30 Legit Ways To Make Money Online

With the pandemic that the world is currently fighting for the last few months, lots of businesses have closed, which has significantly increased unemployment. But life has to go on, right? While the search for the COVID-19’s cure is on-going, millions of people worldwide started looking for other avenues to earn money without the need to leave their homes.

Whether you have lost your job, or you simply want to have another source of income to make ends meet, you should know that you can certainly make money using the internet. So without further ado, here are legit ways to do so:

Create an Affiliate Marketing Blog

If you have a passion for popular niches like travel, health, business, finance, and entertainment, you can start creating your own blog. Once you have built a decent audience or traffic, you will begin to see money coming in for sure.

But first, you have to build an excellent website. Start by thinking about a catchy name for your platform. Go with great hosting too, such as Bluehost, Hostgator,  Hostinger, etc. and ensure that your website loads fast. Another thing that you must do, which is very important for you to draw people to your site is to create informative content. This is why it is essential that you pick a niche that you really know.

Once your site has been launched, incorporate affiliate marketing. Look for companies that you can partner with and promote their products or services. But be sure that those are related to your niche. For every content that you make for your site, insert a link to direct the reader to where they can buy the products or services from. For every sale, you will get a commission.

How much money can you make from your blog and affiliate marketing?

This depends on how many companies and brands you are working with. The more, the better. So again, the number of visitors to your site will make a huge difference.

Depending on how much effort you put into your blog, you can make a lot of money. It could even become a passive source of income.

I’ve listed a few affiliate marketing companies you can work with below:

Clickbank.com – percentage of every sale
MaxBounty.com – pay per sale/lead
JVZoo.com – percentage of every sale (primarily make money online products)
CJ.com – percentage of sale/pay per sale

Build an Online Shop

Did you know that 1.8 billion people worldwide have already purchased goods online? And it has been predicted that it will hit a whopping 4 trillion this year! With the situation that we have right now, where most people are encouraged to stay at home, it is not surprising if this number increases even more. It can be expected that consumers will start buying more online, so they don’t have to go out to buy their needs. This gives people who are looking into making money online a great opportunity.

So, yes, starting an online shop or an e-commerce website could be a money-maker for you. In fact, you even don’t have to start from scratch because there are sites like Shopify that allow you to create your own online shop and start selling physical products pretty soon.

If this is the route that you would like to take, think of a line of products that you know for a fact that the consumers will love. It could be basic needs like clothing, or any other popular items. You also have the option to sell your own products.

With this option, think of how you are going to fund your inventory, store your stocks, and how you are going to ship them to your customers. If this seems like a hassle for you at the moment since you are new, you might as well consider the so-called drop shipping, wherein the manufacturer will handle almost everything for you. Your main job is to promote the products and gain customers.

Sell Useful Software or Apps

If you are good at programming, you can definitely use your knowledge and skills to make some serious money. Nowadays, there is a software or app that can be used for almost everything that online users want to do.

While it is true that huge companies developed most of the software that are being utilized these days, there’s also a bunch out there that were created by individuals. Look at the apps at the Apple Store or Google Play. Many of those were designed by programmers like you, so why not do your homework and be the brain behind an amazing app as well? It could make you the next billionaire!

The first thing that you need to do is to find out which software or app the consumers need the most. If something already exists, find a way to create a better one. Once you have come up with one, test it, and get some feedback. If everything goes well, launch your product. It is also crucial that you advertise it so that you will be able to catch the attention of more potential users.

Consider Reselling Web Hosting

Reselling web hosting services is another incredible option to gain profit online. There are many people and companies that want to create their websites, which will not be possible without hosting. And that is when you can come in.

First, you need to look for a reseller web hosting partner whom you can purchase hard drive space and bandwidth from. Next, build your hosting services and create different packages that consumers can choose from depending on their needs. You can then set your prices and come up with an efficient billing system.

Once your business is running, see to it that you provide excellent customer service to support your clients in case they have issues or queries. Remember that this is the key to a long-lasting relationship with your customers. Therefore, never neglect this aspect.

See some companies that offer hassle free web hosting reseller services.

Atlantic.net
Namecheap.com
HostGator.com

Come Up With Digital Courses

Online courses are quite popular in the present times, and it seems like they are here to stay forever. So if you have valuable knowledge on a particular subject, you can impart it to interested parties. And trust me, this can be very rewarding, especially if the course is highly in demand. It could be about starting a business, marketing, freelancing, or any other field that you are good at. You can create the courses in various formats too, like PDF or even videos.

Just like anything else, this endeavor will require you to exert some effort, particularly in the planning stage, and when you are already creating the actual course. Make sure that it is informative, and it will provide the education that the consumers need.

Before launching your product, start promoting it so that you can build an excellent customer base.

Options for selling/marketing digital courses

Clickbank.com
Udemy.com

Become a Freelance Writer

Freelance writing is a good online career that you might want to explore if you have the talent in this particular field. In fact, you don’t need to have the experience to get started. As long as you can compose a good read, you should be able to get some projects online.

Like what we have mentioned earlier, creating content for websites is not an easy thing. This is why people are very much willing to pay writers who can help them create informative articles for their platforms. Choose a niche that you are well-versed with and advertise your services. It will also help you big time if you create an impressive portfolio.

There are tons of platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and iWriter that you can sign up with to gain access to projects. You can earn unlimited income depending on how much time you are willing to commit to this gig.

Become an Online Coach

Depending on your expertise, you can become an online coach too. For instance, if you are an experienced personal trainer, you can get paid by giving pieces of advice online to people who are aiming to achieve their fitness goals.

The question is, how and where should you start pitching your online coaching services?

Well, if you don’t know any individuals who require coaching, there are platforms and communities that you can join. This will allow you to network with many clients worldwide. Check out websites, such as Noomii, LifeCoachOffice, Nudgecoach, Yourearthangel, and Coachforce.

Sell Your Editing and Proofreading Skills

If you are good at detecting grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors, then editing and proofreading might be the right job for you. With this gig, you can get paid by the hour or per project, and you should know that the pay is pretty decent too. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to read various topics.

As a proofreader, you may be required to check online articles and blog posts, newsletters, press releases, emails, user manuals, self-published novels, student essays, social media posts, and many more. It could be anything. You can visit websites like the American Journal Experts, Cactus Communications, Cambridge Proofreading & Editing, English Trackers, LifeTips, Proofreading Pal, and many more. Some platforms have specific requirements, so you must see if you meet them.

Launch a YouTube Channel

If you are into creating videos, launching a YouTube Channel might be your chance to be the next self-made celebrity millionaire. Yes, that’s right. You can earn millions of dollars like the Dude Perfect, Anastasia Radzinskaya, Rhett and Link, Preston, and other famous Youtubers out there.

Just to be clear, though, you don’t get paid instantly by uploading videos on YouTube. You have to monetize your channel first.

But to start with, you must choose a niche that you can cater to and go from there. It is crucial that you generate an outstanding level of engagement, and, of course, you have to grow the number of your viewers or subscribers. You can easily do that as long as your videos are fun and educational, something that people will enjoy watching.

To summarize, you can earn money from your YouTube channel from advertising revenue, channel memberships, merchandise shelf, super chat & super stickers, and YouTube premium revenue. Each of these features has its own eligibility requirements, so see to it that you meet those first before you can enjoy these perks.

Monetize Your Site

If you have an existing website, you can definitely turn that into a money-making machine. The earnings can be immense, but this will take time, and you really need to be dedicated. You may not see a lot at first, but do not let this discourage you. Just look at the top websites nowadays. Those started from scratch too, and I bet you can achieve the same as long as you have the determination and you work hard enough.

There are numerous ways in which you can monetize your website. One of the best ways is affiliate marketing, which we have already discussed earlier. You can also consider Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising by Google Adsense, selling ad space, sponsored content, sell your own products and services, coupons with affiliate links, and many more. When your traffic grows you can consider sites such as Mediavine.com, Ezoic.com, and Adthrive.com

Record a Podcast

Whether you are new to podcasting or you already have a podcast, know that this can be another source of income. While some people had to wait until they were able to build a large audience to earn money, some newbies were lucky enough to do good money-wise right from the beginning. It all depends on how you monetize your podcast and, of course, your strategy.

To get started, you might want to look into advertising and sponsorships. If you think that your audience is not yet big enough to network with major ad companies, you can try reaching out directly to advertisers or organizations that would be an excellent fit for your followers. Or, if your audience has already grown, then you can work with Midroll or Authentic and other similar websites. These groups can link you with advertisers, negotiate the rates, and will even get the scripts for you. Basically, they will do all the legwork.

As you record a podcast, you can promote products or services you personally use or those you know well and direct your followers to the sellers’ site. Sounds familiar? Yes, this is affiliate marketing! For every successful purchase, you will get a commission. You can do so with Amazon, which is probably the most popular program these days. If you want to look for more programs, you can join ShareASale.

Other ways to monetize your podcast include online courses, coaching and consultation, crowdfunding and donations, public speaking gigs, hosting events, and books. The list can go and on actually. You can even utilize a combination of strategies.

Organize an Online Directory

Long before search engines and blogs came into the picture, online directories were already there. And up to these days, they are still quite useful. You can come up with something like Trip Advisor or Yelp that list businesses as well as reviews for each of the companies. People find this very helpful in their decision-making. This is why the popularity of online directories never fades. In fact, they continue to improve.

As a directory publisher, one challenge is how you will be able to actually monetize your site.

The first step is to think about a profitable niche. For example, travel. But instead of sticking to that broad subject, try to narrow it down. Maybe you can feature luxury hotels, or perhaps the best destinations in the world. Once you have chosen a niche, everything should follow.

The next move is to build the database. Now, this is a tedious task. It may take you a year or even longer than that. Instead of doing all the work by yourself, ask your family and friends to help you out. This is a crucial step because you want your content to stand out, something that is not already available on other websites. And to do this, you can probably post better images, better descriptions of the places, lots of reviews definitely, and try to gather as much useful information as you can.

To draw people towards your listings, it is essential that you improve your visibility. This is when you need to utilize marketing techniques like SEO to have a higher chance of landing the first page of the search engine results.

And finally, for you to monetize your directory website, you can sell listings, ads space, and extra services.

WordPress is a good foundation for a directory site, by integrating directory based themes and plugins such as listable.

Write e-Books

Do you want to have a passive income? One of the best ways to do so is to write your own e-book. If you are already an online coach or perhaps a podcaster, you can definitely boost your earnings by authoring e-books, which are in demand these days, and for the years to come as projected.

Writing an e-book may sound intimidating, but really, if we break down the process and take one step at a time, you will get there for sure.

So, what’s the first step?

You need to find a good topic. And, as usual, you want something that would be useful to the readers. You can validate your idea by asking people around you like your family or friends. Maybe you can ask the subscribers in your email list as well as people on Facebook groups. Or, it would also be good to check the hottest topics on Amazon books. The bottom line is, you have to work around a trending topic that you are good at.

As soon as you already know what to write about, then start outlining and finally writing the book itself. You can expect this stage to take quite some time, but you have to be patient. Find time every day or maybe every other day to work on it, and before you know, you are all done and ready to publish!

Before you put your e-book out, it is important that you come up with a reasonable price for it. And with this, you have to consider factors, such as the type and length of your book. If it is your first time publishing this type of reading material, you might as well check out the prices of similar products.

Furthermore, it is crucial that you promote your e-book before and after launching it. This is extremely important if you want to make the most out of it.

Lastly, where can you sell? You can do this on your website or through other publishers. Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform would also be a good place.

Answer Surveys

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.” Have you ever heard this before? Do you love giving your insights? Are you aware that you can get paid to do so?

There are many companies these days that are looking for people to answer surveys. Usually, these are about products before they are officially launched or could also be about brands that are already available in the marketplace. Manufacturers want to get feedback from the consumers so that they know how to improve their products further.

This gig is something that you can do during your spare time. It’s probably one of the easiest ways to earn money online since you are only required to give your opinion. Plus, all you need is a computer or a smartphone.

When it comes to earnings, it will depend on the number of surveys that you are willing to fill out. You can sign up with websites like Swagbucks, LifePoints, InboxDollars, Opinion Outpost, and American Consumer Opinion. There are plenty of sites that you can check out. Some of them even provide bonuses or rewards. But take note that some platforms are not available to all countries in the world.

Join a Remote Company

If you are tired of your nine-to-five job and want to try something new, you can consider joining a remote company. With this, your options are endless as there are tons of companies out there that are searching for full-time or part-time employees, and it does not matter where you are as long as you meet the qualifications.

You can be a customer service representative, tech support, web developer, content writer, account manager, etc. Like what we have said, there are lots of choices, but it all depends on your credentials and, of course, your interest.

Check the listings at We Work Remotely.

Create Email Newsletters

We all know how powerful email marketing is in this era, and I’m pretty sure you are receiving email newsletters, probably even every day. If you take a look at them, they are quite simple to make. All it takes is engaging and informative content, and it should be good to go. If this sounds interesting to you, you might want to create them yourself and get paid for it.

With this option, you must build an excellent email list considering a certain niche. For instance, if you intend to promote household items, then you have to take note of homeowners that you can include in your list. You can start sending newsletters that they are most likely interested in.

The amount of money you can make from creating email newsletters will depend on the size of your email list, frequency, consistency, and the relevance of the newsletters to their needs.

It’s best to use an Email Service Provider to get good delivery on your emails. Highly reputable services such as MailChimp, Aweber, Constant Contact would all be excellent choices.

Test Websites

Do you know how to distinguish crappy content and web design? Can you tell if a platform is user-friendly or not?

There are tons of websites on the World Wide Web these days, but which ones do online users go to? Of course, those that are professionally designed and easy to navigate, right? This means that those with a low number of visitors are losing money. This is exactly the reason why a lot of businesses are very much willing to pay third-party reviewers to test their sites or applications. With objective reviews, they will have a better idea of which areas they need to improve so that they can attract more online users.

This method of making money online requires you to be internet-savvy. Of course, you should have a computer and an internet connection. It is also essential that you know how to express yourself so that you can describe how you feel about a certain website. The testing usually takes 10 to 20 minutes, and you can get paid per task.

Interested? Visit UserTesting, TestingTime, Intellizoom, and many more. Most of these sites, though, require every applicant to pass the screening before you can be accepted to join the team.

Buy and Sell Sites

This right here is just like buying a home, improving it, and selling it to gain profit. While this business can help you make tons of money, you can also lose if you are not careful with your decisions.

The key is, you should never purchase a site that you cannot afford to lose. Before you buy a certain website, do your homework, and be 100% sure that you will gain from it after you make the necessary flipping.

To begin your search for sites that you can improve, check out platforms like Flippa and Empire Flippers. Again, it is crucial that you inspect the site and determine if it is worth buying. If it is, then go ahead and buy it, make all the needed improvements, increase its traffic, and start advertising it for sale.

If you know how to play your cards right, your revenue with this one would be incredible!

Buy and Sell Domain Names

Buying and selling domain names is just like dealing with websites. As a beginner, you must know the right places to purchase valuable domain names from, where to sell them later on and the right pricing. One of the advantages of this type of business is that you really don’t need a huge capital to start.

How does it work? You must look for domain registrars, such as Moniker. Godaddy, Namecheap, etc. that sell domain names at a low price, and then you can put them up for sale at a higher price so that you will gain profit.

When you are ready to sell the domain names, you can go to places like NameJet, Sedo, and DomainNameSales. As long as you know how to choose in-demand domain names, you can definitely make a living doing this.

Sell Your Images

Fond of taking pictures? Instead of keeping those images on your computer or external memory, why don’t you consider selling them and start making money online? Take note that lots of businesses are in need of lovely images all the time, and as a photographer, this is a good way to earn some extra cash. You can even make this the primary source of your income if you have a massive snapshot collection.

To sell your photos, you can do it on your own website. Or, you may opt to consider stock photo marketplaces such as Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, Etsy, Fotomoto, TourPhotos, and PhotoShelter.

List Your Home on Airbnb

Do you have an extra room in your apartment or home? Or perhaps you have a condominium unit or a rest house that you barely use. If you do, you might want to consider renting the space out on a short-term basis through Airbnb, which is a top-rated site when it comes to accommodations.

All year round, there is always a demand for accommodations, especially for travelers who are looking into saving money rather than staying at expensive hotels. So if your place is in a great location, it could be a money-maker too. One good thing about it is that you are in full control of the house rules, pricing, as well as the availability.

Become a Virtual Assistant

Working as a virtual assistant is another lucrative way of making money on the internet. It’s like being a secretary, except that you are actually working from home. You interact with your clients via emails, phone calls, video conferences, or instant messages.

Now, you are probably wondering how much money you can make. It all depends on your experience and area of specialization. Some clients are offering full-time positions, while others only need VA’s to work for them part-time. You can also get paid by the hour or per project.

You can promote your virtual assistant services on Fiverr.

Become an Online Tutor

Typically, online tutors are paid by the hour. But the amount depends on your qualifications and the subject that you are going to teach.

When we say online tutor, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. You can pretty much teach anything that you are good at. For instance, if you are an experienced guitarist, you can offer online guitar lessons. If you are an English native speaker, you can start teaching people who are  interested in learning the language.

Just like the other options that we have mentioned above, there are platforms and companies that you can join online in order for you to start offering tutorial services. Try services as Wyzant.com and Tutor.com 

Develop Websites

Are you good at coding? Do you know how to develop websites?

Selling such services is profitable today, especially with the huge number of people wanting to have professional-looking websites. You just have to create your profile and portfolio. After which, you can start advertising your services.

Platforms like Fiverr , Freelancer.com and Upwork would be the best places to begin your journey. These sites can get you connected with numerous clients worldwide whom you can build long-lasting relationships with.

Be a Graphic Designer

If you are well-versed with Illustrator and Photoshop, and you have the creativity in you, then you can certainly use these skills by becoming a graphic designer. Is it profitable? Of course, it is!

You can start creating an image template for Pinterest or perhaps printables that you can sell on Etsy. You can also consider creating logos and brand packages or customize WordPress themes as well as sidebar ads and Twitter/Facebook images.

Do Voice-Overs

Gone are the days when people who want to do voice-overs had to go to actual studios to do their jobs. Now, you can freely do this type of work from the comfort of your home.

First of all, how do you do voice-overs?

Simply put, this requires you to ‘lend’ your voice to some projects. You will do a piece of narration in a broadcast or even a movie without actually showing yourself.

When talking about the pay, it may vary depending on the company that you are working for and, of course, your experience. You can start selling your voice-over services on platforms like Fiverr, Voice123.com. But soon, if you really want to level up, consider doing the work with a commercial or any TV project.

Start an Online Travel Consulting Business

Tourism is a trillion-dollar industry, so you can just imagine the opportunities that you can have if you decide to join this field. How? You can consider becoming a travel agent or establish an online travel consulting business. It’s a very profitable business. And yes, you can do all these on the internet, wherever you are in the world.

If you are a travel enthusiast, and you have a vast knowledge of the best destinations in different countries, then becoming a travel consultant is something that you should consider. You can share your experiences with other people who are also fond of traveling. You can help them arrange their trips and everything in between. As long as you are organized, you can be successful in this particular industry. Check out GlobalTravel.com.

Become a Social Media Influencer

So here we go with social media. Every single day, billions of people across the globe are browsing their social media accounts, be it Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Tik Tok. I bet you are smiling right now ‘coz you are one of them!

If you love social media and you have a massive following, you can be an influencer. With this, you need to be persuasive enough to encourage your followers to act based on your recommendations.

To see $$$, you need to attract brands, and you can only do that if your account has high-quality content. And like what we have said above, you should be able to engage your audience. You can also join networks of influencers so you can find brands that are suitable for you and your followers.

The best ways to earn money being an influencer include sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, sharing your Patreon account, co-create product lines, sell your photographs or even your own products, and become a brand ambassador.

Manage Social Media Accounts

Another way to earn money from social media is by managing accounts. Trust me, lots of bloggers, as well as business owners, would rather pay somebody to manage their social media accounts than doing it themselves. And as a social media lover, this is when you can come into the picture. As long as you are organized, and you know what the do’s and dont’s are, you should do a good job.

In order for other people to want your services, you should show how well you handle your own accounts. That right there will be your portfolio and selling point. You can utilize tools like Cochedule, HootSuite, and PicMonkey.

If you want to start looking for clients, you can do so locally. Or, you may also begin your quest on Facebook groups and other platforms. If you are just beginning, you may start with a ‘mediocre’ pay, but as you gain experience, your earnings will improve too.

Offer SEO Services

Without a doubt, search engine optimization or SEO is the most powerful marketing technique in the 21st century. And believe me, millions of companies are ready to pay the services of SEO professionals who can help them get higher rankings for their websites on the search engine results. I mean, they would do just about anything to get the top rank of the SERP.

If you are an expert in this field, and you have successfully helped organizations to land the first page, you can name your price! That’s how in-demand SEO is.

Aside from your services, you can make more money by selling online courses to people who are interested in learning SEO. You can also host a series of seminars and charge per seat. Or, you can become an SEO consultant and collect hourly fees. Start doing the Math now and let the numbers encourage you to start offering SEO services!

To make the process easier you can utilize tools such as SEMRush.com, Ahrefs.com, Moz.com, SurferSEO.com and Majestic.com. These are SEO based tools that can help you with understanding all you need to know about SEO.

Whew! That list was exhaustive, but hopefully you found one little nugget or two to get your creative juices flowing. There are lots of ways to earn money online, you need to put the plan into action. It’s all up to you now to get started!