It is proven -- Affiliate Marketing is one of the most steady and lucrative way to make big money on the web. But as in any other businesses, you need to have one characteristic that set you apart from the rest -- the winning mindset. That means having perseverance, staying focus with one business model until you see result, taking daily actions, staying consistent, and investing in ongoing education.

First thing to do is to choose a niche that has a big enough market for making money on the web. Do not go for a niche that is too broad as that will be too competitive. Do some research and select long-tailed keywords with 3 or more words. Use the Google keyword tool to do this.

Sign up for a keyword rich domain name, a web hosting account, and auto-responder. Go for a paid account if you are serious about building a branding for your business in the long run. You can't make money on the web without investing in it.

After you've done that, sign up for some affiliate programs. There are 1000's of companies out there that offer these. The larger networks you can consider include ClickBank for digital content, and Commission Junction/ LinkShare for physical products. Source for relevant product for the niche you identified. Connect people to the products that meet their specific needs. Only then can you make money on the web.

Next thing to do is to create a blog or review website, and write a review for your product. I strongly recommend that you buy the product and try it. Only then can you give an unbiased review, and list down the pros and cons of the product. Some merchants may support affiliates with a review copy so remember to check that out as well.

Also consider creating a squeeze page for your blog, where users can fill in before exiting your site. Include bonus products to attract the sign in rate. You want to capture these leads for your long-term business via email marketing, which is the most steady model over the long-term to make money on the web.

Next is promotion -- you need to generate traffic to your site to make money on the web. You can do that by writing articles relevant to your niche, and submitting that to the bigger articles directories like EzineArticles, Articlesbase, and HubPages. Also consider generating traffic via social networks, social bookmarking, and forums.

Try one business model for 30 days and see the result. Promote your product constantly during this period. Refine along the way, and add real value to your review, product videos, screen-shots or pictures.

Finally, duplicate a successful model. Follow the guide and you are on the road to making money on the web - with success!