Learn about 17 different popular ways to make money online

For each online business idea, we’ve assigned an overall score based on the following factors, rated from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best):

Setup time/speed :

How quickly can you start making money with this business?

(Think of 1 as taking several years and 5 as earning income within days of getting started.)

Required investment :

How much money is needed to get the business up and running?

(A 1 means thousands of your own dollars, while a 5 means it’s almost free to start.)

Experience level :

How much prior experience is needed to build the business?

(A 1 means decades of experience, and a 5 means no experience is necessary.)

Potential profit :

What income can you expect from this business?

(A 1 represents a small side income of a few thousand dollars, and a 5 indicates a potential six-figure business.)

We’ll rate each business idea based on these factors and provide a weighted score for all of them. Keep in mind, the higher the overall score, the better the business idea!

The business ideas are listed below with a short description

01. Start Affiliate Marketing

We’re kicking off this list with something we’re passionate about here at Link Item Here affiliate marketing.

If you’re new to it, affiliate marketing is about promoting other people’s products online and earning a commission (up to 75%) on each sale you make. It’s a great opportunity because it doesn’t require a large team, a big investment, or even your own product—just an affiliate link and the ability to drive traffic to an offer.

While affiliate marketing involves more details like different commission models (CPA vs. Revshare), one-time vs. recurring commissions, and important metrics (such as AOV and EPC), we’ve ranked it #1 because it’s one of the quickest ways to start earning money online. Plus, it can be used to monetize many of the other ideas on this list, making it incredibly valuable!

Getting started with affiliate marketing is quick and beginner-friendly. For example, on Link Item Here, you can sign up and have your first affiliate link ready to share in just 15 minutes! Many businesses also offer their own affiliate programs, which you can apply to directly by checking for “Affiliates” or “Affiliate Program” in their website footer. Additionally, there are several other affiliate networks and marketplaces to explore, such as Amazon Associates, Rakuten Marketing, and ShareASale.

02. Sell Physical Stuff Online

After affiliate marketing, selling physical items is the next fastest way to make money online. There are two main approaches: the casual approach and the hardcore approach.

With the casual approach, you can sell old items you already own on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Etsy, or eBay.

The hardcore approach is retail arbitrage, where you buy items at a low price and resell them for a higher price. For example, you might find a suit on clearance for $100, then sell it on eBay for $250. While risky, it can be a quick way to earn money if done right.

You don’t even need to leave your house—just find items being sold cheaply online, buy them, and resell for a profit. For even greater success, use market knowledge to buy products that will become scarce later, increasing their value.

03. Sell Your Photography or Art

You can actually combine your two passions by selling your artistic creations online, including photos and artwork!

Sell directly to buyers

To sell your artwork online, you'll need a storefront. This can be through platforms like Shopify, Etsy, or your own website. Having a store allows you to control your work, pricing, and branding while reaching your audience.

Sell to stock photo websites

Another option is to sell your work to stock photo websites like Getty Images, Alamy, Adobe Stock, and Shutterstock. Compensation can include an upfront payment, a percentage of sales or licensing fees, or both.

04. Become a Freelancer

Freelancers, like writers, editors, coders, marketers, photographers, and designers, share the ability to work independently and manage their own clients. The main appeal of freelancing is the flexibility to set your own rates, work as much or as little as you want, and choose the clients and projects you take on.

Freelancing has a lower barrier to entry compared to traditional jobs, so you don’t need advanced skills to start earning. For example, a sales professional could moonlight as a real estate photographer, or a copywriter could build WordPress websites.

Freelancing is one of the fastest and most profitable ways to make money online, especially if you have an in-demand skill. To build a sustainable business, networking through platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and niche job boards is key.

As a former freelance content marketer, my advice is to specialize in a few areas and focus on providing great work to build referrals. While prospecting for new clients is important, your priority should be delivering quality work and meeting deadlines.

05. Rent Your Stuff Out Online

If you have valuable items that others would pay to borrow, the internet has made it easier than ever to run an online rental business. Here are some great options:

For Real Estate:

Airbnb: Hosts can earn an average of $924 per month by renting out homes or rooms

VRBO: Ideal for renting vacation homes or large spaces like houses and apartments.

For Transportation:

Turo: Rent out your car, especially high-demand models like Teslas or BMWs. On average, cars earn over $10,500 annually.

RVShare: Rent out your RV for $2,000+ per month when not in use.

For Miscellaneous Items:

Style Lend: Rent out your high-end fashion items like dresses and shoes for hundreds of dollars per week.

RentNotBuy: A fee-free platform for renting out valuables, though it lacks identity verification, payment processing, or insurance.

These platforms offer great opportunities to monetize your unused assets!

06. Tutor Students Online

If you’re good at teaching, tutoring online is a great way to make money. Many parents are willing to pay for help with subjects like English, music, chemistry, or test prep for exams like the ACT or SAT. Tutors can earn between $30-50 per hour, with some charging as much as $150 per hour.

To be effective, focus on a specific area, whether it’s a particular subject, grade level, or test prep. Beyond school subjects, you can also tutor in areas like music, foreign languages, ESL, or coding.

While in-person tutoring typically pays more, online tutoring allows you to reach a broader audience, so balancing both can help maximize your income.

07. Become a Consultant

If you have years of experience in a particular field, consulting can be a lucrative way to make money by sharing your expertise with businesses. Consultants are hired to solve problems, brainstorm solutions, offer an objective perspective, teach skills, or implement strategies.

While some consulting roles may require certifications or licenses, most only require your qualifications and experience. The overhead is low because you’re selling your knowledge, not physical products.

Currently, the most in-demand consulting services are in IT, marketing, and finance. However, no matter your field, there’s likely someone willing to pay for your expertise!

08. Invest Your Money

Investing is one of the most reliable ways to grow your money, but it’s important to be cautious and avoid speculative choices like Gamestop or Dogecoin. Here are some investment options with average yearly returns (1998-2018)

High-yield savings accounts and CDs: 1-2%
Stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs: 5.6% (S&P 500)
Bonds or Treasury bills: 4.5%
Real estate investment trusts (REITs): 9.9%
Commodities and cryptocurrencies: 7.7% (gold)

To be a successful investor, it’s crucial to have a balanced portfolio, combining safe investments (like savings accounts and Treasuries) with higher-yield options (such as corporate bonds or growth stocks) and hedges against inflation (like gold or REITs). Investing online is a great way to grow your wealth over the long term!

09. Start a Podcast

Podcasts are everywhere, but there’s still room for niche topics where people want to learn or be entertained. The internet allows even the smallest communities to thrive online. Each podcast episode is an opportunity for search engine optimization, helping more people find your brand.

Podcasts are great because they’re audio-based, allowing listeners to engage while commuting, working out, or doing other activities. Starting a podcast is relatively cheap, requiring just a computer, internet connection, recording software (like free Audacity), and a microphone.

Podcasts can be monetized through affiliate marketing and sponsorships, and with a large enough audience, you can even sell your own products!

10. Buy and Sell Websites

Making money online through websites is like investing in virtual real estate. While many prime website domains are already claimed, there’s still potential to profit. Before buying and selling websites, it’s important to understand web metrics, SEO, and site monetization strategies like affiliate marketing, display ads, and sponsorships.

With the right skills, you can buy underperforming sites, improve their content, monetization, and technical aspects, and sell them for a profit or keep them as passive income sources. Just like with real estate, having a solid understanding of website valuation is key to making smart investments.

11. Generate Leads

Generating and selling leads is a profitable business, especially in niche industries where leads are highly valuable. By focusing on industries that always need leads—such as marketing agencies, real estate investors, or financial advisors—you can earn money either through cost per lead (CPL) or cost per sale (CPS), similar to affiliate marketing but with a focus on bringing prospects to businesses that sell high-ticket items or services.

To generate leads, you can build a website around a specific industry, run paid ads, or both. For example, a vocational school may pay you for leads if you run a website targeting vocational programs. Depending on the industry, you could earn up to $50 or more per lead, making it a potentially lucrative business.

12. Sell eBooks or Online Courses

If you have valuable knowledge to share, consider packaging it into an ebook or online course. You don’t need to be an expert; just offer useful information in a format that’s easy for people to access. Because niche topics can command higher prices, you could earn significant income—one entrepreneur even made six figures in a day from his online course.

Additionally, once you create your course or ebook, you can recruit affiliates to promote it, flipping the typical affiliate marketing model. With platforms like Link Item Here, your product could be the next big success!

13. Grow a YouTube Channel

Growing a YouTube channel takes time and effort, but it can be highly profitable. Top YouTubers earn substantial income through ad revenue, sponsorships, licensing deals, merchandise sales, and product promotions. Entrepreneurs like Mark Borland and Derek Lau have used YouTube to grow their information product businesses significantly.

To succeed, focus on creating long, engaging videos, using appealing thumbnails with faces, and investing in quality audio equipment. YouTube videos are discoverable through search, related videos, and notifications, making it a powerful platform for building an online business. Monetization options include ad revenue and affiliate marketing.

To get started, you’ll need a good setup with lighting, a microphone, and a DSLR camera, along with tools like vidIQ, TubeBuddy, and SEO tools to optimize and track your content.

14. Start a Blog

Blogging, which has evolved from a personal diary to a powerful money-making platform, has become a significant way to generate income online. To succeed, follow these steps:

Pick a niche: Focus on a specific topic that’s profitable and aligns with your interests or expertise. Popular niches include health, fitness, business, and relationships, but narrower topics can also work.
Create content regularly: Consistently posting content improves your chances of being found in search results, leading to more readers and customers. Perform keyword research to find low-competition, high-traffic terms to target.
Monetize your blog: Once you gain traffic, use affiliate marketing, such as Link Item Here, ads, sponsorships, or even selling your own products to earn money.

Blogging is a long-term commitment, but with the right niche and consistent effort, it can be highly profitable.

15. Become a Social Media Influencer

Making money as an influencer has become easier with the internet, especially by focusing on a niche like lifestyle, fitness, gaming, or comedy. Influencers build an audience on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok, depending on where their target audience is most active.

Monetization options for influencers include:

- Affiliate marketing
- Subscription memberships (e.g., Patreon)
- Donations from fans
- Sponsorships
- Selling products or services

While it can take time to start earning unless you’re already famous, the earning potential is significant. Influencers with over 100K followers can charge up to $2,500 per post, and those with 1M followers can command $25,000 per post.

16. Build a Membership Site

Many successful online money-making strategies involve building an audience or community first, then selling to them. One popular method is creating a membership site, where you offer quality content behind a paywall, generating recurring revenue.

An example is Masterclass, where users pay an annual fee for access to celebrity-led courses. Similarly, membership sites often align with mastermind groups, offering valuable content like courses, videos, and discussions.

A good strategy is to start by building an audience via a blog or YouTube channel, then launch your membership site, offering a free trial to attract subscribers. This approach ensures you know your audience’s needs and what they would be willing to pay for.

17. Launch an Ecommerce Brand

Selling your own products online can be highly profitable but requires significant time and effort to build and scale. The benefits include 24/7 sales potential from anywhere in the world, full control over your product sales, and high profit margins for digital products. Once you have a proven product, ecommerce can scale more easily than other business models.

However, challenges like inventory management, customer service, and fulfillment must be managed. For physical products, partnerships like Ship Offers can help with on-demand fulfillment. Additionally, selling through platforms like Link Item Here, which connects you to affiliates, can significantly increase your scaling potential by leveraging others to sell your product for a commission.