Making Money on the Internet

A growing number of people are choosing to supplement their incomes by making money online.  In fact, thanks to the recession, there are many people that now rely on the Internet for almost all their income as they find themselves working reduced hours, or made redundant from their day jobs.

There are lots of ways to make money online. If you have a marketable skill - whether that's the ability to write well, make physical products, or do graphic design, you can turn that into a money-making venture.  Here's a few suggestions to help you get started.

1. Blogging

Running a blog can be a lot of fun, and can generate some income for you too.  Pick a topic that you're passionate about, buy a small hosting package and a domain name, and start writing.  Once you've got some content up there, you can sign up to a range of advertising services aimed at bloggers, and sell advertising on your site.

You can set up a blog on a free hosting service if you aren't able to afford professional hosting and a domain, but you'll find it easier to attract advertisers if you have a domain and a good hosting package.

2. Affiliate Programs

Most people use affiliate programs in conjunction with an existing blog or website, but not all affiliate programs require you to have a website.  If you are a highly respected member of a forum, or just have a huge following on popular social networking sites, you can use those avenues to advertise the products you are an affiliate for.

If you're not sure how to promote affiliate links, then consider signing up for an affiliate forum and asking for advice.  Be sure to read the "sticky" posts at the top of the affiliate forum you join, though - almost everything you could ever want to know about making money online will probably have been discussed. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of each program you join.

3. Paid Surveys

If you don't have a lot of time to devote to making money online, and just want a little extra cash - perhaps to put towards birthday gifts, holidays, or Christmas presents, then consider signing up to a paid survey site.

Some survey sites, such as Valued Opinions, have mobile apps that you can use to take their surveys.  The average survey takes 10-20 minutes to complete, and while the pay isn't great, it can mount up over time.  If you take the bus or train to work, then you can keep yourself entertained by answering surveys while you're travelling, and save the vouchers up for a rainy day.

There are many other ways to make money online, but the above are some of the more accessible methods.  If you need to make a lot of money, rather than just some extra cash for treats or holiday spending, then you should consider looking at traditional remote working jobs, rather than "get paid to" sites, as those websites usually target a more casual audience.

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How to Identify Affiliate Marketing Scams

Affiliate marketing is becoming an increasingly popular method of earning some extra money to supplement day jobs, or as a convenient work-from-home alternative to the traditional 9-5. After hearing many success stories, it might be tempting to go out and join the first company you can find. But affiliate scams exist and it’s important to do some thorough research and careful consideration before committing to a particular company or product.

The most important thing to remember with affiliate marketing is that there are no start-up costs, so straight off this is something to look out for. The way in which companies can scam you though, is that after signing up and promoting their product, they will avoid giving you your commission. This is done by providing you with code for your site which opens a pop-up to the sales page of the product instead of a direct link from your site. This means the sale won’t be linked to your account and the commission won’t be rewarded.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is

There are so many affiliate programs that make outrageous claims and promises that are just too good to be true. The truth is that to be successful at affiliate marketing you have to work hard. You can’t just join a program and then sit back and watch the money roll in. So when you see companies promising to make you thousands in a short amount of time with very little effort, alarm bells should be ringing. These types of companies might not be scams in the sense that they won’t give you your commission, but they definitely won’t be able to live up to the claims that they make and in truth, a reputable company wouldn’t make such claims anyway.

How easy are they to contact?

You should always check that there are contact details available for the company you are looking into. If it seems to be impossible to get hold of a phone number or legitimate email address, it means they don’t want to be easily contacted and you have to ask why that is. Do some research and find out how other users have experienced the company’s support services after registering. Have they found it easy to contact the company? And have they received adequate support to deal with their issues? Try to look out for companies that offer live chat support and dedicated phone numbers for members as these are more like to look after their affiliates.

What is the company’s website like?

As a legitimate company with an internet based business, it’s a given that they will have a website. And a high quality website at that. Browse through and check that the website is professionally designed and the content is of a high quality and free of errors. If something seems off about the site, then move on and leave it alone. Don’t trust any sales emails offering you registration to a scheme. Stay clear of these and find your own affiliate companies.

Can the company provide tracking reports?

Any reputable company should be able to provide you with tracking reports for your sales performance or software so that you can track your progress. Avoid companies that cannot do this as they might be trying to cheat you out of your commission.

Research, research, research!

Do your own research, visit forums and ask others that have worked with the company. If you find a lot of negative feedback then it’s obviously best to avoid that company. Equally, if you don’t find much at all it’s probably a good idea to stay clear as well. Talk to other affiliate marketers and find out about their experiences. Some bad feedback given for most companies, don’t let these put you off straight away. Use your own judgement and compare the good feedback with the not so good.

The most important point is not to make any hasty decisions. Take your time to find a company you like and can trust and make sure you do a good amount of research first. Get involved with affiliate forums and stay up to date with the latest news so that you can look out for potential scams.

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