Whether it’s quick cash to put towards an upcoming holiday or a more consistent income, making money from home is a concept we’ve all pictured at some stage. Working in your pyjamas, having no boss or strict timetable, the benefits of working from home are endless, a dream come true for most of us.
Unfortunately, with so many scams, confusing information and self-confessed ‘money making gurus’ out there, how do you know where to start? Well, in this comprehensive article, I’m going to reveal the 10 top ways to make real money from home, without having to invest your life savings or spend years learning complex coding, web design or online marketing. The techniques you’re about to uncover are very newbie friendly and simple to implement.
1) Make YouTube Videos
Have you ever heard of those YouTube stars or rich kids who make millions from creating YouTube videos? 8-year old Ryan for example made an estimated $22 million from his popular toys review channel. The overall concept is simple. Make a video which attracts enough views and YouTube will pay you a percentage of the advertising revenue.
Whether it’s prank calls, funny cat compilations or makeup tutorials, think about what interests you and how you can stand out from the crowd. From movie reviews to live gaming streams, music remixes and product demos, the possibilities are endless. Coming up with creative video ideas is the key to becoming the next YouTube sensation.
2) Start an Ecommerce Store
A few years ago, building an online ecommerce store would be a hugely complex task, well beyond the reach of the average Joe who is restricted by lack of web design or coding experience. However, thanks to modern drag and drop online store builders, launching your own ecommerce store has never been easier, cheaper or less time-consuming.
Furthermore, with the boom in popularity of the dropshipping ecommerce model, investing thousands of dollars buying stock to resell is no longer necessary. Simply find a dropshipping supplier, choose products to sell and list them on your ecommerce store. No daily trips to the post office, no being stuck with unsold stock and no dealing with tedious returns.
3) Build a Blog
Blogging is a concept which is almost as old as the internet. Essentially information based websites which produce content in the form of articles, guides and posts, blogs are one of the simplest websites to build, renowned for being a newbie friendly way to make money online, while also being extremely low-cost to maintain.
Admittedly, it takes a significant amount of time and effort to build a popular blog, particularly one which generates free traffic through SEO and search engines. However, the earnings generated from ad revenue, sponsored content, affiliate programs and other such lucrative income streams can be staggering. Gain enough popularity and the ways in which bloggers can make money are almost endless, as well as highly passive and ongoing.
4) Try Affiliate Marketing
Originally pioneered by a flower delivery website, affiliate marketing is an extremely popular business opportunity for newbies, particularly suited to those looking to build a recurring income stream. Essentially a practice in which you sell other people’s products for a commission, affiliate marketing does not require a large investment of time or money. Simply advertise and market your unique ‘affiliate link’ and earn a commission for every sale you refer.
The quickest way to get involved with affiliate marketing is by joining an affiliate network, essentially a website which connects merchants (product owners) with affiliates (promoters). Some of the most popular affiliate networks for selling physical products include CJ Affiliate, Shareasale and Awin, while Clickbank and JVZoo dominate the digital products sphere. The network handles everything from tracking sales to commission payouts and refunds, so you can focus on earning the big bucks.
5) Sell on eBay
No article about real ways to make money online would be complete without including eBay. Originally called AuctionWeb, eBay has grown to become one of the largest online marketplaces in the world, attracting millions of global buyers from all walks of life. Starting an eBay seller business is one of the most honest, reliable and stable ways to make money online.
In fact, tens of thousands of average Joe’s, work from home moms and young entrepreneurs make full time income selling on eBay. Enlist the help of a free guide or tutorial and it won’t be long until you become the next eBay power-seller.
6) Become a Freelancer
From something as simple as data entry to more complex tasks such as web design, SEO or graphic creation, there is a freelancer for it all. Fiverr, Peopleperhour and Upwork and 3 of the most popular freelance websites on the net, currently attracting millions of monthly users. Signing up and applying to be hired for projects literally only takes a few minutes. Simply search for and choose the projects which you feel you’ll be able to adequately complete.
7) Take Paid Surveys
Often mistakenly considered a waste of time by some, paid surveys are still an effective way to make extra money online, provided you find the right company to work with. From CashCrate to Swagbucks and Panelbase, stick with the most reliable paid survey sites and you’ll avoid the time-wasting scams to quickly build up some real spending cash.
8) Join Micro Job Sites
Did you know that there are countless websites which will pay you to complete easy and simple tasks, known as micro jobs? From liking a Facebook page to leaving a comment or product review, micro job sites are booming in popularity and becoming one of the most effective ways to make real money from home. Microworkers, InboxDollars and CashCrate, join as many micro job websites as possible and spend some time each day completing tasks. While each task usually pays out a small amount, it won’t be long before your paycheck begins to add up.
9) Write Articles
In the online marketing world, content is king. From blog posts to sales copy, guest posts or even video descriptions, webmasters and marketers are constantly seeking fresh, unique and interesting content. Therefore, writing and selling content is one of the most easy ways to make real money online. From joining freelance websites to selling content on marketplaces, there are several ways to make money writing online.
10) Create a Facebook Page
Did you know that thousands of users across the globe earn full time income from running a Facebook page or group? Similar to YouTube, Facebook will share a percentage of the Ad revenue generated from your page or content if you attract a certain amount of attention. From LadBible to Onthetools, there are countless Facebook page success stories across the internet. Come up with an interesting topic or idea, learn how to create a popular Facebook page and you’ll be well on your way to becoming the next success story.
Final Word
Regardless of whether you want to earn some extra cash or full time income, these are the top 10 real ways to make money online, based on my 10+ years of experience as an internet entrepreneur. From affiliate marketing to creating YouTube videos, building a blog or launching an ecommerce store, the options are vast.
Whichever method you decide to pursue, keep in mind that there is no quick or easy way to make money online. It takes a lot of time and effort to find what works best, particularly if you're a complete newbie. Never get distracted by flashy get rich quick schemes which promise the world but never deliver. Focus on real and proven techniques, even if they take longer to implement. It will save you a whole load of time, stress and hassle in the long-run.
