there. Just make sure it's something you know about because you will get asked questions and you don't want to have to spend your time trying to find those answers.

Method #4 - Be a Broker

Brokerage firms make a lot of money by connecting two or more parties together. Just like a real estate agent, brokers put buyers and sellers together and take a commission.

If you know where to find a group of people that other people can't easily locate, then you have a good chance of making a lot of money as a broker. There are lots of different types of brokerage, from property to business investors, matchmaking to products inventors and manufacturers.

Think about what you know, the types of people you know, and what they are regularly looking for. Figure out a source for them and connect the two. That's it.

Method #5 - Build & Design Websites and Other Technical Products

As more and more businesses come online, the need for websites and other web related technical services and products continues to grow. As the web evolves technically, more complicated applications need to be developed, from scripts that run websites through to applications that run on FaceBook and more.

If you have programming or web design experience, or you're willing to learn, there is potential to make a healthy six-figure income working from home in this field.

The beauty of this is that there are lots of clients out there waiting to pay you. And, if you do a good job, not only will many of them will become repeat clients. Plus, the word will easily spread online about your services. Over time you may find yourself finding a group of people to provide the services that you contract out to.

If you are technically oriented, this can be a great choice for you.

Method #6 - Sell Information!

Face it. We live in the Information Age. People today are constantly looking for and buying information on the Internet.

This is my favorite method for making money online from scratch. The beauty of selling information is that anybody can do it regardless of previous experience or skills. You don't even need any money to get started, and in certain cases you don't even need to know anything about the subject and the information you're selling - although that is certainly a plus.

People will pay a lot of money for you to go out and do the research, gather up all of the information and present it in an easy to digest format. It doesn't matter if you are the original source of the information or not. Locating and compiling information that people want is a service they are willing to pay for.

The Internet is an amazing research tool. In fact, if you think about it, the Internet is really just a gigantic database stuff with information with more coming on each day. But, most people don't have the time or inclination to spend all day searching on it. If they can find the information they're looking for immediately, they will happily pay for it.

This makes selling information online an amazing opportunity for you. Find it, package it and sell it. Just make sure there is a market for the information before you start. No point creating a product no one wants!

Here's the great thing about selling information. No initial expenses or overheads, no stocking hassles or cost of new inventory, no delivery costs, and a virtually unlimited landscape of potential new customers waiting at on your computer doorstep.

People will buy all kinds of information, from fly fishing to web design, self-help to business plans. Even if you don't know the information personally, there are many ways to gather the information, package it up and sell it at a premium rate... over and over again.