Updated January 1, 2020
The internet is more than a source of news and entertainment gossip. Today, tens of billions of dollars are being exchanged via a multitude of legitimate activities. More and more people are starting their own businesses on the internet and making money online. Some are even turning their online ventures into full-time internet businesses.
Are you ready to turn your passions into profits and start your own online business but not sure where to get started? Let’s take a look at seven ways to make money online that won’t require a lot of time or cut into your regular routine. Think of these options as supplemental sources of income with the potential in some cases to be a whole lot more.
Starting Your Own Blog
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One of the most popular ways to make money online is by starting your own blog.
You can start your blog around just about any topic that you’re passionate about, but you may want to consider choosing a profitable niche market if you intend to make money with your blog.
Use your blog to share hobbies, thoughts, and passions with others and use your blog to make real connections with people. The mechanics are straightforward, and you’ll be able to profit with your blog via online advertising (e.g. Google Adwords), affiliate marketing (see below), and subscriber-based lists to produce a steady stream of income. There are many ways to make money with a blog.
This is one of the fastest ways to get your own piece of “virtual real estate”.
One thing to keep in mind is that these days there really is little difference between a website and a blog. Most websites are actually run on blog based content management systems, such as WordPress.
Your blog doesn’t just have to include blog posts, but can include regular web pages, sales pages, e-commerce, product pages, etc.
Affiliate Marketing
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Even if you don’t have your own products or services to sell, affiliate marketing gives you a chance to earn strong commissions through a series of one-time sales (or ongoing monthly sales). Online merchants provide you with an affiliate website (or a simple affiliate tracking link) and marketing support – all you have to do is promote the company with your link via social media, search engines or perhaps ideally your own website or blog (see above).
With all of these methods we’re discussing you’ll want to be sure to build your email list so you can continually follow up with your subscribers and generate additional sales.
The great thing about affiliate marketing is you don’t have to create your own products, you don’t have to provide any customer support, and you don’t have to create your own marketing materials.
All you have to do is pick a profitable market, promote the products as an affiliate and earn a commission anytime a sale is made. Affiliate marketing is one of the fastest and easiest ways to make money online.
Even if you are offering your own products and services man people choose to also promote other people’s products as an additional income stream to what they are already doing.
Start Your Own E-commerce Website
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Another great opportunity to make money online is with an e-commerce website/store.
This is where you are selling physical products from your website. The most common (and hassle-free) way to do this is via drop shipping; where you simply take the orders on your website and use a third-party source that manufactures and ships the products for you.
They key thing you’ll want to do is focus on one specific niche and be a specialty store that just caters to that market, don’t try to be all things to all people like an Amazon.com.
Speaking of Amazon.com, though you may want to tap into other websites such as Amazon.com, eBay.com, Etsy.com, etc. as a way of reaching additional people you want to be sure that you have your own web presence with your own store so that you have 100% control over your business.
Online Publishing (E-books)
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Regardless of your current occupation and lifestyle, there is probably a book inside of you that’s screaming to get out. Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform has given thousands of people a chance to become published authors and earn money. It may also serve as a way to get noticed by more established and traditional publishers.
Not only can you sell ebooks on platforms like Amazon.com; but you can also sell ebooks directly from your own website as well. This allows you to sell your ebooks at higher prices and get all of the profits.
You can also repackage multiple ebooks into larger “packages” or use the ebooks as a foundation to sell higher-ticket online courses or even coaching and consulting services.
Publishing ebooks is a great way to make passive income, grow into bigger projects, and establish your authority as an expert in your market.
With simple to use tools, access to outsourcing graphics, cover design, etc. anybody can self-publish a book and have the same professional presence and credibility as a big publishing house.
For many people, the idea of writing a book can be intimidating but keep in mind that if you are writing ebooks that you’re selling on your own website or publishing to Amazon Kindle you can write shorter books that are more focused on a specific niche or issue… you don’t have a write extremely long books that take months or years to crank out.
Online Surveys
Online surveys are one of the easiest ways to earn extra cash. Brand name corporations and market research firms are desperately seeking people’s opinions on products and services and will offer good remuneration for it. Depending on their complexity, each survey can be worth five, ten or more dollars.
There are many reputable survey companies to choose from, but you may want to limit yourself to 3-5 in the beginning. Stick with the survey companies that give you plenty of surveys to take and pay a decent amount and stop using the services that don’t end up being worth your time.
You also want to avoid illegitimate companies; as this field is widespread with scam opportunities that will take a lot of your time and pay you very little money or even scam you out of your money.
Though you’re probably not going to be able to make a full-time income taking surveys it is a realistic way to make a couple hundred extra dollars a month.
Online Freelancing
If you have specific writing/journalism skills or are adept in various IT/software domains, freelancing may prove to be a lucrative source of secondary income. Increasingly, companies are implementing a content marketing strategy and turning to outside sources for specific assignments, and if you can prove your worth there will be more work available. Even simple skills like data entry may be to your liking, provide you can offer at least 5-10 hours weekly.
All you need is a computer with an Internet connection and the desire to build a respectable clientele. Chances are that these opportunities will allow you to gain valuable experience and skills that will prove valuable in your existing business and professional career.
If you’re already writing ebooks in a particular niche market (see above) then why not make your services available for other companies; as you already have the expertise to take on the niche writing assignments.
Though it’s not really a passive income stream, doing freelance work is one of the fastest ways to generate income.
Coaching and Consulting Online
With the low cost of communication and technology, you can connect with anyone around the world.
If you’re already making money selling information online via Kindle books, affiliate marketing, or your own information products as mentioned above then you definitely have the opportunity to add coaching and consulting online as a source of revenue.
This isn’t nearly as scary is it sounds if you’ve never done it before. Most people who are buying from you would love the opportunity to speak with you to answer specific questions and get personalized advice.
With tools like Skype, video conferencing, and webinar technology you can offer one-on-one calls, group coaching calls, and small mastermind meetings.
A simple Kindle book or ebook sale can lead to a high-end client who wants to pay to work with you one-on-one.
Offering coaching and consulting is one of the highest price methods of generating income.
Start Your Online Business Today!
Think about it, making money online is surprisingly easy once you set your mind to specific income goals. Ideally, the activities that you choose to engage in are fun, exploit your talents and interests, are worthy of your time, and offer fair compensation.
As the Internet continues to evolve, opportunities to earn supplementary and full-time online income will grow. The very definition of work in an information-based economy is evolving, with traditional full-time jobs disappearing in favor of different arrangements (e.g. self-employment, flexible schedules, changing skill sets, etc.). In this respect, giving it a try can open up new career and business options.
