Top 9 Things You Can Do to Earn Money Online

When money is tight and the budget is short, us girls are great at finding other ways to augment our income. My mom repacked nuts and sold undies just to make ends meet when I was growing up just to feed three perpetually hungry little mouths. Others I knew took on a second job, usually after the day job was over.

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In the 21st century, most of us have discovered the money-making potential of the Internet. Few of us though, don't know just how to transform the web into their very own money-making machine.

I've been working online since 2009, and I've already earned thousands of dollars from the endeavor. Not enough to make me filthy rich, because I enjoy lots of time off, but a tidy sum to pay for my monthly bills, savings for a rainy day, and a lot of wants.

For those who haven't yet tried it but are hoping to get their feet wet earning money online, here are some of the ways you can do it. These are just the top 12 ones that you can explore with a minimum of investment—often with just a laptop, great Internet connection, your skills, and the gray matter between your ears.

1. Develop websites for companies, stores and bloggers

For those with the technical know-how, designing and developing websites for online shops, company sites, web magazines and the like is a shoo-in for making money online. Most of the guys I know develop blogs and websites on Joomla, Drupal, and WordPress. Others use Adobe Business Catalyst, especially those who develop online storefronts.

What skills do you need? There are many different skillsets needed by one who creates, designs and develops websites. Some are into programming, others into UX (user experience) and UI (user interface). A math wiz friend started with HTML and CSS, and went from there.

2. Offer your services as a virtual assistant

Outsourcing is a trend that came with 21st century globalization, and one of the better opportunities that I've encountered—and certainly taken advantage of—is assisting leaders and companies in their daily routines. For those who don't have the technical skill set of the website developer/designer, being a virtual assistant is the next best thing (mainly because this is my space, heh).

What does a virtual assistant do actually? Many things, in reality. If you've ever worked as executive assistant or a PA to a manager or executive, then transitioning to a virtual assistant job online is a natural thing. There's various services that an online assistant provides: data entry, travel management, calendaring, appointment scheduling, et cetera et cetera ad nauseaum ad infinitum.

The main thing is that you'll take the routine tasks off someone's To-Do list—the grunt work like Internet research, bookkeeping, reports generation/tracking, and a host of other things—so they can focus on the strategic side of business. If you search for “virtual assistant” on oDesk, you'll find that a Jill of All Trades (like me) will fit in nicely with the job description. (I provide a broad range of services like sales copy writing, internet marketing, search marketing, and editing/proofreading.)

3. Transcribe audio/video notes

There are many people out in the world who have many audio/video files and who want to read, which I discovered when I offered my transcription skills. The best skills to have with this sideline is a good ear for language and diction (of course), quick and nimble fingers (for typing), a foot pedal (for pausing, playing, and rewinding/forwarding audio), and transcription software. It requires a little investment, but the pay-off can be quite good. And off course, you have to have a quick turnaround time because a lot wanted their notes transcribed yesterday.

4. Write, edit & proofread articles

Writing is my main bread and butter, particularly as a professional blogger and website copywriter...and I believe it's the one opportunity on the web that will only grow since most companies serious about growth are now turning to the web for more opportunities. That means websites, and websites mean content. Lots of content, especially if they want to be found on the Internet.

What does it mean for those who have the skills to provide and manage content? More projects, which means more dollars, what else? You can either create the content, or edit it. You can also usually find proofreading work from companies that publish something, usually reports, magazines, newspapers, and the like.

5. Manage projects

For those inclined, project management can be very lucrative. Most of the work I've done in this space is with web design/development companies and business consultants, making sure that a client's project is on track. If you're the type who has real-world project monitoring and coordination experience—and you love planning & setting goals, nagging people, counting accomplishments, monitoring and reporting—this one should be right up your alley.

6. Create logos and other graphic designs

I'm a frustrated cartoonist/sketch artist, and finding all the online opportunities looking for logo and graphic designers make me go green with envy. If you've got the creativity and the skill—plus the talent to translate ideas and concepts into tangible works of art—then you'll likely find a steady source of income sketching, drawing, designing and creating graphics.

7. Blog for money

Are you passionate about something? I'm a romance novel junkie and a vegetable gardening nut, and I've got a lot to share about these two topics. So I set up my own blogs and earn a li'l extra from the advertising I sell on the site. I also earn commission through affiliate marketing, when a I sell the products and services of others that's related to my blog niche. If you've got the drive, you can turn your love of photography, traveling or anything under the sun into dollars. I've even found a site that talks all about frogs!

8. Sell products that you make

Do you crochet? Knit? Cross stitch? Make beaded jewelry? Hand-design t-shirts? You can always sell them on sites like Ebay and Etsy. Online marketplaces that allow you to sell your stuff through their site either charge you a (small) percentage to list your products or as commission (sometimes both). You can also sell things at home that you don't need anymore, like cameras, lenses, paintings, furniture...practically anything. You know what they say: One man's trash is another man's treasure.

9. Tutor someone

I've tried my hand once before teaching English to Koreans online. It was just sad that it had conflicted with my day job, but if you're really dedicated, you can earn enough to quit yours. (My day job involved a lot of traveling and managing events so I didn't have the flexibility that tutoring required.) If you're particularly good at academic subjects like math, science and the like, you can also find tutoring opportunities teaching students and adults online.

In our connected world today, there's a lot you can do to earn money online. Just beware of scams though. If you need to shell out a huge amount of money just to be a member of such and such a site, or to be able to sell something online, chances are, it may be a scam. You don't need to invest huge amount of dollars just to take advantage of money-making opportunities on the Internet.

If you're just starting out, make sure you consult with someone who's been making money online on an opportunity that you've found. Although trust is one of the currencies of the online world, there are also people who are unscrupulous enough to take advantage of unsuspecting people.

So, looking at our list, what can you do to make money online today? Share your thoughts and views in the comment section below. Thanks!