Many people want to make money online due to its many benefits and relatively low barrier to entry. Most online money-making methods only require a computer or mobile device and a solid internet connection.
These methods let you conduct business on your own schedule and from anywhere. You can make money while traveling the world or from the comfort of your home.
If you’re unsure which online money-making method is for you, we are here to help. This article explores 30 real ways to make money online. For each method, we will include the necessary tools and skills, potential profit, and whom the method is best for.
Whether you’re looking for ways to generate some extra cash on the side or start a new business venture, we hope this article can help you decide how you’d like to earn money online.
How to Make Money Online: 30 Real Ways
1. Make money with affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular ways to make money online. Throughout the years, its popularity has gone up and down, but it continues to be a stable way to earn through the internet.
Affiliate marketing is a process in which an affiliate will promote a business’s products and services and receives a commission if the affiliate achieves a sale.
Affiliate Marketing is one of the best low-risk ways of making some additional money; It offers flexibility and doesn’t require any special skills or training, making it perfect for anyone who wants to start making money online.
How Affiliate Marketing Works?
How Much Money Can be Earned by Affiliate Marketing?
There is no fixed limit to how much money you can earn from affiliate marketing. Because the more people use products and services by clicking on your affiliate link, the more money you will earn.
Niall Roche of Authority Hacker splits affiliate marketer’s earnings into four categories:
- Beginner – $0 to $1000/per month
- Intermediate $1000 to $10,000/per month
- Advanced – 10k to $100k/per month
- Super Affiliate – $100k+/per month
If you are a complete beginner and want to start Affiliate Marketing, You can join the Free Training of Wealthy Affiliates to understand the step-by-step process.
2. Start a YouTube channel
If others can make money from YouTube, so can you. The highest-paid YouTuber is Jimmy Donaldson (a.k.a. MrBeast), who uploads bizarre stunts on his YouTube channel, which made him $54 million in 2021. Another high earner is Jake Paul, who’s made $45 million on YouTube by sharing high-energy prank videos and boxing content. His YouTube (and boxing career) fame helped him use his influence to make money online beyond his YouTube earnings.
Your YouTube channel should focus on a single niche so you can build a strong, loyal audience. For example, you can create makeup tutorials, stream video games, review products, teach skills, create prank videos, or anything else you think there’d be an audience for.
The secret to making money on YouTube is to create content that people want. Create witty headlines to entice people to watch your videos and use keywords in your description to optimize for YouTube search. Once you’ve reached the 1,000-subscriber milestone, you can officially monetize your channel with YouTube ads.
If you want to start your YouTube Channel then this FREE TRAINING from Mr. Jordan will definitely help you.
Learn! How I Make $37698 last month using this secret method
3. Start Dropshipping
Dropshipping is also one of the most popular ways to make money online. According to Google Trends, dropshipping’s popularity is rising, highlighting its viability as a business idea. With success stories about how an entrepreneur made $6,667 in eight weeks or how a store owner made six figures selling just one product, there’s plenty of proof that dropshipping is a real way to make money online.
→ Click Here to Launch Your Online Business with Shopify
If you don’t know what dropshipping is, it’s a business model where you sell a product to a customer, but the supplier stores, packages, and ships the product to your customers on your behalf. With Shopify dropshipping , you have access to millions of products that you can add to your store. Some Shopify dropshipping apps allow you to hand-pick your product images, edit item descriptions, and give your business a personalized vibe, so people will love shopping with you.
The best way to make money dropshipping? Most entrepreneurs have been focusing on a few marketing strategies:
- Running Facebook ads
- Having influencers promote their products
- Sending direct messages (DMs) to potential customers on social media
4. Try print on demand
Print on demand (POD) is another popular way to earn money online. Many individuals have adopted this business model because it has lower overhead than other businesses.
Print on demand is similar to dropshipping in the sense that you don’t need to carry inventory or ship out products to customers yourself. There are two slight differences, though. First, you can make your own custom products, which is great for brand recognition. Second, you can choose from specific items rather than a vast range of categories. Most print-on-demand companies offer products that are easy to print on, like t-shirts, mugs, and tote bags.
The best way to make money with your print-on-demand business? Free marketing channels. Your best bet would be to promote your products for free on Instagram and Pinterest, and through social media influencers who convert their audiences well. You can get a complete overview of print of demand versus dropshipping by watching us get into a healthy debate with Wholesale Ted about the pros and cons of each business model.
5. Become an influencer
As the name suggests, an influencer is someone who possesses the ability to influence others. Influencers can potentially impact the decisions of their followers when it comes to buying decisions. They are assumed to be experts in their fields or niche areas, which makes them a voice of authority for the same. They create content in their specific genre — like fashion, technology, or parenting — regularly and share it on their social media handles. The key here is setting a regular cadence as ‘followers’ look forward to the content being put out by influencers.
According to an IZEA Worldwide survey, 56% of social media consumers bought products based on an influencer’s paid or sponsored post. In addition, 63% of respondents said that they found content curated by creators more riveting than brand advertisements. Considering influencers’ impact on brands and followers, Statista foresees that the spending on influencer cooperation will only go up. With the popularity of social media increasing by the day, it also seems that the popularity of influencers will continue to grow.
6. Create an online course
The online education market is growing at a phenomenal pace and is expected to reach $400 billion by 2026.
With the rising demand for online education, many people are seeing a lot of success creating and selling courses online.
Already, many online entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the e-learning market and making tons of money from it.
A report by Teachable shows that about 18% of online course creators on the platform bring in over $10,000 in monthly income from their online courses, which translates to well over $100,000 every year.
Some of the best topics for online course
- Computers and technology
- Business and entrepreneurship
- Arts and crafts
- Health and fitness
- Writing and content creation
- Personal development
- Careers
7. Publish an ebook
Today, ebooks are becoming more and more popular due to their very convenient format for downloading and opening on any electronic device. Don’t think that to write one, you have to be a Chekhov or Shakespeare. Now, people tend to read more about everyday issues and prefer down-to-earth advice that can change their lives for the better, so it is quite easy to start earning on ebooks. Thus, you can cover almost any topic you are familiar with whether it’s a how-to guide, a novel, a science fiction book or any other type of content you like. You can find out more about today’s most popular book genres on Amazon, all you have to do is check out the bestseller lists and see what kind of material attracts your audience the most.
There are several steps to make money selling eBooks:
- Choose a Niche: Choose a niche that you are passionate about and can provide valuable information to the target audience. Conduct research to identify the demand for your niche and understand the competition.
- Write the eBook: Write a high-quality eBook with valuable and engaging content. Make sure to format it correctly and have an appealing cover design.
- Publish the eBook: You can publish the eBook on popular platforms like Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or your own website. Make sure to optimize your book description, add relevant keywords and categories to improve visibility.
- Promote the eBook: Promote your eBook through various channels like social media, email marketing, guest posting, and paid advertising. Collaborate with other bloggers and influencers in your niche to promote your book.
- Price the eBook: Price your eBook competitively based on the content, length, and target audience. Consider offering discounts and promotions to attract new readers.
- Monitor Sales: Monitor the sales of your eBook regularly and track the performance of your promotions. Adjust your marketing strategy and pricing based on the feedback from your readers and sales data.
By following these steps and consistently promoting your eBook, you can generate a steady income from selling eBooks.Top of Form
8. Start a blog
Starting a blog can be a great way to make money online, but it requires time, effort, and dedication. Here are some steps you can take to start a blog and monetize it:
- Choose a niche: Choose a niche that you are passionate about and can provide valuable information to the target audience. Conduct research to identify the demand for your niche and understand the competition.
- Choose a domain name: Choose a domain name that reflects your niche and is easy to remember.
- Set up a website: Choose a website platform like WordPress or Squarespace and set up your website. Make sure to choose a responsive design that looks great on all devices.
- Create valuable content: Create high-quality and engaging content that adds value to your target audience. Make sure to optimize your content with relevant keywords and meta descriptions.
- Build your audience: Build your audience by promoting your blog through various channels like social media, email marketing, and guest posting. Collaborate with other bloggers and influencers in your niche to expand your reach.
- Monetize your blog: Monetize your blog through various methods like affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, advertising, and selling digital products like eBooks or courses. Choose the monetization method that best suits your niche and target audience.
- Track your performance: Track your blog’s performance through analytics tools like Google Analytics. Analyze your data regularly to understand your audience’s behavior and adjust your strategy accordingly.
By following these steps and consistently providing valuable content, you can build a successful blog that generates income over time. It’s important to remember that blogging is a long-term strategy and requires consistent effort and patience to see results.
9. Freelancing
Freelancing is a career in which you work for yourself. Freelancers make their own schedules, decide when and where they work, and set their own pay rates.
If you don’t want to work a 9-to-5 but you still want to bring in the big bucks, it may be time to look into working as a freelancer. Freelancers provide their services to multiple clients and are self-employed.
That means that you’re your own boss and get to make decisions about your business as well as how you do the work you do.
Here are some steps you can take to make money with freelancing:
- Choose a skill: Choose a skill that you are good at and can provide value to clients. Examples of in-demand skills include writing, graphic design, programming, marketing, and web development.
- Build your portfolio: Build a portfolio of your work to showcase your skills to potential clients. Create a website or use a platform like Behance or Dribbble to showcase your portfolio.
- Choose a freelancing platform: Choose a freelancing platform like Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr, to find clients and jobs. Create a profile that highlights your skills and experience.
- Bid on projects: Bid on projects that match your skills and experience. Make sure to customize your proposal to show the client that you understand their needs and can provide value.
- Deliver high-quality work: Deliver high-quality work that meets or exceeds the client’s expectations. Make sure to communicate regularly with the client and ask for feedback.
- Build your reputation: Build your reputation by delivering high-quality work and getting positive feedback from clients. This will help you get more clients and higher-paying jobs in the future.
- Expand your services: Expand your services by learning new skills or offering additional services to your clients. This will help you increase your income and attract new clients.
By following these steps and consistently providing high-quality work, you can build a successful freelancing career that generates income over time. It’s important to remember that freelancing requires self-discipline, time management, and a strong work ethic to be successful.
10. Become a content writer
Are you good at writing? If yes, then make money online is easy for you. Many companies, businesses, and organisations are looking for good content writers, and you’ll find lot’s of content writing gigs available if you search for them online.
How? You can consider becoming a content writer, it’s relatively easy, and you can earn a lot of money doing it.
Now understand this, you won’t make a tonne of money right from the get-go. You should first focus on writing for select websites and work on creating a rapport. If your vision for becoming a quality content writer, then you should always consider writing the original content. Remember, if the client caught any plagiarism then it would be a bad impact on your career.
However, it would be beneficial for you to check plagiarism of your written content through the online plagiarism checker with percentage. The plagiarism checker compares your content with the published content over the internet.
Once you complete a few tasks and have built up your portfolio, you will start to get many writing gigs and will be able to earn a handsome sum of money.
11. Become a Virtual Assistant
As online businesses grow, so do their needs for extra help. One trick to making money online is offering them your skills. Tasks could include uploading images to ecommerce sites, scheduling appointments, or making phone calls. In most cases, these jobs pay $7–$40 an hour, depending on your skill level.
12. Become a market research participant
One way you can earn real money without the hassle is by participating in market research. It’s fairly easy money for not a lot of work, like completing an online survey with your thoughts on a company’s products. Or companies may ask you to join a focus group to simply share your opinion and will compensate you with cash or a gift card.
This often involves writing or stating your opinion in polls or paid surveys. Since participating in the research isn’t too time-consuming, it’s a great way to earn extra income. Focusgroup.com is just one company that is looking for participants, and Survey Junkie as well.
13. Proofreading
This is an excellent option for making money online in India. The role of a proofreader is to read the given text vigilantly to search and correct grammatical, spelling, typing, and style errors. There are a lot of agencies that pay around 25% of the price of a translated document to a proofreader.
For doing this job, all you would need is a good command of the language in which you proofread, plus attention to detail. The role of a proofreader comes into the picture as soon as the article is written. You can either work as a full-time proofreader or become a freelancer and do the work whenever you are available.
It is one of the easiest jobs, but do not opt for this profession if you don’t have sound grammatical skills. First, work on your grammar, furnish your skills and then become a proofreader.
14. Web designing
If you possess skills, why not make it your profession as not all businessmen are tech-savvy. They need people to create a website for their business. You can help small businesses set up their website as per their requirements and earn a handsome amount of money through it.
You can either start your own web designing work or can also work as a freelancer for others. The demand for this is increasing day by day as everyone wants to make their identity online. Moreover, it has a huge earning potential as after website creation, many people also need website maintenance, updating it, and much more.
15. Social Media Manager
Are you active on Social Media and would like to post on behalf of other businesses? It’s important to be knowledgeable about the different Social Media platforms, and you will need great organizational and communication skills.
How much can I make? Depending on how many clients you have you could earn between $1,000-$10,000 a month.
How do I get started? Consider taking this highly recommended Udemy course and also check out my How to Become a Social Media Manager article to see how Nicole got started.
16. Transcribe
Transcriptionists listen to audio files and record (type) what they hear. If you have patience and the ability to sit for long periods of time and an eye for detail, you should consider transcribing.
How much can I make? You can earn $7-$21 per hour or more if you start your own business transcribing.
How do I get started? Take this Free Mini-Course or check out these companies hiring for remote transcription jobs along with a work at home success story from Kim (transcriber).
17. Become a Podcaster
It’s starting to feel like everyone has their own podcast these days. And with good reason – it’s a great way to earn some money on the side.
But you have to put in the work before getting paid. Start by researching the existing podcast universe and see what niche you could settle in. It’s better to be really specific with your topic.
Once you’ve recorded your first episode, you can list it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, Stitcher, and many other podcast apps.
As you grow your audience, monetize your content with affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and ads. You can also offer an online course or sell merch and other physical products.
18. Invest in Stocks
If you have money that’s sitting in your bank account and doesn’t have a specific purpose, you might want to try investing it. The stock market has the potential to provide good returns in the long run, and it can help with growing the value of your savings.
You can invest with the help of a broker or a robo-advisor, or do it yourself if you’re confident about your knowledge of the financial market. If you decide to go solo, plenty of online investment platforms will make your life easier – you can try TD Ameritrade, Robinhood, and Acorns, to name a few.
Try to pick companies that have the potential to grow in value (easier said than done) or invest in index funds for a safer approach. Whatever you do, make sure you’ve done your research and you’re making well-informed decisions.
19. Sell low content books on Amazon
You can create an awesome passive income every month by doing this. The way it works is that you design a cover, one interior page and post it Amazon KDP. No graphic design experience needed.
There’s a little more to it than that but this is absolutely one of our favorite side hustles because you can do this while you’re watching Netflix or whatever. Doesn’t matter how old you are or where you live.
20. Virtual Receptionist
Answer calls and web chats for a variety of businesses and professionals across the US alongside the fun and friendly team at Smith.ai. It’s fast-paced work, so previous phone experience is a must. Applicants will need to be in the US, Canada, or Mexico.
Smith.ai operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Choose a full-time or part-time schedule. Currently hiring for shifts Monday – Sunday between:
- 10am – 9pm Eastern
- 9am – 8pm Central
- 8am – 7pm Mountain
- 7am – 6pm Pacific
You must be available 4 hours a day, 5 days a week (minimum of 20 hours per week, 40 hours max). Shifts are broken into 2- to 5-hour blocks. Applicants will need to be from the US, Canada, or Mexico.
21. Sell your photos
If you have photo skills or just love clicking pictures, you can monetize this passion in numerous ways. There are numerous money making apps related to photography to sell your photos and get a good amount in return.
There are stock photography sites where you can upload your pictures for free, and prominent magazine editors, designers, or any organization with a website can buy them if they like them. You can also post your pictures on Facebook groups as well and sell your pictures through it.
But, for making this your profession online, you would also need a good camera and creativity. So, if you have photography passion and equipment, start today and upload the pictures on stock photo sites and earn a decent amount of money.
22. Do Translation work
If you are bilingual, then you can become a translator and an interpreter. This can be a great way of earning money online as numerous websites offer translation projects which require translating a document or speech from one language to another. But, it is essential for you to be well-versed in both languages.
This is a fabulous money earning option for people who are fluent in two languages other than English & Hindi, such as Chinese, Arab, French, German, Spanish, etc. Translation services are in demand worldwide, so you can search for translating jobs on various platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelance.com, etc. All these platforms are reliable, and they do not ask for any registration fee.
23. Drive for Lyft or Uber
How about driving others around for money?
If you have a car and are okay with giving strangers a ride, driving for Uber or Lyft can get extra cash in your pocket.
All you need to do is create a free account with the app you prefer, get your car inspected, and go through a background check. Once you’re all set, you can start giving rides to others for money.
If you work during the busiest hours, the trip price usually goes up, and you can make some good bonuses. Also, don’t forget about tips – being friendly and open-minded with your passengers can earn you more money.
24. Become a Beta Tester
Getting paid for playing games and using apps? Sounds like an opportunity that’s too good to pass on, right?
A beta tester’s job is to test apps and video games before their final release and make sure there aren’t any glitches or bugs that might’ve slipped unnoticed.
Beta testing is done in real-life conditions, and you have to note your observations about the user interface, gameplay bugs or usability errors, and any other unexpected behavior.
Beta testers get paid $17 per hour on average. Use platforms like UserTesting to get started.
Speaking of video games, let’s find out how to get money without a job if you’re a teenager.
25. Graphic Designer
If you have an eye for design and have experience in Adobe Creative Suite/Adobe Creative Cloud – including InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop, there is a profitable market out there for you.
How much can I make? You can charge $25-$300 per hour, depending on your experience.
How do I get started? Check out this highly recommended course Learn Photoshop, Web Design & Profitable Freelancing. Promote your services to your social network and create a wordpress blog showcasing your services and work.
26. Start your own website
There is a lot of content available online that can help you put together a website. Money making from websites is one of the best ways to earn even while you sleep. Starting a website just takes a couple of minutes and costs hardly anything. First, you need to choose the domain, templates, layout, and then the overall design for your website.
You would need to make a few efforts to get first visitors on the website, but you can use your social media platforms for doing that. A few things that you would have to do are post content regularly, the content should be informative and entertaining, plus it should be unique.
27. Sell your clothes online
Almost all of us have clothes that we are bored of or don’t like anymore. So, here is great news for you, sell the clothes online that you don’t use anymore. Instead of letting them take space in your closet, sell them and earn a good amount of money from it.
Many people are not aware of this option, but now you know what to do with your clothes, handbags, or shoes that you don’t use anymore. There are a lot of websites, such as eBay, ThredUp, Poshmark, etc., which are all reliable and help you earn decent money in exchange for your old or used products.
You can also use Facebook buy and sell groups if you want to sell items in person. So, open your closet and take out all the clothes you don’t wear anymore and make money from them.
28. Grow Your Social Media Audience
We already spend more time than we probably should on our phones, so why not make money off your social media account?
Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok provide the perfect opportunity to earn cash without having a traditional job. So, where should you start?
Here are a few quick tips for growing your social media following:
- Be consistent with producing quality content
- Identify the time when users engage with your content the most
- Use tags and hashtags to reach more users and get new followers
- Engage with your audience and hold contests
As your account grows, you can try partnering with brands, doing affiliate marketing, and selling your merchandise to earn more money.
29. Make Money on TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit is an online app that matches freelance laborers (called Taskers) with paying gigs. The tasks can include anything from running errands, making deliveries, waiting in lines, assembling furniture, doing yard work, etc.
You must be 18 or older and have a checking account, credit card, and a smartphone to use the free app.
Start by creating a strong user profile. Create a snappy description of your services and provide any qualifications that might be helpful for potential clients. Once you get going, strive to provide the best service possible and get great reviews. The better your customer feedback, the more gigs will come your way.
30. Search Engine/Social Media Evaluator
Search Engine/Social Media Evaluator rate social media ads and search engine results for relevancy.
This job is great because it does not require getting on the phone, you make your own schedule, and it does not require any training.
How much can I make? $12.50 – $14 per hour.
Final Thoughts
If you came here with the goal of finding how to make money without a job, we hope you’ve identified at least a couple of options to try out.
It is now easier than ever to find paying gigs and side hustles online. Whether you want to quit your day job to become your own boss or are a student that’s looking to earn some money after school, it’s more than possible.
Pick one of our suggestions, thoroughly research the gig, and dive in. If you stay patient and consistent with your effort, the next big payday could be just around the corner.