Twenty Ways to Earn Money Online Safely

Anyone searching for ways to make money on the internet can get real discouraged, real fast at all the phony get-rich-quick schemes out there. Even a lot of the don't-fall-for-get-rich-quick-scams sites are themselves scams. They get points for creativity, I suppose. Still, it's discouraging.

But despair not! There are a host of absolutely legitimate ways of making money on the internet. These sites are definitely NOT get-rich-quick schemes. But they can provide a steady, and steadily growing, source of income for anyone with a bit of persistence.

I'll get to the sites in just a moment. But first, a bit of inspiration. I earn about $1,500 a month on the internet, and I expect that amount to grow. It's not enough to fully support me and my family, but it's a nice supplement to my real-world income.

You're not likely to see that kind of income anytime soon, but by building up your online presence, you can make it happen over time. Here are the best online money-makers that I know of.

Content
You may already be familiar the money-making opportunities at a site like Associated Content. Contributors to the site provide the content, AC provides the platform and audience, and everyone shares in the revenue generated, mostly from ads.

The content in question can be just about anything that can be posted on the internet: articles (like this one), blogs, photos, music, videos, artwork. The cooler it is, and the more traffic it generates, the more you're going to collect. Best of all, it's not just a one-time payment, but an "evergreen" source of income that will continue to pay, much as a book author continues to get royalties. A single posting might bring in a dollar or two a month, but that can add up surprisingly quickly.

Some of the best pay-for-content sites are:
Associated Content, where you can post just about anything (but no adult or offensive content, please) and get paid for the content's 'performance' and even collect additional income from a variety of bonuses and exclusive content arrangements.

Creative Weblogging. Blogs only at this site. Get accepted as a blog editor, make a minimum of three posts every week, and collect at least $84 per month.

eHow is an ad revenue sharing site where anyone can post "How to" articles on pretty much anything. The more viewers click on the ads, the more income you'll make.

Flixya is another site where you can post just about any form of content. They offer to put 100% of ad revenue in your pocket, rather than merely sharing it. Sounds great, but I haven't yet come across anyone making a substantial sum here. Time will tell.

istockphoto, a site for photos and video clips. This is a marketplace site. People like your photo, they buy it to use, and you and the website share in the income. A single photo can be sold many times over. Another option for photos is MicroStockPhotography.

mylot, a sort of social networking site, offers payment every time you use the site! I haven't tried it myself, but it seems worth exploring.
Xomba is another post-pretty-much-anything site, and share the ad revenue.

Freelancing
If you have a particular talent that can be practiced on the web, then there are plenty of folks in need of your service as a freelancer. Freelance sites are heavy on offers to hire programmers, website designers, graphic artists, copy writers, photographers, and videographers, to name the most popular. But pretty much anything that can be transacted over the internet is up for grabs. Pay can be pretty decent, but keep in mind that you're competing against freelancers the world over, where payscales can be a lot tougher.

The freelance sites are all pretty similar. Three of the most popular are elance, guru, and ifreelance.

Tutoring
Online tutoring is a growing field, and covers everything from grade school through college. You have to apply and be accepted as a tutor, but once in, there appears to be a steady workload available, if you want it. There are many tutoring sites out there. Two of the most well-known are tutor.com and ehomeworkhelp, while Tutorvista is a fast-growing newcomer in this area.

Jury Duty
No joke! You can get paid for online jury duty. Well, let's call it mock jury duty. Law firms like to have feedback from everyday folk like us on how their case presentations will play before a real jury. They'll post a briefing package for your review, and pay you for your time. To sign up for online jury duty, head to onlineverdict.com, trialpractice.com, or trialjuries.com

Virtual Office Assistant
Take a look at TeamDoubleClick, where you can sign on for temporary online office jobs: handling correspondence, emails, bookkeeping, data entry, and so on. It's an online temp agency in the virtual world.

Listen to Music
This is bound to be someone's dream job. Slicethepie.com will pay your for listening to music. Select upcoming artists, give them a listen, and review their music. The better you are at spotting new talent, the more you can get paid. Some folks are pulling in several dollars per review.

Play Games
This might be the strangest one of all. Moola.com will start you off with a penny, and give you chances to double your money (again and again) through online game play and other activities. Along the way, you'll encounter lots of ads and opportunities to sign up for deals, thus earning Moola...and you...some cash. Moola labels itself a "Massively Multiplayer Rewards Game". It's a bit complicated, and I confess, I haven't tried it much myself, but it seems legitimate, and I know folks who speak highly of the experience.

There you have it. Twenty sites (count 'em) that will pay you for spending time online, and in many cases, doing what you would have been doing anyway.

Isn't the internet wonderful?
By David Sarokin, published May 26, 2008