Making money online is the sweet spot people look for in the gig economy. Whether you aspire to be a six-figure social media influencer, or are just looking to supplement your regular income with some internet gigs, we've found some viable options.
Pick up freelance work online
Make money online through websites such as Fiverr and Freelancer.com. These sites offer opportunities to do a variety of freelance jobs, such as writing, programming, design, marketing, data entry and being a virtual assistant. Fluent in a second language? Check sites such as Gengo or One Hour Translation, or drum up business through a site of your own. No matter what kind of freelancing you do, keep track of the going rate for the kind of work you provide so you know if you’re charging too much or too little.
- Total time: It can take a while to get your first gig.
- Setup: 24 hours.
- How easy to start: Easy, if you have the expertise.
- Age threshold: 13+ but varies by site.
- Payment speed: Varies by site.
Test websites and apps
Another way to make money from home is on sites like UserTesting.com. You get paid for your thoughts on how well — or not so well — certain websites and apps worked. You’ll have to pass a short test to be accepted, then you’ll be paid $10 for each 20-minute test, which involves a recording and answering four follow-up written questions. Or you could earn up to $120 to participate in a video conversation with a customer after your test.
- Total time: Approval time can vary.
- Setup: Less than an hour.
- How easy to start: Easy, if you have the tech gear and complete a sample test.
- Age threshold: 18+.
- Payment speed: Seven days.
Take surveys for money
You can make money from home by taking online surveys, but don’t expect to be rolling in the dough. Survey sites don’t typically offer a big payoff, and many sites are more useful for earning gift cards than cash. Some of the more popular survey sites include Swagbucks and Survey Junkie. Read our analysis of a dozen survey sites to find out which one is best suited for you.
- Total time: It will take a while.
- Setup: Just minutes.
- How easy to start: Very. Just register and begin.
- Age threshold: 13 to 18+.
- Payment speed: Varies by site.
Make money from your blog as an affiliate
If you’re a blogger who gets decent traffic, you could make money by joining an affiliate network. Affiliates (that’s you) get paid when someone clicks through from the website to the partner site and buys something there. Some bloggers make a lot of money this way. Read more about affiliate marketing and other ways bloggers can make money.
- Total time: It can take quite a while to build an audience.
- Setup: With blog templates, building a site is easy.
- How easy to start: Starting is not that difficult. Creating regular content may be another matter.
- Age threshold: Any.
- Payment speed: A month or two, on average.
Get advertising revenue from your blog or YouTube channel
- Total time: It can take several weeks to get up and running.
- Setup: Not that hard.
- How easy to start: Depends on how good you are at producing interesting videos.
- Age threshold: 18+.
- Payment speed: Could take a long while to earn the first payout; then monthly.