Even with no product and no website, you can get paid for what
and who you know
Making money online used to pretty much require you to have your
own Web site, products to sell and some marketing savvy. But a new generation
of dot-coms have arisen that will pay you for what you know and who you know
without you having to be a web designer or a marketing genius.
But it's hard to tell
hype from the real deal. I did a search on "make money online" and
"making money online", and much of the information out there is just
promoting various infoproducts, mostly about Internet marketing. I see why people
sometimes ask, "Is anyone making money online besides Internet marketing
experts?"
So I put together a list
of business opportunities with legitimate companies that:
·
Pay cash, not just points towards rewards or a chance to win
money
·
Don't require you to have your own Web domain or your own
products
·
Don't involve any hard-selling
·
Aren't just promoting more Internet marketing
·
Give a good return on your time investment
In the interest of objectivity, none of the links below are
affiliate links, and none of them have paid or provided any other consideration
for their presence here. These are legitimate companies with business models
that allow you to get paid for a wide range of activities.
Help friends find better
jobs.
Sites like ReferEarns, Zyoin, Who Do You Know For Dough?, and WiseStepp connect employers with prospective employees, many of whom are
already employed and not actively job-hunting, via networking - the people who
know these qualified candidates. Rewards for referring a candidate who gets
hired range from $50 on up to several thousand dollars - not chump change. If
you know a lot of job-seekers (and who doesn't these days?), this is a great
way to break into the recruiting business with no overhead.
Connect suppliers with
buyers.
Referral fees are a common practice in business, but they
haven't been used much in online networking sites because there was no way to
track them. Sites like Salesconx, InnerSell anduRefer now
provide that. Vendors set the referral fees they're willing to pay (and for
what), and when the transaction happens, you get paid. uRefer also allows
merchants to set up referral programs for introductions and meetings, as well
as transactions.
Write.
A growing number of sites will pay for your articles or blog
posts. Associated Content andHelium will "pay for performance" based on page views for
just about anything you want to write about. Articles on specific topics
they're looking for can earn direct payments up to about $200. The rates are
probably low for established writers, but if you're trying to break into the
field and have time on your hands, they're a great way to start. Also, a lot of
companies are looking for part-time bloggers. They may pay per post or on a
steady contract. Our Weblogs Guide posts blogging jobs weekly in the forum.
Start your own blog.
You don't have to have your own Web site, or install blogging
software, or even figure out how to set up the advertising. At Blogger you can set up a blog for free in less than five minutes without
knowing a thing about web design, and Blogger even automates setting up Google
AdSense so you can make money off your blog by displaying ads and getting paid
when people click on the ads. To make even more money from it, set up an
affiliate program (see below) for books, music, etc., and insert your affiliate
links whenever you refer to those items. You'll have to get a lot of traffic to
become a six-figure blogger, but pick an interesting
topic, write well, tell all your friends, and you're off to a good start.
Create topical resource
hubs.
Are you an expert on a particular niche topic? Can you put
together an overview of the topic and assemble some of the best resources on
the topic from around the web? Then you can create topical hubs and get paid
through sites like Squidoo, HugPages and Google Knol.
Payments are based on a combination of ad revenue and affiliate fees. You'll
get higher rates doing it on your own, but these sites have a built-in supply
of traffic and tools to make content creation easier.
Advertise other people's
products.
If you already have a Web
site or a blog, look for vendors that offer related but non-competing products
and see if they have an affiliate program. Stick to familiar products and
brands - they're easier to sell. To promote those products:
·
Place simple text or graphical ads in appropriate places on your
site
·
Include links to purchase products you review or recommend in a
blog, discussion forum or mailing list you control
·
Create a dedicated sales page or Web site to promote a particular
product
They all work - it just depends on how much time you have to
spend on it and your level of expertise with Web design and marketing.
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