Ultimate Guide to Making Money Online: 7 Best Ways

Watching movies made in the 90s or even early 2000s always makes me wonder how people survived without today’s tech. I mean, now we can find anything with a Google search and order a five-course meal from our couches. Besides, the way we work has changed drastically as there are so many ways to make money online. As there are so many opportunities and choices, it’s overwhelming to know where to start.

In this ultimate guide to making money online, we’re sharing all the tips, tricks, and strategies you need to succeed in the game. Let’s get it!

Guide to Make Money Online

Why Make Money Online

Before we jump into the guide to making money online, let’s talk about some of the pros.

• Flexibility: Online businesses allow individuals to work from anywhere, anytime on their own schedules. This can be especially beneficial for those who want the freedom to do what they love like traveling or having other commitments.
• Convenience: With online businesses, individuals can work from the comfort of their homes, without commuting to a physical workplace. This can save time and money, making it easier to balance work and personal life.
• Low startup cost: Most online businesses have relatively low startup costs. This means individuals can start making money online with little to no upfront investment. This makes it easier for individuals to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, without having to worry about the financial risks that often come with starting a traditional brick-and-mortar business.
• Potential for high income: With hard work and the right strategy and execution, online businesses can generate significant revenue and provide individuals with a stable source of income.

Finding Your Niche

The key to making money online successfully is to first find your niche. A niche is essentially your target market and refers to a specific area of focus within a broader industry. It’s a way to stand out and differentiate yourself from the competition by catering to a specific group of people with unique needs or interests. Some examples include:

• Health and wellness
• Personal Finance (like this blog)
• Beauty and skincare
• Pet care and training
• Online education and courses
• Travel and adventure
• Food and recipes
• Gaming and entertainment
• Digital marketing and SEO
• Fashion and style

Identifying Your Interests and Skills

1. Assess your strengths and weaknesses: What are you good at? What do you struggle with? This will help you identify the types of businesses that would be a good fit for you.
2. Think about your passions: What do you love to do? What are you interested in? Starting a business in a field that you’re passionate about will help you stay motivated and engaged as it will be hard, especially during the days when you’re working hard but making no money!
3. Evaluate your skills and experience: What do you have experience in? What skills do you possess that could be useful in an online business? Some important skills you may need to make money online include:
   • Communication: Good communication skills are essential for online businesses. Whether it’s through email, social media, or video conferencing, being able to communicate effectively with customers and clients is important.
   • Marketing: To be successful online, you need to know how to market your products or services. This includes creating compelling content, optimizing your website for search engines, and running effective social media campaigns.
   • Sales: Online businesses often require a sales component, whether it’s selling products or services directly to customers or pitching ideas to potential clients. Having sales skills can help you close deals and generate revenue.
   • Time Management: Working online often means being your own boss and managing your own schedule. Being able to prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively is crucial for staying on track and meeting deadlines.
   • Technical Skills: Depending on the type of online business you’re running, technical skills may be necessary. This could include knowledge of website design, coding, or using specific software tools.
   • Creativity: Coming up with unique ideas and approaches is important for standing out in a crowded online marketplace. Being creative can help you develop new products or services, create engaging content, and differentiate yourself from the competition.
   • Problem-solving: Online businesses can face a variety of challenges, from technical issues to customer complaints. Being able to solve problems quickly and effectively can help you maintain a positive reputation and keep customers happy.

Evaluating the Market Demand

Once you’ve identified your interests and skills, it’s time to evaluate the market demand. Here are some things you can do:

1. Research your potential audience: Who would be interested in your product or service? How big is that audience?
2. Assess the competition: Are there already a lot of businesses doing what you want to do? Can you differentiate yourself in some way?
3. Identify market gap: Is there a demand for something that’s not currently being met? Can you fill that gap?

By identifying your interests and skills and evaluating market demand, you’ll hopefully be able to narrow down your niche and move forward with it. Now, let’s talk about the different ways to make money online based on your niche!

1. Blogging

Starting a blog or website is one of the most tangible and sustainable ways to make money online. While it can be an exciting and rewarding experience, it can also be overwhelming. There are so many decisions to make, from choosing your platform and hosting to creating quality content and monetizing your site. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Choosing Your Platform and Hosting

1. You need to first identify your website’s purpose.
   • Are you creating a personal blog or a business website? Will you be selling products or services, or simply sharing your thoughts and ideas? Once you know your website’s purpose, you can select a domain name that reflects it.
2. You’ll need to choose a web hosting service. There are many options out there, so it’s important to do your research and select a service that fits your needs and budget. Look for a hosting service that offers reliable uptime, fast loading times, and good customer support.
   • I personally am using Bluehost which has served me well and has great customer support to help with my website issues. It is also relatively cheap at about the price of one cup of coffee per month!
3. Install and set up your website.
   • Most hosting services offer easy installation options for popular content management systems like WordPress, so you don’t need to be a tech expert to get started. There are also plenty of tutorials on YouTube and Google to guide you step-by-step.

Creating Quality Content

Once your website or blog is up and running, it’s time to create some quality content. This is the heart of your website, so it’s important to take the time to plan your content and create content that resonates with your audience.

1. Start by planning your content. What topics will you cover? How often will you post? What types of content will you create? Answering these questions will help you create a content strategy that works for you.
2. Focus on quality over quantity. Write well-researched articles that provide value to your readers. Create visual content like infographics and videos to make your content more engaging.
3. Don’t forget to incorporate SEO strategies to help your content rank in search engine results on pages.
4. If you are constantly getting stuck or are not sure what to write about, utilize AI tools like ChatGPT to help brainstorm your content outline. Just be sure to use it as a tool and not something you just copy and paste!

Monetizing Your Blog or Website

Once you’ve built up a following and created some quality content, it’s time to monetize your site. There are several ways to do this, including:

• Advertising: One of the most common ways to monetize a website. You can display ads on your site through Google Adsense and earn money based on clicks or impressions.
• Sponsored content: You get paid to create content for a brand.
• Affiliate marketing: Involves promoting other people’s products and earning a commission on any sales made through your unique affiliate link. Just make sure you don’t get too spammy!
• Selling products or services: You can create a product or advertise your services on your blog or website.

2. Affiliate Marketing

If you already have a blog or website, you can promote other people’s products through affiliate marketing. However, you can still do affiliate marketing without a blog or website through channels like social media, sales funnels, email marketing, and even newsletters. Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular ways of making money online, and it can be a lucrative source of income if done correctly. Here’s how to do it:

Finding Affiliate Programs

1. First, you’ll need to start finding affiliate programs that align with your niche.
   • One way to do so is to assess the products that you are currently using that you love and reach out to that company’s marketing department to see if they have any programs you can be a part of.
   • There are also affiliate platforms like Impact, Shareasale, CJ Affiliate, and Awin that grant you access to thousands of merchants and products.
2. Look for programs that offer a competitive commission rate and a long cookie length, as this will increase your chances of earning a commission.
3. Only promote products that you like and that will genuinely benefit your audience!

Creating Content to Promote Products

Once you’ve found a few affiliate programs that you’re interested in, it’s time to create content that promotes the products or services you’re promoting. There are several types of content that work well for affiliate marketing, including product reviews and how-to guides. For example:

• Product reviews
• Product comparisons
• Email marketing
• Ebooks
• Videos (YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok)
• Social media
• Tutorials, etc.
• Check out this article from Affilimate that covers a comprehensive list of affiliate marketing content ideas.

When creating content, it’s important to be honest and transparent with your readers. Don’t promote a product just because it pays a high commission; instead, choose products that you genuinely believe will be useful to your readers. Incorporate your affiliate links into your content, and make sure to disclose that you’re using affiliate links.

Maximizing Your Earnings

To maximize your earnings from affiliate marketing, there are a few things you can do.

1. Choose high-paying affiliate programs that offer a competitive commission rate.
2. Drive traffic to your affiliate links by promoting your content through social media and other channels.
3. Build trust with your audience by being honest and transparent about your affiliate partnerships.

Keep in mind that affiliate marketing is not a get-rich-quick scheme; it takes time and effort to build an audience and establish yourself as a trusted authority in your niche. But with persistence and hard work, affiliate marketing can be a rewarding way to make money online.

3. Freelancing

Freelancing has become an increasingly popular way for people to make money online on their own terms and schedules. Whether you’re a writer, designer, programmer, or marketer, there are countless opportunities to offer your services online. Here are some tips for getting started:

Identifying Your Skills

The first step in freelancing is to assess your skills and experience. What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? Once you’ve identified your strengths, it’s important to evaluate the market demand for your services. Are there businesses or individuals willing to pay for what you have to offer? Some examples of freelance work you can do include:

• Copywriting
• Social media marketing
• Design
• SEO
• Data entry
• Web designer
• User-generated content (UGC)
• Translator
• Transcriber

With the rise of AI, it is important for you to know where your value add is. For example, how do you convince someone to pay you for services that can be done by AI for much cheaper and frankly, less drama? On the other hand, if you know how to leverage AI to complement your skills, you can separate yourself from the competition.

Setting Up Your Freelancing Business

Once you’ve identified your skills and the market demand for them, it’s time to set up your freelancing business. Start by creating a portfolio that showcases your work and highlights your strengths. You can use platforms like social media, Behance, Dribbble, or LinkedIn to showcase your portfolio.

Next, set up a website that showcases your portfolio and services. Your website should include information about your skills, services, and rates, as well as contact information.

If you are shuddering at the thought of creating a website, you can literally create a free website on Canva (my lifesaver for all things design). They will host the website for you and you can also purchase a domain directly through Canva or from other platforms like Bluehost and connect it to Canva.

Finding Clients and Marketing Your Services

Once you’re ready to work, you’ll need to actually find clients that want to pay for your services. The key to finding clients as a freelancer is to network and market your services effectively. Here are some ways to do so:

1. Reach out to your existing network of friends, family, and colleagues. Let them know that you’re available for freelance work and ask if they know anyone who might need your services.
2. Utilizing social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook is also a great way to reach potential clients. You can share your portfolio and services on these platforms and even use paid advertising to target specific audiences.
3. Utilize freelance platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer that can connect you with potential clients. Be sure to create a strong profile that highlights your skills and experience, and don’t be afraid to bid on projects that match your skills and interests.

By following these tips, you can start building your freelancing business and finding clients that need your services. Remember to be patient and persistent, and always deliver high-quality work to build a strong reputation as a freelancer.

4. Selling Products Online: E-Commerce

If you’ve been on TikTok or social media long enough, you’ve probably seen one of those gurus trying to sell you the dream of financial freedom through e-commerce. I’ll be honest to say that while e-commerce can be the most lucrative way to make money online, it is also the hardest way as you’ll need to master a lot of different skills and be willing to invest capital for marketing.

Here is a chart from Statista showing the growth of retail e-commerce sales worldwide from 2014 to 2026 (in BILLIONS).

That said, here are some important things to consider:

Choose What Kind of E-Commerce Style You’d Like

There are many different e-commerce styles that you can choose from. Each style is not exclusive and you can certainly have different e-commerce channels for your product or combine them.

1. B2C (Business to Consumer): This is the most common e-commerce style where businesses sell their products directly to individual customers through their online store.
2. B2B (Business to Business): In this style, businesses sell products or services to other businesses. This type of e-commerce often involves bulk or wholesale purchases.
3. C2C (Consumer to Consumer): This style involves individual consumers selling products to other consumers through online marketplaces or auction sites. Think Facebook Market.
4. Dropshipping: This is a retail fulfillment method where a store doesn’t keep the products it sells in stock. Instead, when a store sells a product, it purchases the item from a third party and has it shipped directly to the customer.
5. White-labeling: This is where a manufacturer creates a product, and then another company rebrands and sells that product as their own.
6. Subscription-based: This style involves customers subscribing to receive products or services on a regular basis, typically monthly or quarterly.
7. Social commerce: This involves selling products through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

Choosing Your Products

Once you know how you want to sell, you’ll need to decide what products you want to sell. It’s important to choose products that have a market demand and evaluate the competition in your niche. You’ll also need to identify potential suppliers for your products to make sure you can get them at a reasonable cost.

Setting Up Your Online Store

Once you’ve chosen your products, it’s time to set up your online store. You’ll need to choose an e-commerce platform that works for your needs, such as Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, or WooCommerce.

For online platforms like Etsy and Amazon, you can just set up your merchant profile and list your products there. Make sure you product photos are of high quality with detailed descriptions.

If you are creating your own website like one on Shopify, take your time to set up your store to ensure that it is of quality. There are free templates that you can use and modify as well. E-commerce is a lot about branding and you want your website to have a great interface altogether.

From there, you’ll create your store and set up payment and shipping methods to ensure a smooth customer experience.

Marketing Your Products

Once your store is up and running, it’s time to start getting the word out. Utilizing social media can be a great way to reach potential customers, as well as advertising and search engine optimization (SEO) to improve your visibility online.

Do note that when you first launch your products, set realistic expectations. Data collection is more important than getting a ton of sales at this stage. As you analyze your data, you will be able to know what works and what doesn’t so that you can tweak your marketing to what works.

As e-commerce is such a broad topic and impossible to fit a whole guide here, there are a plethora of YouTube videos that can guide you step-by-step to set up your E-Commerce store if you want to learn more!

5. Creating and Selling Online Courses

Online learning has become increasingly popular in recent years, making it an attractive opportunity for entrepreneurs to create and sell their own courses. Here are some steps to consider when developing and marketing your online course.

Identifying Your Expertise

The first step in creating an online course is to identify your area of expertise. Ask yourself what knowledge and skills you possess that others may be interested in learning. Consider the market demand for your topic and how it aligns with your personal strengths and interests.

Creating Your Online Course

Once you have identified your area of expertise, it’s time to start creating your course. Start by planning your course content, determining the delivery method (such as video, text, or audio), and creating your course materials. Consider incorporating interactive elements to keep your learners engaged and motivated.

There are course-creating platforms like Teachable and Thinkific that are very user-friendly to create your course. Udemy is also a popular platform to create your online course.

Marketing Your Course

Creating a great course is only part of the process. You’ll also need to market your course effectively to attract learners.

Start by creating a landing page that showcases the value of your course and includes information on pricing, course length, and other relevant details. Utilize email marketing and social media advertising to reach your target audience. Collaborating with influencers who have a relevant following can also be a great way to boost your course’s visibility.

6. Becoming an Influencer

Social media can be a powerful tool for building your brand and connecting with your audience. The rise of TikTok and the potential for virality has given birth to a whole new world of making money online. Here are some steps to take when building your social media following.

Identifying Your Target Audience

Before creating content, it’s important to understand who your target audience is. Research their demographics, interests, and pain points to create content that resonates with them.

Creating Engaging Content

Develop a content strategy that aligns with your brand and resonates with your target audience. Creating visually appealing content and incorporating videos can help boost engagement and increase your following.

Growing Your Following

Utilize hashtags to help your content get discovered by new audiences. Collaborating with other influencers can also help you tap into their audiences and grow your following. Running giveaways and contests can also help increase engagement and attract new followers.

Monetizing Your Brand

Influencers can monetize their brand in several ways, including:

1. Sponsored content: Brands may pay influencers to create content featuring their products or services.
2. Affiliate marketing: Influencers can earn commission by promoting products and services and including affiliate links.
3. Brand partnerships: Influencers can collaborate with brands on long-term partnerships, promoting their products and services on an ongoing basis.
4. Merchandise sales: Influencers can create and sell their own merchandise, such as clothing or accessories, to their followers.
5. Event appearances: Influencers may be invited to attend or speak at events, where they can earn appearance fees or engage in brand partnerships.

7. Taking Online Surveys and Participating in Focus Groups

Participating in online surveys and focus groups can be a great way to earn some extra cash in your spare time. This is probably one of the lowest earning potential ways to make money online but has the lowest barrier for entry as anyone can do it! Here are some steps to consider when getting started.

1. Identifying Legitimate Survey Sites: Not all survey sites are created equal, so it’s important to do your research before signing up. Look for sites with positive reviews and fair compensation for your time. Some include:
   • Swagbucks
   • Google Opinion
   • SurveyJunkie
   • UserTesting
2. Participating in Surveys and Focus Groups: Once you have identified legitimate survey sites, start completing surveys and participating in focus groups. Be sure to provide honest feedback to ensure you’re contributing valuable information.
3. Maximizing Your Earnings: Sign up for multiple survey sites to increase your earning potential. Consistently completing surveys and referring friends can also help boost your earnings.

8. Trading

I highly debated whether to put trading as a way to make money online due to its high risk. I have made thousands and lost thousands trading during the COVID craze and you need serious discipline to be successful here. If not careful, trading can be similar to gambling as you can lose a fortune if you risk too much.

That said, trading is still a great way to make money online if you know what you’re doing and have proper risk management. Here are some tips if you are looking to into trading:

1. If you are new to trading, I definitely recommend educating yourself first. There are a lot of markets and instruments that you can trade like stocks, options, futures, crypto, forex, etc. so be sure to pick one or two and master them. Don’t spread yourself too thin.
2. Pick a trading strategy that suits you best. There are a lot out there! Avoid trading penny stocks or super high-risk strategies starting out.
3. Before you start trading with your hard-earned money, I’d highly recommend paper trading first to ensure that you practice, practice, and practice.
4. Set realistic expectations for your trading profits and losses. It’s important to understand that trading involves risk and there will be losses along the way. Don’t expect to get rich quick overnight, but also don’t let losses discourage you from continuing to trade.
5. Use proper risk management techniques, such as setting stop losses and taking profits. These techniques can help you minimize your losses and lock in gains.
6. Keep track of your trades and analyze your performance. This can help you identify patterns and areas where you can improve your trading strategy.
7. Utilize investment apps to stay up to date on market news and trends and manage your positions on the go. Some of my favorite include:
   • Robinhood – Best for an easy-to-use interface
   • Webull – Best for intermediate traders
   • Thinkorswim by TD Ameritrade – Best for most options and features
8. Consider joining a trading community or finding a mentor to learn from. This can be a great way to gain knowledge and support from others who are also trading. Do be aware of scammers or fake gurus that are just trying to sell you a course.

If you’re not into trading but want to learn how to invest, check out this series about investing for retirement.

Final Thoughts

Making money online has become more accessible than ever before. The list of options I’ve included here in this guide to make money online is definitely not exclusive but in my opinion, are the best ways to make money online. Be sure to set realistic expectations, stay focused and motivated, and continue learning and improving!

FAQs