Affiliate marketing IS a great way to make bank online, but it takes alot of time and dedication. I am able to make my living online now, but it took years of hard work. It's a lot of trial and error. The best advice I can give is join an affiliate network (CJ, Copeac, CPAempire, etc) and then build a site around an offer. Then, sign up for an adwords account and learn some PPC (Pay per click).