Tools

First off, you'll need to have some "tools" to start with that will make your life easier and help you stay organized once you start managing several income streams at a time.

You'll be accessing online sites daily or almost daily and will have separate ID/usernames, passwords and referral/promotional links for each different program or site you gain membership with.

Password Keeper/ID-Password Software: Unless you have a photographic and exceptional memory and recall of text digits, you'll need some software that keeps your password/identity login combinations on hand for you. Some browsers have password saving programs but in my experience, it's good to have a separate software, as well, for when you're not at your home computer or in case something happens with your browser details.

Password Software: I use Last Pass and it's free - ALWAYS. It's a good, free software that does what Roboform does but there's no cost or limitations like with Roboform or Roboform trial version. As well, Last Pass is supported for more operating systems than Roboform currently works with.

Computer Protection: Firewall software (sometimes hardware), Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware programs. I'm no expert in these, and everyone has an opinion on these, so all I'll say here is look for what is right for you and the operating system you use. Then make sure you know how your software works and make sure it is ON and RUNNING in the background when you are viewing ads! Especially PTP-PTR and PTC program ads.

Browsers: Use at least two or three different types of browsers. There are some vast difference between browsers and some web pages you will need to view or access might work well with one but not another browser (e.g. The site, Top Surfer won't work with my Linux version of Firefox no matter how I tweak my Firefox settings but works perfectly in Chromium browser for Linux).

Office Suites: Abi-Word (word processor only), Open Office, LibreOffice (for Linux users like myself), MS products/WORD, etc. There are excellent versions of free word processors for every computer operating system. You'll need office "SUITES" because eventually most will use a spreadsheet to track earning movement in money programs down the line.

PDF Viewers: You'll find some excellent eBooks in PDF format that have tips, online earning blueprints and such. Don't get caught without something to view these in.

Email Accounts: You'll need one or two reliable email accounts from service providers that will allow bulk mail to come to your inbox. HOTMAIL AND YAHOO are NOT good for this purpose, especially with PTR/PTC/PTP programs. In fact many of these programs will NOT ACCEPT your signup details if you are signing up with Hotmail or Yahoo addresses. Gmail is the best to use and I recommend Gmail because along with your email account, you'll have access to a profile, blogspot, G-Plus, YouTube, Maps and Pic Share/storage accounts all with the same ID. As well, if you decide to write content articles or do any blogging, your Gmail and other accounts will be easily associated with Google's ad programs (there are more than one - for earning and for advertising).

These are all basic "tools" needed for earning money with incremental earning programs - however - there are even more tools available and that you'll likely use (some people don't...some people do REALLY WELL and stick with PTC/PTR sites) once you've earned some money with PTR/PTCs. These include hosting (web space), domains (your official website address), templates (for your site or email marketing), autoresponders (for email marketing and promoting), and a few other things. I think of these things as "Advanced" Tools because not everyone needs these or even wants these. Not everyone wants to be a full out, full blown internet marketer. A whole LOT of people just click for cash for years and make money from multiple income streams. Or... people who are successful with PTC/PTR earning often become Program Owners and manage sites of their own - which keeps them busy enough that they don't bother too much with other types of marketing.

As well - there are AFFILIATE TOOLS - for particular types of affiliate marketing that I consider "Super Advanced" most of the time - especially in the context of making an online store to sell eBay, Amazon, Commission Junction items on over the Internet. This is not for everyone and in the past, as now, is not for me even now. I do sell some items through the programs above, but I do so through associating the right ads/items with content on article sites. Occasionally, for seasonal items, I write an article that is geared for product displays but the niches in product markets move too fast for me and I am not a full time productive Amason/eBay affiliate.

Truth be told - for almost every earning program there is online, we're ALL AFFILIATES of some sort. Very few online earning opportunities are without a referral/affilate structure, so be aware when viewing promotional pages online that there are different types of affiliates and there are paid-for programs for almost every little action, purchase, trial, freebie online. (Often there are "catches" and limitations, too - so keep your eyes and ears in "scouting" mode for fine print details). Which brings me to some of the last really incredible and suprising tools.

LINK shorteners/trackers: there are PAID TO POST link tracker/shorteners out there and there are a few link manager services that are free but give you more than a shortened link. The 10K Challenge, for example, promotes the use of bit .ly URL manager service. It's free and delivers some basic tracking analytics. Some URL Managers only tell you how many times your link was viewed. Bit .ly shows when it was viewed, what place on the web your viewer came from, what place in the world the viewer was from, and allows you to ad custom digits onto your links so they can have short keywords.