If you are like any other red-blooded person, you dream of a life of leisure and joy. A life full of wealth and financial means instead of stress, bills, and almost endless fear of an impending financial collapse. However, achieving what we have termed financial freedom is not an easy task. Yes, many have tried, but few have succeeded.
Still, the path to happiness and success is open to any man or woman out there. There is the possibility for every person, regardless of age, skin color, religious beliefs, current economic situation, education, or other, to earn an income online and to earn a considerable amount of money.
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Be aware of the scam
From that “urgent” email from a wealthy Nigerian prince who claims to have a fortune with our names on it to the blaring online video from the newest sprawling internet marketer who vows we can get rich with his system all the way to the late-night infomercial that tempts us to try a simple system that countless others got rich with, we’ve seen pretty much everything, haven’t we?
Thanks to technologies such as smartphones, social media, and the Internet, there is no longer a shortage of people trying to cheer on their offers at every turn. While the web has given us virtually limitless opportunities to improve our lives, it has also spawned some unsavory characters who are more interested in extracting dollars from us than in helping us make them.
It is clear that making money online is not an easy task. If that were the case, the world would be filled with far more so-called dot-com millionaires. If it really was that easy to get rich in life by clicking a few buttons, typing a few lines of code, and shooting several dozen emails, don’t you think more people would do it?
The harsh reality and truth is, that in order to make significant amounts of money online, you need to deliver real value. You need to contribute something meaningful to the world rather than looking for ways to achieve instant wealth and abundance. It definitely doesn’t happen overnight. And it doesn’t do this by signing up for an internet marketer’s “proven” system. It happens slowly and painfully over time.
The two biggest problems that most people struggle with are disinformation and misinformation.
- They are misinformed about how easy it is to make money online by being falsely tricked into buying a system that will help them become what is known as an Internet Million.
- You are misinformed about what it takes to reach the masses without breaking the bank. What it really takes to reach the masses is pre-established authority and age on each website.
Put simply, you can’t just blog and expect to be at the top of Google with a secret, stealthy system that will help you generate hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. That’s not how it works. It requires more and more intense effort, which is exercised consistently over time.
You have to deliver real value that people benefit from. It takes an almost altruistic attitude to do most of the work for the lowest initial return. If you’ve come across a system that virtually guarantees you will get rich, check it out before you hook into the hype.
What does it take to make money online today?
So what does it actually take to make a lot of money online today? While many like the hype, there are hordes of others who have been despised. They set their hopes and made their expected financial fortune dependent on the supposed success of those internet marketers who sold them a system that would make them rich.
No. No. I’m sorry your bladder burst, but it just doesn’t work that way. It takes real sweating to make serious money online. Well, I’m not saying anything is wrong with the internet marketing field. There is nothing wrong with helping others make money online.
The room is filled with some legitimate people who have a genuine desire to help others create real value. The problem? They are too few and far between. And even those who sincerely try to help you make money are still trying to siphon a lot of hard-earned money from you.
That doesn’t mean you can’t legitimately make money online. It just means that you have to analyze things with a fine comb. Allow me to help you look beyond the hype and the pizzas. But this article is more than just that. This article is a serious look at how to make money online today. This is a definitive guide to analyze, extract, and track the method that is right for you.
It’s not easy to make serious money online.
I’m not sitting here telling you it’s going to be easy. It’s going to be really difficult. Sometimes you might kick and yell in frustration, wondering when it will ever happen. The difference between those who succeed in any type of online venture and those who fail is those who have cloud-nine dreams of lightning-fast internet wealth. It could be because of all of these supposed experts out there promoting these overnight systems, or it could just be our general desire for instant gratification.
We want what we want when we want it, don’t we? Isn’t that why we as a culture are so impatient? Isn’t that why we have fast-food places on every corner? Isn’t that why we ask for immediate service before we move our business elsewhere? Isn’t that why we’re complaining when we can’t get through as quickly as possible? Yes, it is for sure. We are simply a by-product of our own culture and society.
Still, if you are serious about making money online, you need to change your thinking. You can’t think of days or weeks. Rather, you have to think in terms of months and years. This is not an overnight expedition or something that you will get to quickly. We are talking about a long and very tedious journey that appeals to every fiber of your being and will consume you on every imaginable level of your time and energy.
OK. OK. So enough of the red flags. Enough of the warning words. Let’s look at what it really takes. In this guide, I am going to introduce you to several different ways you can really make money online. It’s definitely not that simple. Sure, you can make a few dollars, or even a few hundred dollars, selling your used electronics on eBay, for example, but that won’t get you rich.
What is passive income?
Before we go any further, let’s talk about the difference between active and passive income. That distinction will be paramount to your ability to produce serious capital on the web. So what is passive income? Passive income, if you didn’t already know, is income that is earned automatically. It doesn’t require a lot of maintenance once this income stream is created. However, in the beginning, it takes an enormous amount of effort to establish this income stream.
Active income takes your time, and you can only produce as much money as your time allows. For example, a doctor or lawyer who charges high hourly or consultation fees and makes exorbitant amounts of money will be suffocated by the time they have in a day. We all have the same 24 hours. No one on this earth gets more time than the other. It is the greatest balance in life. When the time you work is directly related to your income, it is known as active income.
Understand active income
With active income, you are actively working to earn these wages. So if you work for someone else and earn an hourly wage, or have clients and work for yourself, you are still engaged in active income. However, if something should happen to your ability to work, for example, you could not earn any income. This could be anything from an injury to an illness or illness, and everything in between, if you can’t work, you can’t earn.
Still, most of the world is engaged in active income. People work to make money. If they don’t work, they don’t earn anything. However, there is almost no chance of getting rich or making any significant amount of money if you rely solely on active income. Don’t get me wrong now. It is possible. People do this by slowly saving and investing over the course of 30 or 40 years, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.
If you are serious about making money online, you need residual income. Your income needs to come automatically so that you can use the precious time you have to generate more streams of income that you pay for on autopilot. This is the holy grail of income-generating activities. It’s not easy to do, so I’m not going to sit here trying to offend your intelligence. It requires a huge amount of effort and very little financial gain to start with.
However, over time, nothing beats passive income. No matter what sacrifices you have to make, if you focus on passive income, your future money-making self will thank you. So what are some examples of passive income?
- Property Rentals – This clearly requires some capital to get set up. It is by no means easy. But it’s passive income. Renting out real estate brings you automatic monthly income. It does require some maintenance, for example when a problem occurs and repairs are required. But it is still considered passive income.
- Dividend Stocks – Dividends are a great source of passive income because they are paid out on a regular basis. While you need to own a significant amount of stocks to make any significant income, if you have money this is a great way to invest it.
- Blog, YouTube, or website ads (e.g. Google AdSense) – This of course requires a lot less upfront capital, but it takes a lot of skill and time to build both age and authority. However, this will only really generate significant revenue once you have reached tens of thousands of visitors or views per day.
- Book and Audiobook Sales (ex. Kindle and ACX) – This passive source of income gives you the opportunity to make money online much faster than starting a blog and making money from advertising or affiliate sales. However, it requires skill and knowledge or an enormous willingness to research and make efforts.
- Automated Drip Campaigns Through Email Marketing – Email marketing also takes a lot of time to generate an income. You need to build and establish authority first, then get thousands of people to sign up on your email list, and only then can you market and make an income. Think in years here.
- ATMs and Vending Machines – This requires a little upfront investment and sales skills. You need to buy the machines and then sign contracts to place these machines in different destinations depending on the traffic. Still, with this passive income stream, you can be up and running relatively quickly.
- Online Courses – Creating an online course is a great way to make money online, but don’t expect to get rich with it. As with anything else, there is a lot of competition here, with many people vying for the attention of others when trying to sell their courses. Quality counts here. Likewise, the need to deliver great value.
Ways To Make Money Online Today
Okay, passive income is where it belongs. It will obviously allow you to scale things up and make a lot more money. But it’s not going quickly. However, most people can’t afford the upfront investments to get started with things like real estate, dividend stocks, or ATMs and vending machines. Because of this, they need to turn to digital ways of generating income.
Well, it doesn’t mean you have to make money online with passive income. Passive income should be something you are constantly working towards, but you also need to have an active income. There are several ways you can actively make money using your time on the web. Here you are.
# 1 – Graphic design services
Do you have a talent for graphic design? Even if you don’t, it can be helpful to find a course to enroll in and learn. These skills are in great demand on the web and with so many companies entering the digital realm or trying to expand and market their services it is ripe for a choice.
However, as in any other industry, competition is tough. You can use sites like Fiverr and other similar sites in the gig economy to create myriad types of web or graphic design micro-jobs that you can do for as little as $ 5. I know it sounds really low, but you would be surprised how successful some of the Fiverr all-stars are.
If you’re looking for more serious work, a website like Upwork can give you a try. There you will find larger projects in the field of web and graphic design. Again, the competition is fierce as a lot of people try to undercut others. Unless you have a solid portfolio and track record, you will have a hard time making a lot of money at all.
# 2 – Web development
One of the most sought-after services that you can offer online to help meet the active-income bill is web development. Web development, or coding, as it is commonly called today, is in great demand and will remain so for the foreseeable future as the reach of technology continues to penetrate our lives.
Some of the most successful digital nomads in the world are programmers who work in the darkest of places as they travel from city to city and around the world. However, the learning curve is high. I’ve been a software engineer for over 15 years now and it’s one of my obsessions and it certainly takes a strong drive and passion to excel in this industry.
However, if you are serious about software development, you can also use a site like Upwork to find work. If you want to learn web development, be sure to take my web development course at Udemy. It covers a lot of the groundwork to get you started and go from a complete beginner to an advanced web developer.
# 3 – Write articles
Professional content writing and journalism is by far one of the most sought-after areas that not only increase location flexibility but also make it easier to earn an income online. Of course, as in any other profession, you have to be highly qualified if you want to be taken seriously. It is by no means fast.
To get really good at writing, you need to commit to writing every day, no matter how you feel. For example, the first thing after I finish my morning routine I write 2,000 words no matter what. It doesn’t matter if I feel bad or even grown-up, I still commit to writing 2,000 words.
I believe that developing good habits is at the heart of any endeavor to be successful. But writing takes a lot of strength. If you can find sustained work as a professional writer, or even get the chance to write for some of the biggest names in the digital publishing industry, then you are certainly one of the lucky and talented.
# 4 – Start an Ecommerce Business
One way to unlock the vast reach of the internet is to start an e-commerce business. By setting up an online store, you can sell products, services, or even information to people from all over the world. This is a great way to get your merchandise to the masses and generate an income no matter where you live in the world.
However, as you probably already know, this requires a tremendous amount of effort. Not only do you need to have the products, services, and information that you want to sell, but you also need to build an online store and then get people to visit. To do this, you need in-depth knowledge of online marketing and search engine optimization. It is by no means easy.
However, that doesn’t stop people from trying. My proposition? Do your research first, build a quality website, and make sure you back it up with enthusiastic customer support. Even if you don’t start today, register a domain and find someone who can help you make your dreams come true. It will take time. But it’s worth it in the long term.
# 5 – Sell used and new products on existing marketplaces
While this won’t get you rich in any way, you can sell products online through sites like Craigslist, Alibaba, eBay, and even the Amazon Marketplace. In fact, these are some of the best destinations online that you can easily reach the masses. Instead of building your own eCommerce store, selling products on these marketplaces can be an instant boon to you.
Well, this is nothing new. For example, most people are used to selling on sites like Craigslist or eBay. However, if you are trying to sell on Alibaba or Amazon’s Marketplace, you will need to go through an approval process. Still, both will open the doors to a flurry of potential instant buyers.
There are a few principles that you need to follow. And you need excellent photos, so investing in a good camera here is worthwhile. You also need to ensure a careful description of the product, whether new or used. People appreciate the attention to detail and it will go a long way if they try to sell something through these busy online hubs.
# 6 – Rent out your house as a vacation home
With the advent of sites like VRBO, HomeAway, and Airbnb, people have been flocking to the vacation rental marketplace to rent their homes as short-term renters in sought-after destinations around the world. If you have a home in a vacation spot, it can be well worth it to rent as a short-term rental.
Of course, you must comply with all local laws, rules, and regulations. This can vary depending on where you live in the world. Even if you are not the actual owner of the home, make sure you have the owner’s permission before attempting vacation rentals.
Do a little research and due diligence. How much do people near you rent on sites like AirBnB? What is the common price and how do these houses compare to your own home? When you think about it, you have a lot of problems to deal with. So don’t expect to just benefit from it. The more care and attention you put into the finer points here, the better it gets.
# 7 – Create a smartphone app
OK. I know. This is not easy to implement. Developing a successful smartphone app today in a field littered with apps is extremely difficult. But not only the app creation itself is difficult, but also the marketing of this app. With so many apps vying for people’s attention and so much money to be made from the sheer volume of the industry, it’s no wonder the competition is stiff.
However, this doesn’t stop people from being successful with smartphone apps. With a billion-dollar market with users from all over the world, it’s no wonder this is so tempting. However, if you are trying to create a smartphone app, then you should definitely be creating something of value.
The best smartphone apps are based on the freemium model, which allows for some level of game play or usage without the need to purchase it. But that also means that you have to build something with real intrinsic value. It also has to be very engaging if people are even considering paying for an in-app purchase. Take the time to really research this money-making opportunity before diving headfirst into it.
# 8 – Become a Search Engine Optimization Specialist
The world of search engine optimization is confused at best, filled with outdated or misinformation from so-called experts. On top of that, there are many scams carried out by unscrupulous individuals trying to take advantage of people who may not know the complexities of marketing online.
Overall, there is a general lack of trust in the industry as there are some leading figures at the forefront of this delicate and complicated area of online marketing. But when you learn and really understand this industry, equip yourself with the right knowledge and integrity, the possibilities are endless.
Professional SEOs charge huge hourly fees and can bring in thousands of dollars per project. It’s not easy, but you can learn SEO and become an expert in the field to provide invaluable services to the crowd. If you are serious about learning SEO, check out my course here.
# 9 – Become a distance seller
If you are good at sales and are a self-starter, there are a nearly limitless number of ways you can take to make money exclusively online. You never have to go door to door or meet someone face to face. All you need is very good on the phone and very capable of selling pretty much anything.
When you become a remote seller, you still have the flexibility to work when you want. In most cases, you can set your schedule for as long as you can produce. If you can sell a product to someone and do it with great efficiency, you will likely excel in any industry you choose.
The goal? Find remote selling opportunities on sites like Glass Door, Monster, and other job search websites. Put together a summary of your sales skills and go out and sell like it’s nobody’s business. All you really need is that deep motivation to be successful in life and you are halfway there right now.
# 10 – Become a virtual assistant
It might not sound that glamorous, but becoming a virtual assistant is something that can help you get through, especially during difficult times. Depending on where you live and the wages in the area, becoming a virtual assistant can either be a solid step or something that can simply help keep the lights on, so to speak.
However, if you are well organized and able to manage your time effectively, you can be sure to help a business executive who is trying to manage their time on their own while making money online in the meantime.
Build yourself a solid profile or résumé to take out into the world and find someone willing to hire you. In the beginning, you may have to work for near-zero pay just to prove yourself. However, you can use websites like Upwork and Freelancer to find gigs for this type of work.
Conclusion
If you have always dreamed of starting your own home-based business, now is the time. Stop hesitating and get to work. All you have to do is take the first step and you will be amazed at how easy everything else will be.
Simply select one of the ideas here and start your journey into financial freedom now. Which of these online business ideas are you going to try? Do you have any other ideas that are not on this list? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below!
To Your Success.
