How to Work From Home and Make Money Online

Want to work from home and make money online? Don't waste your time filling out paid online surveys. Many of these do pay, but the hourly pay rate is often ridiculously low. Additionally, you get paid once for your time, and never again. Below, I've laid out a step-by-step plan that will have you on your way to earning a significant passive, residual income online. This means that you'll be able to do the work once, and continue to get paid for it over and over again. Read ahead to find out how!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• an Internet connection

1. 
   surveys - Image by frankh

   If you want to work from home and make money online, DO NOT spend your time filling out surveys. I've said this before, but it demands repeating. Don't get me wrong--you can make money doing this, but your time can be better spent elsewhere.

2. 
   horse riding - Image by jorisjan

   Think about some things that you enjoy. Do you like reading a particular type of book? Do you like finding new ways to save money? How about horses? Basketball? Now, write these ideas down. You can write anything, as long as it's something you enjoy. These are topics which you should be comfortable writing about.

3. 
   google - Image by Yodel Anecdotal

   Go to the Google AdWords keyword tool (See URL in Resources section) and experiment with your keywords that you generated in the previous step. See if you can find a popular combination of keywords that you would feel comfortable writing about.

4. 
   Site5

   Get a WordPress hosting account (I recommend Site5 -- see the URL in Resources section) and set up your own WordPress blog themed around the topic you chose in the previous step. Spend some time setting up your blog, choosing a theme, writing an About page, and making it look the way you want.

5. 
   google - Image by dannysullivan

   Sign up for Google AdSense (link in Resources). Spend some time setting up ads on your blog. Do some research to figure out a good ad placement strategy for the theme that you have chosen.

6. 
   problogger - Image by robertnelson

   Start posting! It's best if your post titles contain some of your keywords. There are lots of sites that can give you tips on making money via blogging, e.g. ProBlogger and DailyBlogTips, two of my favorites. These sites are listed in the Resources section below. It's important to stick with it at the beginning, as you won't see any money rolling in for a while. Just remember that, if you keep posting, the money will come.

7. 
   writing - Image by (C) dabawenya (C)

   In addition to blogging, you can make money by writing articles for eHow. All you have to do is sign up for eHow's Writer's Compensation Program (link in Resources) and start writing. If you do your keyword research, your articles can start earning you a significant income almost immediately.

8. 
   links - Image by Ella's Dad

   Start commenting on other peoples' blogs in your niche. Begin building links to your blog entries and eHow articles. This is an important step, as it will enable people to get to your posts (and it will improve your Google PageRank).

9. 
   NY stock exchange - Image by Helico

   Invest in dividend stocks. This is a step that people often forget about, but it's a legitimate way of bringing in a regular income. There's a link to an excellent article about this from The Simple Dollar (another of my favorite blogs) in the Resources section.

10. 
    relaxing on the beach - Image by achichi

    Keep working and finding new ways to diversify your online empire! For example, start more blogs, start a podcast, create a YouTube channel, join a network marketing program... the possibilities are endless. Continue to find new ways to drive people to your online content that you've created, and your income should grow every month. Stick with it and you'll be earning full-time wages from your online ventures before you know it!

Tips & Warnings

• If you really want to work from home and make money online, be patient. Don't get discouraged when, in the first few months, no money is coming in. It takes time to build traffic and, generally, the income that is generated will be negligible in the first three months or so.
• Take your time when writing your posts and articles. Good content is key.
• There are countless resources for monetizing your blog. Utilize these.
• Don't think you can just write your articles and sit back and watch the money roll in. Your posts and articles need to be promoted, so that people can find them. Once you start getting significant traffic from search engines, you may be able to relax and sit back for a while, but until then, actively market and promote your content!

Resources

• Google AdWords Keyword Tool
• Site5 Web Hosting
• Google AdSense
• ProBlogger
• DailyBlogTips
• Write for eHow
• Earn an Income With Dividend Stocks
• What NOT to do when you work from home
• Supplement Your Income With Dividend Investing

[kims3003]

on 9/28/2009 awesome writing and info.

[ancientdigger]

on 6/22/2009 Link building is so important for blogging. I am learned this finally after 9 months. Well done

[NatalieJ]

on 6/21/2009 Good article full of great ideas. 5*

[tinksmagic]

on 2/26/2009 Great site recommendations!

[TheWriterLady]

on 1/12/2009 Great article! Working from home can be discouraging at first, but it does pay off in the end. You just need to have faith, time, and talent to learn as much as you can about the internet.