Just three to five years ago, making money online might sound like something you could never do or seem like a distant world. The thought of being able to work from anywhere might not even enter your idea of reality. However, with ever-expanding technology and global communication, it’s already becoming an everyday occurrence among people who prefer a more flexible lifestyle.
In fact, the gig economy, as they call the method of taking freelance jobs to make money online, is recently unstoppable. Staying home? Social distancing? The pandemic made millions turn to freelance work.
Moreover, it’s possible to sell almost anything online these days. If you have some excellent photos in your digital camera or smartphone, you can make money by selling them online. You can even sell your skills online. Are you the type of person who loves to talk? You can monetize that as well!
If you’ve been thinking about trying to make extra money online for a while now but don’t exactly know which gig is right for you, then this post is for you. Here are the different ways to earn money through the Internet:
- Joining Survey Websites And Taking Surveys
Did you know that you can earn money while relaxing in your home and sipping coffee by taking online surveys?
Thousands of people are earning extra cash by simply joining survey sites, like Prize Rebel. Like most other survey websites, Prize Rebel’s great offer is anything between one dollar to over USD$30 for completing a single survey. For some people, it may seem meager. However, it’s possible to earn extra money if you take several surveys each day.
Survey sites will immediately let you complete surveys, and you’ll get paid once you already have a profile with them. It’s easy to create or build your profile on their website–it’ll only take seconds to do it. Based on the choices and preferences you’ve indicated in your profile, they’ll then match you to a specific survey that’s suited for you.
Moreover, most survey websites allow you to get e-gift cards after each survey or redeem your points in your PayPal account right away. So, getting paid is extremely easy.
- Putting Some Advertisements On Your Smartphone’s Lock Screen
If you have an Android smartphone, try lock screen apps that pay you for letting them put ads on your lock screen. It’s an easy way to get some passive income.
All you have to do is watch advertisements. You can do it by unlocking your phone several times a day. You’re sure to make a bit of extra money every day as long as you open your device.
- Renting Out Some Of The Stuff You Own
Does your car sit in your garage most of the time? Why not make extra income out of it? With the power of the Internet, you can rent out your car for some extra cash. Some apps even allow you to earn extra cash by letting other people park in your vacant parking space.
You can also rent out a bike that you rarely use or a spare one. It’s possible to rent out practically every stuff you have these days. If you want to, you can even rent out some of your shirts, accessories, shoes, and handbags.
If you have an entire room in your home that nobody’s using, Airbnb connects you with short-term guests who are willing to pay for using your room or your whole house.
- Doing ‘Buy And Sell’ Of Domain Names
Buying and selling domain names seldom cross the minds of people who are looking for ways to earn online. However, it can be a pretty lucrative option.
The profitability of buying and selling website domain names depends if you own a good-quality domain name and how you promote it to potential buyers. Of course, your pricing strategy will also be a factor.
- Dropshipping
A traditional store, whether it’s online or a brick-and-mortar one, requires you to store products, maintain inventories, hire employees, and more. The entire process isn’t only expensive but also tedious.
However, with the e-commerce model–dropshipping–you can sell products online without the hassle associated with traditional order fulfillment. Hence, you don’t need to spend money on courier services or shipping technology. It’s also possible to operate without hiring a team to help you run the business.
Here’s how the business model works:
- Partner with a dropshipping supplier or item manufacturer for your products.
- Upload pictures of the products you’re trying to sell on your e-commerce website and indicate their prices.
- The customer buys a product through your website and pays you online. You’ll then forward the order to your dropshipping supplier or the manufacturer you’ve partnered with. You can keep a margin of the sale amount for yourself, and the rest goes to your partner.
- The dropshipping company or the supplier will complete the order on your behalf by delivering the product to the customer.
Dropshipping basically allows you to make a profit out of a product even without holding it physically.
- Becoming A Virtual Assistant (VA)
Offering virtual assistant services is perfect for those who want to become their own bosses. It’s also a great way for stay-at-home mothers to earn money from home.
As a virtual assistant (VA), you have to prepare for clients’ assistance requests–from the most mundane tasks to the zany ones like data entry, research, making reservations, customer services calling, and more. There’s no limit to what work virtual assistants can do these days. Successful VAs even manage their own teams and outsource tasks to other virtual assistants.
- Blogging
Blogging has become a popular work-from-anywhere profession. However, it’s not for everyone, certainly not for the fainthearted.
A blogger is more than just a writer; they’re also a business owner. Of course, a blog owner will do their share of writing. However, a large part of a blogger’s time also goes to doing things to attract readership and traffic, including networking with other bloggers and posting on both other bloggers’ blogs and yours.
Now, the question is, how does someone make money with blogging? There are many ways to monetize a blog. The first way is by selling space on your blog to advertisers. If you want to, you can also sell products on your website. As bloggers grow and start making more money at blogging, they hire writers and editors to help create content.
- Freelance Writing
By using your writing skills, taking on writing projects is another popular way of earning money online. There are many ways you can do to get started with it–you can either build a portfolio of your work and wait for clients to come to you or directly reach out to websites or publications.
The more proactive a freelance writer is, the more successful one might become. You can secure authority in a given topic or field as you start building a name for yourself by completing more and more writing projects.
If you’re planning to dip your toes in the freelance writing waters, here are some tips to ponder:
- Showcase your work by building a portfolio of your sample writing. One way to go about it is by creating a portfolio website or your own blog.
- Contribute work to other people’s blogs or some publication sites. However, it’s essential to do your homework before identifying where to submit an article or before pitching for your services. Don’t forget to find out more details about the editor, the topics the website or blog covers, and why it would be a good fit for your writing style or niche.
- When sending your pitch, focus on your unique POV (point of view) as a writer. Emphasize the reason/s why you think your ideas are relevant to what the publication is trying to achieve.
- Video Editing
Writers aren’t the only ones who can make extra money online for their creative talents. People with video editing skills are also in demand–whether it’s for an on-going contract or a single project.
Videographers not only help with editing but also with storyboarding and filming. Today, just about everyone or every business organization needs help with their videos. That being said, broaden your scope when looking for gigs. Don’t only consider brands and publications, but also consider fellow creators, influencers, and social teams for projects where you can use your skills and get paid.
- Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketers promote a product by recommending it to others to purchase. This is an excellent way to earn money online because affiliate marketing is possible on any platform–you can do it on your YouTube channel, your social media profiles, or your website.
You’ll then earn a share of the total profit, which is also known as a commission, if a user buys a product that you’ve promoted or recommended.
- Uploading Videos On A YouTube Channel
Many people now have a YouTube channel because video content is now more popular than ever. Making videos based on your interests can now be a side hustle, too. Successful YouTubers have even made it their profession.
If you upload engaging videos and get more subscribers to your channel, you can start monetizing it. You can make money from YouTube using a direct promotion method and AdSense, among others. Brands will also reach out for paid sponsorships and promotions if you already have a big following.
- Making An Online Course
Creating an online course is perfect for people who have spent years of their lives establishing expertise, crafting a niche, and amassing knowledge.
Translating what you know into a course is a fantastic way to make money online and share a passion. One can charge a premium with online courses. However, be prepared to spend time creating lessons and learning materials, such as videos, quizzes, and downloadable notes.
Final Thoughts
Those are the proven ways to make extra money online. However, the list in this post is only the beginning. There are still tons of new methods to earn money online, especially with the continued technological advancement and expansion of the Internet’s influence on people’s everyday lives.
With enough time and hard work, it’s possible to turn these side gigs into a very profitable full-time business or income source.
