There are numerous paths one can take to make money and do it online. The added benefit is that this can usually be done wherever you want to.
Whether you’re searching how to earn some extra cash or have a completely fresh business idea to launch, you can always do it from home. Who wouldn’t want that type of flexibility these days? So let’s look at some different ways we can do this.
Is it really possible to earn online?
Absolutely. In fact, Pew Research showed that 1 in 6 in the States already make money through online platforms. So whether you’re looking at doing some writing on the side or selling something online, there are plenty of options.
So how do you make that money?
Let’s look at six different ways to get you started.
Look for work as a freelancer
This type of work is where you’re purely working for yourself and offering your skill set either per project or through a contract. But, again, there’s plenty of freelance work out there and sites that post those types of jobs.
A good place to begin is with the biggest marketplace for freelancers out there, which is Upwork. There’s always a huge list of options ranging from everything beyond just writing, such as design, project management, and numerous other requests. There are around 2 million jobs listed, and about 15 million freelancers have already gotten their work from there.
Other sites to consider are SolidGigs or FlexJobs. Flexjobs does a good job of eliminating potential scams as one of their key services. SolidGigs is more about getting you working faster through some powerful filtering options that only send you jobs that are relevant to you.
Get into the dropshipping world
This is a business model where you are selling items without having inventory. You’re simply researching suppliers online, getting their products at wholesale pricing and then selling it online at retail prices. You typically need to set up an e-commerce site and do marketing to help push product sales. The products themselves can be anything in demand.
Give your opinion via surveys
There are many companies out there that are willing to give either money or the equivalent via gift cards for your thoughts. These are compiled into sites that provide you with relevant surveys, such as Branded Surveys. You can even get a bonus just for signing up and around $5 per survey completed. However, remember that not all surveys may apply to you based on your background. Therefore, you want to focus on more relevant surveys, leading to getting accepted more often and, thus, getting paid for completing surveys online.
Start your own blog
A great long-term way to earn online is through your own blog. They’re simple to create and have multiple channels for revenue generation. For those with specialized skills, it can even be a launchpad for you to sell those skills either through an eBook or for people to take an online course.
Other ways of making money are through affiliate marketing. It’s where you promote goods and services from others and get yourself a commission or cut of the sale when they complete it through specially created affiliate links.
If that’s not enough, you can also place advertisements on your site, and each click on these ads leads to more money being made!
Create an app
Whether you program it yourself or outsource it, creating an application means building the foundation for creating a community on mobile. Then, you can post it on Google Play or Apple Stores and, with every download, find numerous potential ways of monetization, from an upfront fee to download it or via in-app purchases. If you find yourself being able to build your own app, it’s a highly sought-after skill, and that could lead to extra work freelancing for companies.
Build and design websites
The need for web designers only seems to be going up. Even if you’re not that tech-savvy but have a great eye for design, you can use third-party services to build websites for clients. A great benefit is provided via Mailchimp as an example of creating a beautiful and professional website. Even if you’re going to make a site from the ground up, companies such as Mailchimp offer domains for sale as well.
In the end
For those that think getting yourself earning money online is out of reach, think again. There are plenty of platforms out there with plenty of work to do. Keep in mind while the access to make money online is there, it takes effort to market yourself properly and get yourself new clients, as needed. So regardless of how you’re going to earn online, via writing, influencing, selling or one of the many other options, you’ll want to invest in the right type of tools to help build that digital presence online.
A great way of doing that is through a professional website. You can get started with services such as Mailchimp. The services go beyond just helping get a site up and running but can also help to guide you on proper digital marketing, whether through ad creation or social media channels. Either way, the more effort you end up putting into this, the better the chance you’ll be able to start earning money online in some fashion.