Let’s make it clear at the beginning. It is possible to earn for a living online and there are several legitimate and worthy money making methods via the internet. The problem is that there are too many fraudulent, dishonest, worthless, costly or too promising offers how to earn or start a business online. The fact is that you don’t have to pay a dime to someone if you want to start earning online. You might need some $50 to invest at the beginning for a domain and hosting but you certainly don’t need to pay for the “big secret” or “the great new method” how to make a fortune online. You also don’t want to spend your precious time for the crumbs.
Besides avoiding to be ripped-off by scammers or overpay for some services, you also have to learn how to stay away form unprofitable and unethical methods. Here are some making money offers that you have to question (or totally avoid) when you encounter them:
> Get Paid To Click
Have you ever heard the term “fake traffic”? If you accept this offer and start clicking ads for money, YOU will become the fake traffic.
The question here is what the value behind the clicking is and how much you can earn? Companies pay for online traffic but they expect real internet users when they pay for it. If you go for this method, you become part of this scam. In some cases, the companies may be aware of that, but they still pay for clicks if they want to pump-up their statistics. Anyway, the earning potential of this method is very low even if you recruit other clickers to become part of your clicking network. Since fake traffic is almost worthless, the price of one click is very low. You will be lucky if you get 2 or even 1 cent for a click. The bottom line is – stay away from these offers unless you have an extra free time you want to spend clicking for let’s say $50 per month. You may also never get your money since these businesses disappear quickly.
> Paid Surveys
This method is legitimate but is it worth it? The companies need the opinions from their current or potential customers and they pay up to $5 per survey (if you are based in USA or other developed country). If you can answer a survey in 15 min., it seems like you can earn enough in one day. But it doesn’t work that way. First, you won’t get as many surveys as you wish. Then, as time passes, you will get less and less surveys, especially if you start filling them automatically (they have quality filters). This method is fine if you want to earn some pocket money and you are not ready to go in to the deep waters of the online business world.
> Pyramid Schemes (and MLM)
You may be asked to pay money upfront in order to enroll such programs. Participants in a pyramid scheme make money primarily from enrollment fees rather than by selling products. Pyramid or Ponzi Schemes are illegal but they may be masked as a legitimate MLM (multi-level marketing) offers. Therefore, they may introduce some product/service but its price could be unreasonably high in order to pay the participants on different levels in the network. Since these schemes are not based on sound economical principals, they will break down sooner or later. Stay out of these models unless you invent one (at your own risk).
> Online Trading / Betting / Gambling
Warning: Do not enter these ventures if you cannot afford to lose your “investment”.
As you can see, we put Online Trading together with betting and gambling and that’s with a reason. If someone’s about to earn while trading on Forex (or other online markets) someone else has to lose. So, on what side would you be? It is a gamble. Stay out of it… unless you have extra money and time to spend. Who knows, you might get lucky and beat the odds.
> Earn money on autopilot
Don’t trust this offer, it’s a trick. Everyone wants easy money but that’s not how it works. Yes, some processes in your online business could be automated, as mailing to your subscribers or scheduling the social posts, but earning money on autopilot is probably a spammy method. If you get a part in such method early enough you might earn something but after new entrants get in, your earnings will decrease and at the end your method will get banned (by Google, Facebook, Twitter etc) so your “business” will break.
> Get rich quick
The only one that will get rich is the one that will sell you this trick. If there is an opportunity to get rich quick why would anyone want to sell it to bunch of people, including you? If it was so easy to get rich on the internet everyone would be rich. Yes, many got reach via internet in the past and there are still many opportunities out there but you have to discover it (or create it) yourself. You need a great idea, sound business plan, some skills and knowledge, good team, some investment and so on. Anyway, it won’t happen overnight and you have to work-off your butt to succeed. Stay out of this offers since they are most probably a rip-off or a scam.
> Fake review sites
When looking for an opportunity for online earnings you may encounter sites that review certain online money making methods and programs. This review sites earn commission for recommending these programs and may try to trick you to buy them. If the review doesn’t describe the method in details and what are the total (and hidden) costs stay away from it. You don’t want to be ripped-off, or to pay for something that doesn’t suit your, skills, expectations or needs.
> Costly, complicated and long-lasting online trainings or courses
There are many online trainings and courses that can educate you how to start and run an online business. There are several issues regarding such offers. First of all, they cost a lot of money. Usually the first payment is only a start of a long list of up-sells that you will need later. The lessons are long, detailed and not always delivered in the time you need them. The best way to learn is while you are working on your business, step-by-step. Not all trainings provide this efficiently. Reading, watching or listening a lot of information up front will just waste your time and get you demotivated. If you want to get involved in such programs, first get informed about all the costs involved and the length of it. Then, be sure that the program delivers what you expect regarding its content and the additional features and services.
Conclusion:
If you want to make decent money online stay away from fraudulent, unprofitable, risky, unethical, costly and complicated offers and programs. The best options worth to pursue are working online as a freelancer and starting a legitimate online business. If any other service or program helps you accomplish one of these for a fair price, then you are good to go.
