7 ways to make money online

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How do you make money online? There are plenty of ways to do it, from selling products or services to offering your knowledge and expertise as an affiliate marketer. The first step, however, is knowing how much money you can actually make with each method and what the potential pitfalls are if you decide to pursue that path rather than another one. That’s where this guide comes in; here are seven ways to make money online, along with their advantages and disadvantages so you can make the best choice for your needs and the goals you want to achieve.

1) Freelancing

One way to earn money online is by freelancing. If you have skills that are in demand, like copywriting, web design, or digital marketing, you can use freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr to find jobs. You can also create a profile on sites like Flexjobs, SolidGigs, Contena, and more to find flexible job opportunities with companies local and abroad. The downside is that freelance work tends to be relatively low paying and part-time. In order to make it worth your while, you’ll need to either score a really high-paying job or garner several smaller ones through a site like Upwork. In fact, Freelance Writing Gigs reported an average $50 per hour for its freelancers—much higher than most other remote positions.

2) Apps & Websites

Making money online isn’t quite as difficult as you may think. If you have some computer skills, you can use these seven sites and apps to make extra money in your spare time. You don’t even need an online business for some of them! Keep reading for more information. I hope that was useful to you! Be sure to check out The Daily Muse's many other career-building articles like: [...]

Best of luck with your side hustle - I hope it is making millions by now! I'd love if you could please leave a comment sharing how things are going.

3) Affiliate Marketing

If you have a way with words and know how to bring visitors in via your writing, affiliate marketing is a great (and flexible) way to make money online. Affiliate marketing works by sending people to a merchant’s site who may or may not buy something, but you get paid for bringing them there anyway. There are no guarantees when it comes to affiliate marketing as commissions vary from merchant to merchant; however, using products like Google AdSense can help boost your earnings considerably. And it costs practically nothing to join these programs!

4) YouTube

There are plenty of ways to make money online by creating YouTube videos. One of the most popular is through YouTube ads and sponsorships, which allow you to monetize your video content by placing ads before, during, or after a video (your choice). There are lots of demographics and interests that can be targeted with different kinds of ads on YouTube. You may only garner pennies per video view, but there are millions of views available on popular topics. If you want to become a video creator for YouTube and make money online, keep in mind that it takes time to build an audience. And unless you already have an established audience, don’t expect people to start flooding to your channel just because you have a high number of views.

5) Digital Products

One popular way to make money online is through digital products—products that exist in digital format (software, ebooks, videos, music) as opposed to physical products like a physical book or CD. You can create your own digital product (like an ebook or software program) or you can sell someone else’s for a commission. Sites like Digital Marketer and Clickbank will help you get started. And, once you’re set up, business comes through word of mouth—when people buy your product and love it, they tell their friends about it too. Building relationships with other bloggers in your niche helps drive more traffic to your site. And finally, putting together great content on a regular basis shows people that you know what you’re talking about.

6) Crowdfunding

Getting money from people isn’t as easy as going door-to-door and asking for donations, but it’s one of the most successful ways of earning online. There are multiple platforms that cater specifically to crowdfunding—check out Kickstarter or Indiegogo if you have a particular project in mind. On these sites, you can offer incentives for different levels of donation; for example, donate $50 and I’ll send you my CD once it comes out might entice fans who would also get exclusive access to songs before their official release date.

7) Dropshipping

This is another great way to make money online. However, before you start thinking about dropshipping, you’ll want to make sure that you have ample capital for your business. Although there are dropshippers who profitably manage their businesses with as little as $100 in startup capital, those who intend on operating a more substantial online store will need closer to $10,000 if they plan on having a legitimate chance at success. What’s great about dropshipping is that it allows you to make money online without ever owning any of your own inventory. If you use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), Amazon will store, pick, pack and ship all of your products - meaning you don't have to get bogged down by having an actual physical location out of which you'll run your business operations.