Make Money Online (Without Spending a Dime)

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.

Related: Monetizing Your Blog

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.

Related: How to Really Make Money on the Internet With an Amazon.com Affiliate Site

Microstock photography.

You don't have to be a professional photographer to sell your photos for money. People are constantly in need of stock photography for websites, presentations, brochures and so on, and are willing to pay for the right image. People generally search for images on stock photography sites by keywords, not by photographer, so you have the same chance as anyone else of having your image picked. Just be careful that you don't have images of trademarked brands, copyrighted art or people's faces that are readily identifiable (unless you have a model release), but just about anything else is fair game, and I promise - you'd be amazed what people need pictures of, so don't make any assumptions. If it's a decent photo, upload it. Some sites to get you started include Fotolia, ShutterStock, Dreamstime andiStockphoto. The great thing about this is that it's truly "set it and forget it".

The above list is by no means comprehensive, but it highlights some of the new and interesting ways to make money online without investing any money, without having a product of your own, and without having expert sales and marketing skills. Most of all, unlike taking surveys or getting paid to read e-mail, the potential return on your time investment is substantial.

Tips for Online Money Making

TOP TEN TIPS FOR MAKING MONEY ON THE SIDE.

Here are a few tips that can help you to generate multiple revenue streams.

1. Blogging

While bloggers do not usually get rich through their writing they can, however, often accumulate enough online content to generate a nice monthly check from Google Adsense. Additionally, a blog is an excellent way to promote your other businesses or services effectively through online content. So once you set up shop, do not forget to write about it. Read more about how to Make Money with WordPress and Google Adsense.

2. Start a small business.

Look for a unfilled niche in the market. Is there a product or service that you wish were available for sale online, but is not? If you are serious about launching a gourmet food shop or a dog walking business, get the word out with a web site and begin offering key clients free coupons. Then, post their endorsements on your site. Consider advertising in web forums, including Craigslist.org.

3. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing refers to the act of displaying ads from companies like Verizon, for example, for which you get paid each time a site visitor clicks on one of those ads and performs the most desired action. With affiliate marketing, there are pay per click (PPC ) programs in which search engines place ads on your web site designed to appeal to your market.

4. Donations

By offering "value" to your web site visitors and politely soliciting contributions, you can receive donations from your audience. If your visitors like what you offer and like what you have to contribute, they might send donations or gifts. Make an Amazon "wish list" of items that you want but are not able to buy for yourself, then post the list to your web site. You will be surprised at how many people will consider buying you something from the list. Do not be afraid to ask for donations or gifts from your wish list. Even if you ask for a small donation, such as $5, it may seem like a small amount but if many people send you the small donation, then it can add up. Be nice about it and never go overboard when asking for donations.

5. Subscription revenue

If you create a web site that has many users in the forum or other community, it is very possible that people will pay you to become a "premium" member. You can offer a premium membership for people and those people are able to gain access to a special part of your forum and a special avatar. The reason people will sign up for a subscription is because there is an extra value that people want. You can also offer special video posts or newsletters that only members of the club can receive. By setting up a PayPal account, it is very simple to receive payment.

6. Contextual ads

Google Adsense is an example of a contextual ad program. Yahoo and Microsoft also offer similar ad programs. These ads blend in with the content. If you see a newspaper listing with an ad that looks like it is part of the content, it could be a contextual ad. Google, for example, will examine the content and place very targeted text ads that are relevant to what the site is about in order to obtain the highest return. The amount of money that you can ultimately make is dependent on how much traffic your web site receives. The more visitors that see your ads, the more likely that someone will click the ads, which in-turn generates commission for you. Many publishers place the ads on their pages at the bottom or on pages where there are zero search results because that is the place where people are going to leave anyway and the way that contextual ads work is "one click and the visitor is gone". So if they are going to leave anyway, you might as well make money on them as they are leaving your web site.

7. Direct ad sales

Selling ads directly is a possibility for small publishers who have time, dedication and the right approach. You can sell ads to your competitors or other businesses who are interested in getting their banner in front of your web site visitors. Again, the amount that you can charge for these ads is dependent on the amount of traffic that your web site receives.

8. Sell products relevant to your blog.

Setup an eCommerce site and sell products that are relevant to the topic of your site. For example, if you have a blog that focuses on mobile phone products, you can sell chargers or cords for mobile phones.

9. Become a web hosting reseller.

Reseller web hosting programs are an excellent way at which work-at-home entrepreneurs can make extra income. And because reseller web hosting programs usually come with 24/7 technical support assistance from the up-stream provider web host, you can become a reseller without a lot of technical expertise.

10. Facebook advertising

Did you know that you can make money with Facebook? No only is it possible but it is growing in popularity because it is such a simple way to make money through something a lot of people use already. To get started making money with Facebook advertising, sign into Facebook, click Advertisers at the bottom, and get started making your ad. You will need a web site promotion page, a fan page or something else that is owned by you. People can come and visit and learn things about your site. You need an ad that says what you want and need to say. Keywords are important here but not the only consideration. Choose titles that are short and to the point. Use powerful and upbeat wording for the ads.

Making money online and creating multiple revenue streams is not difficult, if you have the time and the drive to work at it every day. In time, you can build successful revenue streams by following the previous ten tips. You can do one or all of the above. It might seem a little intimidating in the beginning, but as you begin to build your web site or blog with a web hosting provider, the different ways of which to build multiple revenue streams will come into play. As your web site establishes a following of consistent visitors, you will notice that your revenue streams will become more successful.