Even with thousands of people around the world earning a living online, many people still seem to think that it’s all a scam. And we can partly blame the rich quick schemes we see popping every day online and offline for that. With that being said, making money online is very possible as long as you stay realistic, know what works and what doesn’t, and execute it properly. You also have to be ready to spend your time, money, and energy. Here are some of the top proven ways to make an income online.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is when you partner up with a company and get paid for referrals. You will usually do this by showing people a link or a banner or button with your affiliate link embedded in it. A cookie will then be installed on the person’s computer to identify you and you’ll get a commission if they make a purchase.

There are tons of different ways that you can advertise affiliate offers, but one of the most powerful ones is to set up an email capture page and get people to subscribe to your list. You can then send a combination of promotional and non-promotional material through email in the hopes that they’ll buy some of the products you recommend.

Another common way to make money through affiliate marketing is to set up a review site for a specific type of product. You can then rank different products in that category with embedded affiliate links so you can earn a commission if they decide to buy any product you review.

If you want to get good at affiliate marketing, however, you must be willing to learn. If you’re looking for a great resource to learn the ins and outs of affiliate marketing, YourTopBlog is a good place to start. They are a great place for anyone who wants to know how to make money online through affiliate marketing and other common methods. They also have a few guides to walk you through exactly what you’ll need to learn and do to start a successful online business.

Offering a Service

Selling services is probably the fastest way to start earning money online. You could sell anything from content writing to graphic design, website design, or virtual assistant services online. Or you could sell things like transcription or voiceover work, for instance. There are so many services that you can sell and places that you can sell them on. You can visit sites like ProBlogger, Freelancer, or Fiverr and start posting gigs or applying for jobs right away. There are also paid job boards with less competition but they will usually have more stringent requirements.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping allows you to sell products without holding inventory. This is done by using images of products to set up websites or listings on eCommerce sites and have the supplier ship the item directly to your customers or a fulfilment centre.

Dropshipping can be a great way to get started with eCommerce, but you should be aware of some of the drawbacks. First of all, returns can be a pain to deal with, and they will start eating into your margins. Second, you will be at the mercy of the suppliers you’ll be working with, and they’ll often be overseas, so settling issues could become difficult. But, besides that, dropshipping allows you to start with a low initial investment and it could be a good way to learn how to run an online business.

These are all real and time-tested ways to earn money online. If any of them pique your interest, we suggest you give them a try and start small so that you don’t end up burning yourself.