Since Internet is ubiquitous, it presented many opportunities for making money - whether to big companies, medium-sized enterprises, small scale business and even to individuals. For individuals, there are many ways to earn money online. Let me count the ways:
1. Blogging
Blogging before was just considered as an online journal. People blog to write down their thoughts as if they're writing on paper with pen - only that they're using the keyboard and it's accessible to everybody around the world.
Today, companies realize the social media consciousness is shaped even with ordinary people's opinions. You earn money in blogging by writing reviews of a website, a product or a service. There are so many paid posts brokers that go in between advertisers and bloggers.
PayingPost is relatively new but as soon as I've joined it, I already had three available opportunities for me to write. I just have to choose which one will fit most realistically with my opinions.
Getting paid to blog is not very hard to do - you just give honest views about an advertiser and they pay you if your post meets the requirements.
2. Affiliate systems
Affiliate systems is a marketing tool borrowed from networking marketing strategy - all you need to do is refer people to join or be a member of a website. You get paid by commission - every person you usher means a certain amount for you.
3. Freelancing/Outsourced staffing (virtual assistants, programmers, web designers)
Even before the US and other major economies slipped into recession, many of their companies outsourced to other countries where the labor cost are cheaper. It's not necessarily that way always though. Sometimes, companies just want a certain project to be developed and so they hire temporary workers and freelancers from other shores though not necessarily in other countries.
Try to search popular freelancing brokers and take your chance.
4. Writing and translation
Each country has almost a different tongue from another. In Europe for example, France, Germany and Italy are geographically proximate but their people speak different languages. There's a big money involved in translating documents from one language to another.
Some people also earn by writing as ghost writers to other people. They hire people to write on their behalf their thesis manuscripts, speeches, etc.
5. Tutoring
Education is still a big business. In fact, I am earning a good sum of money monthly by tutoring Japanese students how to speak better English. Other tutoring services also exists.
6. Sell your hobby
If you're good at making t-shirt prints or sewing hand-crafted bags and clothing, you can always find customers online and they order your products and you ship it to them.
7. Paid to click
You are paid to click adds. I don't have the patience to do this though.
As with other business areas, the Internet is a big mine to dig. It's not possible for me to exhaust everything because everything is almost possible online. It just actually depends on your street-smart and guts. You can create your own niche - a unique service. However, there is a basic rule that's adapted from the real world that applies to online businesses.
Even if you're selling the most sophisticated gadgets and the most reliable services if people haven't heard about you or your products then it's not likely that your business will succeed. You have to build buzz and make great campaigns so that people will know you're offering such and such services.
If you want your site to gain enough buzz and exposure then maybe you need to have someone write about you and your products or services. A tiny spark from a candle can burn a house if it spreads. Have someone blog about you! Blog advertising might be the key to your popularity which could lead to your website's success with just a little investment.
