Everyone wants to do it, but only a few do. This is the truth about making money online – read this for a serious overview. No flashy advertising. Just the real deal about money online.
In short: The only way you’re going to make some serious money online is by starting your own website, adding SEO and all that jazz, driving traffic to it, and monetizing it.
I’ve been trying to make some extra money online for the past few years – nothing big, just casual things. I’ve come to the conclusion that mostly everything is a waste. Seriously.
You’re not going to become a millionaire any time soon from any GPT site that deals with reading e-mails, clicking ads, or stuff like that. Never, actually. If you hired twenty workers and paid them minimum wage (lets say 5 bucks – it’s a bit low but it’s hypothetical) each to consistently click ads which gave you one cent each for viewing them for thirty seconds. That’s, at most, $1.20 an hour if you’re perfectly coordinated. You lose money.
If you really want to make $1.20 an hour, well, then maybe you do want to do GPT programs. This is a best case scenario though – normally the ads would run out after you got 30 cents. It’s led me to the conclusion that those sites are all horrible wastes of time you could use for something productive. Like watching your cat sleep. That’s pretty fun. Yup. I’m not even being sarcastic, that’d be more productive than GPT sites because you might come upon an epiphany. Or you might just fall asleep too.
Anyway, websites like
Triond
are good for a bit of pocket change. I’m not going to share exactly how much I’ve made, but let’s just say that I could probably buy a fancy dinner for four. Not too bad for writing a few articles. It’s pretty fun, anyway. Even more fun than watching a cat sleep. Paid to write websites are quite good if you know what you’re doing.
You can’t kid yourself, though. The only way to make a decent amount online is through websites. Some blogs make an upwards of $20-30,000 a month – these are the best, mind you. Most blogs will only make $100-500 a month unless they’re really special. I’ve started my own blog because I’ve finally realized that’s the only way to go.
You know, making money online is hard.
Really hard.
October 14th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Interesting article. Glad you are not advertising all those pay per click sites.
October 15th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
A blog isn’t a website, strictly speaking. Blogging requires good writing on a regular basis. A website doesn’t.
Blogging can result in good income, but having a blog isn’t even necessary. I agree that if you write only for sites like Triond and Helium, you’re writing for pennies. But there are much better places to write. A good writer who takes it seriously as a job can make a good income. So having a website *isn’t* “The only way you’re going to make some serious money online.” And to be perfectly honest, those figures of thousands of dollars a month are very unrealistic. Very few people make that kind of money, or any money at all, because they have no real ideas, and no talent for making a go of a business.
Too many people are being given the impression these days that all you have to do is slap up a bunch of websites or blogs, sign up with Adsense, and the money will come rolling in. Earning real money on the web takes work, just like anywhere else.
October 16th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Sylvie -
A very in-depth comment. Thank you for that.
I stated that the only blogs that make 1000> per month are the really, really good ones.
I must’ve been in a blogging mood while writing this because, as you said, I basically completely neglected websites. They’re great ways to generate money without having to make new content daily. Thank you for pointing that out.
I also agree that if you are a professional freelance writer you can make a substantial income, but most aren’t and I wrote this for a general crowd of people that are starting out or just want a quick overview. This is by no means advice to professionals.
October 16th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Good article. You told it like it is!
November 6th, 2007 at 7:47 am
I totally agree with you about GPT sites.
Now, write an article on what/how to blog and where to blog next as a sequel to this one. I like your straight forward style.
Thank you.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
great article!! I agree with everything you said.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 pm
i totally agree
February 20th, 2008 at 11:01 am
I can’t be productive, I don’t have a cat =]
June 18th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I totally have to agree with your article!
Making money on internet is hard, you probably won’t make more then a few 100 dollars with all the stuff.
But in the end, it’s it just some fun extra’s.
And last but not least, those click-my-ads sites indeed are a waste.
I once been lured to such a site because I earned 2.5 euro in a day.
Sadly now, after 2 months I still only got 2.75 euro’s and the pay-out is at 5.00.
So indeed a waste of time, almost a scam!
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ineterest
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