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24 Easy Ways To Make Money On The Internet
So
it turns out that the internet is good for more than just porn and
video games – you can make money off it too! Think of the internet as a
giant country called Imaginationland. By playing your cards right, you
can make some easy money online doing things you’re already doing. Here
are some lifehacks to start you off:
1. Website Building
If
the internet is a country, then websites are like real estates. I’m
hoping by now you have a general understanding that real estates are
valuable in the physical world – digital real estates work the same way.
By building a website, you’re creating your own plot of online “land.”
You
can fill this land with whatever you want, but you have to promote it
through social media (and anywhere else you can think of) for this to be
successful. When you build traffic to your land, you can sell people
whatever you have to offer. In order to build a website, you need a host
(i.e GoDaddy), a template (i.e WordPress), and content.
The
first two parts are easy to find, and content is only as difficult as
you make it. You can post blogs, items for sale, pictures, videos, or
whatever you want. Opening up your own website gives you the potential
to make money from the avenues I’m going to mention.
2. B2B Marketing
An online business model I love is utilized by GetVoiP,
an affiliate marketer based in New York. GetVoiP acts as an agent for
business communication providers. They maintain updated listings of VoiP
providers, including ratings, comparisons, consumer reviews, in-depth
knowledge of market and end-user trends, and expert opinions from
business professionals on a variety of topics related to business
consumers. By not only keeping abreast of news, but providing detailed
analysis of products being offered, GetVoiP is able to generate traffic
to their site and increase their clout with businesses.
The more
online clout you have as a business, the more money you’ll make. If
you’re known for making lasting connections (as is the case with GetVoiP
above), then you’ll have no issues building your online brand. You’ll
be recognized in your community and begin to build a buzz in your
industry. Tracking your numbers (how many people view your site, click
each ad, and make a purchase from that click) gives you the leverage to
expand this part of your business, enabling you to continue building
your online rep.
3. Google Adsense
If
that sounds like too much technical information for you, there is an
easy button – Google’s advertising platform is as simple as signing up,
enabling (on Blogger) or pasting a small code on your website, and
allowing the advertisements to automatically roll in. The problem with
this program is that you don’t get any commissions – and you don’t get
to control the ad content. This is useful for some, but powerful users
will want something a little more robust.
4. Amazon Associates
Amazon
has an Associates program for site owners and bloggers. They offer a
search tool to find the right products and services from their site and a
variety of ad styles to display on your site, including text-based and
banner images (digital billboards) like this:
Each item purchased
through your Amazon links give you a commission. It doesn’t take high
volume traffic to achieve results, either. I began making money with the
program when I only had 1,000 hits per month on my site. They can apply
your earnings to your Amazon account balance, issue you a check, or
direct deposit into your bank account. If you love Amazon, you’ll love
their associate’s program. Click here for another Lifehack dedicated to Amazon Associates.
5. Rakuten Linkshare
Amazon
and Google are far from your only options for online advertising.
Rakuten Linkshare is a great place to search for other affiliates for
your ads. Through their program, you can get customized ad links, email
links, and banner ads for Starbucks, Walmart, iTunes, and a slew of
other popular brands. With this program, you can also find smaller
companies, regional or specialized brands, and more. I run a combination
of Google, Amazon, and Rakuten’s programs, and my monthly income is
approximately $150 from these programs. It’s not a lot of money, but
it’s also not a lot of work for residual (it means recurring…since the
ads are permanent…) income.
6. Company Referral Programs
Speaking
of the benefits of permanent ads, banners and links aren’t the only
ways to earn a little bit of dough off your online endeavors. By having a
website, you gain the power of emailing companies to ask them for
things. I have no shame in letting the yoga company whose mat I’m
looking into purchasing know that I have a blog and write for yoga
publications – it sometimes gets me discounts.
Other times, I gain
a valuable business contact in PR, advertising, or other aspects of
corporate sales. Sometimes I just get a free drink. Either way, money in
and of itself is worthless. Ditch the middle man and use the internet
to barter what you have and can do for what you need.
7. Klout
If
you have a social media account, try out Klout. The company tracks your
social media usage, determines how big and what type of audience you
draw based on the subject matter of your updates and posts. Using this
information, you’re qualified to receive free items, tickets, etc. Check
their website often to find ways of earning free stuff by doing what
you’re already doing online…boring the rest of us…
8. EBay
If
you have anything you want to sell, then EBay is the place you need to
seriously consider doing it first. Personally I’m not a fan of the site
because of the work it takes to build up a reputation. If you’re willing
to grind through that process, you’ll be rewarded with many privileges –
people have gotten rich selling books about how they got rich selling
everything on EBay: Click here for a few tips from the pros.
9. Amazon
If
you start getting too big for EBay or decide you want to try a
different flavor, Amazon has a marketplace as well. I prefer using
Amazon because I can depend on their shipping, have a Prime account, and
trust their reviews (overall, not usually singularly, although
occasionally that as well). Learn more about Amazon’s marketplace by clicking on this Lifehack, and delve into the marketplace.
The
difference between Amazon and EBay is that EBay (though still filled
with new items) is seen as a used marketplace between individual
parties, whereas Amazon (which is filled with offers for new and used
merchandise from the 3rd parties) is viewed as a
Wal-Mart-type superstore. As a consumer, this difference leads me to use
Amazon, so it only makes sense to target on my own demographic.
10. Etsy
If
you’re crafty (and I mean that in more than one way, wink wink), you’ll
enjoy Etsy. Handcrafted items are the bread and butter here. Plenty of
people make decent side money on the site, which is basically an EBay
for crafters and artists. Set up a sellers account with Etsy, and you’ll
be asked to set up your virtual storefront and put up at least 5 goods
for sale.
Once you have this down, you’ll be a budding Etsy
entrepreneur. Provide great quality to your customers, and they’ll often
return. Many people are willing to pay a premium for quality handmade
designs. Etsy (like EBay and Amazon) takes a cut off the top for selling
items through their site. PayPal takes another cut, and you have to be
careful with taxes on all income, so be diligent while building your
online business.
11. Craigslist
Craigslist
is the modern equivalent of the classified ads that dominated the days
of newspapers. These quick ads are easy to navigate and use, and they’re
geographically linked. Whether you’re selling something or offering a
service, this lifehack is a great place to start learning the intricacies of Craigslist.
Posting
ads on Craigslist is technically easy, but people often have fears
about posting their personal information on the site. I communicate
mostly through email when doing business on Craigslist, and I’ve never
run into any issues. I’ve never been ripped off, nor have I been
murdered or raped for using the site. It takes common sense, so use your
best judgment, but don’t assume someone is a thief just because of
their preferred communication method. For an extra bonus, google “funny
Craigslist ads” to see some delightful examples of guerilla and
grassroots marketing.
12. Indeed
Maybe
what you need is a job. It doesn’t matter which job search site you
prefer using (even Craigslist) – Indeed tracks them all, and then some.
You can find jobs posted on company websites, through temp agencies, and
more at Indeed. If money is something you really need, Indeed is most
definitely the place you want to visit to browse career opportunities.
13. Elance
Where
Indeed excels at finding job postings across the web and acting as a
search crawler for employment, maybe a full-fledged career is too big of
a commitment at this point in your life. Elance is a site to find
freelance work of all types. I’ve used it for quick writing, editing,
copywriting, resume building, and other odd jobs and temp gigs. The
experience has been great.
Elance offers a wide array of
technical, data entry, accounting, and other freelance and temp gigs. If
you’re just looking for something short and sweet, log in, input and
showcase your marketable skills, and begin searching through their job
database, using any parameters you desire. Once you submit a bid, you’ll
receive an acceptance or denial – you may get a few rejections, but
don’t sweat it. Negotiate the terms of your bid, and get to work. You
have money to make.
14. Mturk
If
you’ve heard of crowdsourcing (and even if you haven’t), Amazon’s
Mechanical Turk program is a great place to get involved. Much like at
Elance, you input your info and skills. You then are able to search for
different menial tasks ranging from identifying inappropriate web
content to transcribing audio recordings to basic data entry work.
Just
like at any other job, the more work you do, and the better your
quality, the more opportunities you’ll have to make money. The payouts
are often small, and your payment is received in Amazon credit, but
Mturk is a great place to make mindless money while veg’ing on the couch
watching TV.
15. LinkedIn
LinkedIn
is a social media site for professionals. This isn’t a direct way to
make money, but it’s a great way to connect to your current and
potential peers, customers, clients, vendors, and more here. You’ll
build a reputation and get in the loop on important developments in your
chosen career path and/or industry. One day an old college buddy may
hit you up for a dream job you never considered at the exact moment you
are looking for a new vocation. Whether you like it or not, keeping your
LinkedIn profile current is a great way to get surprised with new work
opportunities out the blue.
16. Care.com
If
you’re an experienced nanny or babysitter, Care.com is the place you
want to make money. By listing yourself on the Craigslist of Childcare,
you’ll broaden your reach and increase your odds of finding the right
gig at the right time. You can be pickier with what kids you watch when
you have the reputation and traffic to pull in more customers. Join
Care.com and start making money by investing in the future of our youth.
17. ThePirateBay
I
support bootlegging – I don’t see it as being immoral or unethical in
any way. I used to bootleg quite a bit in my youth, and I still do on
occasion today (although not yet today in particular, I more meant “in
the present”). If you want to hustle for your money, do what you must,
baby. Download some software, music, movies, or other assorted digital
goodness here and start slangin. It’s not an easy life, but sometimes
you gotta do what you gotta do.
18. iTunes
If
you’re a musician, writer, artist, tech nerd, pundit, or can produce any
type of audio, video, or text worth consuming, you may be able to sell
some stuff in Apple’s flagship iTunes store. By selling your work here,
you’re able to stand next to the marketing clout of big business. You
can make a healthy living off the iTunes store, and there’s no better
time than now. Learn more about iTunes with this lifehack.
19. Yelp!
If
you have a business, you want to get listed on Yelp! You may not use
the software, but some people do, and they use it religiously (and I
don’t mean they’ll kill you over it). By listing your business on Yelp!,
you’re putting yourself on the map. From here, you also need to start
using Yelp! Write reviews of places you go. It’ll be worth it in the
long run.
Soon, you’ll have a dozen or so reviews under your belt
and can hire yourself out as a Yelp! reviewer. There are ethical and
moral questions to doing this, but the title of this piece is “ways to
make money,” not “ethical ways to make money,” and I am a former Bank of
America/Countrywide employee, so what’d you expect?
20. Wikipedia
Another
seemingly free site you can make money from is Wikipedia. People who
say it’s easy to edit Wikipedia have clearly never tried editing
Wikipedia – it’s a pain. Thankfully it’s a pain for companies as well,
so many of them are willing to pay editors to assist them in the editing
process. You’ll become a bounty hunter in a way, choosing your own
lines to cross and keep. If editing is something you like to do, and
you’re willing to put in the work it takes to learn Wikipedia’s dispute
process, roll up your sleeves and try this one out.
21. Blogging
I
make the bulk of my money from blogging. In addition to the advertising
revenue streams mentioned above, I also receive flat rate payments for
blogging from various blogs throughout the web. I’m paid to write as a
whistleblower, financial analyst, reviewer, commentator, and more.
Writing for other sites builds traffic to my personal blog. The traffic
for this blog gives me clout to present to advertisers.
To create
your own blog, you don’t even need a web domain. You can start a
completely free blog on either WordPress or Blogger. Each of these sites
has its ups and downs, but you can’t beat the price. You generally want
to keep blog posts between 150-500 words until you have a few dozen
under your belt. Links between your blog posts encourage people to stay
on your blog once they find it, increasing traffic. Once your blog is
up, promote it on social media for the greatest effect.
22. Kickstarter
If
you have a passion project, Kickstarter may be exactly what you need to
get it off the ground. Celebs like Zach Braff and Melissa Joan Hart
have used this site in attempts to fund their movie projects. Some crack
dealers in Canada inspired a “crackstarter” campaign from Gawker for
pictures of the Toronto mayor smoking crack with them. All you need is a
dream, a goal, a budget, and a great pitch to convince people to come
to the site and donate to your Kickstarter campaign. Panhandling isn’t
dead – it’s gone digital…
23. Extreme Couponing
If you’ve never heard of extreme couponing, check out this lifehack on the subject.
Once you’re versed on the idea, what you have to do is a bit difficult
at first, but it’s a great way to both save and make money: go to
hip2save.com and get a feel for the types of deals that are out there
(both online and in the physical world). Once you’re comfortable with
the process, start searching for the best deals in grocery, retail, and
online shopping. After a month or two of extreme couponing, you’ll have
enough cleaning, hygiene, and food supplies stocked up to save a
noticeable amount of money. Now maybe you don’t need to make as much…?
24. Social Media
No
matter what you do to make money online, promote it on your social
media accounts. You have a base of people who are already interested in
you and have a vested interest in your brand – why would you not want to
take advantage of that? By promoting yourself and your projects on your
social media accounts, you’re greatly increasing the chances of people
actually giving you money in exchange for your goods and services. Stop
being shy and get out there.
Not sure how to overcome shyness? Check out: How to Overcome Shyness at a Party
