The Best Online Business Ideas
The internet brings with it the ability to work online. If you want to earn money and be your own boss, you need to look at online business ideas. These are ways to start your own full-time business or even some side gigs to supplement your income. Looking at different internet business ideas will help you to see what is possible so that you can decide which type of business you want to start.
Advertisement Creation
If you have some experience in advertising or at least a good eye for what attracts customers, you might consider advertisement creation. You can choose to create hard copy advertisements or digital ones, depending on your skills and preferences. You will need some writing skills and experience with basic graphic software to be successful in this position. You should also create a portfolio so that you can show your potential clients what you are capable of.
Affiliate Marketing
Dozens of websites provide affiliate opportunities. This helps them to get exposure, so they pay you a percentage of the sales that occur as the result of people using your affiliate code or link. You can sign up to be an affiliate for free. Share your link or code with friends and family. You can also write blogs and social media posts associated with the services or products that the companies sell. Then, insert your code or link so that people can use it to make a purchase.
Amazon Sales
Amazon is a website that everyone knows about and shops with. No matter what you need, you can find it on this site. Since it already has significant traffic, it makes sense that it is ideal for your first sales platform. You can sell anything on Amazon. Look for items that you can purchase for low-cost so that you can beat out the competitor’s prices and still turn a profit. If you plan to engage in services, such as Amazon Prime, you need to make sure that the shipping costs do not cut into your profits. Selling small, lightweight items are your best bet for this.
Learn more about how to sell on Amazon. We encourage you to sign up for the best course for selling on Amazon – It is a great high-value AND low-cost course that is constantly being updated and has more successful Amazon sellers than any other course.
App Building
If you have some skills building apps, this is an easy way to earn some money from home. All you need is some basic software and computer skills to get started with this business. Look at the apps that are immensely popular and see where they can be improved or expanded on. This will give you a starting point where you can find apps that people are going to want to download and use.
If you don’t know how to build web apps, you can take the course iOS and Android App Development from scratch.
Auctioneer
There are certain online auction sites that need an experienced auctioneer. You will use your skills to help people to get the most money for the items that they are selling. You can choose which website you do the auctions on. If you have some experience with auctioning, this is a plus. Even doing some of your own auctions on eBay can help you to gain the experience you need to help other people.
Blogging
As a blogger, you can choose to blog for yourself or for others. If you want to blog for yourself, you will need to create your blog on a website like Blogger or WordPress. Publish at least once a week and connect your blog to social media to create traffic. If you blog for others, you can create a client list and decide on the right editorial schedule for each of your clients. If you want to blog for others, it is a good idea to stick to a niche since this can speed up the research and writing process.
Bookkeeping
Bookkeepers are an integral part of every company. You maintain the books and can alert the company about any financial issues you see happening. You can run your bookkeeping business virtually. This means you can work solely online from your own home. You can choose to have a roster of clients that you provide services for, or you can stick to one major client. As a virtual bookkeeper, you can make more than $60/hour.
To find out if this is for you, sign up for free intro courses that show you what to expect as a virtual bookkeeper and how to get started. Read our review of the full course.
This is a popular course that has become more popular as a result of Covid-19. Use Bookkeeper Launch discount code: VET200 to get 20% OFF
Branded Items
You can create branded items and sell them on websites like CafePress. All you need to start this business is to be creative. Consider developing a brand and using it as your launching pad for the designs that you create. You can also take this in another direction. Help companies to develop their brand and then create items that they can sell to promote their brand, such as coffee mugs, mouse-pads and T-shirts.
Business Coach
Being a business coach is one of the best internet business ideas for people with a background in business. You will help existing companies to make the changes necessary to find success. You can also work with startup companies to help them with creating their initial business strategy. This is a very broad field with a lot of possibilities, so consider where your expertise lies and use this to determine which services you will offer.
Copywriting
There are numerous forms of writing, depending on your talents and preferences. As a copywriter, you will create sales and advertising materials for businesses. You may also write white papers and product data-sheets. The purpose of this type of writing is to show someone a service or product and tell them exactly why they need it. If you have a background in advertising or marketing, this could be one of the best online business ideas for you.
Craft Creation and Sales
Creating crafts can be a great stress reliever. If you are creative and good and making unique items, you can sell your crafts for money. You can go to websites like eBay and Etsy to list and sell your items. These websites already have excellent traffic, so the amount of marketing you need to do will be minimal. If you create something that really takes off, you can look into starting your own website to sell your craft items.
Consulting
Consulting is a very broad industry. If you are particularly experienced or skilled in a certain field, you can choose to consult in it. For example, you might do consulting for a marketing company if you have experience with marketing. When you work as a consultant, you are helping the company to create strategies to improve their success. You can generalize or specialize in this industry, depending on the clients you want to work with.
Curriculum Creation
There are websites online that allow you to sell lesson plans and other curriculum materials. If you have some experience creating these materials, you can put them together in your spare time and upload them for sale on these websites. You do not need to be a teacher to do this, but it can be helpful. You can find lesson plans and curriculum outlines on the internet that you can use to ensure that you are providing all of the necessary information.
Customer Service
This is one of the best online business ideas for people who know how to work with a diverse array of people. You can do e-chats to provide customer service. You can choose to work for companies like Apple and Amazon to help them to provide customer service. You can also do customer service on a freelance basis if you have some experience in a particular field, such as information technology.
Data Entry
Data entry is often performed by people who are working from home. You can choose to work on a freelance basis so that you can work with a variety of companies. All you need to start this type of business is an accurate and fast typing speed. You should also have a good computer that can handle a lot of work. There are data entry programs that you can use to make getting the job done a lot more efficient.
Domain Creation and Sales
You can create domain names and then sell them to the people who want them. This is an easy at-home business option that you could easily do in between work for another home business. You might target a niche or just be a generalist and create website names for websites in multiple industries. Ideally, you should start with at least 10 website names and market yourself well. Always add new domain names to keep your inventory fresh.
DropShipping
If you want to get started in sales but do not have any extra cash to buy inventory, dropshipping is an excellent choice. The first step is finding a company that will ship out items in a timely manner. The items also need to have a consistent level of quality and be packaged properly so that they arrive safely to your buyers. Then, all you have to do is start listing your items either on an online marketplace or your own e-commerce website.
To start an e-commerce website and drop ship from it we suggest using Shopify and Oberlo. It’s the best way to start a dropping business.
eBay Sales
eBay is simple and the website makes it easy to get started. You can start by looking around your home and finding items that you no longer need or want. As you start to build your good feedback and your inventory, you will see that sales become regular. There are people doing eBay as their full-time income once they get going. You can also choose to open a store on eBay so that you have more sales and marketing options for your products.
E-commerce Store
If you want to have full control over your sales strategy and the website that you sell on, you might consider opening an e-commerce store. You will need to get your own domain and hosting for this, but these can be found with reputable companies at an affordable price. Then, all you have to do is start filling up your website with an inventory. Try to always have inventory on hand since constantly being out of stock can cost you, customers.
The best place to start an ecommerce website is by using Shopify. They have the best platform for setting up and running a successful ecommerce website.
Editing
If you have a knack for the English language, you might consider putting your editing skills to work for you. You can choose to specialize and edit in a specific niche, such as legal or medical. You can also generalize so that you can get as many clients as possible. As an editor, you work as a collaborator with the writer. Because of this, you should expect frequent emails and Skype meetings that you need to be able to attend to get a project completed.
Email Marketing
Email marketing was one of the first marketing types that people used after the internet became popular in American homes. It is still just as successful today and it was back then. You can start an email marketing business where you will draft the emails and the release schedule. You can also help your clients to create email lists so that you have a lot of people to send the emails to for exposure.
You will need an email marketing company that will help to collect and send emails. We suggest GetResponse and Aweber.
Expert Blogging
If you have an education in a specific field, such as legal or medical, you can become an expert blogger. It is a good idea to start your own website to use as a portfolio to show off your skills. The next step is pitching potential clients. If you are a legal expert, check out lawyer websites and see where you can make improvements. Pitch them your online business ideas. Not everyone will respond, but this is the easiest way to build your client base. You can also do guest blogs for people to showcase your skills.
Facebook Advertising
Facebook advertising can be a powerful way to expose a brand or company to the world. However, most people are not familiar with how to use Facebook advertising successfully. If you study up and gain some knowledge and skills, you can get hired by companies to work on their Facebook advertising. You will create a strategy and work to implement in. You can also track the data so that you know when changes need to be made.
Facebook Subscription Group
Facebook now has a feature that allows you to create a group that people will pay a subscription fee to access. Consider your talents and your background. For example, if you are someone who successfully lost a lot of weight and kept it off, you can start a group to help other people to lose weight too. You might also do other coaching or consulting. Just think about what you are good at and create a group for it.
Focus Groups
Many focus groups now function completely online. They exist to perform qualitative research for companies. This is a form of marketing that allows companies to get people’s opinions on services and products. You can also be someone who creates focus groups for companies. If you choose the latter option, you can use focus group software that will make it easier to track all of the data that you get from your focus group participants.
Freelance Writing
As a freelance writer, you can write in any niche. You can also choose to do a variety of writing types, such as writing scientific reports or advertising materials. You can choose to carve out a niche, such as focusing on writing product reviews, or you can write about anything. It is a good idea to get a portfolio together so that you can show potential clients the type of work that you do. You should also set rates and state these so that clients are prepared.
Genealogy
People are interested in where they come from, but most people do not know what it takes to trace their family tree. If you are excellent at finding out information about families and individuals, you can provide your services to help people to research their ancestry. This is a service that is often performed by freelancers. You can advertise your services on a freelancing website or you can choose to create your own website.
Ghostwriting
As a ghostwriter, you are creating content for clients without getting a byline. The materials that you write vary greatly. You may write general blogs, copywriting materials, or even fiction works. This is one of the best online business ideas for people who enjoy writing and have a diversified writing portfolio. All you need is a portfolio to get started. While a degree in a writing-related field can be helpful, your portfolio will have a much bigger influence on who hires you.
Graphic Design
This is one of the best online business ideas for people who want to mix creativity with business. There are numerous graphic design software options that you can use. To attract as many clients as possible, you should consider learning several of these software options. Then, you should create a portfolio that can show off your skills in this field. You can choose to work with hard copy items, such as pamphlets and posters, or digital, such as banner advertisements.
Human Resources
Human resource is an integral element in any company. When you work as a human resource professional, you will help companies to hire the right people. You will also help with things like employee training, management programs, and ensuring that the company is adhering to all laws regarding employees and hiring procedures. You can do this job from home since all of the information you need you can access from your computer.
Illustrator
If you have artistic talents, you might consider becoming an illustrator. You can do this from home when you work on a freelance basis. You can illustrate for a variety of industries, or choose just one, such as creating illustrations for children’s books. It’s best to have a portfolio so that potential clients can see if your skills match up to what they need. You can create a portfolio online at a free website like Blogger to get started.
Instagram Sponsorship
As you build your following on Instagram, you might consider looking into sponsorships to earn some money. This is easiest when you focus on a specific niche, such as makeup or travel. Companies will pay you to talk about their products on your Instagram page, so this is a relatively easy business idea. You can do this as a side gig or as a full-time gig, depending on the money you are making from each of your sponsorships.
Lead Generation
Getting sales often start with lead generation. You can do this job from home because all you need is a computer and a phone. You will call people and gauge interest. For example, if your client is a company that sells blood pressure cuffs, you will call people and determine if they are likely to buy a cuff. Then, you turn over your list of qualified leads to the company so that their sales team and approach the people on the list to make a sale.
Life Coaching
Life can be hard, and some people find that having someone as their coach simplifies things for them. You do not need any special education or experience to be a life coach. However, if you have endured and overcame hardships, this can make you more relatable. This can also make it easier to get some clients. If you have a background in psychology, this can also be beneficial. Create a website and social media pages to advertise your services.
Listicle Blog
People like reading lists about subjects they find interesting. For example, “top 10 medieval medical instruments” or “top 10 American serial killers.” Monetize your website and do a little promotion on social media to attract readers. This is a business that can start slow at first, but as you continue to publish lists and increase your viewership, you can earn enough to make this website your full-time job. ViralNova was making over $400,000 per month before the owner sold it just to give you an example of potential success.
Meal Plan Service
Meal planning is popular right now. It saves people money and makes it easier for them to eat healthy. However, many people do not know where to start when it comes to meal planning. If you have been doing this for a while, create some tutorials and sell a subscription to your website for people to access them. You can also offer one-on-one meal planning to people who want to work with you on an individual level.
Niche Website Creation
Creating niche websites can be a profitable venture. You will create websites, nurture them, and get a steady flow of traffic. From here, you will sell the websites to someone who wants a website in that particular niche that already has traffic. For an extra fee, you can also choose to create social media pages associated with the website. This is a business idea that can take time and a lot of work, but websites often sell for thousands.
Online Marketing
Online marketing comes in many forms, so if you are well-versed in them, it is easy to work on a freelance basis providing marketing services for companies. You should be clear about the types of marketing that you do so that your clients know exactly what you can offer them. Create a portfolio that showcases your past work and the abilities that you can offer your clients. For example, if you do SEO or email marketing, add some past campaigns to your portfolio.
Online Teaching
Many people are opting to get their education online these days. It is convenient and allows them to maintain their usual schedule. If you have an education in a particular field, you can choose to become an online teacher. You will create lesson plans, assignments, and video lectures for your students to access. You can opt to work for a learning website or a college or university, depending on your credentials and what you can teach.
Or, you can start your own courses and sell them online. This is by far the most profitable way to earn money from teaching online. Using a service like Teachable makes it easy to start and sell courses online.
Personal Finance Help
If you are good with money and crunching numbers, helping people with their personal finances is one of the best internet business ideas. You can offer one-on-one personal finance help via a service like Skype. Help people to determine a budget, find ways to save, and do other things associated with personal finance. You can also opt to provide additional related services, such as helping people to learn how to coupon or boost their credit score.
Photo Sales
If you enjoy photography, you can make money from the photos that you take. Place them on stock photography websites and people will pay a fee to use them. You should have a professional camera and good photo editing software for this purpose. Once you start taking photos, there are dozens of stock photo sites where you can sell the photos. You can also choose to sell them on places, such as Etsy and Facebook Marketplace.
Podcast Host
If you have something unique to say or teach people, consider starting a podcast. You will create audio lectures or talks and then publish them on the internet. You can charge a fee for placing advertising on your own website to earn money from this venture. Check out some of the popular podcasts and get a feel for how they are doing it. Never copy anyone’s online business ideas, but you can use them as inspiration for the outline of your podcast.
Press Release Writing
When companies have news or new services and products, they use a press release to tell the public. If you have some experience writing press releases, this is one of the best internet business ideas you can get involved with. You can do this completely from home since the company sends you information and you turn it into a press release. You can learn how to create press releases online, so you do not even need experience to get started.
Project Management
When companies launch projects, they need someone who is experienced in managing the projects. If you have a background in this field, you can offer your services on a freelance basis. You can work via Skype, so this job can be done completely online without the need to go into an office. You can provide your skills to companies all throughout the world. It may be best to choose a niche, such as working with finance companies, or just provide general project management services.
Proofreading
Businesses, individuals, and authors all benefit from the services of a good proofreader. You can work from home to go through books, documents, and similar items to look for mistakes. A general proofreader just looks for errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. However, you can choose to upgrade your services and also take care of the editing and fact-checking for the documents you proofread too. This helps your clients to complete their documents with one person.
To learn how to start a proofreading business, we suggest you check out the course Proofread Anywhere. Also, read our review of the Proofread Anywhere course.
Public Relations
People and companies want to make sure that they have an excellent reputation. If you are good at putting out fires, you might consider working in public relations. This job is done mostly via the internet and phone, so all you need is a home office and you will be ready to go. You should start with one or two clients and get rolling with them before adding others. This allows you to get a feel for this industry so that you do not become overwhelmed.
Recruiting
All companies need excellent employees to keep operations running smoothly. If you are good at spotting talent, consider starting your own recruiting business. You can sit in your home office to review resumes and set up interviews for the positions specific clients may be good for. This is another at-home business where you can choose to generalize or work in a specific niche, depending on your background and what your goals are.
Remote Tutor
If you want to help people learn, you can do so right from your computer. There are websites that are specific to tutoring. Some of these offer different subjects and others focus solely on tutoring people in a specific language. Consider your talents and your educational background to determine which subjects you are best at. From here, you can also decide to only work with certain age groups, or you can work with people of all ages.
Research
A good researcher can be hard to find. If you are efficient and good at finding excellent sources of information, you can work as a researcher. For example, you can do demographic research for marketing companies to help them to find their target market. There are numerous possibilities since researchers are such a valuable asset. Ideally, you want to find a niche that you have a background in to make it easier to find clients.
Resume Writer
A person’s resume can be the difference between them getting a job and getting skipped over for another candidate. If you are good at writing resumes, this is an easy job that you can do online. People will send you their resume, or information for a resume, and you will create a complete and polished product. You can charge a fee either per resume or on a per-word basis, depending on what makes the most sense for you.
Scopist
You can tackle all of the necessary tasks from home when you work as a Scopist. Your clients will send you transcripts and you will go to work editing them. You need to be able to decipher the shorthand that court reporters use for this job. You will be taking the shorthand and essentially fleshing it out so that all of the words are full words. This will make it easier for the judge, attorneys, defendant, and other people involved in the case to review what was said.
To become a Scopist, check out the Internet scoping school.
Self-Publish Books
If you love to write, you might as well share your talents with the world by self-publishing books. You can choose fiction, non-fiction, or a combination of these, depending on your interests and what you have a background in. Once you finish a book, there are several platforms where you can publish it. Just make sure that you follow all of the formatting requirements and have a good cover made so that people view your book presents well.
SEO Specialist
Every website needs to use good SEO in order to make their web pages rank high on search engines. When you work as an SEO Specialist, you will review your client’s website and make recommendations about how they can improve their SEO strategy. You can choose to also provide the services where you make the changes, or you can simply perform a consulting role, depending on how much involvement you want to engage in.
Skype Coaching
If you have a particular skill, you can share it with the world by offering your coaching services via Skype. Skype is free, so there are no startup costs associated with this online business. This is one of the best internet business ideas for those who want to help people while earning a living. For example, if you have a background in nutrition, you could provide nutrition coaching. Simply schedule appointments for people so that you can easily manage your client load.
Social Media Consulting
Every business needs to have a presence on social media. If you are well-versed in the major social media websites, you can consult with companies to help them in this area. As a consultant, you will review a company’s social media profiles and make recommendations about changes that they can make. You can also help them with their social media strategy so that they are maximizing their potential viewers and followers with every post that they make.
Social Media Influencer
If you have a good following on social media, you might consider using your popularity to be an influencer. Brands will work with influencers to help them to promote their products. For example, if you are a beauty guru, makeup and skincare companies may send you products to try. You will then plug them on your social media websites to help give the company some promotion. You can also get paid by these companies to promote their products to your followers.
Software Developer
There will always be a need for excellent software developers. As technology continues to be a part of people’s lives, the world will need more software. You can choose to focus on different types of software or be a generalist. Think about your skills and the types of software that interest you. Since software is constantly evolving, you should also learn as many coding and programming languages as possible so that you can keep up with the competition.
Stock Trading
Trading stocks is a way to earn some money from home. You should have strong analytical and mathematical skills for this job. You also need to stay on top of what is happening in the stock market. You can do day trading from home. You need to have a proven track record before you start gaining clients. To do this, you can start working on building your own stock portfolio and working it to prove that you have the necessary skills.
Transcription Services
A good transcriptionist can save a company a lot of time and money. You will listen to audio and transform it into text. You just type out exactly what the audio says so that your clients have a hard copy to refer to. There are software options that can make transcription work much easier. You should also have a pedal so that you can easily stop and start the audio you are transcribing without needing to take your hands off your keyword.
You can learn how to become a transcriptionist by checking out the free Transcribe Anywhere course. You can also read our review of the Transcribe Anywhere course.
Translation
Since the world is now global, it is common for people who do business together to not speak the same language. This is one of the best online business ideas for people who speak at least two different languages fluently. You can advertise your services on online job marketplaces and on social media. You can choose to translate verbal conversations, or you might just stick to translating documents for people. There are software options that can streamline the translation services that you offer.
Travel Consultant
When people travel, it is very beneficial to get some help making the arrangements and learning about what to do in the place that they are traveling to. This is where you come in. You will help people to create travel plans and an itinerary that meets their needs. The main task would be to work on helping people to create vacations or even business travel. You can stick to one destination or not limit yourself. This is a very versatile online business.
T-Shirt Designer
If you are creative, you might consider working to design your own T-shirts. You can sign up with a website like CafePress and Redbubble to sell your designs without needing to have actual inventory on hand. You can also create your own T-shirts from home if you have a T-shirt press. If you plan to make your own at home, you can sell them on websites and online marketplaces. You can also allow people to create custom designs that you will print on shirts for them.
Virtual Assistant
As a virtual assistant, you will help people to manage their days. You will complete tasks, such as answering emails, scheduling appointments, taking care of travel arrangements, and making sure that your clients are always on top of what they need to do each day. You can focus on one client if they are particularly busy or you can work for multiple clients. Just make sure that you are very organized so that you can keep everything for each individual client in order.
Webinar Creation
Webinars can be powerful marketing tools, but most people do not know where to start when it comes to creating a webinar. If you have the necessary software and the talent, you can easily create webinars from home. You should be able to take information from a client and translate it into a video. You should also be good with video editing software since you need to make sure that every webinar is seamless. Your fees will need to reflect your skill so you can earn more over time.
Website Design
If you are good at designing websites, this is a simple job that you can do from home. To start, you need to have the right software and you should also know the common coding languages. You should be updated on the latest SEO information too since you will need to use this knowledge when you design each page of the website. You will often work with the website developer, so be prepared for Skype meetings.
A good web design course can help you get started on the right track.
Website Development
If you prefer to work on the backend of a website, consider website development. You should have computer skills and you will need to know what it takes to essentially create the skeleton of a website. It is important that you have a portfolio so that your clients know what to expect if they hire you. You should be able to work with a team since you will be collaborating with your client, the coders, and the designers to create a full website.
Website Maintenance
If you are good with websites, one of the best online business ideas is working on website maintenance. Websites are a lot of work. Small businesses might not have the manpower or time to make sure that their website has all of the maintenance that it needs. This is where you come in. You will create a maintenance schedule and take care of all web maintenance. You can easily do this from home since the website owner only needs to give you the login credentials to maintain their website.
WordPress Theme Creator
You can never have too many WordPress themes available. People want themes that not only match their niche but having one that is not frequently used makes it easier for websites to use a theme as part of their branding. You can make WordPress themes on your home computer, so this is the perfect work-from-home business idea. Just make sure that you are testing your themes completely to remove any bugs before you publish them.
YouTube Channel
If you enjoy making videos, you cannot go wrong with starting a YouTube channel. You can do things like review products, talk about current events or provide tutorials. All you need is basic video editing software and you can create videos that are useful for the public. It is best to carve out a niche for yourself so that you can focus on creating a brand. As you get your viewer counts up, you can add some advertisements to your videos so that you can start earning some money.
