12 Jul How to Make Money Online: A Comprehensive Guide

Have you heard all of the great stories about the online world, and how anyone can make a lot of money? Then, you are in the right place, as this article is going to explore the different ways in which you can earn money.

This is not another one of those pieces that will tell you that it is easy and that you are going to become rich overnight. On the contrary, each of the methods will require a lot of hard work and dedication in order to start making high figures over time.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the options that the online world has for you.

Freelancing

During the past decade, the freelancing world has greatly expanded, and numerous freelancing platforms were created. This has enabled millions of people around the globe to find different types of work. Freelancing platforms are the go-to choice for those who want to work from home, because employers are looking for people with a wide range of skills and there is a lot of freedom involved.

What skills do you need to earn money on freelancing websites?

• Content writing – Writing is practical skill which a native English speaker can easily dig into. The skill is required as businesses often require product descriptions, blog posts on variety of topics, all for better ranking in the search engine’s search results pages. Additionally, there are those who only need proofreading or copywriting skills, which makes your language skills practical to higher number of employers.Becoming a great writer takes a lot of time, as employers’ tastes vary greatly, making it harder to maintain a high ranking. However, by respecting your client’s wishes, you will be able to climb the ladder and become a successful content creator.

• Photo and video editing – Plenty of people need photo or video editing for the line of work they are in, but they are either too busy to do it themselves or don’t have the skills. If you are skilled with photo and video editing, you will be able to find great paid opportunities.
• Web design – Since every business nowadays needs a website, web design is always required to make the website look amazing. If you have any knowledge and experience with web design, you will be able to find an abundance of projects to work on, as new businesses are started every single day.
• Sound production – If you are skilled in audio creation and audio editing software, you will be pleased to know that there are people looking for different types of sound artists. Game development studios are often using for sound artists to create a variety of effects for their games. Sound is needed in variety of projects so, if you love working with music, you might be able to find some projects online.
• Online marketing – People who are seriously looking for ways to improve their ecommerce business or any other type of online business require skillful online marketing experts. This skill is very practical, as employers are usually incapable of following all the latest online marketing trends. This occurs because there are plenty of changes in the marketing world every year. Therefore, if your specialty includes online marketing, there are plenty of projects you will be able to find on freelancing networks.
• Coding – This is a particularly valuable skill as there is a great demand for coders on the market today. No matter the area of your coding expertise, you will be able to find plenty of work to do, as most business owners need front and back-end developers, as well as mobile app developers. Therefore, if you have any knowledge in this specific area, get on the market, as finding high-paid work is going to be easy.
• Data entry – Even if you are not skilled with any of the above things, many employers need help with data entry, as it can be a tedious process. You might not be able to earn a living with this job, but you can make some extra money in your free time. It is a great way to build up those positive ratings while you are working on acquiring other skills that will get you better job offers.
• Virtual assistant – This is a very popular option for many business owners, as it is a much cheaper alternative. Due to the fact that communication is very easy, chances of being hired as a virtual assistant are much higher than they were in the past. This is a great opportunity be get a remote full-time job.These are only some of the skills that you can put to good use on freelancing websites. It is important to note that different websites focus on different types of skills. For example, Fiverr is perfect for small projects that will enable you to earn a quick buck offering virtually any service you can think of.

On the other hand, UpWork is has an abundance of serious employers seeking skillful workers from different lines of work. If you are strictly focused on graphic design, getting registered on 99designs will allow you to find those who only need these types of services.

Finding work online is made much easier now so, if you think that you have the skills people might need, learn what the best freelancing websites are and get to work. You will be surprised with how much work you could do, and the amount of money you could earn.

Website or blog creation

For many people, creating a website might be the perfect way to earn money. Of course, there are different types of websites you can make, and each of them carries a different type of revenue.

But to make it all work, it is necessary to create top notch content for website visitors. Therefore, from the moment you start thinking about the website, think about the niche you are going to choose.

For example, if you are into fashion, you should start a blog about fashion. If you are into technology, there are plenty of things you can write about. Practically, there is an endless choice of things you could write about. Whatever you choose, it is essential to create content that people are going to find useful.

Now, this method sounds easy, but to get some decent traffic on your website, it is necessary to invest at least a year of activity. This is a long period of time, therefore, this should start out as a hobby, as it is going to allow you to test the potential of the whole endeavor. When it comes to earning money, there are a couple of monetization principles you could follow:

• Ad revenue – Having enough traffic for high ad revenue is quite challenging. It is most appropriate for websites that feature plenty of news, or interesting topics that people can find useful. You should always include ads on your website, as it will let you benefit from the number of visits. However, make sure that the ads do not interfere with the content of your website.
• Ebook selling – This revenue model is perfect for websites that sell some sort of information to its visitors. For example, you can run an online marketing website with a rich blog. However, for the visitors to see some practical examples of marketing techniques mentioned on your blog, they need to get an ebook. The same goes for any other type of skill, such as writing, photography, graphic design etc.
• Affiliate marketing – Affiliate marketing is a perfect revenue model for websites which conduct product reviews. This will point your visitors to websites which pay you for every sale that is made through your website. However, to make a lot of money from this model, it is also necessary to establish high traffic on your website.
• Merchandise selling – If you manage to turn your website into an online brand, you can easily create merchandise with its logo. It can become a great passive income source for your business. However, achieving this goal is very difficult, as it is necessary to have a very strong community of people behind your brand.

As you can see, starting a website offers a lot of revenue opportunities, these are only some of them. There are plenty of other revenue models which are specific for some websites. Therefore, if you have a passion about something, start a blog, you cannot even imagine where it might all lead.

Application production

Okay, so you have plenty of coding experience and a couple of friends from college with some time on their hands? You should consider making a couple of mini-games for either Android or iOS platforms. Many people think that you need to invest millions in making a great game, but there have been many instances when games made by a single person became a massive success.

If you are thinking about this method, you should focus more on quantity than quality, as you never know what the audience might like. If you notice a higher number of installs for a particular game, you can focus on actively improving it. This method also takes a lot of time, but carries a great potential, as it can result in you selling games or at least making some revenue from the ads.

You don’t have to make just games, there are plenty of useful applications you could make. Take a closer look at what the competition has to offer, and try to build a better app; lots of people might like it, bringing you and your team thousands of downloads per day.

Once the app is on the store, learn as much as you can about app promotion; it will help you speed up the process of getting those first downloads.

YouTube video making

An increasing number of people want to become a YouTuber. The reason for this lies in the fact that it is possible to make money doing the things you love. When it comes to revenue, choices are fairly similar to that of running a website.

As video content is becoming more popular every year, becoming a YouTube creator is a promising career. However, to attract a broad audience, it is necessary to work professionally and offer people something educative, entertaining or informational. Therefore, if you believe that you have something you could share with the world, starting a YouTube channel should definitely be on your list.

The process of gaining subscribers is long, but very awarding.

Book writer

Being a writer was exclusive to people who could make the deal with various types of book publishers. The whole process was painstaking, which resulted in fewer number of people being able to share their thoughts with the world. With the popularization of Amazon Kindle Store and their Kindle devices, people can now easily publish their work and receive revenue from it.

Now, you don’t have to have the skills to write a full blown epic novel, or the a breathtaking new  science fiction story. You can simply write guides, short stories, fiction, marketing guides, language teaching books or practically any other type of book you want, and get paid for it.

Don’t expect to have many sales when you begin, but once you have published multiple books, you can start to expect some revenue, which will add up well in the long run. It all depends on how dedicated you are, and whether the content you are making is something people are willing to pay money for.

Image selling

Photographers and graphic designers were pretty limited only a couple of decades ago. They mostly work in local areas. The only way to work globally is to get into a serious TV company that would let you travel while working.

However, as there are plenty of stock photography websites out there, it is possible to share your work with all the people around the world. The same goes for your video skills. These websites are becoming increasingly popular, attracting a high number of customers.

It is a great way to make use of your photos. Start building up your online portfolio. It will begin as a great way to earn a passive income, and over time, as your portfolio starts counting thousands of images, it may become your primary source of revenue. Like all the abovementioned methods, it is important to stay persistent.

Game streaming

This category is great for those who really love spending time playing games. Even though it sounds easy, it takes a lot of time to become a streamer with a thousand active viewers. This choice is also best for those who have some entertainment spirit in them and for people who love to make others laugh. The mixture of picking the right game, and being a positive and entertaining person will let you grow your audience, which can at one point become your primary method of earning money online.

Online teacher

Everyone thinks that being a teacher never paid well. Well, the times have changed. If your passion is teaching, you will be pleased to learn that you can create online courses which can reach millions of people.

Popular learning websites such as Udemy are perfect places for creating different types of courses for people around the globe. However, to achieve the best results, you need to set the right price tag next to your quality content. Remember that you are reaching out to thousands globally, so optimise your price well to remain competitive.

Once you have a couple of courses set up, you can expect more people to start finding you. Also, adding a website that will link to your courses is a great way to attract more people and increase revenue.

These are currently the most popular ways of making money online. There are plenty of other ways you can choose. No matter which choice you make, it is crucial to remember that the whole process takes a lot of time. Therefore, stay persistent and work hard, the great results will come later on.

A great way to make it work is to start the whole adventure as a hobby, making a slow shift as the revenue starts increasing.