In today’s times, there is a high demand for simple ways to earn additional money. Fortunately, there exists numerous online opportunities to either supplement your monthly earnings or set off on a fresh professional path.
In this guide, our main objective is to discuss ways of making additional money through digital resources, both in the short and long run. Determine the most suitable option for yourself considering your availability and requirements.
How To Make Money Online In 23 Easy Ways
1. Start An E-Commerce Business
The potential revenue is to earn up to $63,000 per month within three months and up to $127,000 within the first year.
If you want to earn a significant amount of money that can eventually become a full-time job, one option is to establish an online store. The process of creating a small online business has become simpler than ever before, provided that you locate suitable products/services.
To create a profitable business, identify products or services that interest you and assess their potential through market research. Afterward, plan out the practical details. It is not necessary to begin with a huge undertaking; instead, establish your brand gradually and proceed in a step-by-step manner.
Additionally, you have the opportunity to enter the realm of dropshipping, a business model that has accumulated a large following throughout the years. In essence, you operate as an intermediary between the customer and a supplier that is not directly affiliated with you. It is not necessary for you to possess any inventory, as the supplier handles order fulfillment on your behalf.
Both methods, as you can observe, do not enable fast money making. However, if you remain persistent and put in the required effort, there will be no limit to your success.
E-Commerce Platforms To Build Online Stores
If you want to start your online store from scratch, what are the most popular eCommerce websites to consider? Here are a few options:
- Shopify : One of the most popular website builders, with an easy-to-use setup and plenty of help during onboarding. The platform offers many premium features and add-ons, and pricing starts at $29/month.
- BigCommerce : It includes an intuitive website builder with various customization capabilities. This platform supports multi-channel selling, SEO tools, and many payment options. Pricing starts at $29.95/month.
- Wix : A user-friendly website for beginners and many designer-made templates to build a beautiful website. However, its inventory management is not the best in the market. Pricing starts at approx. $20/month for basic features.
- Woocommerce : It’s a free WordPress plug-in and one of the most popular websites for eCommerce stores. Some of its pros are its SEO capabilities and customer support. However, it’s not one of the most scalable solutions.
Opening an eCommerce store is not a task that requires minimal effort, as a whole. In order to ensure smooth operations, it is advisable to consult a detailed guide on creating an eCommerce business plan. If you are pressed for time but intrigued by this business concept, you may want to explore drop-shipping as a potential alternative.
2. Join An Affiliate Marketing Program
Novices have the potential to earn a maximum of $1,000, mid-level affiliates can achieve up to $10,000, and advanced affiliates can make over $100,000.
Professionals who are interested in making a passive income should consider becoming an affiliate marketer. Affiliate marketing entails earning a commission for successfully promoting a product or service to one’s audience as an affiliate or publisher.
Affiliates have the option to select either physical or digital products as long as they are confident in their ability to persuade their audience to make a purchase. While promoting physical products may lead to quicker conversions, the commission rate is typically lower.
Affiliates typically receive a distinct website link for monitoring conversions, which they can either insert into a blog post or promote on popular social media platforms such as Tiktok, Instagram, or Youtube.
If they have some money to invest beforehand, others choose to run Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns in order to target consumers who are highly likely to convert.
Let’s take a look at some affiliate marketing programs that you should be vigilant about.
Best Affiliate Marketing Programs For Digital Products
- Moosend : If email marketing is your thing, you can’t miss out on our fantastic affiliate program. Earn a 30% lifetime recurring commission for every paying customer and an extra commission if they upgrade.
- Shopify : This website builder offers a generous $200 commission as long as the referred customer remains an active subscriber for two months.
- Semrush : This SEO marketing tool gives $200 for every subscription sale and $10 for every free trial signup.
- Coursera : Join Coursera’s affiliate program to get a 10 to 45% commission. This platform offers everything you need to become a successful affiliate.
Best Affiliate Marketing Program For Physical Products
- Amazon Associates : You can earn a commission from 1-10%, depending on the program. The cookie lasts for a day.
- Target : It’s another notable retail brand, enabling you to get up to an 8% commission with the cookie lasting for seven days.
- eBay Partner Network : This well-known retail platform pays you a 1-4% commission based on the product category. The cookie life span is 24 hours.
To achieve success in affiliate marketing, generate captivating and pertinent content for promotional objectives in order to earn substantial profits.
3. Become An Influencer
The amount of money micro-influencers (with a follower count ranging from 10,000 to 50,000) can earn annually varies between $40,000 and $100,000, contingent upon various factors.
If you enjoy using social media and consistently producing content, one option to consider is improving your social profiles on platforms like Instagram or TikTok. If you have expertise in a particular market, such as education or traveling, you can create content that is more focused and catered to the needs of specific individuals, addressing their challenges and concerns.
As you steadily gain more followers, you can begin trying out various content types to determine which ones generate more engagement, resulting in sponsorships coming your way.
If you want to make money online and turn it into a legitimate business, you will need to invest time to nurture your results. Additionally, it is important to note that certain markets have a high level of competition, so it is advisable to conduct thorough research beforehand.
Here, you have provided a list of tools that can assist you in perfecting your content creation.
To ensure you meet your subscribers’ expectations, it is crucial to consistently update your content if you have the necessary tools. Additionally, fostering a sense of community requires interacting with your audience and responding to the comments of your followers.
4. Start A Blog
The potential to generate revenue: Individuals who monetize their blogs can make an annual income of $20,000-$50,000.
If you have a love for expressing yourself through writing, then becoming a blogger is a possibility for you. However, in order to create a successful blog, it is more effective to focus on a particular niche market and audience.
By consistently publishing great content and applying SEO principles, it is possible to transform your blog website into a profitable venture. One way to achieve this is by incorporating affiliate links into blog posts that attract a large audience, or alternatively, by offering advertising space to other businesses.
If you want to establish an online business like this, you will need to devote time and effort. However, if you possess a creative mindset, this secure writing environment might offer the freedom you desire.
To begin a blog from scratch, there are both paid and free Content Management Systems (CMS) available.
- WordPress : The free plan starts with limited features and no custom options. The most popular plan for freelancing is the Premium with $13.95/month.
- Joomla : You can start for free, but you’ll soon need to update to access top features. The annual cost for the Personal package is $99.
- Ghost : The pricing varies based on the audience you have. For example, for up to 500 members, the price is $11/month.
To host your new blog, you will need to purchase a domain name from registrants such as GoDaddy and Hostgator.
5. Create A YouTube Channel
The potential revenue: The typical YouTuber makes $18 for every 1,000 ad views and approximately $5 for every 1,000 video views. Nevertheless, the actual income can differ due to various factors.
If you have strong story-telling skills and are confident in public speaking, you can earn money online by starting a YouTube channel. It is advisable to focus on a specific field and create how-to videos in order to establish authority and gain a faster following.
In order to join the YouTube Partners Program, you must have achieved at least 1,000 subscribers. Once you have met this requirement, you will be granted access to Google Adsense, allowing you to begin earning money from advertisements.
As your audience grows, you may begin receiving business sponsorships to endorse specific and relevant products/services to them. Moreover, you can utilize YouTube Ads and leverage the effectiveness of YouTube SEO to attract a larger amount of traffic.
If you decide to earn money online as a YouTuber, here is a list of websites you should check.
- YouTube Partners Program : Read the monetization policies and community guidelines carefully to see if you’re eligible for this program.
- YouTube BrandConnect: This program helps businesses collaborate faster with creators on YouTube to spread their messages.
To monetize your YouTube channel, it is necessary to be at least 18 years old. Nonetheless, in order to enhance the quality of your channel and ensure long-term success, it is crucial to invest in technological equipment such as a high-quality camera, microphone, and editing tool.
6. Open An Etsy Store
On average, a successful seller has the potential to earn revenue in the range of $43,000 to $46,000 per year.
Etsy, a platform for independent creators and sellers, reportedly had a 96.3% active user base. Many users demonstrate loyalty to the platform over time. Therefore, if you have a passion for crafting items such as pottery or jewelry, consider establishing your own store on Etsy as a means to boost your income.
Creating your own profile is relatively easy, but due to the high competition, it will require a considerable amount of time to increase your visibility. Take the time to study this guide and acquire the skills needed to establish a successful online Etsy shop.
To be eligible to open an Etsy store, you must be 18 years old. Minors aged 13-18 are considered minors and require a parent or legal guardian to oversee the system. Before creating a shop, make sure that your products are permitted on the platform and that Etsy Payments are accessible in your area. Additionally, it is important to abide by the online business regulations in your country.
7. Publish An E-Book
On average, the potential revenue ranges from $5,000 to $8,000 per month.
With the advent of self-publishing, individuals now have the opportunity to create and release their own e-book in order to earn income on the internet. Consequently, if you possess a passion for writing and narrative, why not attempt it?
In order to produce a well-crafted e-book, it is essential to have not only a writer but also a designer and an editor involved, as they play a crucial role in ensuring the high quality of your e-book. If assistance is needed, hiring freelancers is a viable option.
After completing the process of thinking step by step, you can proceed to submit the book to a self-publishing platform and shift your attention towards its promotion. Nevertheless, it is essential to ensure that, prior to submission, you review the royalty policy of each company to determine the rate at which you will be compensated for each sale.
To successfully publish your e-book, ensure that you comply with the guidelines provided by your chosen self-publishing platform. With an engaging topic and a high-quality product, you can achieve your goal.
8. Take Up Freelance Work
Depending on your expertise, experience, and effort, the potential revenue can reach an average of 5,000+ per month.
Becoming a freelancer is a popular method for boosting one’s income, especially for professionals with expertise in web development, copywriting, graphic design, or digital marketing, among other fields.
To begin, one can create a strong portfolio and become a member of professional social media platforms such as LinkedIn or Behance.
To find projects suitable for you, you can also visit these helpful websites.
- Fiverr : Best for web development, digital marketing, and social media
- Toptal : Best for software development, finance experts, product and project managers
- Upwork : Best for web design, branding, and programming
- Flexjobs : Best for transcribing, copywriting, and content marketing
Once you establish a routine, inquire with your clients if they would be willing to leave a positive review, as this can greatly enhance the influence of social proof. As your skills improve, you can gradually increase your earnings and potentially transition to freelancing as a full-time commitment. Alternatively, you can opt to take on additional freelance projects in your free time without committing to a long-term strategy.
9. Build A Membership Site
Revenue potential: Websites that are successful have the ability to generate earnings of up to $200K annually.
If you have a blog or website with a variety of resources such as articles and instructional guides, you have the option to establish subscription plans. By creating exclusive content specifically for devoted subscribers or customers, you can generate additional income.
What types of content can be created for this goal? E-books, infographics, and exclusive newsletters are excellent choices. Additionally, if you are a YouTuber, you can produce behind-the-scenes content or Q&A sessions to draw in a larger community.
Bookriot is a website that caters to book lovers and provides a community called Book Riot Insiders. This community offers three different subscription plans that give access to exclusive content including podcasts, new release emails, online courses, and deals.
To increase your subscriptions, ensure that your pricing is accessible for multiple people once you have identified the ideal platform and commenced your membership plans.
10. Create A Podcast
The potential revenue is around $500-900 for every 10,000 episode downloads. The range may vary depending on affiliate sales and the support from the audience.
If you are someone who enjoys sharing stories with a specialized skill or a journalist’s style, podcasting is another great choice. If this resonates with you, begin your own podcast on platforms such as Spotify, Apple, and Google Podcasts.
To effectively plan your podcast, start by identifying a captivating concept, whether it be music, yoga, or well-being. Then, select topics that are relevant and appealing to your target audience. Additionally, it is advisable to analyze your competitors’ content to discover current trends or areas where there is a lack of content. Whether you decide to host the podcast alone or include guest speakers, ensure that they contribute valuable insights to enhance your podcast.
However, what is the precise method of receiving payment for podcasts? Typically, individuals generate income through sponsorships, affiliate links, or direct audience support via platforms such as Patreon.
To proceed in a systematic manner, create a website or an RSS feed on established platforms to host your podcast, once all the necessary components align. Subsequently, embark on social media promotion to enhance visibility and attract a larger audience.
Top Podcast Hosting Websites
If you are interested in becoming a podcaster, here are a few hosting sites to start with.
- Buzzsprout
- Captivate
- Transistor
- RSS.com
Check their features and pricing to find the best plan that suits your needs.
11. Take Online Surveys
Completing online surveys is a convenient and effortless means to earn additional money online as you establish your reliable method of making legitimate money online.
Companies like Swagbucks, Branded Surveys, Survey Junkie, Opinion Outpost, and Inbox Dollars utilize your opinions for market research purposes.
When you complete a survey, you have the opportunity to accumulate points that can be redeemed for gift cards, cashed out via PayPal, or in some cases, deposited directly. Although survey sites won’t provide a full-time income, they can be a source of additional money for a night out or a delicious takeout meal.
If you are already planning to use your time on the bus or train browsing social media, you might as well utilize that time to earn some additional cash by participating in surveys on a website.
In addition to surfing the web, watching videos, or testing products, Swagbucks offers alternative methods for earning.
12. Sell Stock Photos Online
Are you aware of the process of capturing images of stunning sunsets, your delectable dinner, or the exquisite flowers you recently encountered? Imagine if we informed you that you could earn money by photographing these moments using your smartphone.
Your camera roll contains a variety of great pictures that graphic designers require for creating brochures, websites, and advertisements.
There is a possibility to earn money by using services like Foap, istockphoto, Adobe, Getty Images, or Shutterstock, where you can offer your suitable photographs.
13. Buy an Existing Website
If you feel like you’re not ready to start a website from scratch, there are many existing websites that are already live and available for purchase. These websites can generate significant traffic and can be monetized in various ways, which explains their high price tags.
If you have the necessary funds, you have the option to purchase a pre-existing website that already attracts visitors and generate income from it, avoiding the typically challenging process of launching a new website.
14. Create How-to Videos
If you’re not fully prepared to immediately start your own YouTube channel, why not consider creating a YouTube channel specializing in how-to-videos within a specific interest or topic?
To tap into the significant DIY market, where individuals often prefer to do things themselves, such as brewing beer or installing new bathrooms, create detailed how-to videos that demonstrate various processes. By incorporating advertisements or selling related products, you can monetize these videos.
15. Transcribe Audio
Lengthy, recorded interviews are conducted by researchers, physicians, and even certain journalists.
In many cases, business owners require assistance in converting recordings into text files. Platforms such as Quicktate, Tigerfish, and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk enable individuals with transcribing skills to connect with these business owners.
If you possess specialized expertise or knowledge in fields like healthcare or law, you have the potential to earn even higher incomes.
16. Test Websites
Becoming a website tester can help you earn some quick money, as websites and blogs require testers similar to physical products.
To succeed, it is necessary to possess the skill of accurately documenting your initial observations as a site visitor or customer.
To become a tester for most leading services like UserTesting.com, you’ll also have to complete a test.
17. Join Amazon Mechanical Turk
Amazon Mechanical Turk, which is alternatively referred to as MTurk, serves as a platform where microtasks such as image and video processing, data verification and clean-up, information gathering, and data processing can be carried out.
Instead of setting your own prices, you have the freedom to select the tasks you want to work on unlike other platforms.
18. Become an Instagram Influencer
If you already enjoy using Instagram, you can enhance your experience by expanding your audience and giving prominent brands the opportunity to advertise their products to your followers.
To develop a larger follower base, you need to invest some time. Commencing with posting exceptional content is the initial stage, and if you are already executing this, you are making great progress. Moreover, it is crucial to maintain a regular posting schedule, interact with your followers, and share numerous Instagram stories.
Similar to starting a blog, the process of growing an Instagram following begins with having a genuine interest to share with your audience. In fact, there are individuals who even sell their Instagram accounts and followers to cater to the immediate social media following needs of small business startups.
19. Become a Ghostwriter
Ghostwriters are responsible for writing a range of texts on behalf of other individuals. These texts can range from basic blog posts to complete books. Ghostwriters transfer the rights of their work to their clients, whose names are often credited as the authors of the texts.
20. Teach English Online
English is spoken worldwide, but for many, it is not their primary or secondary language. As a result, there is a demand for teaching English, both for personal and professional purposes.
You have the option to teach English online to individuals from worldwide locations, either on your own or as part of a pre-established institution. Acquiring a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification can greatly enhance your effectiveness and credibility.
21. Be a Virtual Assistant
If you possess skills in report creation, meeting organization, letter editing, and attention to detail that surpass what most people can imagine, then you have the potential to excel as a virtual assistant.
Executives frequently prefer virtual assistants as they are simpler to recruit compared to in-person assistants.
You can find work through various websites such as 99 Dollar Social, Zirtual, and Office 88, which compensate you on an hourly basis for your services.
22. Be a Tutor
Online tutors are able to assist students of various age groups in excelling in a wide range of subjects, such as English literature, chemistry, and political science.
In order to connect with students, it is necessary to have patience, flexibility, and the means to verify your qualifications. Websites like tutors.com and Chegg Tutors can assist in this process.
23. Test Products
Product testing is simply what it sounds like – when companies in the midst of preparing to release new products seek testers to collect feedback on their upcoming launch.
In the majority of cases, you are allowed to retain the product, while a few companies offer financial compensation in return for the feedback you provide.
24. Start an Online Coaching Business
Coaches provide assistance in different areas, including business coaching and life coaching, which are among the most popular categories. Enhancing your credibility with your target audience can be achieved by including a recognized certification on your CV.
25. Create and Sell Online Courses
Education, whether in formal or informal environments, is a substantial industry that is expected to persist. Platforms such as Udemy enable individuals who possess expertise in a specific field to create and share their own courses. These courses undergo an internal review and auditing process to ensure their quality and adherence to standards.
26. Narrate Books
Audiobooks are highly valued because not everyone can dedicate time to reading books. While prominent publishers may have their own staff or even engage actors, independent publishers attempt to utilize the freelance market in order to find narrators for their audiobooks.
Social media is a crucial tool for businesses to engage with their customers, primarily through platforms such as Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. It necessitates investing time and comprehending the chosen platform and desired demographic to effectively manage and utilize it.
Freelance social media specialists have the opportunity to assist businesses in maximizing their use of online platforms.
27. Dropshipping
With dropshipping, the need to maintain any stock is eliminated as you simply redirect customers to the manufacturer’s website and earn a commission for any purchases made.
While eCommerce websites face the considerable challenge and expense of stock, opting for a different approach allows for benefits in addition to slightly lower profits than selling products independently.
Making Money Online
One advantage of earning money online is that it usually involves minimal costs – there is no need for an office, no need for a storage space filled with products, and in certain situations, you don’t even have to leave the couch.
Although it allows for flexibility, working online can be a challenging and demanding endeavor. The various methods of earning money on the internet can generally be categorized into three groups.
- Building a website and monetizing your content.
- Selling other people’s products or services.
- Launching your own product or service.
Let’s examine each of these individually.
1. Build a Website and Monetize Your Content
Making money on a website is a time-consuming process, often requiring a significant amount of time. The majority of blogs nowadays have a short lifespan of less than six months, as individuals tend to lose motivation. The absence of website traffic and earnings readily leads to burnout.
Affiliate Marketing Can Diversify Income
By reviewing a product or service on your blog, you assist your readers in deciding whether they should give it a try. If your shared time and experience influence readers to try the service, you can earn compensation through affiliate marketing.
If you write a review of one of your favorite books on your blog, you have the option to include an affiliate link to the book on Amazon or a different website. In the event that a reader clicks on this link and purchases the book, you will receive a commission. Many novice bloggers choose to begin with an Amazon affiliate marketing account as it is simple to establish.
If you truly believe in and have personally tried a product, we suggest utilizing affiliate programs to link to those products. This ensures that your blog remains a trustworthy and authoritative source of information rather than just a means to generate a small income.
In the realm of affiliate marketing, obtaining sufficient traffic holds greater significance for success compared to acquiring a substantial number of affiliate programs. It is worth noting that we are acquainted with individuals who earn $100,000 or even more every month through blogging, thus presenting promising prospects for advancement.
How Much Traffic Do You Need to Make Money Online?
One crucial mistake made by many individuals when seeking to generate income via affiliate programs or selling their own merchandise is their emphasis on quantity rather than quality. The amount of money you earn is directly correlated to the level of quality your website traffic possesses – without question!
The reason why many paid advertisements fail is because they target cold traffic, meaning individuals who have never heard about you or your product before. Thus, if someone comes across an ad for your product on Facebook, it is likely that they are being targeted because they are unfamiliar with you or your product.
It is unrealistic to anticipate that this individual will immediately make a purchase.
2. Selling Other People’s Products or Services
This is the perfect opportunity to earn a significant amount of money: by receiving a portion of the money you assist someone else in generating. It’s a mutually beneficial consulting arrangement, where you only invest your time. The greater the profit you generate, the higher your potential earnings will be.
How To Make Bank Selling Stuff
This is the perfect opportunity to earn a substantial amount of money by receiving a portion of the earnings you assist another person in generating. It’s a mutually beneficial consulting arrangement where the only investment required is your time. The greater the profit you generate, the higher your potential earnings.
3. Launch Your Own Product or Service
In addition, you have the option of generating income online by creating and offering your own product or service. The process of starting an online business and connecting with potential customers has become exceedingly convenient.
Because you are not alone in this, standing out becomes incredibly difficult despite the amazing opportunity it presents.
Selling your own products on Craigslist or through your own website may not be as easy as portrayed in many Facebook ads, but it is definitely possible to make money doing so.
Although it is possible to strike lucky and witness exceptional success with an Etsy product, generally, it will require a substantial amount of time and effort devoted to engaging with and gradually broadening your online audience to enhance your visibility.
There are only a limited number of overnight successes.
How To Build Your Product
Before you start building a product, ensure that it is something that people will be interested in purchasing.
One effective approach is to examine the search volumes on Google by utilizing the complimentary Google Keyword Planner. This will allow you to determine the number of individuals searching for the products or services you intend to offer.
By indicating the number of people bidding on a keyword, this tool can also reveal its level of competitiveness, enabling you to evaluate your competition.
It is important to exercise caution and remember that in order to generate profit, your product or service must possess distinctive qualities.
I receive numerous inquiries from people regarding their new products. In almost all cases, these products are replicas of someone else’s. Whether it’s the course, the app, or the physical item, about 99 percent of the time, they are identical.
Failing is guaranteed if you think step by step, so do not attempt this approach.
In order to launch any product, it is important to allocate at least 10 to 20 hours for online research. During this time, explore similar products available in the market and analyze their unique aspects. Determine what sets your product apart and why customers should choose to purchase it from you.
If you cannot explain the unique or valuable aspects of your product, it is unlikely to be successful when selling online.
