I have tried many ways to make money online.
I don't have a store or any product to sell. All I really have is an internet connection and some time.
There are so many offers that promise big money for doing next to nothing. But of course most of them are bogus.
After trying many I have found just a few that actually make me some money. I know this is just a baby list of
what is possible online but these are the only things that have worked for me.
Setup Your Own Online Business
Got an idea for an online business? It's pretty easy to get setup these days.
- Register your domain name,
you know, www.yourbusiness.com. Yahoo!
- Build your website. There are many tools you can use. I know some html so I just use a text editor and code
directly. But there are easier ways, like using
NetObjects Fusion
which lets you get from concept to a live site quickly and easily without any knowledge of html. Microsoft FrontPage
is also popular and easy to use.
- Host your website.
I like to keep domain registration and hosting separate so I use HostGator
Now that you have your site up and running the real fun starts, running your business! There are so many things you can add on to help your business that I couldn't begin to list them all. So I'll give just a few that I know and use.
- Affiliate programs. You can sell products from other merchants on you site and earn a commission. The easiest
way is to join an affiliate network like
Commission Junction
or Shareasale. They have thousands of products from different merchants. Just spend some time to find what fits the interests of your website visitors.
Another Way to Get Your Business Online
Setting up your own website for your online business is the most flexible. You have complete control over everything. But it is a bit complicated. There are alternatives that are much simpler and still effective. For example, if you are selling downloadable stuff (music, pictures, software, ebooks) a service called TradeBit will host your files and allow you to sell them with your PayPal integrated so you can receive payments. They don't take a cut like other services, just a small monthly fee - only $1.99/month for a 200 MB plan with unlimited traffic - so cheap! You can sell anywhere from web sites, to emails, and at auction sites like eBay. They highly integrate eBay with your customized pricing on the fly.
I have my own website already but I think I could really use this service. They deliver the downloadable products instantly after payment - it is completely automated and integrated with the PayPal payment gateway. So I wouldn't have to fill orders manually, or do my own programming to fill orders automatically (possible but difficult for me).
Paid Surveys
These are the easiest but most of them are bogus. Most of them give you "a chance to win a prize" for taking a survey. To me that is bogus. If I spend time to take a survey I want something for sure, either cash or something of value that I can use, and not just a "chance" or an entry in a drawing. The one I think is worth my time is:
Greenfield surveys is
good because they give you a choice of choosing surveys that pay cash or if you want an entry into a drawing. One
of their recent surveys was an IT survey for everyone 18 and over and paid $5 for about 15 minutes of time.
If you already have a blog or website
If you have a blog or website there are a lot of programs for making money. And of course most of them really don't pay off, or pay off only for a certain few types of websites. The ones that have given me some income are:
They are well known and make good money for many people. And the ads actually contribute good content to many blogs and websites because they are well targeted.
Asia Friend Finder is a huge online friendship and dating site that pays a commission on new signups. They have both free and paid memberships and an enormous number of members so it is a good deal for people who sign up and you make a commission. Great for online dating websites.