11 Ways to Make Money Online
Have you explored every possible way that your site could be bringing in extra income? When was the last time you considered adding an additional revenue stream to your blog or site? You should be re-evaluating the ways that your site can earn money at least twice a year. There may be infinite ways of monetizing a site, but the following 11 ideas are a way to jumpstart your evaluation process.
In the past, I’ve described 10 methods of earning online income with definitions included. That post was a high-level summary designed to introduce monetization concepts. Other posts have focused on giving detailed, in-depth information about specific ways to monetize a site. My hope is that by giving you a mix of ideas and explanations, you can find the monetization methods that work best for you, your site, and your niche market. Generally speaking, it’s usually best to diversify, using a mix of methods, so if one revenue stream dries up for any reason, your other methods are still bringing in some income. Watch the video, or jump to the text below the video.
1. Sell access to premium content.
This works best when it is in the form of a membership site, in which members pay a monthly fee to access exclusive content. If you’ve got premium content, you can quickly make a lot from a membership site.
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2. Review products, earning affiliate commissions from referrals.
When done well, review sites can attract lots of search engine based traffic, and can be one of the best earners out there.
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Simple Way To Create Review Sites Using WordPress
3. Sell your own info products such as ebooks, videos, and audio “how-to” information.
Absolutely everyone has the ability to create their own high-quality ebooks and video products these days. And with services such as eJunkie to handle the orders and delivery of the downloads, it doesn’t get much easier.
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4. Sell your own non-info digital products such as templates, graphics, and photos.
If you have talent in these types of areas, you can sell your work not only on your own site, but also on sites like the Envato marketplaces and Fotolia.
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5. Sell your own physical products, such as t-shirts, hand-made items and published books.
With services such as Etsy, CafePress, Zazzle, and Lulu to host your products, you can easily sell and ship real physical goods.
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6. Run a marketplace/auction that allows others to list items for sale
You let others list items for sale on your site, and in return, you either receive a listing fee, a portion of the sale, or both. Running a classified listing service is similar to running marketplaces or auctions, but it is more generic, and with less interactivity. Classifieds would consist of simple listings, with a fee charged for each. And of course, with easy to use WordPress themes, like this classifieds theme, it’s just plain easy.
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Hosting Online Auctions or Classified Ads: An Introduction to Marketplaces
Easily Add A Classifieds Marketplace or Auction To Your Site With Premade Scripts
7. Host or share sponsored content
You are paid to post sponsored content (such as a blog post that an advertiser pays for), or you are paid to share sponsored content, such as a paid tweet. The best place to start with this type of monetization is at Izea, where you can sign up for SocialSpark, Sponzai, or Sponsored Tweets. Technically speaking, sponsored tweets aren’t exactly monetizing your “site”, but if your Twitter account is tied to your site’s brand, then in effect, it is a method of site monetization.
8. Sell your own services.
Some service examples include consulting, designing, programming, freelance writing, marketing, etc.
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9. Run a job board in your niche
Running a job board is a great add-on to any site, and with WordPress themes such as Job Board and Job Press, it couldn’t get much easier. Basically, you charge a fee for each job posted. Job seekers search for free, but you could charge for premium services such as hosting resumes, helping job seekers create resumes, selling access to premium content such as guides to successful interviews, etc. A good way to know what you can offer is to run through some of the popular job boards as if you were looking for a job. What’s missing? What do you wish they had for you but they don’t? Can you supply that others in your niche?
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Where To Find Work – Quick Resource List
10. Sell banner ad space.
This could be through ad networks such as buysellads.com or via one-on-one sales negotiated directly with advertisers.
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11. Serve Google Adsense ads or any automated ad network ads.
The easiest, but not always most lucrative, method is of course, slapping Google Adsense on your site (or some equivalent, though there’s not much in the way of equivalent choices).
Related posts:
Adsense Realities for New Publishers
Get Creative!
The bottom line here is that you can increase the bottom line of your site’s income, just by getting creative. Most of the pain has been taken out of the equation over the years, as there are services, products, and vast quantities of information to help you handle almost any aspect of monetizing your site using these ideas. Stop limiting yourself with just the occasional banner ad, and move towards an increased level of freedom. Freedom? Oh yeah, freedom. Freedom is what comes with that extra bit of security, known as a bank account that isn’t teetering on the edge of emptiness. 
So start thinking, and start working towards that extra level of freedom. Good luck!
Tags: monetization, Online Income
| 11 Ways to Make Money Online | |
 | Have you explored every possible way that your site could be bringing in extra income? When was the last time you considered adding an additional revenue stream to your blog or site? You should be re-evaluating the ways that your site can earn money at least twice a year. There may be infinite ways of [...] |
41 Responses to “11 Ways to Make Money Online”
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I am an eBusiness Coach, Web Developer, Internet Marketer, SEO, Inbound Marketing Consultant, and General Web Geek, making my living from home.
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I’ve actually got a couple projects in the works which incorporate many of these ideas. I can’t spill the beans just yet but I think the real bonus comes when you can combine many of these together.
For example: What if you reviewed a product for a commission and after how well you see it goes you find a supplier and sell it directly?
I know this is a larger step but it’s quite easy now with websites like Alibaba and wholesale sources like World Wide Brands.
In fact, you could go to the extent of having your own small eCommerce store right on site – build an empire!
Excellent collection Donna. Was great that you didn’t over bog it down which actually helps to open a conversation – haha, maybe thats why this comment became a bit lengthy!
Murlu recently posted..Creating A Cult Following Behind Your Brand
Aw c’mon, spill the beans…we won’t tell. LOL. Ok, ok, I’ll be patient, but I sure hope you return when you can spill the beans and let us know what you’ve got going. Thanks for the thoughts on wholesale options. I’ve occasionally considered doing dropship stuff, but something always distracted me, and I never “got around to it”. Maybe one day.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
Thanks for sharing this great tip and information. I would want to ask, when should one monetize his or her website? I want to start a new blog and want ideas so as to how to go about it so don’t I don’t flop. Hope you can help me out. Will come back to check for your reply soon. Thanks for the info. It was great being on your site.
I monetize from the very start so that visitors don’t get any surprises in the future. However, others wait so they can more easily get backlinks from people who are leery of linking to an ad-filled site. That’s a fair reason to wait, but I think if you give out great content, you can get the links with or without ads.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
You have got quite a few compelling reasons to review your website on a semi-annual basis to find new monetization methods.
I take a different approach though. I have a number of websites, not just one. Maybe that is why I take the approach that I take.
When I launch a new website, I already know (almost always that is) how I am going to monetize it. I will stick with one primary method of monetization and build everything I possibly can into that site to generate more money with that method.
Then I have some sites that serve completely different purposes, that I just throw some basic Chitika ads on that might cover little more than the hosting and domain costs.
If I was only running one blog though, I would definitely consider your advice.
Kathy recently posted..The Real Money In Freelance Writing Comes From Promoting Your Own Niche Websites
Totally agree with all your tips and using creativity with all these money making ideas is must.Having a job board is something which i never tried.Thanks for sharing.
Whiztechy recently posted..4 Biggest Failures from Google
Let me know if you try a job board. Interested to see if it works for you or not.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
I used to have a job board with my parner some time ago, and it’s not easy business…
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Very few businesses are easy.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
That is really a great list. I know most people stick to one field, but its easy to diversify, as long as you’re not doing it all at the same site. One reason many people fail online is because they cannot concentrate on one niche.
Laura Davis recently posted..Wall Street Reform is Finally Here- But Why Should We Care
Hopefully they work with a niche they love – then it’s a lot easier to stick with it.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
Hi Donna,
This is an useful post for me as am going to monetize my blog. Of-course it my blog is only 1 month old. Next week, I am joining post graduation course. So I thought it will better to do the monetization before I get busy.
BTW, Is there no word such as ‘monetization’?
Thanks for the awesome post
Jakes
Jakes recently posted..Dean’s FCKEditor Plugin
Monetization is a word, yes. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/monetization
Good idea to start monetizing before you get busy, but at some point, you’ll need to test different methods – or just test one method in different ways. So you probably will still need to spend some time on it but there’s no reason to make it wait completely. Might as well start it now and make changes as needed when you have some time. Good luck!
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
Well… that’s quite a list of ways to make money online, but most of my earning comes from yahoo ppc and google ppc as in selling as an affiliate for products that’s not in the make money online niche.I have try to sell the make money online niche products but is just to competitive for me.
The Bad Blogger – Down & Dirty Secrets Not For Kids recently posted..The Fact- The Truth And The Myth Of 3 Online Marketing Kings Revealed !
These methods can be used for any niche. They certainly aren’t just for the mmo niche. And of course, you can always supplement your PPC efforts with onsite efforts. Never restrict yourself.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
Hi Donna,
Your list summary of 11 ways to earn money online is such a great list. Most people start off writing reviews, promoting other people stuff and then they promote to start selling their own products and services and I think it’s very interesting to take a look at the path people are following.
And as the first commentator points out, I think it’s great idea, too!
Mike recently posted..How to stop playing and start treating make money online as your real business
Once you have the traffic, the opportunities to make money are endless – no matter the niche. The hardest part is establishing that first static stream of visitors at around 500-1,00 “uniques” a day. Once you have the traffic, with a little determination there are so many money-making options to explore….These 11 ways are pretty awesome and standard for any web blog – but it is just the tip of the ice berg
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Hey Donna, did you recently redesign this site, it seems to look different than the last time that I visited?
Right now, I’m trying to find the best CPM Ad Network for my new blog network (it’s pretty small 100k monthly unique visitors / 300k page views.)
Any advice on CPM ads?
Jarret recently posted..Supplement Updates is now Commentluv Enabled!
It’s been a long time since I’ve used a CPM ad network. At the time, Burst Media and Tribal Fusion were useful for that kind of traffic. There may be others these days, however, that I haven’t paid attention to.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
Hi Donna
I am new to blogging and your site has been recommended by so many other experienced bloggers I decided to visit. Your posts are very helpful as I plan to monetize my blog once I get regular traffic to my site.
Some of my readers are already asking for products so I am busy researching and wanting to source local products for my Aussie readers. Will have to look to the US and UK for their products too. I have bookmarked this page as I have heaps to learn and this is another for me to revisit.
Patricia Perth Australia
Patricia recently posted..Lavender Health- Lavender Essential Oil
If at all possible, Patricia, start by trying to sell the product you, yourself, use the most. If the product itself doesn’t have an affiliate program, see if Amazon sells it. You can be an Amazon affiliate and get a commission off anything there.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
Great post here. Personally, I have made quite a bit of money writing for people on line and I am now trying to expand to making greater amounts of money with less of a work-horse method. Writing online is very work intensive, and if you aren’t doing it for yourself, you’re not really building a business at all.
Reading through the comments it amazes me that no one has commented on the video yet. It’s super cool and I was so engaged by it I think I missed some of your points. I better listen to it again. Thank you!
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LOL, thanks Ileane. The video is kinda goofy, but it might be useful to people who like listening more than reading.
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
I originally found the world of online income back when eHow was actually eHow, and not Demand Studios. This was years ago though.
But since then, I have learned a LOT about what it takes to actually generate a steady source of passive income.
So much in fact, that I have launched my own website explaining all of the best ways to start earning money with the internet – Starting TODAY.
http://www.income-xpress.com
Don’t worry about the sloppy design on some of the pages, it is still under construction but all of the information you need is there.
Great blog post, I stumbled onto this blog by accident. It is good to see that you tell your users about the physical products. We get so caught up in the digital world we forget we can easily market physical products. Just would like to mention that the Facebook Marketplace is also pretty cool. It is like eBay but on Facebook. =) Looking forward to reading more. Take Care
I have been thinking about making a site with premium membership for a monthly fee. Possibly making an ebook or how to type of thing. I also considered designing templates and modifications for a price too. Memberships can be difficult depending on what the site will have inside for a member. Ebooks, how to’s, templates and other modifications I am holding off on for now. I keep wondering if one person would buy it, then upload it somewhere for the entire internet world to download for free. I’d hate to go through a bunch of work for little or nothing. For now I mostly just mess with ad networks and affiliate programs, but would like to dabble with a few more ideas and programs.
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The options when it comes to making money online are literally limitless. Keep in mind, however, that making money online is no different than making money offline. It also requires time, energy, planning and persistence to succeed. If you’re into affiliate marketing or blog advertising for instance, you need to take the time to build traffic and community before you can see a constant stream of income. Strive to build trust and gain influence from both search engines and users, and your chance of earning considerable profits online is pretty much guaranteed.
It’s easier said than done in selling products online. It requires a lot of studying before having a success online. This post really gives a head start on how to sell online products. Just follow every guidelines presented on this post.
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