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Make Money Online: 8 Realistic Ways to Earn From Home

1. Introduction

The common reason usually is to be able to quit their full-time job and concentrate on generating a passive income from online activities. Building an online business does need time and effort, but many of the methods have autopilot or passive systems. For example, with affiliate marketing, after we have a decent traffic and high conversion of sales, we can just leave it for a while and monitor it once or twice a week. With Google AdSense websites, it is said that we only need less than 15 articles to earn a decent income if we can optimize the keyword research and SEO for higher CPC. So, with the income flowing into their bank account with less monitoring time, people will have more time to spend with family and loved ones.

When it comes to making money online, aspiring marketers don't have any issue thinking of why they want to earn a solid income through online activities. The main reason, when asked, is of course to have enough time with family and loved ones. The majority of 9 to 5 workers feel very tired and disappointed with the daily routine from Monday to Friday. Others without a job will find a way to achieve financial freedom for themselves and their families. That's why making money online is always targeted by a lot of people because of the flexibility of time and working area.

1.1. Importance of Making Money Online

First and foremost making money online is important because the cost of living has gone up. Often people can't afford their basic needs with a full-time job so they are looking for other work on the side. This is where making money online comes into play. Often people just want to earn a little extra money just so they can live more comfortably. A second reason why it's important to make money online is that the world is in a recession. People are living in fear that they will be let go from their jobs, that job may not even be there anymore. This is the reality of today's world. When considering making money online, many people are hesitant to attempt anything new considering they are worried if they fail at their new endeavor and become worse off financially. While this is definitely an important factor, there still are many opportunities available for making money online and it should not be ruled out. A third and final reason is retirement. With the way things are going economically, retirement for the youths of today will be non-existent. The government keeps raising the age for pension payouts and who knows if that money will even be there when the time comes. People want to be able to invest in their future so they can retire and live comfortably. Making money online will help give people an opportunity to save some money for when they finish working.

Making money is one of the main objectives that individuals strive to achieve. They try to earn a living through various means to provide for themselves and their families. It is important to make money as it is needed to buy everything and pay for everything. There are many methods to making money, some methods are more effective than others. Nowadays it is common to make money online. The internet in this day and age is booming and there are many ways one can earn a living from the comfort of their own home. Making money online is important. With the way the global economics stand with fuel prices being so expensive, everything is more expensive. It is now more crucial than ever to make the most money you can to survive and be able to spend on luxuries. There are many reasons why one wants to make money online some of the more crucial reasons are listed below.

1.2. Advantages of Online Income Opportunities

The hardest thing in the development of an online business usually is removing some old beliefs. Most people are stuck in a time when a job can only be done from an employer's office or any other place where the company is holding business. Working from home is something that does not fit into most people's image of a "real job". This is a mindset that comes from the industrial revolution. Back then, the only way to make money was to trade time or goods for a fixed wage. At periods of high unemployment, many workers were expendable and replaced with cheaper labor. This cultural shift got people to believe that to make a steady income, you have to have an employer who will trade money for your time. But it's the 21st century now and things are changing. With high-speed internet connections, it is now possible for many people to work online from part-time to full-time income. And with today's job security, working for one employer can be less stable than working for yourself.

One may think that making money online is something of a pipe dream. Trying to make money without a physical job, it just doesn't seem real. However, the number of people who are turning to online work from home is on the rise. This is the beauty of making money online. It's possible for anyone who is willing to put in hard work and learn the methods that are required to succeed. There are many advantages to making money online, and students as well as retired folks can take it up as a part-time job that can earn them extra income.

1.3. Common Misconceptions about Making Money Online

This section seeks to address popular myths about making money online. The first misconception is "making money online is easy". In fact, "easy" money is usually associated with fraud, and these are in abundance on the internet. Scams account for the second popular misconception "you can get rich quick online". While it is possible to amass large fortunes through online work – such as in stock trading or website development – it is unlikely to happen for the beginner. These methods require extensive knowledge and experience. The third and fourth, "it doesn't cost anything to start an online business" and "you don't need to spend a lot of time working at it" are the cause of new business failure for many. All business ventures require an investment, and the more time and effort you devote to it, the more you will get out of it. The misconception that "there is no risk involved in working online" is partially true, but because there is no way to avoid risk in life. It is all too common for people to fail online because they were unwilling to take a risk. Whether it is quitting a day job to start a new online business, taking a loan to grow an existing business, or investing time and money into something with the hope of a greater return, risk is an inevitable life factor. A person needs only to weigh the pros and cons of the risk to determine if it is worth it. Failure occurs when the risk is too great without the hope of a sufficient return. The final myth "only a select few can be successful at earning money online" is defeatist thinking. Success is not a result of special innate qualities, but rather hard work. In the words of 'coolbuddy', "everyone is born with essentially the same raw material, the mind is what sets us apart." The internet is the tool that anyone can use to improve their lives.

2. Freelancing

There are, however, drawbacks to being a freelancer. Freelancers are paid based on the tasks they complete. This means no work, no money. It also means that many freelancers do not have steady income. They might make a few thousand dollars each month and then very little the next. Steady income is also impacted by shortages of available work or periods of multiple jobs to juggle. Without a steady income, freelancers are often forced to tap into savings during an economic downturn or when work is scarce. Another drawback is that there are no benefits provided to freelancers from their clients. It is expected that the freelancer will figure out their own benefits or go without.

This form of job is very different from the traditional job. It has many benefits and drawbacks compared to working for a company. One such benefit is that freelancers can set their own hours of work. They can choose when they work and when they're going to take time off. This can be helpful for people who have other commitments, such as parents. Another benefit is that freelancers have greater self-employment potential. With the right skills and connections, a good freelancer can make a very comfortable living.

Freelancing is essentially a job where a person works for themselves, rather than for a company. The person is employed on a temporary basis to complete specific tasks for clients. Once the job is complete, the person moves onto the next job. Freelancers can work full or part-time. Because there's no employer involved, the freelancers don't have the benefits that come from working for a company. They have to arrange their own healthcare, retirement plans, and pay their own taxes. Freelancers are not considered "employees" by the companies they work for.

2.1. Writing and Editing Services

Writing and editing can make for a great low-stress way to make money online. Aside from remotely editing written copy, a number of individuals who write need focus group participants. Provided you will the public, you could be eligible to write research or creative articles on certain topics for payment. This may not become a regular source of income, but it could add some extra money to your piggy bank. On the other hand, online writing can be a well-paying career. Websites need articles often, and it is the job of freelancers to produce them. What you can expect to be paid can vary greatly based on knowledge of the subject, the target audience, and the level of the article, to name a few. Given the extended hours of work to meet a decent article's pay rate, it may also be good to find work with a company as opposed to sifting through volumes of writing jobs from various sources. While the bulk of available writing and editing work is online, it is still a viable career to explore. Many people who have a way with words are able to make money this way.

2.2. Graphic Design and Digital Art

Graphic designers create visual concepts, by hand or using computer software, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, or captivate consumers. They help to make an organization recognizable by selecting color, images, or logo designs that represent a particular idea or identity to be used in advertising and promotions. Work in this field can be found on popular freelance websites such as freelance.com, elance.com, and oDesk.com. Employers spend around $3,000 to $100,000 dollars for designs. The average pay rate is estimated around $20 to $35 an hour, depending on the employer. However, many successful, high paid graphic designers have been known to earn much more than this amount. In his spare time, Adam has also been known to design art for video games that will be distributed later in the future, "If you can make a video game, you can earn more than enough." and discussing the profit made from art for video games, Adam says, "We're talking about a range from couple thousands to millions." Another digital art related occupation is the activity of producing stock art to be sold. With the ease and popularity of various graphic software over the years, anyone can take a stab at creating art and selling it online for some extra cash. If professional enough, an artist can submit their work to websites like istockphoto.com or deviantart.com and make profit from commission work and donations. Prices may vary for this occupation, seeing as not all stock art is of equal quality. From an article published on Bright Hub, the average pay from submitting stock art on istockphoto.com was about approximately $150 per month. This is definitely a field to consider for the spare time artist looking to make some extra income on a casual basis.

2.3. Virtual Assistance and Administrative Support

The pay for support work varies greatly, but it can be possible to earn $15+ per hour, depending on the specific roles you undertake and your level of expertise. This type of work is often quite stable, but it can take some time to find the quality clients and be earning a high wage. Many roles will also have set hours or only offer a few hours of work per week. It can also take time to find the right opportunity; some of the best positions have come from contacts and previous employment. Overall, these roles are best suited for people who are looking for a stable and long-term position and have some previous experience.

Administrative positions are similar to VA roles, but often serve internal companies instead of individuals. Administrative support jobs may involve you working on and creating spreadsheets, working on special projects, or providing business support. Administrative support will frequently oversee document preparation, file maintenance, and develop reports. Any of these roles could be translated into an online or telecommuting position. A great place to look for these types of jobs would be freelance bidding sites and internet marketing forums. In some cases, you could even move an existing position into a telecommuting situation.

Virtual assistance is a growing field and is popular among people who want to work online. As a virtual assistant, you could work as a secretary, managing correspondence, scheduling and setting up travel arrangements, and making phone calls. You could also manage projects, do some internet marketing, and some companies hire VAs to do data entry as well. The role often does not require you to have a set availability or specific hours, so it can be ideal for people who need a flexible schedule.

2.4. Web Development and Programming

After looking through the eight real ways to make money online, the section "Web Development and Programming" stuck out to me the most. I feel that if I had the expertise in this field, I'd be able to work from home as a web developer or software engineer for a large company. But the ability to do freelance work on the side during my off time could be quite profitable. Many small companies or individuals are looking to set up a web page but do not have the skills to do so. Networking with individuals to develop a core piece of software can also be very profitable. However, you may need to file taxes as if you are running a small business because at that point you are. The most daunting task for somebody getting into this though is getting the first job without having any former clients and are relying on their work to make their hiring seem worthwhile. People Per Hour recommends you to spend a good few hours searching for freelancer jobs and reading every post to find ones that are suited to you and give you the best chance of securing the job. Once you have a good idea of what sort of work is available, it is time to start thinking about your competitive strategy. Remember however, web development can have many faces and not all of them will be profitable (for example working with a CMS/WordPress and pre-made templates). This sort of work will not earn you much money and you will find yourself stuck in the same position desired to move forward. However, the development of web applications, software, and custom websites can lead to highly profitable jobs. This being said, the job can be quite stressful as you will be working alone, needing to motivate yourself to meet strict deadlines and keep work organized. Overall, any work or experience gained in web development will help improve your programming abilities and put forth greater opportunity into expanding into other fields such as digital marketing, PPC advertising, or SEO. While the initial phase of finding clients and jobs may be difficult, it can be very profitable with determination and hard work.

3. Online Surveys and Market Research

Participating in paid surveys online can be a good way for you to earn some extra cash. Some people hold the opinion that these types of opportunity are a complete scam. There are documented cases of people who were never compensated for their work, however this is not the norm. The reason these surveys exist is to aid companies, particularly those in the consumer goods industry, in the development of the products or services. The information gained from these surveys is vital in determining what types of products will be developed in the future. In return for your time, you will be rewarded with cash, gift certificates, or other types of products. It's best to do some research on the company that you're considering doing surveys for. Try to find out information from other people who have worked for them in the past. See if you can find out if they were compensated and if it was a decent amount. Time vs. payout is very important here. Some surveys will compensate with very little money, and some may pay out a lot. Usually, a survey valued at $1.00 for 10 minutes of your time would be considered a decent payout, but of course, you would want to do better than that. The demographics that you fit will determine the types of surveys you will be able to do. It's not uncommon after a series of prequalification questions to be told that you do not fit the survey. In cases like this, you will be compensated with a few points or entries into a sweepstakes. You may want to avoid the annoyance and not bother with the survey at all. If you can find a steady stream of surveys that you will be able to qualify for, it's a good way to make a bit of extra cash. Joining online focus groups can give you the opportunity to express your views on many different topics while earning money. These groups are similar to the surveys in the information that is sought, but the format is usually more interactive. You will be given the chance to voice your opinion on some topic in a discussion board, and at times may be asked to work on some sort of task. An example of this could be sorting a batch of given statements in order of how effective you feel they are in conveying some opinion, and providing suggestions on how to change them. For your time in these groups, you may be compensated with cash or various different types of products. Building up a repertoire with a few different companies that offer these groups will enhance your chance of a good stream of continuous work.

3.1. Participating in Paid Surveys

However, it can be difficult to find good survey sites, of which there are two reasons for this. Firstly, there are many sites where you can spend 30 minutes filling in a survey only to find out that you haven't actually earned any money because the company has filled its quota of responses. This can be very frustrating, and it's difficult to discern which sites are guilty of this until you've actually spent time filling out a survey. The best way to find good survey sites is through a reputable survey aggregator site that compiles a list of legitimate online survey providers. This will normally involve a free sign-up and account, a confirmation email, and then you're good to go! The second reason is that because of the profitability of the market research industry, there are many disreputable survey sites that exist purely to sell your personal details to third-party marketing firms. Although it is worth noting that this is not such a significant problem, and such sites are easily avoided with the use of a survey aggregator.

Paid online surveys are a great way to make some quick cash. Due to the explosion of the internet, businesses are now able to conduct their market research remotely, thus a huge number of online market research companies have sprung up. These companies are prepared to pay for your views on various products and services. Unlike many other methods of making money, this can be done in your spare time, and the hours are incredibly flexible. A survey that takes 30 mins to complete can fetch anywhere between £2-5. It's not unheard of for a student to do a few surveys in an evening to earn a little extra cash.

3.2. Joining Online Focus Groups

Focus groups are a powerful way to earn cash in a short space of time. They are always on the lookout for new participants, and usually you will be asked to take a product of some description home and complete a set of tasks and questions, and/or be part of an online community forum. An example of a task could be anything from an online diary for a set period, to taking photos or maybe keeping a Twitter diary of your thoughts and feelings on a particular product. These are interesting and fun projects on behalf of major brands. The pay is usually very good relative to the time and commitment required. It is possible to get anything from £30 to £100 for an hour a week over a few weeks—obviously relative to the length of time you are required to take part in the project. Due to the nature of the task, focus groups are often a bit hard to come by but prove popular once found. The best way of getting involved is to register with some market research companies. They act as a middleman connecting those wanting to conduct research with the participants. Due to the often sporadic nature of focus groups and the relatively high rate of pay, there is a chance you may only hear back from the companies once every few months—but if you can make it a regular income source, it is definitely worth it.

3.3. Testing and Reviewing Products

Companies are always seeking performance feedback, and with products such as electronics and computer software, they typically need beta testers. Beta testers are people who keep products after testing them and give feedback about any aspect of the product to the corresponding company. With most beta testing, you get a free product to keep and will also be provided with information on when to assume your testing and when to provide your feedback. There are also many websites which cater to those seeking to provide various types of feedback on products. It is possible to make money with product reviews through Upwork in the writing category. Sometimes product review writers will also be sent a product for their own personal testing and review. Similar to other types of writing gigs, there are a variety of product review writing assignments which can be found on Upwork. However, there are also independent agent type positions with some PR companies. As all reviews are opinion-based, this type of work will be less restricted compared to other writing assignments.

4. E-commerce and Online Selling

In summary, when choosing e-commerce and online selling as a method to make money, the best results will come from considerable upfront investment of cash and time (often months to years). While the potential financial returns are great, always consider the risk of wasting a great deal of time and money with a failed venture. Never jump into anything too quickly - always plan and research before taking the plunge.

Selling handmade or vintage items can be a fun and rewarding way to earn some extra cash. The online marketplace Etsy has risen in popularity over the years and has proven to provide a viable income for artists or crafty folk. Etsy is an e-commerce based site that is focused on small-time sellers who are selling their creative or crafty products. The selling fees are reasonable and the product you're selling will likely already be made and simply requires a listing – so much easier than dealing with complex inventory and shipping logistics. The downside is that it might not bring in a huge amount of money, which could be off-putting for some. Time investment versus payout is a key factor to consider when doing this type of work.

Dropshipping and Fulfillment by Amazon are often recommended as easier methods for the budding entrepreneur. While these methods are surely easier than the upfront inventory model, they do come with their own set of challenges. With dropshipping, you will effectively act as a middleman for a wholesaler or manufacturer of the product. You will make your money through the price difference between what you buy at and what you sell at. Your job is to create a compelling website, then advertise said website effectively. If this is done correctly, the business owner could potentially make a great deal of money with very little effort. However, affiliate marketing would effectively require the same amount of effort for potentially much less money. Dropshipping done wrong can be an absolute money pit.

Choosing to sell online can prove to be the best route for someone who is looking to start their own business. The benefits of selling online are starting to far outweigh the benefits of selling through a traditional store. You can reach a global audience with a very small investment, provide a service that is in great demand, work from the comfort of your home, set your own hours, and build a brand without a huge expense. This type of business can be started on a tight budget. All you really need is a computer and an internet connection. If you already have that, then your costs will only go towards inventory, starting a website (a necessity), and possibly some internet marketing.

Starting an online store is a boon to entrepreneurs who want to quit their day job and reclaim their lives. No matter how rewarding your full-time job may be, finding the right online business ideas and eventually becoming fully self-employed is even more meaningful than great pay and solid benefits.

4.1. Starting an Online Store

Understand the pros and cons of starting an online store. Before you invest the time in learning how to start an online store, you must know the potential upsides and downsides of starting an online business and whether it is right for you. Starting an online business isn't much different from starting a traditional business. For example, when you start a retail business, you must have a shop to sell your products in. Starting a retail business requires a shop, and you'll need to spend rent money every month from the day you start your business. The same thing applies to starting an online shop. When you start an online shop, you'll need to spend money on a website. Websites will need to be hosted on a server, which you can purchase from a web hosting company. When you have your website hosted, this will make it much easier for your potential customers to find your business. An excellent web hosting package will give you an online shop website template. This is something you'll need! If you don't have experience in HTML or PHP, these store templates can come in handy. They save costs and time because you won't have to design one from scratch. Now, online shops can sell many different types of products and services. So you will need to decide what you're planning to sell and market these products to a worldwide market. Thanks to online stores, it's possible to take your products to an international market. But I'll get more on this subject later on.

4.2. Dropshipping and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)

Dropshipping and fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) are both great models for people who are looking to start earning money through e-commerce with as little investment as possible. They work by selling goods to the customer, which will be shipped to them from the manufacturer. As you do not have to put any money into purchasing the products, starting stock is great for individuals who are looking to build their own brand such as Alibaba. 10% of internet entrepreneurs are currently employing the method of dropshipping, this is with good reason. At no extra cost, storage can be left to the manufacturer, and you only purchase an item once you have made a sale, essentially you are paid before you have to buy stock. The only problem with this method is that it can be hard to find a reliable manufacturer, most good manufacturers can be found at trade shows or by attending the manufacturer's home country. Hitting a brick wall with finding a good manufacturer can be off-putting and discouraging, many quit at the research stage. With this info still in mind, Fulfillment by Amazon involves finding high demand, low quality products and making a bulk purchase at a heavily reduced price. There are many pitfalls with this method; the main one is occasionally you will find a product with ideal potential but it lacks sales due to a poor listing. When this inevitably occurs, it is tempting to brand the product as your own ability to amend the listing data, this is ill-advised and usually results in closure of your FBA account. The results that bring success, such as the example the Amazon FBA Guy reported on when he took an interest in baby products. He sourced a teething toy which was ranking poorly for the keywords, around 10 units were going unsold for a few months and the only reason he discovered the product was from his own search of baby product ideas. His speculation on the item led to him purchasing 30 units, this move of $120 was to save him from stock which would swarm his house and to remind him of a defining moment in this account. Subsequent to this move, he included the teething toy with a baby product bundle and let to sale of the 10 units within a week. Step two involved a PPC to further the product's visibility and this combo sales method brought greater demand for the product, leading to sales of 8-15 units per day at a steady rate. This two sell a three lot left the Amazon FBA guy feeling like he'd hit the jackpot and he did. A 3.4-3.5x ROI left him to repeat the purchasing and selling process of this product then to search for similar products to further his revenue.

4.3. Selling Handmade or Vintage Items

During a visit to an ancient showdown gaming site, he was stood up to with feedback on a logo he made and figured a few shuffled attempts at doing work for the specialty gaming society. With half broken French and an interwoven plan of continuing on, he advertised a degree of work for a current issue rate in acceptable products. An un-shown brandishing refreshes project and a fortitude in ideas for achievement drove him to wind up in a line of work offering remarkable quality for the pay at group subsidized MMO. He with popular webcasts drum down to bring speculation pay for his specialty market.

A field test shows handy a hypothetical model. Joe was battling to bring in cash doing different types of graphical plan that basically clashed with his standards. Constantly despondent with the nature of the results, he'd effectively release the task oversimplified an excessive amount of exertion versus the compensation, just for the standard task to reoccur at a critical rate.

Crafted works frequently don't sell rapidly and in huge amounts. It will take persistence to discover clients. So as to hide the long haul expenses and raise assets as needed, it's ideal to save some assortment of part-time work. High rarity and low inalienable cost in the specific thing being sold can prompt surprising occasions.

Making and selling handcrafted things online frequently requires using one sort of site or another. Etsy is one well known spot to sell things of shifting in vogue levels, situating toward lower esteem mainstream things that are more "artisan." Etsy likewise makes it simple to make and oversee listings for different items. There are different spots to sell specialty things. There are claim to fame stores that lone sell things of a specific sort, and there are even weblogs and conversations that serve both as socially engaged scenes and deal focuses for specialty producers at varying levels of easygoing and polished methodology.

Making handcrafted or vintage items is a brilliant approach to profit. Above all else, it's a imaginative outlet. Second, it's an approach to decrease the utilization of unsatisfactory items. Third, it promotes "localism." A makeover example moving back to the good 'ol days was the cycle of getting together with companions in a casual, loose air, sans purchasing something expendable and mainstream, and they'd talk insight (during a period where individuals believed they had a perspective deserving of thought), with or without disputable subjects, instead of now trusting that a few seconds of shallow discussion will occur in the middle of "buy" and "sell-up".

Selling Handmade or Vintage Items

4.4. Affiliate Marketing

If you have a very large and broad target audience, then Amazon is the way to go - it offers the largest selection of products out of any affiliate program. Simone, at Do it Yourself Crafts, has a great site that has an extensive amount of content on crafting, many of which she is doing through video. She has an Amazon banner at the top and my understanding is that she makes a couple of hundred per month just off of that.

If you enjoy the work of marketing, this can be a very lucrative way to make money. Many affiliate marketers earn $5,000 - $10,000 per month. Ebooks are an ongoing source of revenue for affiliate marketers. Ebooks can be a great way to create a passive income, whether the ebook is self-published by you or written by another author - you can create an ongoing source of income. Ebooks aren't the only product that you can promote to make an ongoing income, courses are another great example.

Affiliate marketing is a process in which a person earns a commission for marketing another company's products. The person searches for a product they enjoy, then promotes that product and earns a piece of the profit from each sale they make. The sales are tracked via affiliate links from one website to another.