While the internet has made access to information incredibly simple, the opportunity for scams and misrepresentation is just as prevalent as it was back in the day of yore. Today, if you want to make money online, you’ll find countless programs and offers that claim to have all the answers to your financial woes; however, few are as reputable as the ones reviewed here.
1. Get Paid to Shop
If you’ve ever shopped with a gift card you’ll know that the convenience of paying with a credit card is often intertwined with lucrative incentives. The concept behind this money-making scheme is simple: display ads for luxury goods alongside the items you’re shopping for. When a consumer clicks on an ad or an affiliate link and makes a purchase, the merchant pays the affiliate a commission. The get paid to shop scheme became particularly popular after the global economic crisis of 2008 and the ensuing shift towards frugality and online shopping.
One of the best examples of this is Shopbop, which is largely known for its fashion AR/VR shopping experience that gives users the feeling of actually being in a boutique. If you’ve ever shopped at Shopbop, you’ll know that in addition to the luxury goods they sell, they also offer cash back on orders over $150, promotional events and a variety of in-house brands.
2. Start an Online Store
The explosion of online marketplaces and e-commerce has made it much easier for consumers to discover and purchase what they want. As a result, the number of online stores and marketplaces has skyrocketed. Since many online stores offer free shipping, some marketers see this as a way to get people to purchase more than they usually would. For instance, if you create an online store for shoes, you may see a significant bump in sales if you offer free shipping.
The downside to this strategy is that you’ll need to find a way to make money online even when customers shop from outside of your store. Otherwise, you might lose money. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to earn a decent amount of cash without building a massive online store. You can start a blog (more on that later) that focuses on marketing a brand or selling a product that’s promoted on social media.
3. Start an Online Survey Company
Online surveys can be a quick way to make some money online. Although it can be somewhat of a hassle to get started, you can build a simple survey company focused on marketing to consumers and collecting data. There are many survey companies that you can become a member of, all offering quick and easy ways to make money online. For example, Swagbucks will pay you to do simple tasks like take surveys or watch videos.
The catch is that you’ll need to learn how to build survey companies and how to market to consumers. In addition, you’ll need to find a way to get paid regardless of whether someone takes the survey or not. Otherwise, you’ll have nothing to show for all that time and effort.
4. Start an Online Store Using a Platform
The upside with putting your online store on a platform is that there are a ton of options. You can integrate with Shopify, Bigcommerce, or WooCommerce among others. Each of these platforms offers a bit more than the others, but the general concept is the same: you have a store and you want to make money from it. So you create an affiliate store where customers can make purchases from advertised brands.
The downside is that you’re not in total control of the store. You know what they say, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. With any of these platforms, you simply rent space on a server that’s maintained and hosted by a third party. So you can’t really do anything with the store without that third party’s help. Unless you want to take the time to learn the tools and code yourself, becoming an expert in website management and online store building seems like a road to nowhere.
5. Start an Online Marketing Agency
An online marketing agency is essentially a company that provides various marketing services for businesses, brands, and websites. The professionals at a marketing agency develop strategies and plan digital marketing campaigns. They analyze traffic and ROI and create tailored marketing plans that include SEO, content strategy, and social media.
The upside with this type of business is that you get to test a variety of marketing and management techniques without taking on any significant risks. The downside is that you’ll need to be strategic about which techniques you adopt and which ones you leave behind. Because you’ll be using a variety of platforms and tools to manage your campaigns, staying organized can be quite the challenge.
6. Start a Blog
Blogs are quite popular and easy to build. You simply need to have a decent amount of content to get started. In addition to the content itself, you can use various platforms to build and maintain your blog. Some of the most popular platforms include WordPress, Medium, and Squarespace.
The upside with blogs is that you can tailor them to fit your needs. For example, if you have a fashion or style blog, you can create a series of posts that are highly relevant to men or women. Or if you have a real estate or property blog, you can write about buying and selling homes. The downside is that you’ll need to find a way to make money online even when no one is actually visiting or reading your content.
7. Start a YouTube Channel
YouTube channels are fairly straightforward to create. All you need is a decent camera, a microphone, and a platform like Hootsuite or Buffer to gain 500+ views within 24 hours.
The upside with a YouTube channel is that you can use various tactics to attract viewers. For example, if you want to create a health and fitness channel, you can use compelling content to educate viewers about leading a healthier lifestyle. Or if you want to create a fashion channel, you can show viewers the latest trends and highlight popular products.
The downside is that you’ll need to be creative and discoverable. If you want to build an audience and have people come back for more, you’ll need to create engaging content that’s worth sharing.
8. Start a Podcast
Podcasts are all the rage right now. If you want to make some money online, you can create a podcast and use a platform like Hootsuite or Podcast AI to gain thousands of listens within 24 hours.
The upside with a podcast is that you can use all the various platforms that you need to build an audience. If you want to create a podcast about fashion, you can use iTunes, Stitcher, or one of the many other platforms to find and engage with customers. The downside is that you’ll need an existing audience to begin with.
If you want to create a successful podcast, you’ll need to find a way to make money with it even when no one is listening. Otherwise, you’re simply wasting your time. Luckily, there are plenty of options for making money online without creating a podcast.