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The Internet has changed everything about working at home. Many traditional work-at-home options are now easier such as mail order and a whole new work-at-home options were born such as affiliate marketing. On this page you'll get a general overview of different online income options and resources to expand your learning or get started.
For the most part, online jobs and freelance work are found and obtained the same way traditional jobs are. You'll need skills and experience, and a resume that presents you as the best person for the job. Be sure to read over the Telecommuting, Job Search and Scam Alert information.
Affiliate marketing is one of the fastest and easiest ways to start making money online. You don't need a product or service, a website or even a lot of money. But while its fairly easy, that doesn't mean it doesn't take research, planning and effort.
Affiliate marketing involves promoting a company's product or service. When someone follows your recommendation to buy the company's product or service, you get a commission. Affiliates are paid in a variety of ways but the most lucrative is pay-per-sale. Other options are pay-per-click which you don't see much except with contextual advertising (i.e. Google Adsense), pay-per-lead which involves the referrer filling out a form and pays $0.50 to $1.00 per lead, and pay-per-impression which is rarely seen anymore.
The basics of affiliate marketing involve:
1) Find affiliate products to market. Find products and services you like and/or use, or are interested in. This is a great opportunity to make money sharing a hobby or something you're passionate about.
2) Is there a market for the product? Visit Google's Keyword tool to see if people are searching for information on the product your service you're interested in.
3) If there is a market, sign up for the program. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of the program. A violation can prevent you from getting paid.
4) Market your affiliate link. The program is going to give you a special URL that will track your referrals. You need to market that link. Free ways include setting up a blog through Blogger or setting up a free Squidoo Lens. Don't just rehash the sales page of the product you're marketing, make it personal, sharing why you think its a great product. Post other helpful tips about the product so that you're seen as an expert. Visit WAHS's Marketing Information for more ideas.
The above steps will get you started, but to make significant income, you need learn about keywords, developing compelling squeeze or landing pages, and managing multiple programs. I recently came across Ewen Chia's SuperAffiliate Program and I think its fantastic for the newbie. Its loaded with information... its overwhelming actually. If you decide to try it out I recommend that you read the 15 Step Blue Print (module 1) and then watch the 5 bonus "Instant Affiliate Commissions" videos. Those two will give you an overview and show you exactly how to get started in 24 hours. You'll also want to check out the Instant Business in Box which Ewen updates each month with all the web pages, ads, and more with instructions on how to get it online and start making money. It was one of the features that really attracted me to the product. Its quite affordable and more than worth the price if you follow the steps. Ewen Chia's SuperAffiliate Program
If you have something to sell, whether its collectables, books, or crafts, there are opportunities to list and sell them online without setting up a website or shopping carts. Getting started can cost you very little as eBay and Amazon don't charge fees until your item sells. Further, you can start with what you've got laying around the house.
eBay started as an auction system and as expanded to include storefront services which allows you to sell items at a fixed price. eBay is easy to use with an intuitive listing system. Simply register (its free) and click on "Sell an Item" to get started. The most technical aspect is uploading a picture although depending one what you're selling eBay may have a stock photo available (its recommended that you use a photo you take of the item to accurately depict it's condition).
You can sell just about anything on eBay making it a great place to sell used items from around your home. Once you've done that, you should have an idea of what sells well and what you'd enjoy selling on a regular basis, so you can start creating an inventory. Or check out eBay Pulse to see what people are looking to buy. To really learn how to best use eBay and its services, check out eBay University.
Amazon is a great place to sell books, CD's and DVD's. Your used items can be listed right next to the new item and its free until your item sells. Signing up is easy. Just click on "Sell Your Stuff" from Amazon's home page (left hand side). Once your register you simply need to enter the ISBN or book title, give a price and note its condition.
To learn more about selling books through Amazon, check out Steve Weber's book The Home Based Bookstore
Information marketing has been around for a long time. In the past it was referred to a mail order. Today the Internet has made information marketing faster, easier and more lucrative. While there isn't enough room to fully detail how to create an income in information marketing, the basics are outlined below.
Information marketing has to do with the sale of items that provide information. Examples include ebooks, home study courses, video tutorials, and seminars. Like affiliate programs, you want to focus on a topic that you're knowledgeable or passionate about, and check that make sure that there is a market for the information.
Start with a basic ebook or report and then work your way to more involved projects from there. You can use a free resource like PDF995 to turn your document into a PDF file for download or create tangible booklets through a source like Lulu.com.
Buy a domain name (I like Godaddy) and set up a basic website that sells your product. A webhost such as Hostgator offers web templates and will install scripts such as blogs with the click of a mouse.
Set up a payment system through Paypal or Clickbank (digital products only) which also allows you to set up an affiliate program for your product.
For more information check out Start Your Own Information Marketing Business or From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur.