Top 10 ways to Make Money Online

There are tones of opportunities that you can now venture into and make money online. There is a lot we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic as we adjusted to fit into the new normal. Among the many ways we readjusted was the way we work as many companies turned to remote working to at least maintain a minimum level of business activity in the wake of lockdowns imposed to contain the spread of the virus.  As companies turned to remote working, those who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic also turned online to search for alternative jobs. 

Whether you are committed to developing a lasting online career or simply looking for a passive income to supplement your income, there are several online working opportunities you can explore based on your skills, hobbies and interests, and available resources.  In this article, we explore the top online jobs you can venture into as a permanent job or a source of passive income. 

1. Become a Writer

Writing is one of the easiest ways to earn a meaningful income while working online.  It is one of the most common online jobs, especially with the growing demand for content among a growing number of businesses seeking to build a solid online presence.

The demand for content among businesses seeking to fill their web properties with great content has led to the emergence of content marketing as an independent branch of digital marketing.  Some writers may focus on a specific niche while others can shift from one niche to another, especially those writing for multiple clients. 

Online writers can be independent contractors, freelancers, or content writing agencies that manage several writers and editors. Examples of top content writing agencies include NextGrade Content, Upwork, and Textbrokers among others.  Most of these content writing agencies usually hire online writers from around the world. 

2. Start Drop Shipping

Dropshipping is a form of order fulfillment where the supplier does not keep stock of the products on sale. The seller only buys stock from a third party – a wholesaler, manufacturer, or even another retailer, based on orders received.  It is the third party that fulfills the order by shipping the product to the final customer. 

Dropshipping is one of the fastest growing eCommerce trends, highlighting its viability as a business idea. The dropshipping industry is currently valued at $15 billion.  For an entrepreneur, dropshipping can be a viable business idea as it is easy to start, run, and scale.  It requires little capital upfront and does not need a physical location. It also gives you the flexibility to try out new products. 

3. Become a Freelance Worker

There are several online opportunities you can venture into as a freelancer including graphic design, writing, marketing, and data entry.  You can join freelancing as an independent contractor, with your own client portfolio, or sign to various freelance websites like Upwork, NextGrade Content, Freelancer.com, and Fiverr. 

As an independent contractor, you are responsible for everything including marketing your services and sourcing your own clients, pricing your services, and working on the client’s projects.  This is different from relying on online freelance platforms where the freelancer does not source for clients, but finds already listed work projects and earns a fraction of the project’s total price upon completion. 

4. Sell Your Photos

Whether you are a professional or amateur photographer, you can earn some passive income by listing your photos on any of the multiple online photo repositories.  With the penetration of digital technologies, there is a huge and growing demand for photos among web and graphic designers, magazine editors, and companies doing online marketing. 

Leading platforms where you can monetize your photos include Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, Alamy, Etsy, and Fotomoto to name just a few. These platforms allow photographers to list their photos and pay a commission per photo sold or a monthly charge

If you are a professional photographer who takes large amounts of photos, you can start your online website, where your clients can download them for a fee. 

5. Test Websites and Give Feedback

Every day, millions of new websites and mobile apps are launched into the digital space as new businesses are registered every day.  Businesses fiercely compete on offering seamless experiences to their online customers through their “online shops”, which calls for vigorous pre-launch testing of websites and mobile apps.

Web testing and review is not only a great way to make money online, but also further immerse yourself in the digital world, especially the web development industry. Web review requires someone with deep knowledge of website design and functionality, excellent communication abilities, and critical and logical thinking skills. Have such traits? Visit web testing platforms like Ubertesters, UserTesting, Userbrain, Testbirds, Userlytics, and TryMyUI to explore available opportunities. 

6. Do Voice-Over Work

Digital marketing is growing in lips and bounds thanks to corresponding spiral growth in eCommerce.  Companies are in great demand for voice-over talents to produce adverts, promotions, guides, demonstration videos, and trailers among other pieces of audio-supported content. 

It can be an easy way to earn from your voice. The pay usually depends on the nature of the project, the script length, and the level of experience needed.

7. Start a Blog

If writing is your hobby or you simply have a certain subject of interest, blogging can be an excellent way to advance your knowledge in the subject, build an online audience of followers, and later monetize your blog through the various available strategies. It is one of the most credible and legitimate ways to make money online. Blogging, therefore, starts with picking the right niche, building an audience, and monetizing your blog. The biggest challenge in blogging is the steep curve involved in building an audience.

You can monetize your blog through affiliate marketing. Through affiliate marketing, you earn commissions whenever a person clicks a monetized link promoted on your blogs. You also earn a commission from all sales originating from ads listed on your blog.  You can also work with companies to display their ads on your blog at a fee.  You can display ads on your blog using Google Adsense. 

8. Sell Second-Hand Items

You can sell or rent out your used items to decongest your space and also earn some passive dollars.  It can also save you money as you only sell items you already have.  After identifying the items for sale, take good photos and upload them on online marketplaces with all product details. 

A common product to sell online is clothing. The second-hand industry is growing and projected to reach $77 billion by 2026. You can sell second-hand items to decluster your space or as a permanent job. For a stable permanent career in second-hand items, you can consider having your own website.   

9. Try Mystery Shopping

Market research and retailers hire mystery shoppers to visit specific stores and assess the level of customer experience. It can be an excellent way to make money online especially if you are an avid shopper. 

Mystery shoppers monitor and collect data on several variables including product quality, store conditions, and customer services among others items.  Platforms where you can work as a mystery shopper include Market Force, BestMark, and Secret Shopper.

10. Complete Online Surveys

You can use your spare time to complete online surveys for a few extra bucks in your pocket. Market research companies and businesses hire people to participate in surveys to better understand customer behavior and experience as well as general market trends.

Companies use results from these surveys to make informed business decisions like product launches or targeting advertisements to the right audience. 

Final Word

There are evidently several opportunities to work and make money online especially as the digital space continues to expand. If there is one positive thing that the COVID-19 pandemic taught us, it is the ease and flexibility of working online.  It does not require huge capital commitment and is location-independent meaning you can work from anywhere.  Working online also gives you the flexibility to try out multiple skills and products and allows you to strike a favorable work-life balance.