Making Money Online – Myths & The Truth
I know what you are thinking.
“What is this guy selling?”. That’s what you are thinking. Am i right?
It’s okay to be skeptical about it. The phrase “making money online” is associated with plenty of scams and frauds. “I can show you how to make a lot of money online in no time” and other wonderful things like that. Honestly, if you are not skeptical about it you should be.
After all, who cares about the truth? Well, you should. And believe it or not, i also care about the truth. And now that i am thinking about it plenty of other people also care about the truth. Why?
Because it’s better to care about the truth. Especially if you want to make money online. You see lying is never a good strategy. Sooner or later you get exposed. The truth will always surface. People who really know how to make money don’t lie. It’s just not profitable. Actually lying to others about how you can generate an online income and build a business guarantees failure.
Everyone is trying to sell you something that will help you “succeed online”. Searching on Google about how you can make money online can be a nightmare. After a while, it becomes difficult if not impossible to identify the real opportunities from the frauds. That’s why i am writing this post.
Personally, i would just like to share my thoughts about the whole “make money online” thing and separate truth from fiction. At least from my point of view. But make no mistake. My intentions are purely selfish. I want to be able to say i did that. I published my opinion about making money online. So, i can cross that out of my list. So, now you know. And now it’s your turn to discover your own truth.
Ohh and in case you are thinking i didn’t answer the question “What am i selling?” i’ll tell you right now. Plenty of stuff. I am an affiliate marketer. It’s a great way to make money online. You should also try it. But i didn’t write this post with the intention to make you buy something. I just want to express my opinion. And maybe help others clear things up. Perhaps gaining a new perspective. Who knows?
The Truth About Making Money Online
Okay, lets begin,
First, i would like to share a few things with you. Things that prevent people from making any money online. Things like having the wrong expectations and an unrealistic perception of how you can make money online in 2018.
You see there are already thousands of articles about the truth behind making money online. And also about how to make money online. How is mine different?
Most of those articles are not really showing you how to make money online or tell you the truth. They are just sales pitches to persuade you to sign up for some training course or something similar to become a millionaire in an instant. Or their advice is not very practical, to begin with. For example, a very popular “tip” is telling people they can make money by selling stuff they don’t need anymore on eBay. Sure you can make a few $ by doing that but it is not a long-term plan. How much stuff do you have to sell anyway? And what happens after that? You go back to square one. That’s probably not what most people are looking for when searching online for ways to make money from home.
Another thing you need to remember is that online you will find exactly what you are looking for. If you are looking for “get-rich-quick opportunities” you will find plenty of them. And they are all scams. Yes, that’s right. There is no easy money waiting for you online. The legitimate ways to make money online are nothing like that. You must understand that get-rich-quick schemes are not real.
Experience is important. Posting a few ads on social media (like Facebook) or running a PPC campaign without knowing and deeply understanding how sales funnels work and how to use conversion optimization techniques you are wasting both your time and your money. And that knowledge only comes from experience. A lot of experience actually.
#Tip: If you want to learn more about conversion rate optimization take a look at the following article
But that’s exactly what many “gurus” are promising to teach you. A secret marketing formula you should follow (and of course pay in advance) if you want to start earning thousands of $ in no time. Save your money because it doesn’t work like that.
Technical skills are not necessary. That’s not a myth. That’s true. You don’t need to be a computer genius or a web developer to earn money online. There are plenty of legitimate online jobs you can do that don’t require any technical skills. And no i don’t just mean taking surveys. Creating a website was never easier. You can literally publish a website in 2 minutes.
And finally, don’t think about the Internet as your last resort to make money. Because that’s a big mistake. For a lot of people, the possibility of making money online only crosses their mind when they have run out of options. Like i already said generating a full-time income takes time. There is a steep learning curve to making money online and there will be plenty of things that won’t go as planned.
But the main advantage of starting an online business is that you can do it while you are working full-time. Your main objective should be creating passive income from your online activities and not an active one. That’s why you must act when you are already making money offline. Online you have the great opportunity of doing the work once and getting paid again and again. Because making money online doesn’t just depend on the amount of time you spend on a daily basis on your business. But it is more about creating the foundation for success. That means you won’t be earning any money at first but you will get paid down the road. And if you successfully manage to build a strong foundation you have done the most important part of the job. After that, small improvements can result in geometric growth to your business as a whole.
Don’t forget that nowadays the size of an online business no longer defines its impact. That’s also the reason why everyone can make money online.
Here’s What You Need To Know About Making Money Online
Well, first of all, you need the right mindset. If you already tried making money online before but failed it is not because it can’t be done. It’s because your approach was wrong. Below is a small list of traits you must work on if you want to finally achieve your dream and make money online:
- Determination. Before you start looking for ways to make money online ask yourself if you are willing to do what it takes to succeed. If the answer is “i am not sure” or “i am desperate for money” don’t do it. The chances are you will get scammed. You will end up looking for that “easy way to make money online”. That proves you have the wrong mindset. The right answer is “yes, i can do that and i am ready to work hard for it”. You must be determined to succeed. Otherwise, you will never build that awesome online business, you will never get that great online job. Instead, you will make nothing or coffee money.
- Passion. It’s absolutely vital. You must want this to happen. If you are passionate about it everything else will follow. If you have a passion for your work nothing will be able to stop you. Don’t just pick something because it sounds promising. If you are not interested in it after a while you will give up. Remember there are so many opportunities online and so many ways you can use to make money. There is definitely something out there that excites you. You just have to find it.
- Don’t give up. The Internet is full of abandoned blogs and eCommerce sites and people constantly complaining there is no such thing as an “online job”. Everything is a scam and everyone trying to make money online is a fool. That’s not true.
Why people give up?
Usually, it’s lack of determination. Things rarely go as planned. When the results are not the ones they want the easy choice is to give up and blame everyone else. Choose the difficult path. Try again. Take a minute and think about what went wrong. Learn from your experiences and failures. You only fail when you give up. The chances are your patience will pay off.
- Be professional. No matter what you do online be professional. Let’s say you want to use online marketing to earn your living online. Don’t start promoting anything to everyone just because you will earn a big commission. Don’t be that online marketer. Respect your audience and your readers. If you work as a freelancer respect your customers. Don’t exaggerate your skills. Also, don’t apply for jobs you can’t do. After all, your reputation is at stake. And you don’t want a bad reputation.
- Take it seriously. Your objective is to make real money online. Right? Just because you will be working from home doesn’t mean your job is not a “real” one. If you don’t take it seriously you won’t go far. If you want to apply for an online job make sure your CV looks good (check your spelling, grammar) and make sure you can do the job. Build your portfolio and the money will follow. If you have an eCommerce store, blog or website treat it like a business and not like a project in progress that may work later at some point.
- Stay focused. And learn to ignore others. In other words, haters gonna hate. Don’t let them distract you. The more popular your business (blog, affiliate website, etc) becomes the more haters you will have. They are part of the online world and they are here to stay. Others do it for “fun” and others simply because they are in the same niche you are. They are your competitors and the better you do the more money they lose. Be prepared. Ignore them and move on. Remember why you are doing this and what your end goal is. Don’t let others decide your fate.
- You have to put in the work. The online world is not different from the offline. Money won’t just appear in your bank account. There is no such thing as easy money online. I already said that before but this is a major reason why people fail to make money online. You must create value if you want people to trust you. And that means work. A lot of it. And many times without getting anything in return. But if you want to succeed online you must be willing to work hard. That’s the only way. No matter what method you are using to make money online being productive and working hard is necessary.
- Be legitimate. If you want to work online and make money well you must also be legitimate. Not just the method you are using to generate that income. Don’t try to trick people by offering them low-quality products/services just because you will earn a commission. If you decide to create your own business online you must offer valuable and helpful information to your target audience. You must build a trustworthy relationship with your audience. That takes time but that’s what it means to be legitimate yourself.
Real “work from home opportunities” require real work. For example, you might decide to work as a freelance writer or as a virtual assistant. If you want to get paid and attract customers you must work the same way you would work offline.
Conclusion
Alright, that’s it. I hope my post helped you clear things out. I wrote this post to motivate you to work harder and not to scare you. Making money online is great and it can be done. It is totally up to you if you will succeed or not.
Is it easy? No.
Is it worth it? Hell yeah.
Remember no one can guarantee that you will make a full-time income online and there is no such thing as a get-rich-quick scheme. Find something you like and go for it. Don’t wait. Do what needs to be done. But do it know. And do it correctly and consistently if you want to make money online.
Time for marketing. I told you at the beginning i am also an affiliate marketer. I’ll give it a shot
“Do you spend a dollar a day for coffee?” If the answer is yes then you can afford your own online business.
How did i do? Catchy enough?
But it’s actually true. If you want to learn more about online marketing and build your own website/business you should click the button below. Just take a look. You never know.
You are of course, more than welcome to leave a comment below and share your ideas and opinions with us. And if you like this post share it with your social media followers.
Hello Nikos this is a very in depth post I found on the truths and myths of making money online.
I procrastinated a lot, it happens for many reasons. But having no one to turn to and overwhelm are in my opinion the biggest obstacles.
After that its all (easier said than done of cousre) down to working hard and determination.
Hei Niko,
Really great post with a lot of useful information.
Many people start these sort of things with great expectations of unbelievable wealth and time freedom, but one of the most important lessons anyone could learn is that neither of these come without great sacrifice and a lot of work.
Put in the hard yards, treat your endeavour as a business and stick at it and only then can you expect the rewards.
Keep up the good work.
Hi there,
I definitely agree with you about needing to have determination and passion and ultimately deciding not to give up in order to be successful with affiliate marketing.
Can you give more insight on how you create traffic and your success with affiliate marketing?
Thanks for the great post!
Becky
Hello Becky,
First of all, thank you for your comment. As for your question about how to succeed in affiliate marketing you can take a look at my 10 affiliate marketing strategies for success. They worked for me and i believe they can work for you too.
There are many ways you can use to increase your website traffic. Take a look at this post for more information. It’s a collection of the best posts and guides for 2018.
Thanks,
Nikos
Fantastic article. I was searching the web on how I could really make money online I came across your article, and glad I did. I was one of those who fell for one of those get rich quick scams and all the research I was starting to feel that you can’t really make money on line. After reading your article It sparked a new hope that maybe I can and clicked on Your build your own online business for free after reading it and seeing all you can do and get I was blown away. I’m really excited I found your article and I will be giving Wealthy Affiliate a try. Thank you so much,
David
Great article. Its nice to know that you can still make money online even if you don’t have any experience or are not a computer whizz.
It makes a lot of sense that you obviously have to put in the work in order to make money online. There are a lot of scams out there, and many people think that making money online is an overnight thing, but it takes lots of time, testing and patience.
If you don’t have that determination to keep going even when the going gets tough, I think it is better to find yourself a day job.
Wow,such a great post.
I definitely agree with you when you said we must have determination and passion and ultimately deciding not to give up in order to be successful with affiliate marketing.I know you are affiliate marketer that’s why i want to ask this question” can a person get money online without investing their money?’Can you give more insight on how to be a good affiliate marketer?
Thank you
Hello Julienne,
The answer to your question is yes. You can make money online without investing money but you have to invest time. You also need to learn what works and what doesn’t work because otherwise you will get lost. If you are just looking for ways to make money online (not only as an affiliate marketer) take a look at this post.
As for affiliate marketing i believe is something you can learn on your own by practising but it is always better to spend some money on an affiliate course. You will see results faster (that also depends on your own skills). There are a lot of information online about everything that has to do with affiliate marketing but chances are you won’t know what to look for. Here are 10 affiliate marketing strategies that can help you. They worked for me and i believe they can help you too. And they won’t cost you anything.
Hope that helps.
I never new making money online could be so simple. What are some example of what I could sell as an affiliate marketer. I mean after reading your article here, I cant stop thinking of what I could do. Also what would the estimated start up cost be after that great training place you belong to?. Looking forward to knowing more, thanks in advance Cheers Rob
Hello Ropata,
There are thousands of affiliate programs. All you have to do is google “your niche+affiliate programs” and you will find plenty of products and services to promote. There are affiliate programs for almost every niche you can think of.
Wealthy Affiliate premium membership costs $49 per month. That’s it. There are no hidden costs or extra charges.
Hi Nikos
The information in this post is really thorough and includes everything someone needs to research affiliate marketing.
I’ve just started learning about funnels and I think I’ve got my head around it but I will be reading through your links to gain more knowledge.
Can you reccomend a good company to set a funnel system up with ?
Hello Darren,
If you mean an autoresponder you could try Aweber,Constant Contact, Drip. But you don’t really need to spend money on some software to create a good funnel. You can do that by creating great content that will guide your visitors where you want them to go and do what you want them to do. Buy something, sign-up, etc.
Hi Nikos and thanks for putting your knowledge into words. You have a relaxed way of writing and it makes the subject matter easier to take in. I certainly can see that I have much to change to make a financial success of my website but unfortunately something is missing. I put it down to my age!
As you rightly say, you have to put the work in and I consider that I do just that. Trouble is, after doing all my research on such an extensive subject, I seem to be lacking in energy to do the nitty gritty, ie. getting it out there to the masses.
I would be very interested to learn which of your points for being successful, works best for you. Is it the quantity of people you reach or is it the quality of your posts, which are obviously good. I really need a path to follow. My posts are well researched and done for the public good but I can’t seem to go any further. You first sentence is something I worry about. I don’t want my readers to think I’m doing what I do to gain wealth, because it’s not true.
Hello Ches,
Both quality and quantity matters. But at the end of the day i believe quality matters the most. A high-quality post has more chances to rank, attract backlinks and go viral on the social media.So, in my opinion instead of writing 5 mediocre blog posts it is better to write one good one. But even more important than that is to keep publishing content. Affiliate marketing is all about content.
Promoting products/services is not a bad thing as long as they can help your audience. Don’t try to sell, try to help. People are looking online for information, solutions and answers. If you can offer them a good quality product that can help them solve a problem they are facing they won’t matter.
Thanks for this lovely writeup about making money online, I have always known continual search for knowledge to improve your niche is very important.
Another important thing is originality and perseverance make your style unique, Our ability to enhance creativity also matters. Above all is patience
Thanks for the eye opener. This is a must for all newbies to read
I love this. How to make money online is one of the most search phrases on Google, that tells you why many scammers are developing programs daily to scam people. I have a blog and decided to enrol as an affiliate marketer to a web hosting company, however; I wasn’t patient and determined enough, and I backed out. Everyone can make money online if the skill is there, also you have to be passionate, ready to give it their all and determined. However, avoid all these get rich quick program. The rule of thumb is, if it looks too good to be true, it is not true.
Thanks for bringing out the real truth when it comes to making money online There are no shortcuts to working hard only tips that can help you along the way. Following advice from people is what is going to propel you forward and knowing how to learn from experience. It is ok to fail just keep trying.
Thanks for bringing out the real truth when it comes to making money online There are no shortcuts to working hard only tips that can help you along the way. Following advice from people is what is going to propel you forward and knowing how to learn from experience. It is ok to fail just keep trying.
Wow, real and captivating advise on making money online.
So much truth which a lot of other advice blogs fail to mention.
I began blogging about 6 months ago and, I started writing about a topic I was not really passionate about, to be honest, what I saw was the money opportunity but then I lost interest and I have not posted on that blog for the past two months, why because the money which drew me to that topic didn’t come immediately.
Then I started a new blog about a topic I could talk about all day and it’s going great not yet ripping lots of fruits from my labor but I love talking about this so I keep going.
My experience just goes to confirm the importance of being passionate about what you decide to do.
Cause the road is often rocky and you will need that passion to keep you on track.
Making money online is fun but it comes with a lot of challenges just like every other business. I have tried so many years to make money but to no avail and I think it because I had a wrong mindset then. I have now realized that there is no easy money anywhere and not even online. You must be passionate about what you want and be ready to put in the effort in order to achieve success. Wealthy Affiliate has tought me so many things about making money online and I am grateful for that. Your article equally added to my motivation. Thanks for that.
Good article, This post is well balanced on the pros and cons of making money online. Affiliate marketing is a sure means of making money online, only it needs focus, hardworking, perseverance and persistent researching.
I would love to know if there is any other site that can help to improve my technical skill for a little fee?
Hello Olanike,
I totally agree with you.Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money online as long as you are willing to work hard and of you don’t give up in the first 4-5 months.
I can suggest 3 online marketing training programs that don’t cost much and can help you become a better marketer. Take a look at the following post.
Hi,
I really enjoyed reading your article because it was unbiased and contained very hard truths. Anyone who is really interested in making money online must be ready to put in a lot of work and take it seriously. Being professional can also never be overstated. People are usually more trusting when you are legitimate and professional.
So,truely,you have said it all, the truth and myths of making money online. Anyone who wants to go on this journey must realize what he/ she needs to do to be successful.
This article is spot on and I appreciate it. You certainly have nothing left out and showed exactly what it takes, and what needs to be done in Making Money Online.
I am an affiliate marketer too and I started over 4 years ago and had no prior knowledge about online marketing creating a website and anything else coming with it.
I kept on my toes I joined a legit online platform called Wealthy Affiliate and learned everything I really do need to set up my online business the right way.
I would lie if I say it was always easy, no it wasn’t but, I had what it takes to get there where I wanted to be, commitment, determination, passion, staying focused and more. All these things you have mentioned in your article and yes, they are true and for me, there is no other way to be successful.
Online marketing can be done by anyone no matter the gender or age, well 18 years and over.
I really have enjoyed this read and a thank you for all the great information.
Sylvia
I’ve tried a lot of money making site and heavily failed at most, some I lost money trying to make it work with subscriptions plans. I guess you are right that most posts out there won’t really show us how to go about this. I’m new in blogging, and what has been keeping me up is the fact that I work full-time. This article has really been helpful. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for this interesting post, you have impacted knowledge and experience on this subject which has open up my eyes and help me understand the truth and the reality of it. The truth is, oftentimes, its what a lot of people don’t want to hear. We live in a culture where everyone is so addicted to instant gratification. That’s what is marketed to us, instead of doing things the right way.
This is the truth in the bluntest manner and not everyone can take it but the few like me who got our thick skin peeled on this post would be grateful to you for sharing. Nothing beats the feeling of working independently at home doing what one loves doing the most but with this cones the struggle of doing it the right way. Thank you so much for coning out very blunt here to show us all on the need to work harder and not be dependent on anything we could have worked on before online. Persistency and consistency pays. Thanks
Wow, this is a topic that not so many people talk about regularly. I am happy that you can make this post because not a lot of people tell others all the real rudiments of making money online. People are always on the search for quick ways to make money online and that is why they always fall victim of scams and platforms that are out to take their information. Really nice of you to do this. Great work here.
That last aspect of ones business being a legitimate is one thing that I find really important. The scam sites that are currently available is at a large number and its not good for any online business. Now the idea of starting a business goes with ones passion for it for that business to keep running over time. Setting ones mind to that business and having to make a decision of not giving up or getting deterred because of other competitors in line of business would help alot in doing business. Best regards.
Determination, passion and hardwork are very important qualities for everyone who wants to make money online. I totally agree with everything you have written here on the myths. Even I was also guilty of always looking for the fastest ways to make money online until I found a platform that was helpful to me. Since then, I have been able to earn and make money as well. Great post, very educative.
Wow! You have unveiled the truth behind every mystery that surrounds making money online. The one that always surprise me is people having the conception that working online is too easy and money can be made without working too much. This is a blatant lie because it requires more work, consistence and persistence to ensure we make the best out of it. This is great and I value everything I have read here. Thumbs up
Thank you Bella for your comment.
Nikos, I like your honesty. Great informative article. Here are a few additional thoughts for your readers. Realise that earning money online is a Business (not a hobby). Set a realistic goal for how many hours per week that you can work your business, ( you will have to make sacrifices with your time.) Learn the necessary skill to build out the website, learn to sell through the content, experiment, fail, adjust your technique, experiment again. Failure is your friend, you learn from failure (experimentation). NEVER QUIT! …The only people that lose are the quitters.
Wishing you many sales from online business!