A languishing economy typically lends itself to mass layoffs and growing unemployment. But thanks to broadband internet, numerous ways to make money on the web are there for the taking for those who suddenly find themselves without work. Those who are gainfully employed can make extra money.
Making Money in a Down Economy: Freelancing on the Web
Professional freelancers can take advantage of websites that pair companies seeking help on their projects with freelancers who would like to make money. Sites such as iFreelance, oDesk, Sologig, and Guru may prove to be a lucrative source of income.
Making Money in a Down Economy: Revenue Sharing Paid Content Websites
Other websites pay members to submit content in a business model called revenue sharing. With revenue sharing, each member earns a small portion of the advertising revenue generated by the site based on clicks and/or page views.
Sites such as Helium, HubPages, Squidoo, Suite101, and eHow allow members to make money by writing short articles. Associated Content, Triond, and Bukisa allow users to make money by submitting additional forms of content including audio, video, pictures, and slides.
Making Money in a Down Economy: Virtual Jobs
Those having a difficult time finding jobs may want to consider employment on the web as a virtual agent at a virtual call center, a virtual assistant, or a virtual concierge.
LiveOps and Alpine Access offer employment opportunities for virtual agents who work at home through web-based virtual call centers.
Virtual assistants are full-time, salaried workers who perform administrative tasks such as appointment setting, scheduling meetings, e-mail response, transcription, arranging travel, answering phone calls, and customer relationship management.
VIPdesk offers workers full-time at-home employment as a virtual concierge, a virtual job geared toward assisting busy executives with their hospitality-related requests.
Making Money in a Down Economy: Monetizing a Blog
Blogs or websites that aren’t monetized are missing out on a potential revenue stream. Make money by registering with Google Adsense and embedding Google advertising into a website or blog.
Making Money in a Down Economy: Become a Mystery Shopper
Mystery shoppers are the covert spies of the retail and food industries, investigating customer service practices and writing detailed reports. Pay for each project varies, but mystery shoppers should not expect a fortune. However, mystery shoppers get freebies for their efforts including free meals and free consumer goods.
Despite the down economy, people can use the power of the web to make money through freelancing, revenue sharing websites, virtual jobs, monetizing a website or blog, or becoming a mystery shopper.
See related articles, 4 Websites That Offer Work at Home Virtual Jobs, 5 Bid to Work Freelance Websites, and Top 4 Websites That Pay People to Write.
Daniel Gansle - Daniel J. Gansle is the author of 2012: Day of Reckoning, graduate of Anthropological Studies and expert in ancient Mayan culture.
