The Internet is a virtual cash cow, really, you can make money online and all without having to leave your own home. Isn't this the ideal job for many? One that you can do from the comfort of your very own home and make enough money to save for the future?

This is perhaps the reason the work at home industry has taken off in the past few years. Not to mention it is cheaper for a company to employ someone from home something that is important to all companies in the current economic climate.

There are many different ways you can make money online.  Here are nine keys to making your work at home business successful and making your dream of working from home a reality:

1. Niche - Find a niche that you are interested in and have a good amount of knowledge about. It can be anything that you could offer instruction, advice or on how to do something. The best way to come up with your niche is to figure out what your skills and interests are and run with it.

2. Product - Search for a product that you would like to market. Companies will offer affiliate programs so that when people buy your hot item, you will then get a commission from their purchase. Easy, right?

3. Website - Now that you have your niche and product to sell, it's time to create a website so you can sell and market your product. There are many free website building sites online, search for these sites or if you don't have the experience in making a website, enlist a friend who does and is willing to help. You might have to cut them in on all of the success you will have once you get going.

4. Promote - Write an article that relates to your product, be sure that the article is written in your own words, as duplicate information will drop your rank on most search engines. Distribute these articles to article directories to get the word out. You can also write a press release as this will create a buzz around your new business and draw people to it.

5. Free Offers - The best way to gain customers and keep them is to offer something for free. Perhaps offer them free information about your product, or maybe a discount if they purchase within a certain time frame. These marketing strategies will make the consumer feel like he received a little more than what he paid for and will also have them leaving a happy customer.

6.  Submit to Search Engines - Get your website out there! Submit your website to all of the major search engines to increase its visibility and drive more people to your site.

7. Partner Up - Find other websites in your niche who seem to be doing well traffic-wise and offer to link to them for a link to your site from theirs in exchange. Depending on the site you choose, you could set yourself for a ton of traffic.

8. Take Care of the Customer - Maintaining a great report with your customer is the number one way to keep them coming back. Be sure to get their email address and create a newsletter of sorts to mail out once or twice a month to let them in on any special deals you may have.

9. Maintenance - Make sure that your website is continually updated. The consumer wants to feel that he or she is getting the latest news and the most recent products available. Not updating can show a lack of professionalism. You want to stay current so your website stays at the top of the search engines.