Making money online as a beginner can seem daunting, but it is possible with the right guidance and tools. This comprehensive guide covers various legitimate ways to earn money from home through the internet for total beginners.

Whether you want to start a side income or make some extra cash online, follow these tips to get started making money online as a complete beginner.

How to Start Making Money Online as a Beginner

Here are some key steps to begin your online money-making journey:

Choose a money-making method that fits your skills
Some options include:

Freelancing (writing, graphic design, programming, etc.)
Selling products online (handmade crafts, print-on-demand, dropshipping)
Affiliate marketing
Completing online tasks like surveys and offers
Start a YouTube channel
Choose an area that matches your existing skills and interests .

Gather necessary equipment
For some income streams like freelancing or selling products online, you may need:

A laptop or PC
Fast internet connection
Printer, scanner, etc.
For other tasks like taking surveys or watching videos, just a smartphone will suffice.

Create accounts on relevant platforms
Sign up for sites like Fiverr, Upwork, Etsy, or Amazon Handmade if you plan to freelance or sell products. Register with survey panels like Survey Junkie if doing online tasks.

Build out your profiles
Provide as much helpful information on your profiles as possible. This will make you eligible for more jobs or tasks.

Be patient and consistent
It takes time to start seeing results when you first get started. Stick with it, work hard, and be patient for your efforts to pay off.

Follow these steps, choose a money making method suited for you, and slowly ramp up your efforts. Over time, you'll start seeing the money roll in.

5 Legit Ways to Make Money Online for Beginners

Here are some of the best ways to start earning money online with little or no experience:

1.Freelancing

One of the top ways for beginners to work online is through freelance platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer. These sites connect freelancers providing services like writing, graphic design, programming, data entry, and more with clients who need the work done.

As a beginner, focus on simpler, low-effort gigs to build your profile. For example, offer to write short 500-word blog posts, edit images, or do data entry tasks. The pay may start small, but you'll gain happy customers and reviews to increase your packages over time.

Estimated earnings: $5 - $25 per hour based on your skill and niche

Time investment: 10-30 hours per week

2. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing allows you to earn commissions promoting other brands and products online. As an affiliate, you get a custom link or code to track sales that you refer.

To get started, build a website or social media presence in a niche you're knowledgeable about, like fitness, cooking, or furniture. Share authentic recommendations and reviews of relevant products, include your links affiliate, and earn commissions when readers purchase through your link.

For example, if you review headphones on your site, you can join the Amazon Associates program to earn commissions on headphone sales.

Estimated earnings: Varies, but 5-15% commission on each sale is typical. Popular affiliates make over $5,000 per month.

Time investment: 5-10 hours per week

3. Online Surveys

Taking online surveys in your spare time is an easy way to earn extra money as a beginner. There are many survey panels and rewards sites like Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, and InboxDollars that pay $5 to $30 per survey completed.

Sign up for as many as you can, complete your demographic profiles, and start qualifying for surveys. Try to stick with higher paying surveys in the $10 to $20 range which take 15-30 minutes.

Estimated earnings: $100 - $200 per month

Time investment: 1-3 hours per day

4. Sell Handmade Crafts

If you have a hobby or talent for making handmade crafts, Etsy is a great platform for selling your creations online. You can open your own Etsy shop in just a few clicks and list everything from jewelry and paintings to candles and crocheted blankets.

Focus on unique, high demand products that can be listed at competitive prices. With great photos, descriptions, and some paid advertising, you can start earning a nice side income.

Estimated earnings: Varies greatly but $500+ per month is very possible. Top sellers make over $5,000 a month.

Time investment: 5-10 hours per week

5. Cashback Shopping Apps

Cashback and rewards apps like Rakuten, Drop, and Ibotta will pay you cash rewards just for shopping online and offline. For example, link a credit card to Rakuten and earn 4% cashback at Walmart. Link to Drop and earn gift cards for everyday purchases at places like Starbucks and Uber.

Combine these free browser extensions and apps as you shop normally to easily earn $25 to $100 each month.

Estimated earnings: $25 - $100 per month

Time investment: Minimal, since it's passive income as you shop normally

Tips for Online Money Making Success as a Beginner
Follow these crucial tips to maximize your chances of success as an online money-making beginner:

Stick to your niche - Don't jump randomly between methods. Pick one main focus based on your skills and passion.
Be patient - It takes time to build up credibility, customers, and organic traffic. Be patient and keep working hard.
Provide excellent value - Over-deliver on quality and value in your work or content. This leads to sales, referrals, and repeats.
Reinvest earnings - Reinvest a portion of your earnings into your business to grow, like purchasing advertising or products to sell.
Analyze competition - Identify competitors succeeding in your niche and analyze what they do right to emulate and improve on that.
Learn constantly - Never stop educating yourself on your craft and industry to stay ahead of the curve.

FAQ

How to start making money online?

Some simple steps to start earning as an online beginner:

Choose a money making method (surveys, freelancing, etc.)
Gather any required equipment
Sign up for relevant platforms
Build out your profiles completely
Consistently put in the time and effort
Take it step-by-step, don't get overwhelmed, and stick with it. Success will come with dedication and patience.

Can I make money at home?

Yes, thanks to the internet there are now many ways to earn money working right from your own home including:

Completing online tasks like surveys and offers
Freelancing in areas like writing, design,
Starting programming an ecommerce store or selling products on Etsy
Monetizing a YouTube channel from home
Becoming an affiliate marketer to promote products for commission
So it is completely possible to have a profitable home -based online business with just a computer and internet connection.

Which is the No 1 trusted money earning app?

Based on user trust and ratings, Swagbucks is the #1 most trusted and popular rewards app that pays you real money.