Making Money Online While Avoiding Scams
Making money online is practically everyone’s dream. However, just like starting a brick and mortar business, it isn’t going to be easy. There are a lot of people out there trying to capitalize on your dreams and make money from you in your desperate attempts to figure out how to earn money online.
We’ve written this mini guide to help you avoid scams, know what to look for, and what it takes to earn money online.
There are many legit and many not-so-legit ways of making money online. Some are expensive, some are low cost. We’re going to explore each one.
However, be warned that there may be laws in your local area that require you to have a special license for selling via online. Because this is beyond our expertise, you will have to check out your local business center for more information about required licenses and registration.
Legit Ways of Making Money Online
The best and most legit ways of making money online are to explore reseller programs, turnkey and affiliate programs. Both ways require time and energy to get off the ground. Have no fear, we are here!
Reseller Programs
Reseller programs are basically companies who provide a product or service and allow you to resell their inventory in smaller parts enabling you to earn a profit from them.
You can have physical inventory or you can have services to promote. The good thing about reseller programs is that most will provide the customer service for you. Some will even allow you to co-brand your logo or name seamlessly into their product or service.
Some popular reseller programs are:
� Hosting: ResellersPanel.com, Host Gator, APlus.net
� Domain Names: Wild West Domains, Enom, Tucows
� Software: Cisco Systems
Affiliate Programs
These types of programs normally pay you per sale or per click. For each lead you send the company, you will get paid a commission. These types of programs are good if you have a lot of traffic going to your website or if you network with a lot of people.
Here are some websites that list available affiliate programs:
� Commission Junction
� Affiliate Guide
Some popular affiliate programs:
� Ebay
� Google Adsense
Turnkey Websites
Turnkey websites are websites that are ready to go, all you have to do is “turn the key”. The majority of turnkey companies will allow you to co-brand your logo, set your own prices, provide your customers with support, include web hosting and a domain name.
The downside is you may not have much control over the site content, display, colors and layout.
Turnkey companies:
� Wild West Domains
Not-So-Legit Ways
There are some misleading ways to make money online. Some ways are scams, others make it impossible for you to earn a decent return. The most common scams are:
� working from home
� multi-level marketing (also called MLM)
� investing
Of course, just being labeled these things does not mean they are not legit. But you should be wary. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
What To Look For
Avoiding online scams means educating yourself about what to look for. Here are some things you can do to protect yourself.
Simple Searching
Search engines are powerful resource providers. Enter the URL or name of the business into the search engine and see what comes up.
Better Business Bureau
Research BBB.org to see if any complaints were filed against the company. If they do have complaints, see if the company attempted to resolve them and in what amount of time. Remember, just because a company doesn’t have a record with BBB, it doesn’t mean they have a satisfactory customer base.
The Fine Print
This has to be the most common mistake people tend to make: overlooking the fine print. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Read the fine print in user/buyer agreements. Look for any discrepancies and compare them to what they say versus what they actually provide. Ask questions.
Conclusion
Judge each opportunity you come across with skepticism and a closed wallet. Ask questions and tons of them. Good luck and may you have many profitable years ahead!
