How to make money online from home: 11 ideas and mistakes to avoid

🤔 Making money from home, reality or fiction?

Thousands of people worldwide are currently earning real income from doing work online.

Obviously, there are no miracle formulas to become a millionaire by working from home and following the law of minimum effort.

If you are thinking about dedicating yourself to online work, be aware that you will have to make an effort, be constant, and deprive yourself of some activities which steal the time you could use to improve yourself.

✅ Effective ways to make money online

After analyzing countless job options that the internet offers to generate income, we have made a compilation of those that do work.

We will briefly talk about each of them, highlighting the main advantages and disadvantages for you to have an objective and realistic idea of ​​each and choose the one that best suits what you are looking for.

Affiliate Marketing

This system to make money online is very simple and feasible.

It consists of creating a website where you will publish information, details, and product recommendations. If your readers purchase said product, the seller will give you a commission for referring a new customer.

You obviously must have previously become an affiliate of that brand, either directly or through affiliate platforms such as ClickBank, Tradedoubler, TradeTracker, and Awin.

👍 Advantages

• To dedicate yourself to affiliate marketing, you do not need great knowledge.
• Your investment will be very little while your income potential is quite high.
• It does not require a huge investment of time; only minimal maintenance will be necessary.

👎 Disadvantages

• Generally, the best-selling products usually generate low commissions.
• Because it is a very profitable and simple system, there is increasingly more competition, so you will have to stand out by positioning your website above online stores to obtain the best results.

These are some of our detailed guides; however, you will be able to see more by browsing through our blog:

• Amazon Associates
• eBay Partner Network
• AliExpress Affiliates

Make money with a blog

If you want to generate income in an honest, safe, and entertaining way, create a blog and make your ideas and knowledge known to the world.

To do this, choose and start writing about atopic that excites youand contributes to the community that will read you in a valuable way.

With effort, discipline, and minimum investment, you can achieve considerable income in the medium and long term.

👍 Advantages

• One of its advantages is that by contributing your knowledge to the community in the form of authentic and original content, you will feel fulfilled and satisfied.
• This is one of the methods with the most income potential for getting money online.

👎 Disadvantages

• There are a few disadvantages when creating a blog. The most difficult part is usually to start since you will have to create high-quality and original content for free to attract and hook everyone who reads you and stays in your community.
• Another downside for some people is that they fear public exposure.

Google AdSense

Making money with Google Adsense or any other advertising platform is very simple.

The procedure is similar to that of affiliate marketing: you just create your webpage on the topic that interests you, attract readers with your content, place advertisements, and every time an advertisement is displayed, or the visitor clicks on it, you can earn a commission.

That is to say, you will earn by the number of impressions and clicks.

For your site to show Adsense ads, you just have to fill out an application, and, once approved, you can already place the ads by entering a small code.

👍 Advantages

• One of the most significant advantages of this system is that you do not need the reader to buy the advertised product in order to collect your commission; clicking on the ad is enough.
• The investment is minimal, and the system is very simple to carry out.
• You do not need to be constantly updating content.

👎 Disadvantages

• As expected, for you to generate a considerable monthly income, you need to have a high volume of visits, so you will have to make an effort to show eye-catching content and be patient.
• Remember that when it comes to topics where Google Adsense pays better, there is a lot of competition.

I recommend you to check our Google Adsense guide.

Work as a freelancer

Performing specialized work from home is a great advantage these days.

Working as a freelance offers you the possibility of earning an extra salary by offering your digital services. You can do so from your blog or through specialized platforms.

On these pages, you can offer countless services at the price you want, so if you stand out in web design, programming, writing, or any other digital job, you can make yourself known through their system.

The advantages of freelance work are many, but there are also several disadvantages that you must consider when deciding if this system to generate money online is the one for you.

👍 Advantages

• You can make your own schedule and work the hours and days you feel are the most productive.
• You have the freedom to choose your clients and the projects that suit you best.
• You can travel and still continue working.
• By being your own boss, you will not have to explain yourself to anyone, and the income you generate will be only yours.

👎 Disadvantages

• Due to you not receiving a fixed salary each month, there is some uncertainty and economic instability.
• It will be difficult to separate work from your personal life since clients will contact you at any time of the day.
• You must strive to compete and get the best customers in the market.
• Unfortunately, you risk not receiving your payment or receiving it late, so be very careful about the clients you choose.

Work as a virtual assistant

The technological revolution of the internet has generated new jobs, including that of virtual assistant.

This service consists of providing remote support to digital entrepreneurs, bloggers, and some companies, both in simple or mechanical tasks, so it is not necessary to have highly specialized knowledge.

👍 Advantages

• First of all, a virtual assistant does not need to create a website or struggle to attract an audience.
• Nor does it require specific skills; you just have to be responsible and know how to manage departments or tasks assigned to you.
• Finally, you can do this work anywhere through your mobile or laptop and choose your working hours.

👎 Disadvantages

• You will not receive a very high income; you must be patient, constant, and responsible.
• When working for a boss, you may find it monotonous or boring and unrewarding.

Create a YouTube channel

Due to the dizzying growththat this platform has had in recent years, many people have begun to generate large amounts of money with their YouTube channels.

Although it will be difficult to replace an entire salary at first, with dedication and by generating authentic and eye-catching content, you will be able to increase your earnings exponentially.

👍 Advantages

• Since this platform is in total growth, there is relatively little competition and some uncharted fields.
• You do not need to invest too much to start uploading content; you just need to buy a camera and a microphone. Some people even use their mobile devices to create their videos, making the investment almost null.

👎 Disadvantages

• Keep in mind that when creating your channel, you will need time to build an audience to follow you and watch your content constantly.
• YouTube payout rates are low, so generating a decent income takes a lot of dedication.
• You must adhere to their policies because, if violated, they could close your channel.

Sell photos

If you are a photography lover and have managed to create a catalog of high-quality photos, you can offer them on any of the multiple platforms created to generate income by selling photos.

These sites are usually free and make it easy for you to upload, display, and sell your photos. Once your catalog is uploaded, it will be a source of passive income that will not require much maintenance.

👍 Advantages

• This type of job offers you many advantages in terms of self-improvement because it requires you to be constant, train yourself every day to take better photos, motivate you to look for new places to photograph, and turn your work into a fun and rewarding activity.
• If your work sells well, these platforms give you the chance to become a photographer with some prestige.

👎 Disadvantages

• Given the wide competition that exists in this field, you should be aware that sales will probably take time, and profits generated from the sale of a photo are low.
• You will need to sell many photos per month to generate sustainable income.
• Remember that you will compete with thousands of similar photos, so you must be constant and persevering.

Create an online store

Creating an online store to sell your own stock or dropshipping is a very popular way to make money from home lately. Some people choose to sell their own products; however, you should know that you will have to perform billing, shipping, and customer service tasks, which is, in many cases, an annoying and arduous process.

However, others prefer to implement the dropshipping system and thus avoid keeping stock and making shipments. Instead, you just have to send the order data to the manufacturer, and they will send the product to the customer.

👍 Advantages

• If your plan is to sell your own products, for example, handicrafts, you will have a lot of freedom to set the price.
• In case of using the dropshipping method, you will not need an initial investment; furthermore, you will generate income with a minimum effort, and you will have a good economic profit margin.

👎 Disadvantages

• Generally, this is a very competitive world, so there can be a price war between your online store and the competition.
• If you offer products from other manufacturers or distributors, you totally depend on them to make a good product or provide a good service to increase your sales.
• If you want to see immediate results, you should invest in advertising.

Aprende más en nuestro artículo de Dropshipping con WordPress.

Sell ​​online courses

Selling your knowledge has never been so easy. Currently, you can sell online courses even without having a blog or a website, as there are online platforms focused on it.

You just have to create a course on a subject you master, either in text or video, upload it to the platform and put a price on it. Then, if your course meets demands and users like it, you can earn a significant income.

👍 Advantages

• Since this is a relatively new field, there is still very little competition, especially in Spanish. So you can take advantage of this shortage to create courses on topics rarely addressed on online course platforms.
• Also, by using these online platforms, you will not need to build an audience or worry about attracting visitors.

👎 Disadvantages

• Because courses are offered on third-party platforms, conditions and policies may change at any time.
• It is well known that the price of courses is low and that most of them do not reach 100 euros billing per month. Therefore, it is best to publish several topics to generate more profits.

Rent a room with Airbnb

Renting a room with Airbnb is very easy. Just sign up on the page, upload some photos of the place, set the price, and publish it.

However, the income you will generate from the rental will depend a lot on your property’s location and how attractive and welcoming it looks.

Furthermore, we advise you to verify who your guests will be before confirming the reservation and look out for references and scores to avoid setbacks, uncomfortable situations, or even damage to your property.

👍 Advantages

• Airbnb is an internationally recognized platform, so publishing the room you want to rent on this platform will increase the chances of getting tourists and visitors to book with you.
• Also, it is not an absorbing activity; you will only have to hand over the keys to the guests and keep the environment clean. So, if you wish, you can combine this activity with another online job to double your income.

👎 Disadvantages

• Firstly, there is a lot of competition; hotels, inns, and other rental rooms compete with attractive prices to attract the largest number of travelers, so you must set a price that competes with them.
• Secondly, you should know that influx of travelers will not have the same rate throughout the year, so your income could be high in certain months and low or nil in some others.

Earn money with social networks

Social networks are the new free method to make money on the internet; even so, this requires time, perseverance, and discipline.

First, you should attract followers and increase your social presence, uploading quality and eye-catching content. This will make your profile more attractive to advertisers.

If you manage to have large numbers of followers, a brand may even offer you money to promote their products or services.

👍 Advantages

• The main and greatest advantage of working with social networks is that you can do it from anywhere in the world; whether you are at home, shopping, or traveling, you just need to have access to the internet, and that’s it.
• Similarly, to generate money with these platforms, you do not require great knowledge, and you can do it from your mobile, tablet, or PC.

👎 Disadvantages

• Unfortunately, the so-called trolls, dedicated only to making negative comments for no other reason than to incite discussions and thus damage the image and reputation of the company, have become a pest in this last year, so watch out for them.
• You will probably not earn that much if you are not an influencer.

🚫 Not recommended ways to make money from home

It is enough to browse for a few minutes in order to realize that the internet is flooded with advertisements that promise to make you a millionaire in a matter of days, without any investment or effort.

This is just an illusion, and unfortunately, many have fallen into the trap and lost a lot of money by trusting dishonest systems.

Here are some non-recommended “miraculous” ways to make money online.

❌ Fill out surveys

Many of these platforms are fraudulent, and those that are not usually pay very little. If that were not enough, these payments are usually in the form of discount vouchers, products, or sweepstakes instead of paying you real money for your work, which would be the correct thing to do.

So, if you want to use these platforms for a little extra income or as a hobby, that’s fine, but in the meantime, explore more secure and reliable options.

❌ Bets

The formula is made to make money online: dedicate yourself to something that depends less on luck and more on effort.

According to analysts, only 3% of people who bet online make money. So the risk is too big when investing your resources and end up like the 97% of bettors who lose everything.

Some betting platforms are so dishonest that they close your account if you win, so they do not have to pay your prize. Therefore, do not rely on these methods; you will feel more satisfied and fulfilled if you work hard for what you want.

❌ Online games

Keep your savings safe away from online gaming sites that promise you large amounts of money for a minimum of effort.

While there is a minority who make money by playing online, they are people who have exceptional odds and memory skills and spend many hours in front of their computers.

So to generate income with this system, you must have skills, time, and money to spare to risk losing it.

For this reason, the best thing will always be to choose real online jobs that keep your savings safe and that your earnings depend mainly on your abilities rather than on luck.

❌ Forex

Foreign Exchange is a platform for trading currencies. Although there are currently some who are making a lot of money with this system, these, for the most part, are experts with knowledge in economics, technical analysis, and finance who have spent years in this type of trading before noticing economic benefits.

If you do not want to lose money by making decisions that lead to disaster, better opt for safer methods where you can develop your skills instead of being part of the vast majority that ends up losing money in Forex.

❌ Minitasks

The disadvantages of using the Minitasks system to generate income online far outweigh the few advantages that we could mention.

To begin with, you will have to work very hard to obtain, in the vast majority of cases, poor profits that will never be enough to make ends meet. Also, depending on your country, you may receive numerous tasks or very few.

As if that were not enough, these platforms can close your account, causing you to lose the money you have produced to date.

In conclusion, earning money from home is possible. However, it is something that requires effort, perseverance, discipline, and dedication. Do not believe in miracle formulas that promise to make you a millionaire in the blink of an eye.

In this article, we have shown you reliable and well-paying jobs that do work and will make you feel fulfilled and satisfied. We hope you can increase your income with some of them.