The Internet has not only changed how people work and run home business, it has created entirely new income options. With the Internet, making money at home is easy. That’s not to say that internet-based income is automatic or doesn’t require work. Instead, it provides tools, that if used correctly, can have anyone making a good income from home. Here are some of the best online income opportunities.
1. Affiliate Marketing
This method of making money online is low cost and easy, but highly misunderstood. People trying to sell you a program often say it’s a “3-click” make automatic money method or try to pass it off as a typing job. Affiliate marketing is a viable way to make money, but it’s not automatic and it’s not a job. Affiliate marketing involves earning money by promoting other businesses’ products and services. Success in affiliate marketing, as in any business, is in the marketing. People can’t use your affiliate links if they don’t see them. Most successful affiliate marketers use a website or blog to provide information and promote products in a specific niche.
However, blogging isn’t your only option for making affiliate income. My new favorite way to promote affiliate products that doesn’t require me to blog is through marketing funnels and an email list. It’s much less time consuming to manage once set up. I’ve always known about funnels, but I grabbed a free copy of Russell Brunson’s book Dot Com Secrets, which provides information on how to sell just about anything online using a funnel system. The book is detailed and yet easy to follow.
You can get a free copy of Dot Com Secrets here (just pay shipping and handling.)
2. Writing
If you can string words together, there are a host of income options available to you. Businesses are paying writers to create articles, reports, books, ads, sales letters, emails, and blog posts. Many of these companies are posting their jobs online and providing ongoing work for the write writer. Or you can start your own writing business. Here’s a list of how you can use words to make money online:
- Freelance Writing
- Copywriting
- Information Products (ebooks etc)
- Blogging
Check out Digital Writer Success for more details.
3. Virtual Assistance
If you have good office support skills, and the needed tools and equipment, virtual assistance work may just be for you. Many businesses are outsourcing tasks they don’t want to do or don’t know how to do. These tasks can include everything from email management, follow up contact with clients, scheduling, website management, ghost writing, web design, research and much more. Some virtual assistants focus on a target market, such as Realtors or authors. Others focus on providing a niche service, such as blog management.
WAHS contributor Alicia Jay has some excellent resources to help you get started as a virtual assistant, including her Ultimate VA Planning Blueprint and the General Transcription Bootcamp.
4. Online Storefront
The success of Amazon.com and eBay indicate that people do a significant amount of shopping online. You can take advantage of this by opening your own online store. Options include selling your home-made items, finding used items to sale, or using wholesalers who will provide you with products that you can resale for profit. You can sell your wares at Amazon, eBay or Etsy, or create your own storefront website.
For more info, you can get free report on why Amazon is so great for online selling and how to get started selling on Amazon. Get Why Selling on Amazon FBA Works.
5. Be an Expert
People go online to find information or support. There are a variety of ways you can provide this information and support, and get paid. Virtual tutoring and coaching are expanding fields. Or you can create your own informational products and training materials to sell online as a one off purchase or through a membership site. Another option is to get work as a subject expert at a content-based website like DotDash.com (formerly About.com) in which you write articles about your area of expertise.
There are many more ways to make money online include web design, graphic design, offering a service (i.e. bookkeeping) and more. That’s what’s great about the Internet. It has everything you need to create a home-based income doing something you’re great at or enjoy. You can find virtual work or create your own virtual business, as well as find a host of free and low cost web-based tools and resources to make it happen. While nothing will work overnight or run itself, working online can be simple and straightforward. All you need is your imagination, desire, and the willingness to do the work.
