by Ruth Belena

Created on: April 19, 2009   Last Updated: April 29, 2009

Doubts about whether it is possible to earn a liveable income online are frequently raised in forums, at social sites and on blogs. These discussions are often given a negative response by people who have signed up for a few money making programs, and as a result have lost money, or failed to earn more than a few cents.

Positive responses to questions about online money making opportunities can also be misleading. People reply that they know a great site where you can make money, when they have only just signed up, or are struggling to get referrals. In many cases they have not actually earned anything, or have not yet reached minimum payout. Some people post proof of payment, but that could just be their first and only payment.

Making a living online can be achieved when you think of it as long term project. You can expect your online earnings to support you in the future, but the immediate financial benefit will be limited. A blog usually takes around six months of regular posting to start earning a reasonable amount of money. Marketing and selling can only produce profits with sufficient knowledge and experience of how and where to promote online.

Opportunities to Avoid:

It is possible to work full time online, but it does mean doing some real work. A full time income does not come from signing up to a few sites that pay you to click on ads, fill in surveys, or to view websites. Even if you are good at gaining referrals, and can build a big downline, it is not really possible to make a living from these extremely boring and repetitive tasks.

Some sites and activities can provide income almost immediately, and it is possible to receive regular monthly payments, but many work at home opportunities will require you to earn a minimum amount to qualify for payout. Survey sites can take up to a year to reach payout.

Sources of Online Income:

It is possible to do legitimate work online by writing, blogging, reselling products and services, or promoting affiliate links. To make a living from any of these activities generally requires more than one source of income. It would be unwise to rely on a single site, or to have only one source of income.

Writing articles and reviews, and blogging, can provide good residual income from advertising revenue. There are additional opportunities to receive single payments for articles published online. It is possible to get paid for writing a number of traffic generating articles, for blogging on niche topics, even for posting in forums.

Freelance

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>