If you’re looking for ways to make extra cash then you’ve probably considered doing some sort of online business. While you might not need immediate money, it’s always great to have some in savings. There are several different ways to make money online but before you commit to anything, it’s important to understand what they are and how much you’ll need to earn before you can consider it a worthwhile venture.
Create a Blog
Blogs are one of the simplest ways to make money online. The only requirement is that you must have a place to put your content. You can put up content about anything including product reviews, tips, and how-to’s. Simply visit Blogger.com and create a blog around a specific niche. You don’t need to go all the way to WordPress.com to set up a blog because you can use Blogger to build one that looks just like the big platforms.
Blogs are fairly easy to make money from. You can use affiliate marketing to promote products that are relevant to your niche. For example, if you’re writing about pet care, you could promote pet supplies or accessories that you think your readers might find useful. When someone subscribes to your email list or follows your blog’s RSS feed, you’ll get a small commission when they make a purchase. Typically, you’ll want to aim for around $5-$10 per day in earnings before you even think about making extra cash from your blog.
Start an Online Store
If you’re looking to take the easy route to make money online then starting an online store might be for you. Similar to blogging, the only difference is that instead of just publishing content on the web, you’re actually selling and shipping products. There are several ways to start an online store. You can use Shopify.com to set up a retail store or you can use WooCommerce for WordPress users. Whatever method you use, you’ll need a storefront where people can buy your products. You can use your blog as your online storefront (just make sure that you don’t try to promote affiliate products while also selling your own) or you can purchase a standalone e-commerce website and use that as your store. If you’re just getting started, try Shopify because it’s much easier to use and has a lot of templates and features that you can customize to fit your needs.
Starting an online store is a lot harder than just creating a blog. You’ll need to understand how to market your products, set up automated email marketing, and figure out how to ship your goods. Unless you have a background in business, it might be a better idea to simply blog about your experience rather than try to venture into retail. Just remember, the more you put in, the more you’ll get back. Make sure you’re willing to commit the time necessary to learn how to do this successfully.
Start an Affiliate Marketing Website
If you’re looking to take the easy route to make money online then starting an affiliate marketing website might be for you. You’ll get a dedicated landing page on the big affiliate networks where people can come to learn more about your product or service. When someone clicks on an affiliate link and makes a purchase, you’ll get a small commission. Typically, you’ll want to aim for around $5-$10 per day in earnings before you even think about making extra cash from your affiliate marketing website.
While affiliate marketing is an easy way to make money online, it’s not the only way. You can also create your own product and try to sell it to people or you can become a social media influencer if you can drum up enough followers on your various platforms.
Sell and Ship Goods From Home
If you’re looking for ways to make money online then you might consider trying to sell and ship your own goods from home. Similar to starting an online store, you’ll need to learn how to market your products, create product descriptions, and find customers. If you’ve got a lot of business experience and know what you’re doing, this can be a lucrative venture. Just remember that you’ll need a lot of capital to get started. You can use eBay to list your products or you can create your own online store to sell your goods. If you do decide to go this route, be sure to get all the necessary licenses and comply with all legal requirements. You never know when running your own business whether or not you’ll need to deal with legal matters. It’s always a good idea to opt for the less risky route first before you go all in on a full-blown entrepreneurial venture.
The Downsides To Going The Easy Route
While the options above are all legitimate ways to make money online, there are some downsides to going the easy route.
The first downside is that if you’re looking for a way to make quick cash then blogging is a good option as you can get started running a blog in minutes. However, if you want to be able to make a living from your creative pursuits, starting an online store or becoming an affiliate marketer are the better choices. It’s always great to have several income streams, especially since you never know when one of them might dry up.
Another downside is that if you go the easy route and choose to simply blog about your experience, you might not always end up making as much money as you’d like to. One of the reasons why is that in addition to your content being online, it also shows up in search engine results whenever someone types in a keyword or phrase relating to your blog post. As a result, your blog post might end up getting a lot of exposure which could potentially result in a lot of traffic. However, with so much exposure comes a lot of competition and unless you’ve got a massive following, you might not be able to pull in the earnings you’re looking for. Plus, as you’ve likely experienced, the more you put out there, the more you’ll get back. Make sure you’ve got a strategy in place to ensure that your blog posts end up being found and that you’re not committing the cardinal sin of keyword stuffing. Instead, add more value to your content and make sure that you’re interesting and informative the whole time.
If you’re looking for ways to make extra cash then you might consider doing some sort of online business. While the options above are all legitimate ways to make money online, it’s always best to opt for the route that you think you’ll be able to accomplish quickly and with less effort. Above all else, don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. Generating revenue via different channels is how successful companies and brands stay afloat today and if you can think of a way to make money via a different channel, why not?