Make money online

It is the dream on many – working from home and earning a living online.  So what exactly are the opportunities?  To earn money online you need to sell something namely a product, service or information. To increase your earnings significantly you need to sell something that is not directly related to the time you put into each project – create once, sell many.

Often people think they have to come up with an idea that is unique. Not true. If there is a successful product or service with an existing market why not tap into that market. In fact you could even promote and sell someone else’s product yourself for a commission.

Let's look at some of the online businesses you could start today.

Products - everyone expects to find the products they want online. You can sell virtually any physical or digital item through your own online shop or by using eBay or other online services. These products can be new, recycled, or handmade – in fact anything at all.  If you already make items to sell then set up an online shop yourself. You could sell products for others avoiding the need to keep stock.  What about your digital work? Sell you photos and books online to generate a continuous income stream – back to the create once/sell many plan.

Services - think about what you enjoy doing and the skills you have – could any of these be made available online.  Here’s a few to get you thinking – creating eye catching leaflets, garden design, holiday planning (yes some people prefer to hand this task over to others), or providing a house finding service.  You could do all of these without leaving your desk unless you choose to.

Information - people regularly require information tailored to meet their needs – the possible impact of the weather forecast on a specific sport (conditions, will the event be called off, suggested clothing). Feeding a family on a budget – you could provide a collection of quick and easy recipes that are low cost.  A list and descriptions of free attractions and days out such as the local park, churches, walks, and sports fields. Think about your own knowledge, and that of people you have access to, and create information leaflets that you then sell from your website.

The key to success with any online business is attracting potential customers to your website or product listing, promoting the product to maximise sales, and finally making it easy for customer to make that purchase. When a potential customer uses Google to search for a solution to their problem be it a way to display a collection (bookcase), safe places to walk with children in a specific area (information booklet), or needing someone to respond to emails (you could provide such a service). Ensure that when you write descriptions for your products you include all of the keywords a customer might enter into Google when looking for a product such as yours.  Your custom made bookcases could also meet the needs of those looking for display cabinets, shelving, or office furniture.  Make sure you include all of these terms.

And finally – if you truly want to make a living online then you need to start up your online business today.  Decide on products to sell or a service to offer, set up that website and start promoting.  Do this and you could start earning from day one.

Happy earning.