The internet can be a land of opportunity, and it seems that everyone has at least some method that they use to try and make money online. Whether you want to just make a few extra bucks here and there, or you want to make your living online, there are quite a few possibilities to consider.
When thinking about how you can make money on the web, consider what you have to offer, and whether or not there are people out there willing to spend money on it. If the answer is yes, you might be able to start bringing in a new stream of income. The big key to remember in trying to make money online though is that it takes time and a lot of work to see decent progress.
Start Slow in trying to?Make Money Online
Don?t make the mistake that so many others before you have already made – thinking it will be easy to make money on the internet. Making money online is just like making money in the real world… it?s hard, if not more so. You will face tons of competition and find that many people may have more experience than you. That doesn?t mean you shouldn?t try, it just means that you should keep your expectations in check and not think that you are going to be a millionaire overnight.
Be Wary of Schemes
Have you found ?courses? or books online that promise to teach you how to make money online? Be skeptical of such products. Think about it this way, if they have figured out how to make so much money, why don?t they just do it themselves?
Most likely, it?s because their ?system? is bogus and won?t make you any money at all. In fact, the way they’re making money is selling some system to you! ?With that in mind, stick with things that you can do for free at first, because there are plenty of legitimate options that don?t cost you a dime.
While there are far more possibilities for ways to make money online than I could fit in this article, here are a few ideas ?
- Sell items at auction. One of the easiest ways to get started is by having a ?virtual? garage sale. Look around your home for things you don?t want anymore, and sell them on Craigslist or Ebay. This won?t be a long-term money making strategy unless you decide to start buying products to sell, but it can get you started and put a little extra cash in your pocket.
- Offer to do work. Do you enjoy writing? Maybe you have some specific computer-related skill such as a programming language that you know, or graphic design experience that you have? Put it to use by doing small projects for website owners and other businesses online. There are many freelance work sites where you can find and bid on jobs to start your side business. This is how my wife and I were able to build our business out. We already had a good base of local clients, but moved to also getting clients online. Yes it does take time but it can be quite profitable if you find the right niche.
- Start your own website. If you are passionate about a specific topic, or have in-depth knowledge on it, you can start your own website and try to attract traffic to your site. Once you have traffic, you can monetize the site by placing ads, selling products, adding affiliate links, and much more. Again, this is going to take considerable time and effort. While it is possible to make money by starting a website or blog you need to have your expectations in the right place, otherwise it’s highly likely you will be disappointed in the long run. Just make sure that if you do plan on starting your own blog, that you have a good hosting provider?secured in order to make sure you don’t have to deal with the headaches of your site being down on a regular basis.
The best way to make money online is the one that works for you and fits your skill set. There is simply no shortcut past some initial trial and error to find out what you are good at, what you like to do, etc. By having a realistic expectation of the time and work needed it is possible to make money online as long as you’re up to the effort.
What are some things you do in order to make money online? If you’re a blogger, what are some overlooked ways that people miss out on making money online?
Photo courtesy of: 401(k)calculator
Wise Dollar
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Great post! As a new blogger, I haven’t started making any money online yet, but I’m hoping to start doing some writing at some point in the future – just need to pace myself 🙂
Thanks Nicola! Pacing yourself is key, especially online. Best of wishes!
I started with eBay and it has went up and down over the last couple years, but I found something that I can make good side money on a consistent basis. The next step of course is the blog, but now I”m just happy to write about my personal stories.
That’s great Steven! Having that consistency as well as having an outlet to write personal stories is a nice combination to have.
There are so many different ways to make money online and one of my favourite things about it is – the low start up costs. If you compare the cost of an online business vs a traditional, brick and mortar business, online businesses is a lot cheaper to get rolling.
That’s a great point Christine! I’d say that’s definitely the case for the large majority of the cases. I also think that’s likely part of the reason why some think it’s so easy to make money online. 😉
I’ve been blogging for a while now, and I think the best way I have found to make money online is to really focus on one area and immerse yourself in it. For too long I have tried to spread myself too thinly and have suffered the consequences. Now that I am getting help and focusing on just a few core things I am doing significantly better – although one of my sites recently lost a lot of the money it was generating due to a Google update 🙁
I could not agree more Glen. There is only so much time in the day and you need to focus on one or two things and do as much as you can in it. Sorry to hear about that impact, I believe I just read that on your site the other day. Leave it to Google! 😉
Being wary of schemes is big. Don’t fall for the get rich quick commercials. There is no easy money. If there was, everyone would be millionaires. Find something you love to do, then see if there is a way to earn money from it online. But don’t limit yourself either. I’m not a huge fan of writing, never was. But here I am as a financial blogger. It turns out that I enjoy writing about personal finance.
Completely agreed on both counts Jon. There is opportunity out there, but that’s not to say that it’s easy. It is difficult, though if you find your stride it is possible to make money.