When the economy is struggling and unemployment is high, people look to the internet for ways to make money. Whether they’re looking for ideas to make money, jobs which they can apply to via the internet or just some general help from advisors, the internet provides a lot of the answers. Making money on the internet doesn’t always have to be a full time job either – you can find a way to make a little bit of extra cash on the side, whether it’s to pay for an extra meal out with your partner at the weekend or to make those important payments on your debt settlement plan, there are many things that some extra money can help you with.
- Sell your stuff
Websites like eBay are known across the world for enabling ordinary people and businesses to sell their stuff. Whether you have an old antique piece of furniture or you’re just trying to clear out your wardrobe and make some money from your old clothes, there are people out there who will buy your gear. Experts estimate that each household contains at least $1000 of unwanted items, so just think how much extra cash you could make. The problem with this is that it’s only a one-off thing, because once it’s sold, it’s sold. If you want to make a steady flow of cash from selling things on the internet, find a wholesaler and try out buying and selling items for a profit.
- Do surveys
Although this isn’t a lot of money to earn, you can make a little bit of extra money per month by taking surveys in your spare time. Be careful of the websites which promise you hundreds of dollars just for a few minutes of time, since these are probably too good to be true. Most surveys will only offer you a few pennies to complete, but if you use an hour each night when you’re watching the television, after a month, you’ll surprise yourself with a nice pay check!
- Write articles and blog posts
If you’re quite good at English and literature in general, you might find that writing is something you could become very passionate about. A job as a freelance writer not only allows you to earn a lot of money if you’re good at it, but it gives you a lot of flexibility, which means you can work it around your home life and outside work life. If you’re trying to make a full time living from writing articles and blog posts on the internet, make sure that you build up a good reputation for yourself, since this is what will bring in a lot of the business. If you just want to make some extra cash on the side, however, charge low rates and see if people want to try out a free sample of your work before committing themselves to making a large order.
- Offer live chat support
You can work from home using just your internet connection and computer as a live chat support worker. Depending on which company you decide to work for, you will have to be available during certain hours, so it’s not as flexible as other online jobs. However, if you’re trying to manage a day job as well, have a look to see if they offer some evening hours or even night time hours, since these will be needed more as people won’t be as willing to work later. This is a great job which you can do from the comfort of your own home, and as long as you’re friendly, quick to respond and you know your stuff, you can become a treasured member of staff and keep your job for a long time.
- Look into virtual assistant jobs
This is another job which could potentially offer you long-term work if you’re good at what you do. Virtual assistants are just like personal assistants, only they’re online instead of physically being in the office. If you can write and send emails quickly, manage the finances of a small online company and be available during certain hours to help the business managers or other staff, you could soon become a favorite with your employer. A good virtual assistant will be kept for a long time, usually for as long as the business is up and running, since employers don’t want to let a good member of staff go.
- Start your own website or blog and advertise
Once you start your own website or blog, there are no limits to the amount of money you can make as long as you know what you’re doing and you’re determined to work hard in order to achieve what you want. One of the keys to making a lot of money with your website or blog is to advertise for other companies and businesses. You can get involved with larger affiliate marketing programs, such as Amazon and Google, or you can offer spots on your website to smaller businesses. For example, a website which is related to yours might offer you $100 to advertise their link on your website for a month. This price will increase depending on how much traffic you get to your website, so it’s in your interests to promote your website and make it as busy as possible. Don’t forget all the different ways in which you can advertise your own website. Use social media to your advantage, since millions of users are on these platforms every hour. Spend time each evening browsing the internet to find new and better ways to bring traffic to your website, and don’t forget how important it is to have good content on there too. If you’re can’t write well enough yourself, hire other writers to do the work for you, but whatever happens, make sure that you don’t fill up your website with words simply to make it look busy and full!