Young smiling woman holding cash

There are many different reasons you could be interested in using the internet to make money. Whether you’re unable to work a regular 9-to-5 job or you’re just trying to make some extra money on the side, working from home through your computer seems appealing to anyone. Unfortunately, there are a lot of resources and a lot of fake companies out there who will try to take advantage of your vulnerable position.

Woman with computer thinking dreaming has ideas looking up

Woman with computer thinking, dreaming, has ideas looking up.

Here is a list of legitimate resources available for those trying to earn through the computer:

Survey Sites


The first and most accessible method for making money on the internet is survey sites. This is an overarching term for sites that pay you small amounts of money for easy yet non-stimulating tasks. These tasks could range from things such as actual surveys to visiting ads and reporting on the quality of websites. These websites take little skill but also provide little payout.

Reports are usually that sites such as these pay about $4 an hour, making them one of the least efficient ways to earn money online. Examples of survey sites include mTurk and SwagBucks. Both sites are reputable and can earn money, but at a slow rate that may not be acceptable for someone trying to earn a living through their computer.

Writing


Freelance writing is a fun but challenging way to earn money on the internet. There are many different ways to approach writing as a job, as there are various different skill levels that you can enter the business at. The lowest level to enter freelance writing at is through websites considered content mills. These websites, such as TextBroker and iWriter, require minimal skill or education to write for, but in exchange, offer minimum pay. Websites such as these have client-ordered topics that writers have the option to write for pennies on the word. Content mills can give, at a maximum, about $10 an hour while offering 1 cent per word. While this is decent pay for an easy part-time job, it is important to note that oftentimes work is scarce, which lowers expected pay.

The next level up would consist of websites such as Constant Content. This level consists of websites that have higher pay, yet expect more skill and expertise in the writing skills of the workers. At this level, writers can choose to write about their own topics and can make about 9 cents a word. It is important to note that fluency in English is a must at this point, and editing becomes a necessary step in the writing process. While the work is harder, the payoff is much better. The websites usually go through the effort of acquiring clients, so you don’t have to.

Finally at the highest level is a self-employed freelance writer. The pay is good but the work is as demanding and difficult as any full-time job is. Payment can range from 30 to 50 cents per word on articles written, which can produce a respectable income. Do not expect to get to this level without a high level of education and experience in the writing industry. The work of finding clients is up to you, but being your own boss should make up for that.

Overall, at any level, freelance writing can provide a good income.

Task Performance


There are several websites on the internet that pay for tasks to be accomplished that cannot be automated. An example of this kind of website is Upwork, where people request jobs, such as data entry or transcription, in exchange for a small pay. These tasks take less than a few hours and you are paid per completion of the job instead of an hourly wage. The payment from these sites is hard to estimate, but it is reasonable to believe that is pays about the same as a part-time job. Similarly, if you have any exceptional skills you can offer your services through sites such as Fiverr. These websites are hubs of people offering their services for $5 a “gig.”

Depending on the specific skill you have, this can be reasonable income as well.

Blogging


Blogging does not necessarily have to make money, but through monetizing your website, it can be paid through ad views. There are several different ways in which you can go about producing money with a blog. First, the easiest method is just by placing ads on your site through companies such as Google AdSense that pay per view of your page and per click of an add. Ads make little money even on sites with a high user base; however, considering it is passive income, it is not a bad idea for someone with the resources available. In addition, you can work through affiliates and offer to promote products in exchange for a percentage of the sales. In effect, you are working for commission on a product that is not your own. Again, a large amount of traffic is required for this to work well.

Finally, you can offer premium content in exchange for a membership price. Doing so requires a high skill level in the blogging medium you choose, so it may be a difficult choice for a beginner. Overall, making money through blogging is not easy. Sites need high traffic to make any sort of decent income. The appeal of this, however, is that blogging provides a fairly passive sort of income.

If you do the work upfront, you will be paid with little to no work in the future.

Work-at-Home Companies


There are companies that have a workforce solely through the internet. Examples of these websites include Appen, LionBridge, and LeapForce. These companies pay users to improve the experience of the internet by, for example, rating search results for Google, ensuring that only the most accurate websites are returned. In addition, these websites offer social media evaluator positions to improve the quality of posts on websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Workers for these companies are required to fill out a contract, and unlike the other possibilities of working online, receive an hourly wage. These websites are often described as reliable yet stressful, as any occupation would be.

There are many different methods out there for making money at home from your computer. Whether you are aiming to make side money in addition to your monthly income or are trying to work exclusively online, there are opportunities for everyone.

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