If you are willing
to dedicate some time and effort, it is possible to legitimately make
money online. Some jobs, such as taking surveys or testing websites,
provide only enough money for some spare cash each month. Other jobs,
such as publishing a niche website or doing freelance writing, have the
potential to earn you as much as a full-time job.
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1
Take surveys. You can earn $50 to $100 per month in cash and products by taking online surveys. Find survey sites by
searching for “paid survey sites” online. Sign up for several survey
sites to increase your chances of being selected for higher-paying
surveys. Register with an email address, and check your email often so
you can respond quickly to survey offers.
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- Most surveys pay from $1 to $3, and the surveys generally take up to 45 minutes to complete.
- You might also get paid in gift cards, free products or by being entered in a sweepstakes.
- Never pay to participate in surveys.
- Look for a privacy policy displayed prominently on the site so you know that they are not selling your personal information.
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2
Test websites. Remote usability testing means getting
paid to navigate a website for the first time and giving feedback to
the website owner. Most tests take approximately 15 minutes, and you can
get paid up to $10 for each test. A test involves performing a scenario
on the client’s website and recording yourself doing it. For example,
you might be asked to go through the process of selecting and purchasing
an item on a retailer’s website.
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3
Tutor students. Many families prefer the flexibility
of using an online tutor. Depending on your background, you could be
simply helping a child with homework or providing college-level support.
You need to have your own computer and high speed internet. Experience
required differs among companies. Some require “strong experience,”
while others require a specific educational background. However, most
companies do require a college degree.
- Some companies assign students to you, while others post your profile on their site and let customers select you.[5]
- You can make anywhere from $9 to $30 per hour based on your educational background and the subject you teach.
- Sites that hire elementary-level tutors include Tutor.com, HomeworkHelp.com, Eduwizards, Aim4a and Brainfuse.
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Kaplan hires SAT and ACT tutors.
Method 2
Creating a Niche Website
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1
Understand how a niche website works. A niche website
focuses on very targeted, specific information. The content must be
specific, useful and interesting to your target audience. Successful
niche websites get anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 visitors per month.[6] You build content on a particular keyword, and you make passive income with Google Adsense or through affiliate links.[7]
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2
Find a profitable niche. Starting with your
interests, write down as many niche ideas as you can. Think about topics
people might search online. Ideas include passions (like surfing or
body building), fears (like spiders or speaking in front of crowds) and
problems (like getting out of debt). Do keyword research to see it
others are interested in the topic. Find out if a domain name is
available that matches the keyword 100 percent.
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3
Set up the site. Choose a website building platform,
such as WordPress, Joomla or Drupal. Next, choose a domain name and web
hosting for your site. The domain name is your web address. Web hosting
is a service that connects your site to the internet. Once you have your
domain name and web hosting, go to the control panel of your hosting
account and install your website platform. Design your website by
choosing and installing a theme.
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4
Create content. Create content that people will find
valuable and that will help you rank higher in the search engines.
Keyword research can help you to find out what topics people are
searching. Write content that on these topics to improve your rank in
the search engines.
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5
Monetize your site. Choose from several different
strategies to monetize your website. You can have ads on your website
and get paid when visitors click on them. Also, you can promote
products, either your own or someone else’s, and get paid when people
purchase.
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- With Google Adsense, you install some code on your site that allows
ads to appear on it. You get paid when visitors click on the ads.
- You can also sell advertising space on your website.
- Affiliate marketing means that you promote products for your niche. A
link or banner advertising the product is displayed on your site. If
visitors click on it and make a purchase, you receive a commission.
Method 3
Writing Freelance Articles
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1
Learn principles of effective writing. As a freelance
writer, much of your work will likely be published on the internet. The
principles of writing for the web differ slightly than writing for
print. The content must still be high-quality and well-written, but the
presentation must be adjusted for the way people read online material.
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- Because of the low resolution of online text, readers tend to scan
rather than read everything from top to bottom. Make your text easily
scannable by breaking up text using descriptive headings and bullet
points.[15]
- Get to the point by using the inverted pyramid style. This means
writing the conclusion first and then providing examples to support it.[16]
- Make your copy effective by being concise and using simple language.
Aim your writing to an eighth-grade reading level. Remove unnecessary
or confusing words or terms.[17]
- Include keywords and phrases that improve your ranking in the search engines.[18]
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2
Consider your expertise. If you take the time to
reflect on your experiences, you will realize that you have more
knowledge about which to write than you might think. Begin by listing
three assets that define you, such as your profession, a special hobby
or a personality trait. Next, list three things that inspire you, such
as religion, education or charity. Finally, list three of your dreams,
such as getting married, traveling or spending more time with your
children. These three lists should give you many ideas of topics about
which you can write.[19]
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3
Find work. When you first start out, you may have to
accept work writing about a topic you don’t find all that interesting.
You must keep an open mind and be willing to accept work that may not be
in your desired field. However, as you continue to write, you not only
learn about more topics, but you also build your reputation. With time,
you can be choosier about assignments you want to accept.[20]
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4
Write pitches. If you have located a client for whom
you want to write, send pitches, which are topic ideas for articles.
Write pitches that not only show your expertise, but also demonstrate
your enthusiasm for the topic.[21]
First, read the publication to which you are sending pitches to
familiarize yourself with what they publish. If applicable, identify a
specific section and send our pitch to the appropriate editor. Also,
include a brief summary of who you are.[22]
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5
Get samples. When you first start out as a freelance
writer, it can be hard to get work without any published samples.
However, it is possible to get quality samples if you are willing to do
some writing for free. First, you can publish content on your own blog
or website. Also, you can write guest posts for someone else’s blog.
Finally, you can write blog posts for free in exchange for a byline.[23]
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6
Create a writer website. Your website not only
demonstrates your technical ability, but it also creates an online hub
that allows clients to connect to you. Keep the design of your website
clean and uncluttered. Include examples of your work that demonstrate
the kind of writing you do. Make the samples easy to find and to read.
Finally, make it easy for visitors to figure out how to contact you.[24]
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7
Start a blog. A blog highlights your technical
ability and showcases your ability to write blog posts. Your blog can be
about different topics than those you write about for your clients. In
fact, it should be on a topic that interests you. Visitors will see that
you can not only write, but you can also build an online community. A
good blog has the potential to earn you many referrals for more clients.[25]
Method 4
Selling Your Stuff Online
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1
Find items to sell. Purge your house. Set aside a few
days or a weekend to clean out and declutter your house. Identify items
to throw away, donate and sell. Categorize the items you want to sell.
Different categories of items do better on different sites.
[26]
- Books, CD’s and DVD’s sell well on Amazon.
- Collectibles, high-end clothing and small electronics sell well on eBay.
- Craigslist is best for generic items such as tools or toys.
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2
Open sellers accounts. Create accounts on Amazon,
eBay and Craigslist. These platforms make it simple for sellers to set
up accounts. You generally need to provide some personal information
such as your name and address, and you may need to provide financial
information for processing payments.
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- Amazon sellers connect their checking accounts, and proceeds from sales are directly deposited into their checking accounts.
- eBay will either send your payments directly to your checking account or will deposit them in your PayPal account.
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3
Learn then selling guidelines. Each marketplace has
guidelines that define what you can and cannot sell. State and federal
laws also impact what items are prohibited. In general, you cannot sell
alcohol, weapons, service contracts, animals or event tickets. Also,
while not always prohibited, you may find restrictions on how you can
sell items in some categories, such as art, gift cards and coupons.
[28]
eBay,
Craigslist and
Amazon publish these guidelines on their websites.
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4
Research selling prices of items similar to yours.
Look up completed sales or current listings of items similar to yours.
Find the high- and low-end prices, and price your object around the
median price level. If you want your item to sell quickly, price it at
the low end. The condition of the item also affects the price. Items in
poorer condition should be priced at the lower end. Also, consider how
many listings there already are of items similar to yours. If many
similar items will be competing with yours, you may have to set the
price lower to get the sale.[29]
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5
Consider selling in lots. A lot is a collection of
similar items that is sold in a group. For example, if you have a
collection of books, magazines or similar pieces of jewelry, consider
selling them all at once in a lot. You many not make as much money as
you would have if you sold each item separately. However, the items will
likely sell more quickly in a lot than they would individually.[30]
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6
Write a thorough description. Including more details
increases the likelihood of making a sale. Since the buyer can’t see the
object in person before purchasing, give them as much information as
possible so they feel like they know what they’re buying, If an item is
used, be truthful and upfront about its condition.
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- Proofread your description before publishing it.
- Write a descriptive title that provides information about the product, such as size, color or design.
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7
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8
Provide excellent customer service. Answer any
questions buyers post as quickly as possible. Be professional and
courteous. Positive communication builds your reputation with buyers and
gets you return business. Also, package your product well and ship it
out quickly. Allowing an item to become damaged or taking too long to
ship can negatively affect your reputation among buyers. Wrap all items,
especially fragile ones, in appropriate packaging. Commit to shipping
items as soon as
you receive payment.
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