There are countless opportunities on the internet, unfortunately, many of them are presented as being much more profitable than they really are. This has generated the somewhat well-known misconception that people who manage to make money on the internet are either not honest about how much they earn, or they have some sort of key to success.

In reality, the secret is being able to identify the online jobs and businesses that are profitable. This can be more difficult than it seems, considering the fact there are a lot of businesses that generate a very small profit but tend to invest a lot in exposure marketing.

This guide will look at some of the best ways to make money online. All of these jobs, businesses, and strategies have been tried and tested countless times, by people all around the world, and are considered to be some of the most efficient ways to earn money on the internet.

It is important to mention that these strategies can be used to make a quick buck if you’re in a tough spot, but they can also be turned into a main source of income, basically replacing your full-time job.

But before actually talking about the various ways that you can make money online, let’s put things into perspective.

First of all, these are not get-rich-quick schemes. You will have to treat them like you would a full-time job. In other words, you will only make money if you take your job seriously and put in the required time, then you’ll earn a decent amount of money. However, if you don’t have discipline and are constantly looking for ways to cut corners, you’ll find yourself constantly struggling to a couple hundred dollars.

This having been said, there is no denying the fact that making money on the internet is far easier than doing so through a traditional job. With many of these jobs, you will be able to work from home, to create your own schedule, and be, for all intents and purposes, your own boss. A downside that you will face is the amount of time that it may take for you to make a profit.

All of the strategies below work, and can generate quite a bit of money, however, you may have to be patient with some of them. For example, in you decide to create a blog, you will only be able to make money from it after you’ve created an audience.

Furthermore, once you start making money, you will have to continue working, in order to keep making a profit. While there are a few ways to make a passive income, it is usually better to avoid relying on money that you don’t actively work for.

There are 7 main ways you can make money online. Each of them branches out and provides various strategies to make a profit, so you won’t have to do things that you dislike or don’t fully understand.

Some of the jobs that demand more time and effort will generate a larger income, while others that only require a few minutes of your time will be great ways to make money on the side. It is usually best to pair them. Choose one or two jobs that can make you a lot of money and pair them with a few smaller, less demanding strategies.

 

Making money online

A lot of people tend to believe that any strategy that can help them make a couple thousand dollars per month is either a trick or a lie, so they don’t pay attention to it. While there are a lot of individuals who constantly try to take advantage of desperate people who need to make money fast, there is a golden rule that can help you avoid a lot of bad decisions: If you can understand how you make money, and why you’re paid for the work that you do, then it’s probably legit. In other words, you have to understand what the value of your work is, and why it’s profitable for an individual or a platform to pay you in order to do a certain action.

Equally important is research. Just like you would do in the case of an interview, you should first learn as much as you can about a platform or a business before starting work. All the websites presented in this article are legitimate and have been online for a long time, however, there are many platforms that have people work only to take them through an infinite maze of procedures in order to get paid. Most of the time, people give up before getting their money.

Another important aspect of working online that you should consider is whether you also have a day job or not. The beauty of working online is that there is something for everybody, so if you work 8 hours per day and are looking for a way to make some extra money, then you may want to focus on passive income ideas. These will help you make an extra couple hundred dollars without having to constantly work for the money. Think of it like publishing a book. You work hard at the beginning and you make money from it for the years to come.

Furthermore, you will work only once, and get paid for as long as you keep the product or content online, essentially, creating a safety net around you. Should anything happen that will prevent you from working for an extended period of time, you still have a source of income that can help you get back on track.

Alternatively, if you’re looking to replace your day-job, then you can focus on more active strategies that can help you earn much more money, but are also a lot more demanding on your time. Either way, you will still have to work for your money.

As a side note, you should always try to make sure that you have at least two or three sources of passive income, before getting into a job that requires you to actively work for your money. This way, you will have a source of income to sustain yourself while you work on the larger project. Keep in mind that the jobs that pay more, and are great on the long term, will usually take a while to start generating a decent amount of money.

Keep in mind that your time is limited, and you will still need to make money while waiting for your main project to make money. However, once you have the opportunity to start a long-term high-value project, be prepared to work for every dollar, at least in the beginning.

Another aspect that you should consider when looking to make money online is your ability to scale up a certain strategy or business. Smaller businesses that rely on selling products or content that you create can be easily scaled up in terms of volume, however, things may be a bit more complicated in the case of larger projects such as online stores and webinars.

Before choosing something to make money from, you will first have to determine how much money you want to earn every month. Also, establish if you want to choose something that can be expanded in the future, or if you’re only interested in starting a business that you can shut down in a few minutes.

The golden rule when it comes to making money online is to cover all your bases. You don’t have to become a jack of all trades and open 10 businesses at the same time, but it is a good idea to create at least a couple of income sources for you. Also, they should be varied so that if anything ever happens to a certain area of the internet, for example, the platform that you use for your blog, you will have another source of income to fall back to.

 

1. Make use of the many apps that are already helping people make money

If you’re in a bind and need some money fast, then the best course of action is to take advantage of one of the ways that people around the world are already using to earn some cash.

Most of these are extremely easy to use and you would basically be your own boss. Furthermore, you can sign up to one or more of these platforms, and make money from each of them. The best part is that you basically only need a computer, laptop, tablet or phone, and an internet connection. Also, you won’t have to commute. These apps are built around the idea of working when you have time, wherever you want to, so you can easily fit the jobs into your daily routine.

• Work as a driver for either Uber or Lyft – If you’re lucky to be in one of the areas where either of these companies exist, then you can make quite a bit of money by working as a driver for them. It is extremely easy to get started, and you will only need a smartphone, a car, and an internet connection. Please note that both of these services require that you have a clean driving record. These two are great options if you like enjoy driving, or if you move around town a lot. You might as well make some money if you have to drive across town 4-5 times per day.
• Deliver things for Postmates – Another great app, Postmates will pay you to deliver various items around town. This one is a great choice if you don’t own a car, or if you live in a major metropolitan area.
• iBotta – This one is great when it comes to cashing back rewards for various purchases. You basically add rebates, make purchases, and then take a photo of your receipt in order to get some money back. The app is very simple to use and it is extremely popular.
• Task Rabbit – If you’re trying to make some money on the side, then Task Rabbit is perfect for you. There is a large variety of tasks that you can to for money, starting with deliveries and small repairs, and ending with more difficult things like moving furniture across town. You choose which tasks you want to do, and how often you want to work.
• Ebates – Ebates is a great alternative to iBotta. This one too will enable you to get cash-back rewards for any purchases that you make from major retailers. However, this app doesn’t require that you scan a receipt. You simply have to buy things through the links provided by the app.
• Swagbucks – This is an extremely popular platform that will actually pay you in order to do things that you would normally do while online. You will make money every time you search for something online (you have to use the Swagbucks search engine) when you watch videos, answer surveys, etc. You will be able to earn gift cards, or by paying for your activities.
• Inbox Dollars – Inbox Dollars pays you to watch television, take surveys and shop online. It’s a great way to monetize the time that you spend online and can be a great way to make some money on the side. Most of the time you will forget that you’re using it and discover that you just made money without realizing.

 

2. Make use of the existing websites that others around the world are already using

There are websites that can help you make both passive, as well as active income. Their sheer number means that you will find something that suits your needs. Some websites are great when it comes to selling things that you no longer need, while others will pay you to design products such as t-shirts. However, some of the best ways to make money are offered by websites that help freelancers find jobs.

• Craigslist – One of the most popular websites for people looking to make money online, here you will be able to see anything that you no longer want or need, rent out a spare room in your house, or even offer various services to those who may be interested. Keep in mind that if you’re going to sell anything online, you should first of all try to keep everything that you by in great working condition.
• Upwork – One of the best platforms for freelancers, Upwork is a great marketplace that you can use to sell your services. The best part is that you don’t need a seller’s account or anything similar. You simply have to create a website and then to choose your preferred job out of a list. The website offers great technical support and also guarantees your payment by making the client deposit the money in escrow until you do your part of the job. Once the contract is completed, you will receive your money. The platform offers a large variety of jobs and projects, from content creation to web design and video editing.
• Café Press – If you’re a creative individual, then Café Press might be perfect for you. The platform enables artists to create and sell digital designs. It is important to mention that you will only create the design, which the platform will then place on various items such as t-shirts and mugs, and sell. For each sell that it makes, you will receive a commission. While this may seem unfair, keep in mind that you will not have to worry about warehousing or printing, the website will take care of everything.
• Fiverr – Created in 2010, Fiverr has outgrown its initial concept, becoming a fully fledged freelancing company. The platform was initially built around the idea of enabling people to sell services that would cost $5. Fiverr quickly outgrew its initial design, and is now one of the most popular online marketplaces for a freelancer. The creators have stated that the platform was built with the user’s interests in mind. As a result, there are quite a few people who earn 6 figure incomes on Fiverr.
• Mechanical Turk – This Amazon owned and developed platform is based on human-intelligence tasks, also called HITs. While it is not the best way to make anything more than a few dollars, the platform is great when it comes to monetizing every free minute that you may have between other jobs. Over time, you will be able to make a hundred dollars which is great when every bit counts.
• Flippa – Flippa is a great platform for those who have a knack for buying and selling websites. If you know how to assess the value of a site, then this is the best way to make money from your knowledge. If you know your stuff, then it is perfectly possible to make a few thousand dollars on this platform.
• Etsy – While not as popular as it once was, Etsy is a great platform for anyone who likes DIY projects. The website enables users to sell handmade items without having to set up complicated e-commerce systems or any kind of automation. Once you decide which items you want to offer, you can list them for a small fee. After that, the website will take a commission of every sale that you make. It is also important to mention the fact that you can sell digital products here, such as artwork, posters, etc.
• Shutterstock – You should definitely give this one a try if you have a keen eye for photography. It will give you a chance to make money from the photos that you take. The platform is filled with talented artists and you will need to do a bit of editing in order to compete with them. This having been said, Shutterstock can be a great source of passive income.
• Threadless – This Chicago-based company enables users to sell their digital designs by placing them on t-shirts, mugs, towels, etc.
• Zazzle – A great alternative to Etsy, Zazzle will give you the chance to make money by selling handmade products. You can use the website to sell anything from art to jewelry and various decorative objects.

 

3. Sell your own products

More and more people are getting into the e-commerce business, looking to make money online. In response to this growing interest, many platforms have implemented ways that enable anyone interested to set up an online store in only a couple of days.

To get started, you will need a website and a hosting account, or a platform such as Amazon on which to create the store. If you want to set up the store on your own terms, then you will also need a merchant account. Most people choose either Stripe or PayPal, due to their reliability, however, you can go with any service you like most.

Once you have a host and a PayPal or Stripe account, you will have to start designing your website. The next step is to build a sales funnel and to do a bit of marketing using email.

Overall, the process sounds a lot more complex than it really is, and there are many guides that can help you.

However, if you’d rather build your online store one a preexisting website, then things will be much easier. Companies like Shopify and Amazon make it easy for users to set up and operate a store, and in some cases, you won’t even have to personally handle the inventory.

4. Sell products from other companies, as an affiliate

There is a large number of products that you can sell as an affiliate. Most businesses and online stores have affiliate programs through which they pay people a commission of what they sell. This having been said, you will have to pay attention to one thing: Some companies and platforms will only pay you if a client buys the product that you were trying to sell, while others will pay you even if an individual goes to their website through your link and buys another product.

ClickBank, Commission Junction, Share-a-Sale, and Impact Radius are only a few of the many companies that you can source products from. It is usually a good idea to ask a company if they are willing to start an affiliate program with you even if it doesn’t offer one on its website.

Please keep in mind that your website may need to get quite a bit of traffic in order to be able to join certain affiliate programs, however, once you get approved, you will earn substantial amounts of money.

5. Start your own blog

It has never been so easy to start a blog, as it is today. There are countless guides that will show you exactly what you have to do, step-by-step, and it is one of the cheaper ways to make money online.

Blogging is an easy, sustainable way to earn money online, however, it does require a lot of work and patience. If you find a good niche and have a loyal following, then you can make money using the blog for a couple of decades. The core concept is that you have to offer valuable information to your audience, and in exchange, you can monetize the exposure that you’re getting.

You can make money by joining an affiliate marketing program and advertise the products through your blog, however, the best course of action is to create and sell your own products to the members of your audience. Depending on your chosen niche, you can sell anything from ebooks and online courses to physical items. The most important thing is to always make sure that your products have value to your audience, and that you create them with their needs in mind.

6. Make money through email marketing

Making money through email marketing isn’t complicated, and the profit can be pretty large. You basically have to set up the email software of your choice, and then create a lead magnet that you can use as part of your sales funnel. Once you start building up your list, you should be able to earn about $1 per subscriber, each month. So, for example, if you have 10,000 subscribers, you should earn somewhere around $10,000. The secret is to deliver value, and to not turn every email into a sales pitch.

7. Make money from Webinars

Webinars are one of the most profitable ways to make money online due to their high engagement potential. Simply choose a skill that others would be interested in, and then start teaching it to others, for a price. There are a lot of people who would be interested to learn how to write a book or to start their own successful website.

Now, you will need to have a website in order to host the webinar, and you will also need to be active on social media and various forums tied to the niche that you’re interested in. This way, you will already have an audience who will be interested in whatever you want to teach.

In terms of webinar platforms, the most popular one is GoToWebinar. Also, if you don’t know where to start, there are countless guides online, and even a few webinars that will teach you how to do your own.