Searching for ways to make money online usually results in a lot of crap, like getting paid to read emails or take surveys; or paying money to buy useless e-books and courses for that magic formula. You should ignore all that “easy way to make money online” nonsense. Remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
So how do you build a business and make money? Basically there are three ways which are: Affiliate Marketing, Sell your own Product or Offer a Service. I’ll review these options with you so you can choose the one that’s right for you.
AFFILIATE MARKETING
If you don’t have a product to sell or a service to offer, affiliate marketing is a good place to start. The general idea behind affiliate marketing is that you promote someone else’s product and that person (the seller) pays you a commission. The provider will provide you with a web page that you can promote, commonly known as a “gateway” page. This way, the seller knows which affiliate got the sale, since he can track which “gateway” the order came through. The provider takes care of all the order processing and delivery, while you only focus on promoting your landing page.
Search for “affiliate businesses” using Google and scan the listings for anything that says “Highest Paying Affiliate Programs” or something similar. Look for products that you think you could offer on your website or blog. Some companies offer banners of different sizes that you can place on your website, which could result in a sale if one of your visitors clicks on the banner and makes a purchase. Look what the product is and a lot of commission is being offered.
Note: Some companies offer a “network marketing option” which is often referred to as a pyramid scheme. I am not suggesting that you should avoid these companies, but I do suggest that you be very careful, especially if they ask for a membership fee. If you are not If you’re not sure about a company, I recommend that you enter a search term like “(company name) a scam” and see what the public is saying. There are many people who use the line “Is (company name) a scam ” as part of your review of the company to promote it. Be sure to read as much as you can from other people.
SELL YOUR OWN PRODUCT
Your own product could be something you create yourself, like a book or a piece of software. You can earn a good income if you know how to write or program. Information marketing is quite popular as people are often looking for how to do something. Maybe you can make fancy jewelry and want to teach others how to do it. If you have a good understanding of something or a skill, you can share it with the world through an e-book. Amazon allows you to send your book to them and they will offer it for sale on their websites.
Basically, anything you can create yourself can be sold online through yourself or through a retailer who is willing to stock the product for you. I remember selling games I programmed on the Atari ST through PD Libraries as Licenseware where I was paid a commission. Of course, the product doesn’t have to be something you made. You can buy and sell items through eBay and Amazon. There are wholesalers that offer products in bulk that you could sell in the market or at a flea market. You can also buy cheap stuff at boot sales and make a profit on it.
Everybody likes to eat, so if you can cook or bake, you can sell food. Of course, you’ll need to make sure you have the necessary health and hygiene certificates before you start. Just the other day I was looking for halal cakes and the two places I found were wholesalers asking me to buy cake pops. Well, since I don’t have a big freezer or fridge, this doesn’t work for me. So an idea might be to buy them directly from the supplier and sell them at the market, or in smaller quantities to the local population if you have a car or van.
The general idea is to offer products that people want. There was a story of a Muslim woman who liked to eat prepared foods. However, there were no halal versions, so she started a business selling halal prepared meals. With Islam officially the world’s fastest growing religion, there could be a good market for halal food. After all, there are many people who stick to their local takeaway and may want to eat meat products other than kebabs or curries. Another popular trend right now is retro gaming. The younger generation is interested in older computer games.
OFFERING A SERVICE
Do you have a skill that you could offer people? Maybe you can repair computers or cars. Maybe you are good at gardening. Perhaps you can offer custom-made furniture? If you are handy with a set of tools or are good at painting and decorating, then that is something you can turn into a profitable business. Create a website, print some cards and spread the word in your community. List your services in your advertising and make sure your prices are competitive in your area. Think about your talents and how you can use them to earn money.