4 Ways to Make Cash Online
4 Cara Buat Duit Online
by Rose Raymond
Tuesday, July 20, 2010provided by
Share
retweet
Email
Print
If today's economy has left you in need of more cash, consider this emerging trend: Millions are
using the Internet -- and a minimal amount of time -- to bring home extra bacon.
Whether delving into e-commerce or selling ad space on a blog, Internet sellers often benefit
from a rock-bottom initial investment, the convenience of working wherever and whenever they
please, and the freedom of being their own boss.
However, before you quit your day job, it's important to
consider the potential pitfalls of selling on the Internet. More from Bankrate.com:
These include startup time, extenuating costs and stiff
competition. • Winners & Losers of Finance
Reform
"There are a lot of people trying to do the same thing,"
says Robert Spector, author of the book "Amazon.com: • 4 Ways to Get Cash For Your
Get Big Fast," a book covering the history and Clutter
development of the Web giant.
• 5 Great Second Jobs For Extra
"What's going to differentiate the book I get from you cash
versus the book I get from your competitor?"
Following are four ideas for turning the Internet into your own personal cash cow, and
suggestions for staying ahead of the competition.
1. Blogging
Web logs -- now almost universally know as "blogs" -- were once the sardonic voice of dissent
on the Web. Now, everyone seems to have a space on the Internet where they offer opinions or
other reflections.
If your blog captures the imagination of the public, you could earn money while you entertain.
Eden Kennedy of Santa Barbara, Calif., started
Fussy.org when her son was 3 months old. She's been More from Yahoo! Finance:
blogging about parenting, marriage and the hilarity of
daily life for eight years now. • Jobs With Low Stress, Decent Pay
Kennedy says she built a readership by reading, • Where the Job Openings Are Now
commenting on and showing interest in the blogs of
others. • Employers Low-Balling New
Hires on Salaries
Eventually, Kennedy had enough of a following to sell
advertising space on her blog. Visit the Career and Work
Center
She works with several different advertising networks,
each of which compensates her with anywhere from $1 per month to several hundred dollars per
month.
One day, Kennedy had another flash of entrepreneurial insight: She decided to sell T-shirts to her
readers.
She had shirts printed up with the phrase "Writing well is the best revenge" and watched the
orders roll in.
"Just that phrase, it hits people pretty well," Kennedy says. "Actually, a lot of academics buy the
T-shirt."
Kennedy now earns roughly $200 a month selling T-shirts. That income is in addition to the
advertising dollars she rakes in.
Kennedy says her online pursuits have been more fruitful and less time-consuming than her
former "real world" job working in a bookstore.
"Usually a post, no matter how long it is, takes me about an hour to write, and lately I haven't
been updating more than twice a week," says Kennedy, who adds that designing her blog and
dealing with advertisers takes an additional five hours per week.
How much is Kennedy earning from her blogging?
"It still adds up to more than I made selling books for 40 hours a week," she says.
Not every blogger is guaranteed to make good money. However, bloggers who truly love what
they do are the ones who flourish, Kennedy says.
"I think the people who really succeed and last in this just really enjoy writing and taking
pictures," she says.
If you'd like to try your hand at blogging, the Web sites Blogger, WordPress and LiveJournal
offer free blog templates.
If you'd like to sell ad space on your blog, check out sites such as Google AdSense, Text Link
Ads and the BlogHerAds network (for women only).
2. Selling Books, Music and Other Products
Amazon.com and eBay revolutionized e-commerce in the 1990s. Since then, countless
individuals have made money selling books, movies, clothes and every other commodity under
the sun.
E-commerce is becoming easier than ever, and the complications of arranging payment over the
Internet are disappearing fast, Spector says.
"A lot of the uncertainty is taken out of the equation thanks to the technology," he says. "You're
going to get paid before you send out the product."
Spector, author of the book on Amazon.com, says sites like Amazon can help small-volume
sellers reach a wider audience.
"(Amazon) makes it easier and more beneficial for small book collectors who obviously have
either rare or out-of-print books to do business ... it's worth it for them to give Amazon a little
piece of that business in order to be in a very high-profile space," he says.
Mick McClain has been selling music on the Internet for 10 years. He sells everything from rare
and out-of-print compact discs to new releases and used albums.
McClain uses eBay and Amazon.com to market his products. He also operates a Web site where
potential customers can peruse his collection.
The San Diego resident says his startup costs were minimal. He had to spend to buy a "little bit
better computer" and to build up his inventory, 90 percent of which comes from brick-and-
mortar stores.
For newcomers to e-commerce, McClain recommends sticking to something you know.
"Your mind has to be a database," he says. "That's why I have never gotten into anything other
than music because I would get eaten alive by the people who were the authorities on (other
products)."
Spector offers two tips to aspiring e-merchants.
"First of all, have a unique product," he says. "There needs to be something separating you from
your competitors."
Spector's second tip is to make sure you can deliver on your product promises.
"Live up to what you promise," he says. "If you promise a book,...in a particular condition, at a
particular price, and guarantee it to arrive on a particular day, then do that."
3. Marketing Your Hobbies
Crafters, photographers and artists also are tapping into the Web's potential as a marketplace for
their goods.
Notley Hawkins, a fine art photographer from Columbia, Mo., started selling online by
uploading his photographs onto Flickr, a popular digital photograph storage Web site.
Flickr subsequently partnered with Imagekind, a Web site that specializes in selling fine art
prints. Since then, Hawkins has sold about 50 of his prints through Imagekind.
Hawkins has found that having a Web site and selling photos online helped to enhance his
reputation offline. He says his online presence helped him gain credibility with area travel
magazines, for which he does freelance work.
"It's helped my career in many ways," Hawkins says of Imagekind. "It's helped me make some
money, which is very important."
Hawkins urges budding photographers to start gradually by posting their photos to a site like
Flickr.
"Try to establish a reputation online by publishing online," he says.
In the crafting world, Web sites such as Etsy offer merchants of handmade goods a way to
expand their customer base while conveniently selling their products. Sellers who use Etsy can
use the service to take payments via PayPal or money orders.
Other craft-selling Web sites include FreeCraftFair.com and Handmade Catalog.
Adam Brown, spokesman for Etsy, says handmade jewelry and craft-making supplies are two of
the site's most popular categories.
To make money online, Brown says sellers must pay particular attention to posting good photos
of their products and writing eye-catching descriptions. These skills are important, since the Web
page has to substitute for a tangible product.
Brown also recommends the age-old suggestion of good customer service.
"When people contact you, you should always respond quickly," he says.
He says other smart marketing moves -- such as throwing in freebie extras when a customer
orders something -- can build customer loyalty.
"Adding a personal touch really helps," he says.
4. Contributing to a Web Site
All over the Web, passionate fans are providing their expertise in music, movies and sports to
niche Web sites. Many are earning sizable amounts of cash for doing things they love.
Brian Swaw of Chicago hires seven staff writers for his content fantasy football Web site,
GameTimeDecisions.net.
Swaw's writers get paid roughly $100 per month, and in return, each writes one to two articles
about football players and fantasy draft picks every week.
Want to pen about your passion for a Web site? Swaw recommends volunteering to start.
"That's how I did," he says. "There's a ton of sports Web sites out there that are looking for
volunteers and it's a good way to get your name out there."
On the Internet, there are sites indulging just about every hobby, so opportunities abound.
EHow is an informational Web site where you can get paid writing "how-to" instructions on just
about anything.
If you're into video games, you might try GameZone and GameFAQs. For movie reviews, check
out Badmovies.org and the All Movie Guide.
If you have a green thumb or a sweet tooth, try gardening sites such as The Growing Edge, or
cooking sites such as Cooking For Engineers that pay small wages to contributors.
Music geeks should try the All Music Guide, a popular music review site that pays its
contributors. Music Emissions is an alternative music Web site that accepts reviews from all
members and will promote you to their editorial team if they like your stuff.
Finally, most major cities have a slew of entertainment Web sites, some of which pay reviewers.
CenterstageChicago.com, for instance, proffers clear and simple instructions on how to
contribute to the site and get paid.
Check your city's entertainment Web sites, and don't be discouraged if there aren't instructions
for reviewers -- try e-mailing the editor.
All That Glitters...
Sellers, writers and others who are clever and persistent often make a profit through their online
activities. However, not everybody makes money, and there are many potential obstacles to
success.
Some ventures, such as craft sales and blogs, can take a long time to get started. You may find
yourself investing a lot of time and effort -- and even some money -- before you begin to see a
return.
Brown says it's all too easy for craft sellers to take dismal sales personally and start doubting the
quality of their artistry.
"People tend to get discouraged very easily," he says.
Another downside of e-commerce is that Web sites often charge fees to sellers.
For example, while eBay and Amazon.com offer a window into a world marketplace, some say
there's a steep price for prime access.
"When I first started selling on eBay, the fees were very low," McClain says. "As with anything
else, when a corporation smells blood in the water, they put out more chum and the fees go up
dramatically."
McClain says he also has noticed increased postage prices for mailing packages to customers.
In addition to rising rates, e-venders must also contend with the stiff competition that manifests
itself in a massive online market.
"The inherent problem is (that) everybody that you're competing with is selling at the same
place," says McClain. "When you're selling on the Internet, you're competing with every single
person that has the same product line and interest in the world."
In addition, some people find it difficult to find an outlet for their interests that will also generate
revenues.
Freelance music writer Philip Sherburne said he has a hard time getting paid to write about the
music he likes.
"I'd say the biggest struggle is simply finding outlets that share my musical interests, since I've
always specialized in electronic and experimental music," says Sherburne, an American
expatriate now living in Spain.
Pop and indie rock are music genres with a broader online following than electronic and
experimental music. However, those types of music don't interest Sherburne as much.
"I'm rapidly losing any kind of grounding in the worlds of pop or indie rock," Sherburne says.
Despite such challenges, determined sellers continue to find success. If you're interested in
making money on the Internet, a little perseverance and luck will go a long way.
"If you go on our blog there's a 'quit your day job' series; we actually have people who have
really awesome stuff and they...quit their day job," Brown says. "Now, they support themselves
by what they make."