How to make money Online Top 25 Long-Term Strategies to Make Money Online

 We have covered the best short-term strategies to make extra cash. If you need more inspiration, the following section will cover the 25 best methods on how to make money online in the long term.

1. Make Money With a Blog

A lot of people start a blog as a creative outlet to express their views. However, blogs can also be a prominent source of income and a way to establish a personal brand, like Eartheasy and Say Yes.

Some of the most common ways to make money through blogging are paid advertising and affiliate marketing. Selling products and doing brand sponsorships are other monetization methods you can experiment with once you have a big following.

Finding a niche is the first step of starting a blog. Having a specific niche will make audience building easier, as visitors know what to expect from your blog.

Some of the most popular blog ideas to inspire you include travel blogs, food blogs, art blogs, movie blogs, and news blogs.

2. Join an Affiliate Program

An affiliate marketing program connects affiliates and advertisers, offering a commission for each sale made through affiliate links. Such links are promoted on social media or the affiliate’s website.

Many affiliates have found success in this industry, earning $20,000 per year on average. Signing up to more than one affiliate network will give you more opportunities to secure higher payments.

With so many affiliate programs and networks to choose from, make sure to join the ones that fit your website’s niche. For instance, if you have a blog dedicated to computers and technology, you can become a Hostinger affiliate.

Hostinger isn’t the only company that offers affiliate marketing programs. The following are some of the most profitable affiliate programs and networks to make money from:

• SEMrush ‒ provides a 40% monthly commission rate for all subscription plans.
• CJ Affiliate ‒ a popular affiliate network with gigs from reputable brands.
• eBay Partner Network ‒ offers a wide range of niche products.
• Tripadvisor ‒ get a 50% commission rate per visit made through your affiliate link.
• GetResponse ‒ offers one-time referrals and recurring commissions.

Like any other business model, living off of affiliate marketing takes trial and error. Some of the biggest mistakes to avoid in affiliate marketing include choosing the wrong niche, not producing quality content, and ignoring website performance.

3. Build an eCommerce Website

Selling products online is one of the most common ways to make money online. Retail eCommerce sales continue to rise in the past decades, projecting revenue growth of $5.4 trillion in 2022.

Also, more and more brick-and-mortar stores turn to eCommerce due to the advantages it offers. Besides having a broader market reach, eCommerce stores require lower startup costs. You don’t need to rent different types of retail locations to scale the business.

Before establishing your eCommerce business, you have to decide the store’s niche. Researching trending products will also help you pick products to sell online. 

Depending on your business type, you may also need to obtain a business license. For example, selling your own clothing line in the United States requires you to apply for a permit to sell and collect tax and an apparel registration certificate.

Creating an eCommerce site couldn’t be easier – even for beginners, thanks to the growth of eCommerce platforms. Picking the right platform to establish your store will contribute to your brand building and customer experience.

We have compiled the five best eCommerce platforms to build an online store:

• Zyro eCommerce ‒ scalable, beginner-friendly, and has multiple free themes.
• WooCommerce ‒ provides all the necessary site functionality to develop your dream store on WordPress.
• PrestaShop ‒ offers robust product management functionality and analytics tools.
• Shopify ‒ has a built-in abandoned cart recovery feature and SEO tools.

Beyond selling the right products, ensuring their deliverability may improve your brand credibility and drive sales in the long run. Be sure to research the available delivery services and include the shipping costs in your product description.

4. Start Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a B2C business model where a third-party company handles the inventory management and shipping process for you. It presents a way to make money without the hassle of dealing with inventory and shipping.

The process of starting a dropshipping store is similar to a typical online store. Finding a niche to focus on will help narrow down the products to sell. Having a website to market your own business may also contribute to brand building.

That said, choosing the right supplier to collaborate with will make or break your business.

Fortunately, plenty of dropshipping suppliers are ready to help you get started. Here are the five most popular suppliers to support your dropshipping store:

• AliExpress Dropshipping ‒ a wide range of niche products, from apparel to home improvement tools.
• Oberlo ‒ various options of shipping methods and integration with Shopify.
• Printful ‒ specializes in print-on-demand products. An ideal option if you want to sell t-shirts online.
• CCWholesaleClothing.com ‒ provides over 3,500 items in women’s clothing and accessories.

5. Create a Digital Course

Being projected to reach $336.98 billion by 2026, the eLearning market is another industry you can jump into to make money. Besides helping other people improve their quality of life, you get to make good money in your free time.

Digital courses can come in different formats, from simple PDF downloads to YouTube videos. Some of the most popular online course topics include computer skills, business and entrepreneurship, education, and crafts.

There are two ways to sell digital courses ‒ join an eLearning platform or create your own eLearning website. The former is easier to do, but the latter provides more opportunities to experiment with different course formats and monetization methods.

If you don’t want the hassle of maintaining a website, consider selling your courses in one of these eLearning platforms:

• Udemy ‒ supports quizzes, coding exercises, and discussion forums.
• Skillshare ‒ excellent for selling digital art and creative skill courses.
• Uscreen ‒ ideal for video-based courses, like exercise and cooking tutorials.
• OpenSesame ‒ supports integration with any learning management system (LMS) for better accessibility.
• Pathwright ‒ focuses on result-oriented courses with actionable steps.

Creating an eLearning website is easier with a WordPress LMS plugin. Either sell your online courses as digital products or create a membership system to lock them behind a paywall.

6. Tutor Students Online

If selling digital courses seems like a hassle, consider becoming an online tutor. Earn money by giving on-demand tutoring through video calls and personalized feedback.

The most popular subjects for tutoring are math, languages, and computer science. Even so, make sure to consider your expertise when choosing a subject to teach. Also, obtaining certification to prove your credibility as a tutor will likely improve your hire rate.

After creating a lesson plan and the necessary modules, start promoting your online course online. Many independent tutors offer their services via video communication apps like Zoom and Skype and accept payments through PayPal.

Alternatively, join an online tutoring platform for faster exposure. The following are five popular platforms for online tutoring:

• BitDegree ‒ create unlimited courses and manage your students’ progress easily.
• Skooli ‒ schedule lessons in advance or accept them whenever you’re online.
• TutorMe ‒ connects students with tutors based on their needs and preferences.
• TutorRoom ‒ offers virtual classroom features, like an online whiteboard, scheduling system, and modules.
• Preply ‒ tutors can teach in their own language and set a custom rate.

7. Create a Membership Site

Creating a membership website is one of the best ways to make money online. This website type sells access to exclusive content in the form of subscription plans. Tiered memberships divide the access privileges and types of content each member can get.

The subscription system makes for a robust passive revenue source, as members have to renew their membership plan to maintain their access privilege. It will also help you establish an online presence and foster an ideal audience base for upselling.

There are plenty of niche membership websites to take inspiration from. For example, Mark Manson and Magnetic Memory Method focus on self-improvement. Meanwhile, Smart Blogger deals with blogging and content writing.

After finding the niche that suits your interest, start developing the website. The easiest way to build a membership website is to do it on WordPress. Plenty of excellent membership plugins offer the tools needed to create membership plans and accept transactions online.

8. Sell Advertising Space

Selling advertising space is one of the most common monetization methods for most sites. After signing up with an ad network, you only need to embed the ad code within your website to insert advertisements.

This monetization method is usually reserved for websites with high traffic volume since the advertising revenue is based on clicks or impressions. Other revenue-determining factors include the website’s content category, demographics, and user devices.

However, websites with low to medium traffic volume can also use this monetization method and grow their income alongside their audience base.

Google AdSense is today’s most popular advertising platform. Adding AdSense to a WordPress website is relatively easy. After signing up for an account, you can create ad units best suited for your website’s layout and start displaying ads on your web pages.

If you want other options, check these AdSense alternatives:

• Amazon Associates ‒ promote Amazon products using affiliate links.
• Adcash ‒ use an anti-block feature to bypass the users’ ad blockers and obtain higher earnings.
• Propeller Ads ‒ supports multiple ad formats, including interstitial and push notifications.
• Media.net ‒ get exclusive access to the Yahoo! Bing network for keyword-targeted ads.
• Carbon Ads ‒ provides technology and design-based ads.

When selling ad space, remember not to overstuff your website with ads as it will harm your website’s user experience. Instead, use a heatmap software tool to figure out the best ad placement for optimal conversions and support it with engaging content.

9. Create a Subscription Job Board

With employers turning to online hiring, job boards are a market to tap. With a job board, you get to rent space for job listings and sell access to job seekers. It’s an excellent way to help others while making a steady stream of income for yourself.

Popular job board websites like Indeed, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter charge a significant fee for premium job posting placement. Most of them base their job posting packages on the posting period and supporting features, such as company information and reviews.

If you manage to network with reputable companies, you can make more money by selling memberships to job seekers. Monetizing the site with Google AdSense is another way to improve your revenue.

Creating a job board is easier with a WordPress job board plugin. For example, WP Job Manager offers the tools needed to submit and manage job listings code-free. Consider installing a membership plugin if you want to restrict access to job postings.

10. Buy and Flip Websites

The process of buying and selling websites is simple. After purchasing a potential website, you optimize it for search engines, generate higher revenue, and then sell it for a profit.

Knowing which websites to buy and grow is essential since not all of them have future value. A good rule of thumb is to opt for websites that already generate revenue and traffic. Accordingly, websites with an evergreen niche and a premium domain name are easier to sell at higher prices.

If this is how you want to make money online, look for websites to buy on these marketplaces:

• Flippa ‒ offers a wide range of niche websites and a global network of buyers and sellers.
• Latona’s ‒ the platform promotes websites and online stores no younger than a year and with a minimum annual revenue of $20,000.
• Empire Flippers ‒ sells websites that make over $1,000/month.
• SideProjectors ‒ a free platform for selling websites, eCommerce stores, apps, and domain names.

When buying a website, remember to ask for proof of concept and revenue, checking the number and source of traffic, and the monetization method. Choosing a high-potential website will reduce the amount of work required to improve the site’s traffic and revenue.

We recommend verifying why the original owner sold the website in the first place and whether you can fix any issues. Don’t forget to verify the seller’s background and avoid buying from anonymous brokers.

11. Start a YouTube Channel

YouTube is one of the world’s largest search engines for videos. It has over two billion active users and is available in more than 100 countries, giving you a massive audience to target.

Having a YouTube channel may also help redirect traffic to your website. Video content has a better return on investment than images, making it a great marketing tool for your brand.

Alternatively, monetize the videos directly by signing up for the YouTube Partner Program. Popular content creators like Markiplier and Dude Perfect have annual revenue of millions of dollars every year through the program.

YouTube allows almost all types of content, from gaming reactions to daily vlogs. Therefore, choosing a niche that interests you will make video production easier and more fun.

Growing a YouTube channel is similar to a blog. You need to publish content consistently to generate traffic and build an audience base. Investing in a good camera and video editing software can improve your video quality, attracting new viewers.

Last but not least, don’t forget to practice YouTube SEO. This includes but isn’t limited to adding keywords and tags relevant to your niche to the video title and optimizing video descriptions for search engines.

12. Pick Up Freelance Gigs

Working on freelance gigs is another excellent way of making money online at your own pace. You have the freedom to choose clients as well as set your work schedule and rate.

This business idea is highly compelling – freelancers comprise 35% of the global workforce. AbdulGaniy Shehu and Kelly Vaughn are two among many freelancers with success stories in the industry.

There is a wide range of freelance services to make money from. Some of the most sought-after freelance skills are web design and development, translation, accounting, and video production.

Check these best freelance websites to scout for gigs:

1. Upwork ‒ focuses on large projects that require freelancers with specific skills.
2. Freelancer ‒ ideal for freelancers looking for long-term projects.
3. Fiverr ‒ offers a wide range of one-time freelance gigs, both in the professional and personal setting.
4. Guru ‒ find projects from small to middle-sized businesses.

With most freelance websites using a bidding system, creating an online portfolio will improve your chances of landing high-paying projects. Additionally, make sure your pricing structure aligns with the time and effort required to finish each project.

13. Become a Website Developer

The average salary for freelance web developers is $75,430/year. As web developers’ employment is projected to grow 8% until 2029, this is the right time to jump into the information technology industry. 

The first step to becoming a web developer is to choose a web development specialization. Doing so will save you time, money, and energy to learn the required skills and help you stand out from the competition.

Once you know which specialization to pursue, it’s time to learn how to code. Plenty of websites and courses can help you get started, such as:

• Bitdegree ‒ offers beginner and advanced courses and scholarship opportunities.
• Coursera ‒ provides certified courses and specializations.
• CodeAcademy ‒ perfect for beginners as the courses are interactive and bite-sized.
• Udemy ‒ choose from a wide range of courses available in 65 languages.

Alternatively, consider going to a coding boot camp like Alchemy Code Lab and Rithm School. Pursuing a computer programming degree is another way of securing internship and career advancement opportunities.

14. Become a Graphic Designer

Having an average base salary of $48,283/year makes graphic design another high-paying career worth pursuing. It’s an ideal way of making money online for those with creative skills and minds.

The career path of a graphic designer is similar to a web developer. After narrowing down a specialization to pursue, the next step is to learn the required skills and software. Plenty of design courses are available on various eLearning platforms to help you get started.

For example, a web designer will need to study user experience and user interface and the basics of HTML and CSS. Meanwhile, a logo designer should master the sense of color, typography, and design tools like Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW.

Plenty of online gigs are circulating job boards. Here are some of the best places to look for design jobs:

• DesignCrowd ‒ provides a wide range of projects for various mediums, from logo and website to tattoo and social media.
• Minty ‒ ideal for professional artists looking for collaborative projects.
• We Work Remotely ‒ find different types of remote work, including design jobs.
• 99designs ‒ join other skilled freelancers providing high-end services on the platform.

15. Become a Content Writer

If you have a knack for writing, becoming a content writer is the best way to earn money online. With an average pay of $50,109/year, content writing makes for a profitable side hustle or even excellent full-time remote work.

Besides utilizing your writing skills, this career path requires knowledge of SEO. Knowing the basics of HTML and CSS will also help format your writing, mainly if you’re working with a content management system like WordPress.

Many content writers have a website to practice their writing skills and showcase their portfolios. If your blog takes off, you can make more money by monetizing it.

Tons of freelance content writing gigs are available on job boards like Fiverr and Freelancer. Alternatively, join a content writing agency and get a steady flow of work.

Four of the best content writing agencies to work with are:

• SEOButler ‒ the company seeks the US and UK-based freelance writers.
• Verblio ‒ this platform offers all kinds of content types, from blog posts to press releases.
• Express Writers ‒ has a massive network of clients worldwide.
• WebFX ‒ provides SEO, digital advertising, and social media advertising services.

16. Become a Video Game Streamer

Streaming has taken off in the past few years, generating an average of 2,882,541 viewers per week on Twitch. It’s an ideal way to make money if you’re good at playing video games and love being in front of a camera.

Streaming platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook offer partner programs that allow streamers to accept ad revenue and tips from their audience. Therefore, the amount of money you make depends on your following’s size.

Streamers with over a million followers can get millions of dollars per year. For example, a Canadian streamer Shroud earned between $150,000-$200,000/month with 9.2 million followers on Twitch. This number excludes brand deals and sponsorships that a streamer might make outside the platform.

17. Become an Influencer

The success of influencer marketing opens the opportunity for people to make money in this field. Anyone can be an influencer as long as they have a solid audience base.

Similar to affiliate marketing, companies pay influencers with a large following to market their products. The only difference is that influencers aim to influence others’ buying decisions instead of bringing leads only.

Like streamers, how much money influencers make greatly depends on their following. Building a personal brand can also help attract sponsors, as advertisers generally approach influencers related to their brand.

While many influencers originate from Instagram, you can take advantage of other platforms like YouTube and Twitter to build a following and create different types of content. Smosh and Babish Culinary Universe are two examples of popular influencers that made their careers on YouTube.

18. Offer SEO Services

Help site owners rank their website in search engine result pages and attract traffic by offering SEO services. Some of the skills to offer include, but are not limited to, copywriting, link building, and keyword research.

Knowing how SEO works will benefit not only your clients but also your future business. Not having to hire an SEO agency to optimize your own website will help you save money in the long run.

Plenty of resources are available to help you learn SEO. Consider getting an SEO certificate from reputable platforms like SEMrush and Google Analytics to deepen your knowledge.

Once you’re ready to monetize your skills, offer your services on marketplaces like Fiverr and Freelancer or apply to an SEO agency as an SEO expert.

19. Manage Social Media Accounts

A social media manager is responsible for planning and executing marketing plans for better community interaction and higher brand recognition. Managing others’ social media accounts is a great way to make money if you’re an avid social media user yourself. 

Learning social media management skills is the first step you need to take. An excellent social media manager should keep up with the trends, identify a brand’s target audience, and track social media data for better campaign results.

Like SEO services, you can offer your social media expertise on marketplaces or apply to companies as a social media manager.

20. Create a Podcast

Starting a podcast is one of the most profitable online business ideas today. With 155+ million people listening to podcasts every week, there’s a massive opportunity to make money in this industry.

Most podcasts make money from sponsorships. Once your podcast has a following, consider signing up to production agencies like Podfly and Pacific Content to monetize it with ads.

Anyone can start a podcast using a built-in laptop microphone and good communication skills. However, investing in good audio equipment and software will improve your recording quality and the listeners’ experience.

After recording and editing your first podcast episodes, find a podcast hosting to make them available online. Some of the best ones include Buzzsprout, Resonate, and Anchor.

Make sure also to promote your podcast on social media. Additionally, creating your own website with a podcast theme and an audio player will further boost your podcast’s brand identity and discoverability.

21. Become a Travel Consultant

As soon as the current pandemic is contained, people will want to start traveling again. Therefore, we can expect a surge in the tourism industry ‒ including in the employment of travel consultants.

A travel consultant makes travel arrangements for individuals and businesses. They determine the clients’ needs and preferences to provide an ideal travel experience.

The average salary for a travel consultant is $50,355/year in the US, excluding tips. Some of the benefits include a flexible working schedule and an opportunity to network with like-minded people. 

Start your career path by familiarizing yourself with traveling software and platforms. If you have the budget to spend, consider getting a degree in hospitality, tourism, or business management. Learning foreign languages will also help expand your target market.

Check Wanderlust Travel Consultants and TravelBoecker Adventures if you need the inspiration to start your business.

22. Publish eBooks

The rise of self-publishing has made it possible for anyone to publish eBooks. They are easy to produce and publish, as there are no printing or shipping costs.

To publish an eBook, submit your writing to a self-publishing platform. There are two types of publishing companies ‒ retailers and aggregators. The former sells your book directly to customers, whereas the latter distributes it to retailers at additional costs.

The revenue generated will depend on the publishing company’s royalty policy. For example, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing pays up to 70% royalty for books sold on Kindle stores worldwide.

Check these Amazon KDP alternatives for eBook publication along with their royalty rates:

• Apple Books for Author (aggregator) ‒ offers 70% royalty for all eBook sales.
• Smashwords (aggregator) ‒ applies 60% royalty for retail sales and 80% royalties for internal sales.
• Draft2Digital (aggregator) ‒ takes 15% of the net royalty.
• Barnes and Noble Press (retailer) ‒ provides 70% royalty for all eBook sales.
• KOBO (retailer) ‒ gives 70% royalty for eBooks priced at $2.99 or more.

Before publishing, make sure the file is free from typos and grammatical errors. Don’t forget to format it the way you want the content to be read, and consider hiring a graphic designer to create an appealing cover for a better first impression.

23. Start Your Email Marketing Campaigns

Email marketing is a powerful tool for increasing sales and traffic. As the number of email users is projected to surpass 4.6 billion in 2025, email marketing gives your brand a chance to reach a broad audience.

The key to executing a successful email marketing campaign is building an email list. Do so by adding a pop-up form with a personalized call-to-action on your website or landing page. 

Other methods to encourage subscriptions include offering incentives like discounts, free shipping, giveaways, and pop-up surveys. The goal is to make visitors want to receive your recent updates via email.

After gathering email subscribers, start sending them email newsletters. Email marketing services like Mailchimp and Constant Contact can help you conduct and manage email marketing campaigns and track sales, engagement, and audience growth.

If your website runs on WordPress, install a newsletter plugin for better email automation and a more straightforward email template building process.

Since email marketing constantly evolves, conducting periodical A/B testing to find the best marketing strategies will help you maintain valuable subscribers and increase leads.

24. Become a Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is an ideal career path for those with administrative skills. Working as an independent contractor, a virtual assistant provides support services for an individual client or business online.

Besides having the freedom to work remotely, virtual assistants require minimal startup costs. Plus, you might earn an average annual pay of $67,115/year.

Some of the virtual assistants’ fundamental skills include communication, time management, and writing. Knowing how to operate document management, bookkeeping, and project management tools like Google Drive, Quickbooks, and Asana can help you stand out from the competition.

The easiest way to market your services is through online marketplaces like Fiverr and Freelancer. Alternatively, sign up to a virtual assistant company and work with verified clients.

25. Invest in Stocks

Investing in stocks is a great way to make passive income. You take part by purchasing a share in a company from the stock market. Once the stock’s value goes up, you sell it back to the market at a higher price.

Stock investment skills are acquired through studying and trading itself. Plenty of stock blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels provide insights into the stock market and the best stock trading strategies.

Some popular learning sources include Collaborative Funds, A Wealth Of Common Sense, and The Investor’s Podcast. 

Also, consider watching videos of stockbrokers reviewing trades on YouTube. Rayner Teo and WhiteBoard Finance are among many stock trading channels to follow for the latest stock market news and trading tips.

The easiest way to buy stocks is through an online stockbroker, which facilitates security transactions. Here are the best online stock brokers for beginners:

• E*TRADE ‒ ideal for long-term investors looking for zero minimum deposit.
• TD Ameritrade ‒ a commission-free trading platform with excellent customer support.
• Fidelity Investments ‒ provides fractional shares, allowing investors with a small capital to partake in the stock market.
• Charles Schwab ‒ offers access to international markets.

Conclusion

This article has covered several options on how to make money online. As there are plenty of business ideas to choose from, be sure to pick the one best suited for your financial situation, skills, and passion.

If you want to sell products online, consider starting your own online store. Auction second-hand clothes, self-made designs, and stock photos if you only have a small capital to begin with. Alternatively, adopt the dropshipping business model and source the products from a third-party supplier.

Professionals wanting to monetize their skills may offer tutoring services and online courses to gain profit. Web development, graphic design, content writing, and SEO are a few among many competencies with high employment and salary rate to get you started.

Since not everyone can commit to a full-time job, freelance gigs may suit your preferences better. Start a podcast or become a streamer if you love being in front of a camera. Experiment with blogging and monetize the website with ads to generate passive revenue at your own hours.

Regardless of your choice, be ready to work hard and dedicate yourself to your goals. Good luck!