5 Ways to Make Money Online....

Although some of the younger generation probably wouldn't believe it today, there was a time before the internet! For a lot of us is has become the place we've always gone to research topics, socialise with friends, watch the latest music videos, book a holiday and much more…

Considering how much of our time is spent using the internet, how can you use that time more productively? And more importantly…

How can you make money using the internet?

1. eBay Trading

Its hard to believe but the number one e-commerce site in the world has been going since 1995 and has millions of users around the world. You can buy and sell almost anything - with your online shop available 24 hours of every day.

Experts say the best way to make money is to focus on a niche you know well and don’t try to sell everything under the sun. Marketing your niche well to a specific audience, means you should make good money from eBay. 2. Make Goods to sell Online

The next step up from selling other peoples stuff on eBay is manufacturing your own to sell. This could be homemade jewellry or clothes, to mugs furniture. It is fairly easy to set up your own online shop, find out more info here.

If you have an artistic personality or a talent that is currently only a hobby, this is a fantastic way to make money online. If you knit amazing scarfs for example, why not take the next step and sell them online. Eventually this could become your primary income and you could be your own boss. You can also harness the internet to promote your goods, with social media it has never been easier to connect with a potential customer. 3. Blogging

There are millions of blogs on the internet from all around the world, covering every conceivable subject from a variety of angles. Setting one up and creating a loyal readership could lead a regular source of income and even lead to the a job of your dreams within your niche. This is because many Bloggers don’t make a huge income from their blog, but use it to sell themselves and many opportunities are likely to come from this.

There are many guides online to help you become a successful blogger which are worth searching out. However there are a few things that can help, including having a memorable name, keeping on the pulse of popular culture via social media, engaging readers and having a well designed blog. Including a lot of links can also help you raise your profile, as lot of people are likely to link back to you.

The easiest and most popular way to  make money from your blog is through services such as Google's AdSense which enables site owners to incorporate cost-per-click advertising.

AdSense effectively allows a site owner to include spaces within the design of their pages that Google will populate with either text or banner adverts targeted to the site's visitors. When a visitor clicks on one Google makes a little money (typically between £0.05 and a £2) and you get a share.

Another option is affiliate schemes which work with hundreds of individual brands who are willing to offer commission to sites that can help them generate revenue. So if you blog about travel for example you might want to sign up with the affiliate programmes of an online travel agent. Then if a visitor clicks through one of these links and the affiliate makes a sale you’ll take a share of that money.

4. Online Surveys

This is fairly self explanatory, many organisations need surveys or reviews of their products for many reasons including market research. If you complete these you will get rewarded for your efforts. While it won’t make you thousands of pounds, its still an easy way to boost your income by around £200-£500 a year. Avoid sites that ask you to pay to register and keep a record of all the surveys you've done in case of any disputes.

There are many sites out there that offer cash for surveys, MoneySavingExpert.com suggests Ipsos (iap-interactive.com), Swagbucks (swagbucks.com), Global Test Market (globaltestmarket.com), Crowdology (crowdology.co.uk), and MySurvey (mysurvey.com).

5. Sell Your Photos in a Library

As a budding photographer you can always set up your own site to sell your images, however you will have to market this yourself to generate sales. By signing up to a stock photo websites and selling your images there, you can receive a commission on every sale.