47 Unique And Legitimate Ways To Earn Extra Money Online

Are you looking for ways to earn extra income online?

Chances are if you made it to this post you probably are. I also know that a lot of you who read this blog are looking for different ways to earn extra money online so I thought I would help by putting together my definitive list of all the different way out there.

At least the ones I know of.

However this is not your normal ways to make money online article. I wanted to make sure this was the ultimate guide on the subject and to do that for each opportunity I included things like a difficulty rating, the kinds of cost involved, how much time something may require, skill requirements, and a basic job description.

On top of that I’ve also broken the article down into different sections to make scanning the article easier for you. So if you are only looking for freelance writing, blogging, web management, you’ll be able to find them faster.

I know what you’r thinking I’m going a bit overboard with this but that’s what I do.

So check out the list of 47 things I’ve compiled and let me know in the comments which ones you are doing or plan to do. Also if you come up with any other ways to makes to money online feel free to share those in the comments below as well.

Enjoy.

Blogging

If you are thinking about starting a blog this can be a great way to earn extra income but I should mention these options usually take a lot more time to develop and earn extra money. I also put together a great this resource list to help you get started here.

#1 Affiliate Marketing

Difficulty: Intermediate
Cost: You will need a domain name and some hosting.
Time: May require a lot of time up front to get things set up and running.
Skills & Requirements: Need decent writing skills and a basic understanding of how to convey a message through the content you write.
Description: If you are someone who has always wanted to start their own website and earn money affiliate marketing allows you to partner with companies, sell their products, and earn commissions from each sale.

#2 Sponsored Post & Advertising

Difficulty: Intermediate
Cost: You will need your own blog or website.
Time: Does not require much time.
Skills & Requirements: Requires you to have an established website with a large audience.
Description: If you have an established website with a decent amount of traffic some companies will pay you anywhere from $30 up to $250 and more to write a sponsored article or place an advertisement of their service or product.

#3 Group Coaching

Difficulty: Expert
Cost: Website and conferencing software
Time: High demand for time.
Skills & Requirements: Requires to be able to work in a group setting and understand how your basic conferencing software works.
Description: If you are someone who like to teach in an online group setting then this option may be just what you are looking for. People who do group coaching usually earn $500 to $5000 for one student in their course.

#4 One On One Consulting

Difficulty: Expert
Cost: Website and conferencing software
Time: Requires a high demand of your time.
Skills & Requirements: Be able to teach and help people solve specific problems they have.
Description: If you are someone who loves to teach and help someone solve a specific problem you may find one on one consulting more up your ally. One on one consulting usually pays very well and all you need is to be good at one thing people really want to know and you can get started for next to nothing.

#5 Membership Site

Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Cost: Need a website along with some sort of membership software.
Time: Requires a lot of upfront and on going time.
Skills & Requirement: Some technical skills may be required to set up the site and membership area but these things can usually be outsourced as well.
Description: If you are someone who wants to teach something in a web based format such as video or audio and get paid month after month for all the students in your program then this is a great opportunity to consider. However you may need at least a small audience built up on you blog in order to funnel people into your membership site.

#6 Adsense Advertising

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: Need a website.
Time: Not much time to get set up and started.
Skills & Requirements: Need to be able to write good content that attracts visitors and helps you get ranked in the search engines.
Description: If you are someone who wants a low barrier to entry way to earn extra income then Adsense is a great option. This is how I got started and managed to earn $30,000 over a 5 year period. However you will need to create a lot of content on your site to make decent money with this option.

#7 Build A Web Based Application

Difficulty: Expert
Cost: The cost to do this can be very high since you will likely have to hire a developer which could get costly.
Time: Building a web based application may take a lot of time upfront to build but once it’s up and running it will take little time to manage.
Skills & Requirements: To have a vision for a web based application that you know will be helpful and useful. You may also need to have some technical skills as well such as HTML, CSS.
Description: Web applications such as Mint.com or Freshbooks.com are great tools to help you balance your budget or do accounting. If you are interested in building your own web application here is a great website that will help you get started plus they also offer a free 10 day video crash course on the subject. You can check that out here.

#8 Podcast Advertising

Difficulty: Intermediate
Cost: Requires you to have a podcast, a website, and a decent size audience.
Time: Requires a lot of time upfront to get set up and requires time to publish new episodes on a consistent basis.
Skills & Requirements: Will need some basic equipment to get started such as a decent microphone, mic stand, pop filter, and cables to hook it up to your computer.
Description: Ever considered starting your own podcast? This can be a great way to share your message to the world and even get paid for it. Top podcasters get paid well to have advertising on their shows. You can learn how to set up your podcast here and how to acquire sponsors for your podcast here.

#9 YouTube Video Advertising

Difficulty: Low
Cost: May need a website but it’s not necessary. You will also need some video recording equipment but your smartphone can do almost everything.
Time: Creating videos can require a lot of time upfront but once they are up they won’t require any time to manage them after that.
Skills & Requirements: Requires you to know how to set up the camera equipment, lighting, and do post production editing. Don’t worry though most of this stuff can be done right from your smartphone with apps like imovie, and Filmic Pro.
Description: Do you like creating movies? Maybe you want to show some one how to cook something or build something. Video can be a great way to do this and earn great money with the You Tube Advertising Program. You can learn more by going here.

Writing

If writing is more your thing then I’ve come up with some great ideas you may or may not have heard of. Some options can make you a lot of money quickly while others make take a little more work.

#10 Write An eBook

Difficulty: Intermediate
Cost: May need a website, cover for your ebook, and you may need to hire someone to format it correctly. You may also want to hire someone to edit and proof read your book as well.
Time: Takes a lot of time upfront but once the book is published it may require some marketing effort.
Skills & Requirements: The ability to write content that is easy to read and comprehend.
Description: If you are someone who likes to write then ebooks can be a great way to earn some extra income. With places like Amazon you can write your ebook and put it out to the world in no time. He is a great site to check out here if this is something you would like to look into.

#11 Blog Writing

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: No cost to get started.
Time: Based on the amount of time you are willing to put into it.
Skills & Requirements: As long as you can write in a clear and concise style with good grammar you should have no problem getting started.
Description: Whether it’s blog writing or ghosting writing for other bloggers this can be a great way to drive in some income quick. A lot of bloggers are looking for content but they don’t always don’t have the time to get everything done. This is where a good blog writer can come in and help out.

#12 Guest Post Writing

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: No cost to get started.
Time: Requires your time to write these article. Typical articles can range from 500 words to 50oo words and earnings are based on the amount of words per article.
Skills & Requirements: Requires you to write clear and concise articles.
Description: Guest posting is a method bloggers use to gain exposure in there niche and drive their site up in the search rankings. However this strategy requires a lot of time and you could be that person who can take this over to help them grow their blogs and save them time. Here is a great article to help you get started.

#13 Sales Letter Copywriting

Difficulty: Expert
Cost: No cost to get started
Time: Being a great copywriter can take a lot of hard work and time however if you are willing to put in the time it can be very rewarding.
Skills & Requirements: Requires great writing skills along with the ability to put a message together that really sells.
Description: You’ve probably come across all kinds of different sales letters on the internet. The people who write this content can make some great money writing a solid sales letter page that converts. This is a lot more advanced than your normal blog writing jobs but if you have the drive it’s great way to earn extra income.

#14 Proofreading and Editing

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: No cost to get started.
Time: Requires only the time you are willing to put in.
Skills & Requirements: Must be good with grammar, spelling, and understanding sentence and content structure and style.
Description: If you’re good at proof reading, and polishing content to make it really shine then this just may be the opportunity for you. A lot of blogs are looking for people to just polish their articles and make them shine and you could be that person to help them.

#15 Email Newsletters Management

Difficulty: Beginner to intermediate
Cost: No cost to get started.
Time: Based on what the job requires.
Skills & Requirements: Be able to understand how an email service provider such as Awber.com works and how to create content and send out emails.
Description: If you’re good with email and writing headlines that get clicks and drives visitors then this may be a great way to earn a little extra income. Many bloggers and small business owners who have a newsletter often don’t have the time to get it done and you could help fulfill this opportunity.

#16 Guest Post Article Placement

Difficulty: Intermediate
Cost: No cost to get stared.
Time: Does not require a lot of time.
Skills & Requirements: Must know a lot of bloggers and webmasters looking to get there guest post out on high quality sites.
Description: If you have a lot of connections on the web with other bloggers and you want to maximize your earning you could earn a small fee for placing these articles for those that are looking to get their guest post published.

Graphic Design

Do you like to design and create cool websites and graphics then this list of options may be just what you are looking for.

#17 Logo Design

Difficulty: Expert
Cost: Adobe Photoshop
Time: High time priority
Skills & Requirements: Must be fluent in design, Photoshop, and how to convey an idea to finished product.
Description: Almost every website and blogger needs a logo. Why not be that person who helps bring that logo to life for them. Typical logo designers can get paid $100 for one logo starting out.

#18 Website Design

Difficulty: Expert
Cost: Adobe Photoshop
Time: High time priority
Skills & Requirements: Understand web design and Adobe Photoshop.
Description: Web design has become a huge industry and their are tons of people looking for someone to design their site or even just make simple adjustments. Web designers can typically make good money starting out and more as they get better.

#19 Banner Graphic Design

Difficulty: Intermediate to advanced
Cost: Adobe Photoshop
Time: High time priority
Skills & Requirements: Be able to put together basic banner sizes and convey a message that gets clicks.
Description: Many bloggers and small business owners are looking for someone to make great looking banner graphics for them. Whether it’s banners for their affiliate program, or just something they want to place on their site you can make some great money putting these together.

#20 Take Pictures And Sell Them

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: Smartphone Camera, or any other digital camera, photo editing software.
Time: Low amount of time involved.
Skills & Requirements: Be able to take quality photos and upload them to websites to sell them.
Description: If you are someone who like to take pictures, why not get paid for it? With all kinds of sites that will accept your photos you can earn a percentage of everyone that gets sold. Here is a great site that will give you the basics on taking good pictures here.

Web Management

Do you like social media or SEO? If so then doing web management for others may just be the thing you want to do to earn some extra income. Tons of bloggers and small business owners are looking for people to manage their sites why not you.

#21 Social Media Management

Difficulty: Low
Cost: No real cost to get started.
Time: May require a high demand of your time.
Skills & Requirements: You need a basic working knowledge of how to market and run top social media accounts such as Twitter, Facebook, and other sites such as Pinterest.
Description: If you’re someone who likes social media and building relationships why not get paid for it. Bloggers and business owners are always looking for people to manage their social media accounts. In fact here is a great interview I did with someone who make $15,000 a month doing this.

#22 Blog Commenting

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: No cost to get started
Time: High amount of time involved
Skills & Requirements: Be able to write well thought out comments.
Description: On ways bloggers and small business owner look to promote themselves is by comment marketing. Unfortunately this can take a lot of time to do and you could help by doing the work or them.

#23 Editorial Calendar Management

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: Not cost to get started.
Time: Time is based on the amount of work required by the customer.
Skills & Requirements: Ability to arrange content on an editorial calender and come up with new ideas for content to be written. This person may be in charge of a team of people who write content and your job may be to organize and publish it for your client.
Description: If you are someone who wants to manage the content creation of an entire website this will allow you to come up with the various content ideas, have them written, and publish them at the required time.

#24 Website User Audits

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: No cost to get started.
Time: Low amount of time required.
Skills & Requirements: Be able to assess a website as a new user. Some SEO skills would help.
Description: Website user audits allow someone to review their site or a page on their site such as a sales page to see what your thoughts are and how user friendly your site really is. Doing this give great feed back for the website owner and allows them to see what changes they need to make.

#25 Backlink Audits

Difficulty: Intermediate
Cost: No cost to get started
Time: High time priority
Skills & Requirements: The ability to evaluate a sites backlinks and determine which ones are good and which ones are bad.
Description: If you’ve followed Google for any time you may have heard of the penguin and panda updates which devalue sites based on bad links that point to their site. Helping people determine which links are bad which ones are not can save people tons of time. Here’s a great article that talks about how this process is done.

#26 Backlink Removal

Difficulty: Intermediate
Cost: No cost to get started
Time: May require a high demand of your time.
Skills & Requirements: Requires you to contact other webmasters and have them remove links pointing to your clients site.
Description: Once a backlink removal audit has been done the next step is to remove them. This is a very time consuming process and other website owners and bloggers are always looking for people to do this work for them, why not you.

#27 SEO Audits

Difficulty: Expert
Cost: May require you to have some more advance SEO tools.
Time: High
Skills & Requirements: Requires you to evaluate and understand exactly the current health of a website.
Description: If you are someone who enjoys doing SEO why not offer to SEO audits for people. With so many different aspects to SEO it can be hard to know what is actually affecting your site. When someone hires you to do an audit you can preform a full inspection and get paid well to do it.

#28 Link Building

Difficulty: Intermediate
Cost: No cost to get started.
Time: High demand of time involved.
Skills & Requirements: Requires you to work with other webmasters to build links doing guest post, interviews, and other forms of link placement.
Description: Link building is still a big thing even though some people say it’s dead but the reality is Google still values links more than almost any other ranking factor. You could be that person who helps other bloggers and small business owners build their ranks in Google and other search engines.

#29 Keyword Research

Difficulty: Beginnner
Cost: May need some keyword research software like Long Tail Pro.
Time: High amount of time involved
Skills & Requirements: Requires you to be able to find profitable keywords for your clients that give them the best possibility to rank in the search engines.
Description: One thing bloggers and small business owners are always trying to do is find profitable keywords that help them get ranked on the top of Google. However like most SEO jobs they can be time intensive and you could be that person that takes this job off of their hands.

Web Development

In this section you’ll find jobs that are on the more technical end of things. If you understand development, programming, and how to work with CMS solutions such as WordPress then these jobs might just be what you are looking for.

#30 App Design

Difficulty: Expert
Cost: May need to hire a developer and designer to help you build the app unless you already have these skills.
Time: High time demand.
Skills & Requirements: Requires you to develop an app that is useful, simple, and something people want and need.
Description: If you’ve ever downloaded an app off of iTunes you know exactly just how great they are. When they say their is an app for that their is. I’ve used my iPhone to be a radio, to play games, shot video, and even as a level when I put my mailbox in. If you have an idea for a great app then this just might be the option you’re looking for.

#31 WordPress Plugin Development

Difficulty: Expert
Cost: May need to hire a developer and graphic designer if you don’t have these skills.
Time: High
Skills & Requirements: May need to be a developer that understands HTML, CSS, and other programming languages.
Description: WordPress has become a huge content management system. In fact nearly 15% of all websites built today are using WordPress. WordPress plugins allow people to add extra functionality to their sites and maybe you have a great idea for a plugin that could make you some extra money.

#32 WordPress Theme Development

Difficulty: Expert
Cost: May require you to hire a developer and graphic designer.
Time: High
Skills & Requirements: May need to be a developer that understands HTML, CSS, and other programming languages.
Description: Nothing beats a good WordPress theme these days. It saves you time and money on development and makes your site look great without all the customization. I’ve bought several themes over the years from Thesis to Genesis and I’ve more than made my money back on using them. If you like the idea of creating your own WordPress theme then this could be the idea you’ve been looking for.

#33 Blog Tech Support

Difficulty: Expert
Cost: No cost to get started, except for some basic programming tools.
Time: High
Skills & Requirements: Be able to understand CSS, HTML, and WordPress.
Description: If you understand CSS, HTML and how WordPress works you could help others who have small technical problems with their site by doing blog tech support. I have a friend who does this for me from time to time and it helps me get a lot of stuff done much faster rather than having me fumble around with it.

Miscellaneous Ways To Earn Extra Money

The last section of this list contains all the miscellaneous ways to earn extra money that I’ve come across. So if none of the last ideas interested you then maybe these will.

#34 Flip Smart Phones For Profit

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: Requires you to buy smartphones and resell them for a profit.
Time: Low time requirement.
Skills & Requirements: Be able to spot a deal on a smartphone and resell them for more than you bought it for.
Description: Smartphones are all the rage these days. Almost everyone has one and this has opened up a huge market for people who are buying them on places like Craigslist and Reselling them on places like eBay. I’ve heard of a few people making some great money doing this but you really need to know what you are looking for. Here is a great article I read about someone who does this that goes a little more in depth on the subject.

#35 Fix Broke SmartPhones

Difficulty: Intermediate
Cost: You will need the right tools to fix these phones and reorder replacement parts.
Time: Based on how much time you want to put into it.
Skills & Requirements: The ability to repair a broken smartphone screen.
Description: Almost everyone has seem to drop their smartphone at one point or another. Sometimes this leads to a cracked screen. If you are good at working with small parts you could be that person who repair their phone without having all the hassle. You could help your friends or even place ads on Craiglist.

#36 Buy And Sell Stuff On Amazon

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: To buy products and resell them on Amazon and you will have to pay the $39.99 a month fee to be an Amazon merchant.
Time: Based on how much time you want to put into it.
Skills & Requirements: Be able to spot good deals and resell products on Amazon.
Description: Amazon is the largest retail merchant on the net selling millions of dollars in product each day. How would you like to get even just one small portion of that selling your own products or other peoples products. When you start your own Amazon business this is what’s possible. You can learn more by getting started here. I also came across this great podcast episode with a couple that makes six figures a year doing this.

#37 Sell Crafts On Etsy.com

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: Cost $0.20 to list an item for 4 month and they also claim a 3.5% fee for each product sold.
Time: Low
Skills & Requirements: Be able to create your own arts and crafts and sell them right on your very own Etsy store.
Description: Do you get into creating your own arts and crafts? If so then this may be the perfect option for you. With Etsy they take care of helping you sell your arts and crafts so you can focus doing what you love. To get started and learn more click here.

#38 Offer A Talent On Fiverr.com

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: Fiverr get 20% of whatever you sell.
Time: Requires only the time you are willing to put in.
Skills & Requirements: Need a unique skill that you can do for others.
Description: Do you have a unique skill or service that you can provide for others such as such as signing happy birthday like Yoda or doing cool hand drawn illustrations then Fiverr.com is the perfect place for you to sell your unique talent for just $5.

#39 Ridesharing

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Cost: Need a decent car, and you need to pay for your own gas and you may have to pay for extra insurance requirements.
Time: Based on how much you want to work.
Skills & Requirements: Must have a valid drivers license.
Description: Have you ever wanted to be your own taxi business then you may want to consider ridesharing. With companies like Lyft, Uber, and Sidecar all you have to do is sign up and get approved. Once you’re approved download their app and start looking for customers. If you would like to learn more here is a great interview I did with my friend Harry Campbell who has been a rideshare driver for some time now. *Not available in all areas.

#40 Get Paid To Answer Questions – JustAnswer.com

Difficulty: Expert
Cost: No cost to get started
Time: Based on the amount of work you want to put in.
Skills & Requirements: Need to be a professional of some sort such as a Mechanic, Doctor, Nurse, Vet, Lawyer, or even an Electrician to name a few.
Description: People have questions they need answered all the time. If you are a professional of some sort why not put that to work for you and answer questions for people who need it. JustAnswers.com allows you to work the hours you want and get paid to provided the knowledge you have.

#41 Do A Task For Someone – TaskRabbit.com

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: No cost to get started.
Time: Based on the amount of time you want to put into it.
Skills & Requirements: Basic skills range from handyman to house cleaning.
Description: Are you looking to make an extra few bucks on the side? With Task Rabbit you can help people turn their To Do List into a To Done List. Helping people clean their house or paint a room or even just pick up lunch for someone. To learn more and sign up click here. *Not available in all areas.

#42 Voice Over Jobs

Difficulty: Beginner to advanced
Cost: May need some recording equipment and software.
Time: Based on the amount of time you are willing to put in.
Skills & Requirements: Must have a unique voice that sounds great and gets noticed.
Description: Have you ever wondered who is the voice behind some of your favorite commercials? Maybe you like the idea of using your voice to make you some money, and maybe you have that unique radio personality? If so you may want to consider being a voice over. To learn more check out Voice Bunny here.

#43 Join A Network Marketing Business

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: Network marketing businesses usually charge a fee to join that typically runs around a $100.
Time: Based on the amount of time you want to put into it.
Skills & Requirements: Be social-able and willing to talk to others. Most network marking business require you to make a lot of phone calls.
Description: Have you considered the idea of joining a network marketing business? These companies allow you to work for them selling their products and even allow you to build your own team to sell the products as well. I joined one back in the early 2000’s called World Financial Group, you can read my review on it here.

#44 Become An Online Tutor

Difficulty: Intermediate to advanced
Cost: Cost nothing to get started.
Time: Requires however much time you want to put into it.
Skills & Requirements: Know subjects like English, math, and science.
Description: Are you really good at a particular subject such as calculus or English. Why not put those skills to work for you and become an online tutor and help students who want to get a passing grade. You can learn more here at Tutor.com to get started.

#45 Start An Online Store With Shopify

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: Starts at $14 a month and goes as high as $179 a month.
Time: Based on the amount of time you want to put into it.
Skills & Requirements: For those who have an existing business that’s not online or those who have a great idea for a product to sell.
Description: Do you have a unique and interesting product that you’ve come up with and want to sell it online but don’t want all the hassle of setting up your own site, then consider Shopify. The is a great way to earn extra money and have an audience right at your finger tips ready to buy.

#46 Start A Shipping Business – Uship.com

Difficulty: Beginner to expert
Cost: You will need to pay for your own form of transportation
Time: Based on the amount of time you want to put in.
Skills & Requirements: Need a vehicle and or a trailer to ship stuff with. Depending on the load size and weight you may need a CDL as well.
Description: Have you ever wanted to start your own shipping business. With websites like Uship.com you can get up and running in no time hauling anything from household goods, to pets, to cars, motorcycles and whatever else you can think of.

#47 Start An eBay Business

Difficulty: Beginner
Cost: First 50 to 100 auctions per month are free with some exclusions. You learn more about eBay fees here.
Time: Based on the amount of time you want to put into it.
Skills & Requirements: Be able to understand the eBay auction service.
Description: Have you ever wanted to start your own eBay business? Their is a lot of money in this and you could get started with just simply selling unused and unwanted items around your house to start earning a few extra bucks. If this is something you are considering check out this great guide to help you get started.

What Is Your Favorite Way To Earn Extra Money

To wrap up which idea are you considering? I know I’ve given a bunch of them but this does not mean you have to do all of them. Instead, review the list and start with just one.

Try the idea out and see if it’s something you like. If it’s not you can always try something else. Remember just because you fail at something doesn’t make you a quitter, it just means you need to try again.

If you know of any other ideas to earn extra income online feel free to share below in the comments.