To begin with, let’s get something straight: There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to making money online. What you decide to do depends on your own priorities, your own time horizon, and your own level of desire to make money online.
That’s a pretty broad band of prospects. But it’s also a pretty large pool of opportunity to choose from. So before we dive into the best ways to make money online, let’s review the landscape of how to make money online and what to expect.
The Landscape Of How To Make Money Online
There are a few distinct routes to monetizing an online presence. And depending on what you want to do, it’s essential to determine which one is the best fit for you.
1. Affiliate Marketing
This is the oldest and most traditional way to make money online. You’ll find affiliate marketers out there promoting everything from cosmetics products and health supplements to food and wine. For those interested in affiliate marketing, you’ll need to decide how much you’re willing to pay per sale before you get started. Once you make that choice, the amount of money you’ll make will essentially be determined by how many people you can sell products to. In other words, the more people you have, the more you’ll make. It’s a simple formula and one of the more straightforward ways to make money online. But it can be a lot of work without proper guidance and training. Before you dive in, be sure to familiarize yourself with the most up-to-date affiliate marketing tools so that you can maximize your earning potential.
2. Online Surveys And Testing
Online surveys and testing are a great way to make a quick buck or two. All you need to do is take a few minutes to fill out a survey or two, and you’ll get paid. Some of the more popular survey websites include Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, OneOpinion, Ipsos iSay, and Ipsos iSay Pro. These are all reputable survey sites and have a lot of offers available, so it’s worth looking around to see what’s available. You can choose whether or not to be paid based on the results of the survey you complete or based on the time you spend taking the survey. The key to making money online through online surveys and testing is to sign up for as many survey websites as possible and to take advantage of those who offer money for nothing or almost nothing. When you do this, you’ll be able to build up a considerable cash savings that you can then invest in more lucrative opportunities. It’s a bit of a win-win situation.
3. Start An Online Store
If you’re looking to make a living online, you should consider starting an online store. There are a variety of ways to make money from an online store, but the most direct and easiest to understand is affiliate marketing. Just like with traditional retail, you’ll want to start small by using affiliate marketing to gradually build up your audience. When you have a sizable audience, you can take advantage of affiliate programs that sell luxury goods and travel where traditional retailers don’t. For example, Kayak.com will pay you 70% of the revenue of whatever you sell through their affiliate program. So if you choose to become a travel affiliate marketer, you’ll be able to make a good living without having to struggle for sales. To get started, simply visit the Amazon affiliate program and choose travel as your niche. Once you start making sales, you can choose to redirect your affiliate payments to a travel agency or travel company to help fund your travel adventures. This is one of the more straightforward ways to make money online.
Which One Is the Best Way to Make Money Online?
At the end of the day, it really depends on what you want to do. Do you want to make a quick buck or two or do you want to build a sustainable and lucrative online presence? When you start out, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to make a living solely off of one source of income (at least not easily). Building a strong online presence and monetizing your social media channels are all the rage these days and can help you establish yourself as an expert in your industry. That way, when someone comes across your content, they’ll have the option of purchasing your services or products simply by clicking on a link or scanning a QR code.
So, if you’re looking for a one-stop-shop for how to make money online, check out this list of the best ways to make money online. But if you want to enjoy the flexibility of being able to make your own decisions and live your own life, you might want to consider exploring the freelance or consulting route.