My usual straight-to-the-point response is, “I’m a full-time blogger.” 

And that answer is almost always met with raised eyebrows, confused looks, and A LOT of questions like: 

• “Wait. What?” 
• “What do you mean you’re a full-time blogger?” 
• “How do you make any money?” 
• “Do you actually earn enough to live off of?” 
• “That’s it? You just blog for a living?” 
• “Can I become a blogger too?”

While I would never ask someone if they make enough money to support themselves or pry about personal income, I totally get it. 

It’s not every day you meet someone who blogs for a living. And, there’s going to be natural curiosity. 

And, it occurred to me, you might have similar questions too. So, I figured it was about time I answered some FAQs about what it’s like to work from home as a blogger.

What does your day look like? 

It varies day to day. There are a lot of emails most mornings. Plenty of coffee. And lots of interruptions from my co-worker cat. 

But mostly, there’s a lot of content creation. 

Bloggers are creators. And, the majority of my time, I’d say 75%, is spent creating new stuff — blog posts, newsletters, social media posts, graphics, videos, and digital products. 

The other 25% of the time, I’m doing routine maintenance — answering emails, responding to social media comments, and fixing broken links or blog errors that pop up from time to time. 

Do you make enough money to live? 

You bet! I started my blog at the end of April 2015. But I didn’t start earning enough money to live off of in the beginning. In fact, I was still freelance writing full time and my blog was my side hustle. 

But, I quickly learned how much I loved blogging and was driven enough to grow my blog quickly. By the end of nine months, I was earning more money as a blogger than I ever did in any corporate role. 

As my income kept growing, I eventually quit freelance writing to pursue my blog full-time. It was such a gratifying feeling to be able to earn a full-time living from something I created from scratch! 

How do bloggers earn money anyway? 

That’s one of the most common questions I get. People know what a blog is. They know what a blogger does. But there seems to be some confusion on how bloggers actually make money. 

Believe it or not, I make money as a blogger from many different sources. And, I think to be a successful full-time blogger, you need to rely on different income streams in order to make a living wage each month.

So, for me, I use ads, affiliate marketing, and digital products to consistently earn money on Work From Home Happiness. A lot of the income is passive — that is, I make money around the clock, regardless of if I’m actually working or not. 

For example, the week I took off and went to the Bahamas, I didn’t put in a single hour of work, but still made money for ads displayed on my site, affiliate products sold, and digital product purchases. 

Again, the more content a blogger creates the more opportunities there are to monetize. Really, the sky’s the limit! You get out of blogging what you put into it. 

How can I become a blogger? 

It’s actually really easy to become a blogger. Anyone can start a blog. But it’s not so easy to become a full-time blogger and earn enough money to pay your bills every month — but it’s certainly possible. If I can do it, so can you. 

Remember, there is a lot of content creation in blogging. So, if you don’t like writing, you’re not going to enjoy the blogger life. 

Similarly, it takes a lot of (wo)man hours to get a blog off the ground. You might work 40+ hours a week on your blog in the beginning and see VERY little income in return. 

But, if you have the drive to learn as you go and to stick with it for the long haul, you too can go from newbie blogger to full-time blogger. 

But to eventually reach that point, you have to actually get started. To help you out, I’ve created a step-by-step no-fail beginner’s guide to starting a money-making blog. Be sure to check it out! 

Tools I Use To Make Money Blogging

No two blogs are created equal. But, there are some pro-blogger tools you need to know about in order to turn your blog posts into cold-hard cash. Here are some of the blogging tools I use to make money every month as a blogger. 

Convert Kit 

When you start a blog, you also want to start an email list at the same time. And, from there, create landing pages and opt-ins to get people to sign up for your email list. Why? 

Because email marketing is key to blogging success. Even a teeny tiny email list can earn a blogger thousands every month. 

That’s why I recommend you invest in a solid email marketing platform from the very beginning.  This will make it easy to turn blog visitors into email subscribers and, eventually, email subscribers to paid customers! 

WordPress 

I’m a DIY kinda gal. I don’t mind rolling up my sleeves, firing up YouTube, and learning how to do things on my own — especially where my blog is concerned. That’s why I love WordPress. It’s super easy to use AND allows even the most non-tech savvy (like me) to create professional looking blogs without ever having to code. 

But, it’s important to know, there’s a big difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. 

If you want to earn a full-time living as a blogger, you need to be using WordPress.org (it’s free). However, you will have to pay for monthly hosting every month (more on that next). The reason it’s worth it is because you get your own branded blog like YourName dot com or AmazingBlogger dot come and not YourName dot WordPress dot com. Plus, when you use a free platform, like WordPress.org, you’re limited in how you can earn money from blogging — and that’s not fun! 

BlueHost

When you go the self-hosted route as a soon-to-be pro blogger, you need a hosting provider to get your blog online. Think of your blog host as your blog’s landlord. You’ll pay a monthly ‘rent’ to the host and they’ll provide a place for your blog to ‘live’ online. 

When you’re a newbie pro-blogger, I highly recommend BlueHost! Not only are they super affordable (at less than $3 a month), BlueHost also comes with a satisfaction guarantee and amazing customer support. If you ever have a question or unhappy for any reason, they’ll fix it or give you your money back. You seriously have nothing to lose. 

Plus, you receive a free domain name through BlueHost which can save you about $15. Curious if your domain name is even available? Type it in the box below to find out  

Genesis 

In the spirit of keeping things simple, I recommend Genesis themes for all WordPress bloggers. Genesis is a WordPress theme that has A LOT of options. So, whether you want to start a lifestyle blog, food blog, fashion blog, or anything in between, you can find the *perfect* Genesis Child Theme. 

The best part? Genesis themes and child themes are super simple to use. Each one comes with step-by-step instructions on how to set them up and, out of the box, look super professional and polished. 

Make Money Blogging 

There you have it — how I make money from home as a blogger. And how you can too. If I can do it, so can you. Promise. 

Questions? Comments? Curious inquiries? Hit me with them in the comments below! 

Happily, 

Ashlee 

P.S. This post contains affiliate links. Check out my disclosure statement for more information.

The post How I Make Money From Home (And How You Can Too) appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

And, honestly, there are any number of ways you can start a website and monetize it. The right monetization strategy for you will depend on the type of site you want and your end goals. 

For example, if you want to make passive income, you’ll want to focus on ways to earn money from your website on autopilot. If you aspire to be a life coach or consultant, a freelance service site is a better fit for you.

For me, I’ve used affiliate marketing, ads, digital downloads, services, and paid listings to make money from my website over the years. 

And, if I can do it, so can you. 

Here are some of the ways I’ve made money from a website (and how you can too). 

Psst: Wondering how to make money from a website? Well, first things first, you need a website! Check out my no-fail beginner’s guide to get a website up and running with Bluehost. 

Sell Ad Space 

This is a no-brainer. When you first ask, “how to make money from a website,” one of the most obvious answers is to sell ad space! 

After all, just about every website these days have advertisements on them (some more than others). And, even though ad blockers are becoming more and more popular, there is still money to be made by serving ads on your website. 

You can go about this in a couple of ways: 

1. Sell space directly to advertisers on your own 

Let’s say you decide to start a website directed at soon-to-be moms. You may reach out to brands and businesses whose audience is similar to yours (like Playtex, Pampers, Gerber, etc.)

Then, you can offer to display their ad on your site for a monthly fee. What you charge depends on a few different factors, like the location of the ad (header, side bar, footer, etc.) and the size of the ad (skyscraper, 250×300, leaderboard, etc.) 

The amount you charge also depends on how much traffic your website receives. The more page views you get every month, the more money you can command for ad space. 

To start soliciting ad sales on your own, be sure to put together a media kit! Your media kit will tell prospective advertisers important stats about your site. Things like demographics, page views, bounce rate, and advertising rates can all be displayed in your media kit. 

You can DIY a media kit using Canva. They have some amazing templates that look super professional and will impress the pants off even the most discerning advertisers. Did I mention they’re free?

2. Use An Ad Network

If you prefer the hands-off approach to displaying ads, no problem! There are plenty of ad networks out there that will help you display third-party ads on your website. 

This is one method I currently use to monetize my website. And, while ads may not earn me as much as if I went the private route, I still don’t mind. After all, any income I make from ads served up by an ad network is passive. That is, I don’t have to do anything for it! The money just shows up every month in my bank account. 

I’ve used two ad networks over the last three years: Google AdSense and Media Net 

You can use both networks at the same time if you prefer. But, when I tried this, found that there were too many ads on a page at one time, which actually negatively impacted my ad revenue every month.

Remember, the key to successfully figuring out how to make money from a website with ads is to keep ads  unobtrusive and as few as possible. 

Try to match the look of ads to your website. Ads should complement your content, not obstruct or take away from it!

Sell Your Services 

Did you know freelancers make up about a third of the workforce? 

If 34% of working people can do it, so can you. I promise. And, as it turns out, when you’re learning how to make money from a website, selling services is an easy way to do just that. 

Let’s say you can write well. Great. You can create a freelance service site that displays your killer wordsmith ways. 

Your website will serve as your virtual business card. It’s where potential paying clients can see samples of your work, learn more about you, find out your rates, and get in contact with you. 

Considering it only takes a few bucks a month to set up a website with Bluehost and the average freelancer commands $21/hour, it’s a no-brainer to make money from a website with freelance services! 

Pro Tip: Blog regularly on your freelance site! This will keep your content fresh and helps you rank better in search engines. So, if someone googles freelance writer near me, you have a better chance of showing up. Blogging regularly on your freelance service site also gies you a chance to share your expertise on social media. And, there’s a good chance you can get a number of clients through LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Affiliate Marketing 

There is big money to be made in the world of affiliate marketing. And for many newbies looking how to make a money from a website, affiliate marketing is an easy way to start. 

Keep in mind, you won’t make $100,000 a month as an affiliate marketer when just starting out. But it is realistic to earn a couple hundred bucks. As, your website grows, so too will your affiliate sales! 

If you’re not familiar with affiliate marketing, the premise is simple. 

You recommend products or services on your website. You link to the product or service using your own unique affiliate link. When a website visitor clicks on this link and goes to the site and makes a purchase, you receive a commission for the referral! 

That’s it. 

The key to affiliate marketing is not to overdo it. That is, don’t spam your website with affiliate links. And, always keep things relevant. If your website discusses all things cars, be sure to stick to the automotive theme. Don’t confuse website visitors by recommending boat parts and accessories! 

Pro Tip: Definitely promote affiliate products on your website! But also use social media to your advantage. You can selectively recommend affiliate products on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! 

Charge A Membership Fee 

Another way to monetize your website is to charge a monthly membership fee. 

News sites, like Washington Post and the New York Times, all put up a paywall to access the full version of their site. So, for example, you might be able to read a handful of news stories but if you want to freely browse everything, you need to pay the monthly or annual membership fee.

That’s exactly how you could make money from a website too.

To be successful with a membership site, be sure your content is top notch. Your audience will only want to pay if it’s worth it. So, maybe you share your insider’s knowledge on a subject you’re well versed in or release exclusive video content weekly.

Remember, to get readers hooked, offer some great content for free. This let’s them think, “wow, if this person is giving away these goods for free, imagine what their paid stuff is like!” 

Sell Digital Downloads 

When I first started thinking about how to make money from a website, I instantly knew I wanted to sell digital products. 

Why? 

Because they’re easy to make AND they can be sold 24/7/365 — even when you’re nowhere near your computer. 

In fact, it’s super simple to sell digital downloads on autopilot when you use a website service like Shopify. 

Even better, there’s no end to the type of digital downloads you can sell on your website. 

Ebook? Sure! 

Worksheets? You bet! 

Printables? Absolutely! 

You’re really only limited to what you want to make (and sell) on your website. 

I use Canva to create all of my digital products. Canva templates will make all your product perfectly polished and professional, i.e., people will want to pay for them! And, Canva offers both free and super affordable stock photos. 

Once you’ve created a product, save it as a pdf and, voila, you’ve got a product ready to be sold!

If you want to sell your digital products on a site you already have up and running try Send Owl. With Send Owl, you can easily sell your digital products to website visitors for a hands-off way to make money from a website (they send your products for you and handle all payments!). How’s that for easy peasy? 

Charge For Listings 

When thinking of how to make money from a website, you’ll want to consider charging for listings! 

What exactly does that mean?

Well, for example, you could create a job board. Then, make money from your website by charging employers to list job openings on your site.

Another option would be something like a classified site. You could make money by charging visitors who want to post an item for sale — a car, mobile home, used clothes, etc. As with almost any website, try to come up with a single niche — and stick with it! It’s much easier to monetize a listing site with a specific niche than trying to charge for every type of listing out there.

How To Make Money From A Website

There you have it: 6 super simple ways you can make money from a website! I’ve tried all of these at some point in time and have found some to be more successful than others.

As with anything, especially when learning how to make money from a website, the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.

So, don’t give up! Just because you build a website, doesn’t mean it will automatically make money for you. It takes a lot of hard work (and patience) to make money from a website. But, it’s totally possible. If I can do it, I promise, so can you!

Happily,

Ashlee

Psst: This post contains affiliate links. Check out my disclosure statement for more information. 

The post How To Make Money From A Website – 6 Easy Ideas You Can Start Today! appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

Freelancing is becoming SUPER common — so common that 1 in 3 Americans now has a side hustle of some kind. People are looking to get out of the typical 9-to-5 grind and be their own bosses — and who can blame them?

Most of us aren’t too passionate about what we do for a living anyway. We drag ourselves to work each day to do a job we don’t like, to work for people we don’t care for, to put in countless hours for zero potential growth. And then drive back home on a commute… we don’t like.

I know I was tired of working my butt off for someone else and not reaping any of the rewards. And I’m sure we all have stories about horrible bosses, nasty coworkers, long commutes, and zero potential for growth. Instead of putting up with all that, entrepreneurs are deciding to take their lives and futures into their own hands.

That’s exactly what I did!

My freelance proofreading career began after I got fired.

Yep, fired. As in, unceremoniously shown the door at my full-time job after working my tail off there.

But getting fired ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me.

Without being fired, I never would’ve even thought of starting my own company. But I was forced to. So I took up freelance proofreading to earn income.

I did that for three years, and I did pretty well for myself: I earned more than $40k a year two years in a row. People kept asking me to teach them how I did it. While I had the knowledge to create a how-to of some kind… I had ZERO confidence. Who would listen to me? And who would actually pay money to learn from me? Because of that self-doubt, my first blog, Proofread Anywhere, almost never existed.

But my husband, Ben, encouraged me to put myself out there. So I started out with an eBook. And now, three years later, my business has grown to two online proofreading courses and several eBooks and workshops.

Teaching others about proofreading is what I LOVE to do. It’s been the most rewarding and life-changing experience of my life.

And today I’d like to share with you exactly why you should consider starting your own freelance proofreading business, just like I did. Who knows — it might lead you to places you never thought possible!

Proofreading is a growing freelance side hustle… and even a career

You might be wondering if proofreaders are even in demand right now.

The short answer: absolutely! A vast majority of the content we consume consists of words. Think about the online content you view — most of it is written, or at least has some written component to it. And we all know there’s no end to the amount of new content being added to the internet on a daily basis.

Just think of all the possibilities! Bloggers, authors, website creators, business owners, copywriters — the list is endless. Every one of those content creators needs a proofreader.

The rise of online businesses has created a major demand for fresh, quality content on a regular basis. That means businesses are churning out articles and eBooks left and right, and when you write that much copy, you definitely need a second set of eyes to make sure it’s as error-free as possible.

Error-free content equals a positive reputation; content riddled with errors equals a not-so-positive reputation. Which do you think a business wants?

One of THE largest and fastest growing niches is online courses. Entrepreneurs are taking their businesses to the next level by launching specialized courses in their fields of expertise. And guess what? Those courses need to be free of grammatical errors and spelling typos. Even *I* hire proofreaders to proofread my courses — and I’m a professional proofreader! It goes to show that everyone needs a second set of eyes.

Proofreading basics

So what exactly does a proofreader do?

A proofreader’s main job is to spot grammatical, formatting, punctuation, and spelling errors before the content is published. You are using your eagle eyes to spot errors the content creator and/or editors might have missed.

It’s very easy for writers to skip over errors they’ve made because they’ve looked at the content so many times that they see what they want to see, not necessarily what is actually there on the page (or screen). A fresh pair of eagle eyes can spot those errors easily and help polish the content so that the author’s true vision is there in the final version.

What a proofreader does NOT do is rewrite sentences, move paragraphs, or give opinions on high-level elements like the plot or main idea. Those items are considered editing and copyediting, and you definitely don’t want to do those as a proofreader.

Why? Number one, editing and copyediting demand a higher rate, so you would essentially be doing more work for less money. And second, you might not yet have developed the more advanced skills you need for copyediting. You don’t want to bite off more than you can chew with a client — that’s a fast way to get a bad reputation. And believe me, it’s a small world out there.

But once you master the art of proofreading, I highly recommend branching out into copyediting and editing. Like I always say: mo’ skills = mo’ money!

Common proofreading tools

In order to be a successful proofreader, you must use the tools clients expect you to have. Besides your natural skill of finding errors, the two basic and most common tools for general proofreaders are a style guide (like The Chicago Manual of Style) and a dictionary (I recommend Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). If you’re working for an author or publisher, you might also need their specific guides. (Don’t worry: if it’s required, they’ll provide it to you with the project.)

You should also have a way to proofread documents quickly and easily. Some of the more common options are Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and a PDF annotation tool like Adobe or iAnnotate. Some clients might even prefer pen and paper, but that option is getting less and less popular and is usually more of a hassle than it’s worth.

You might notice I didn’t list any online grammar checkers or a generic spell check tool. That’s because while they can both be super helpful, they should not be depended on to be 100% accurate. How many times have you typed something in Word and the spell check tells you something is incorrect but you know for a fact that it’s okay? This is where relying on your skills and knowledge trumps any automated grammar tool out there. If you think running spell check in Word is sufficient, becoming a proofreader might not be the gig for you.

What it takes to be a great proofreader

All excellent (emphasis on excellent!) proofreaders have the same core qualities. No matter what corner of the world you live in or what type of content you proofread, you must have the following skills:

• A natural ability to spot errors and know how/why to fix them. This is THE most important skill to have. If you don’t have a natural passion for pointing out errors, proofreading is probably not right for you. If you’re known to your friends and family as the “Grammar Police,” then you should definitely consider proofreading as a career.

• A great attention to detail. Another must for a proofreader! This skill can make or break you. If you’re more of a “big picture” type of person, a freelance business that demands a critical eye for the smaller things might not be the best way to go.

• Enjoy reading. This might seem like a given, but it must be said. If you don’t like to read, you are not going to enjoy proofreading. The two sort of go hand in hand

• Always willing to learn more. No matter how good you think you are, there is always, ALWAYS room for improvement. Even the masters need to hone their skills or learn new ones on a regular basis. Becoming stagnant or settling for okay are the worst enemies for freelancers.

• Unafraid of doing research. I guarantee that every single project you work on will present a new challenge. You’ll come across a word you’ve never heard of before, or maybe the topic of the content is something super different from what you normally work on. Google, your professional network, and the library are your friends.

• Maintain a stellar online reputation. With so much networking happening online, it’s VERY important that you present yourself in a professional manner at all times. That includes your (error-free) website, how you interact on your social media profiles, and any reviews of your work.
• A positive attitude. People want to work with kind, professional, positive people.  If you are a pain in the butt to work with, you’re going to have a really hard time finding — and keeping — clients. This kind of goes along with the previous point. Word travels fast, and if you’ve been rude and unprofessional with a client, it’s likely others will hear quickly, and your chances of getting quality jobs drops drastically.

Time to test your proofreading prowess!

All right, Eagle Eyes! Let’s see how you do with some of the most common errors found while proofreading. This will give you a good idea whether or not proofreading could be the gig for you. Good luck!

1) Do you know why _____ desks are so dirty

A. their  B. they’re

2) Which sentence is correct?

A. I like to eat chocolate but my friend likes to eat peanut butter.

B. I like to eat chocolate, but my friend likes to eat peanut butter.

3) We always loved visiting our _____ house.

A. grandparents’  B. grandparents

4) I like to watch at least _____ new movies every month.

A. three B. 3

5) Which sentence is correct?

A. My son is taking a three-week vacation in July.

B. My son is taking a three week-vacation in July.

Answers:

1. A (their: shows ownership; they’re: contraction of “they are”)
2. B (use a comma to separate two independent clauses)
3. A (use an apostrophe to show ownership)
4. A (generally, spell out numbers zero through one hundred)
5. A (hyphenate compound adjectives before the noun they modify)
   

How did you do? If you got four or five right, you’ve got the makings of a great proofreader! If you didn’t do so hot, don’t worry too much — that just means there’s room for improvement, right?

How YOU can get started as a freelance proofreader

If you’re looking for a low-risk way to find out more about becoming a freelance proofreader, check out my FREE 45-minute workshop. I show you how to elevate your skills, use one of the most popular proofreading tools out there, and even give you a sneak peek into how to find clients.

Then if you like what you see and hear, you can go on to sign up for my General Proofreading course and receive a special rate just for attending the workshop.

See you there!

This post contains affiliate links. To learn more about them, check out the disclosure statement. 

The post Have A Knack For Spotting Errors? Here’s Why You Should Start A Freelance Proofreading Business appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

A lot of remote-friendly companies that hire employees, will require you to keep a set schedule. But that doesn’t mean all legitimate work from home jobs are regimented. In fact, one company allows their agents to set their own schedules AND work on projects that interest them. Enter LiveOps Work At Home program.

LiveOps Work At Home Opportunities

There are a lot of home-based customer service positions.  Some are more flexible than others. LiveOps is definitely on the more flexible side of the spectrum.  They offer many different opportunities for independent agents to work from home. Opportunities are constantly changing as new projects are added to their list.

Depending on your interests and background, you might be better suited for one LiveOps work at home opportunity over the others.

No matter which opportunity you choose, LiveOps work at home agents get to be their own bosses and choose the calls and clients they serve. How’s that for flexibility?

But before we jump into LiveOps work at home opportunities, let’s talk about the company and what it takes to get in here.

What is LiveOps?

LiveOps has been in business for over 14 years. So they are definitely a well-established, legitimate company. They offer virtual call center solutions. That is, companies contract with LiveOps to get access to thousands of agents, day or night, to handle their customer service or sales needs.

That means LiveOps work at home opportunities are always available for the right candidates. But as with any work from home opportunity, there are pros and cons. It’s best to evaluate each individually to decide which is the best fit for you.

LiveOps Work At Home Independent Agents

LiveOps contracts with individuals as Independent Agents. As an Independent Agent, you get to be your own boss. This includes greater flexibility and an ability to set your own schedule.

But remember, as an independent contractor, you are in charge of your taxes and expenses. This means all the costs associated with being a LiveOps work at home agent (internet, phone, computer, etc.) are your responsibility. You will also need to keep track of your expenses and taxes (LiveOPs will not withhold taxes for you!). But don’t worry. Programs like QuickBooks Self-Employed make it super easy to track expenses and stay on top of taxes.

LiveOps Background Check

In order to contract with LiveOps as a work at home agent, you will need to pass a credit and background check. You will be responsible for the costs of them.

Typically, I advise individuals never to pay anything in order to work from home, but when you are interested in contracting with a company like LiveOps as an independent agent, it is common practice to pay for expenses associated with any pre-contract requirements.

The LiveOps background check and credit check are legitimate expenses if you want to work as an Independent Agent (in fact, NexRep requires their agents to pass and pay for background checks, too!).

The background check is not part of the application itself. The background check comes after you have been invited to contract with LiveOps. The cost of the LiveOps background check is $65.00 and is paid to a third party (First Advantage).

LiveOPs Work At Home Requirements

In addition to passing the credit and background check, LiveOps work at home agents must also meet other requirements. You must be a United States resident over the age of 18 and own a PC (Macs are not compatible with the LiveOps platform).

Speaking of technical requirements…

To be a LiveOPs work at home independent agent, you must meet their technical requirements:

• Dedicated landline phone (your phone must be corded, no portable phones)
• Corded headset (no bluetooth)
• Local or digital phone service (no Skype or other VOIP)
• High-speed internet (hardwired, no wireless)

You must also have a personal computer running Windows Vista, 7 or 8 along with virus protection software and sound cards to hear audio.

What LiveOps Work At Home Opportunities Are Available?

If you are okay with the background and credit check, meet the technical requirements, and think working as an independent contractor is right for you, you’re probably wondering what LiveOps work at home opportunities are actually available.

Remember, this changes throughout the year. Sometimes, there are seasonal opportunities, like providing technical support for TurboTax. Other times, there may be an increase in demand for roadside assistance reps.

The best way to keep up on the LiveOps work at home opportunities is to bookmark and visit their Career Page often! If you don’t find an opening that’s right for you. Don’t worry. LiveOps is constantly updating and adding to their independent agent opportunities!

Check out the image below to see the traits and characteristics that make for successful LiveOps Independent Agents:

What about hours and money?

As an Independent Agent at LiveOps you get to choose when you work. LiveOps has a platform that allows agents to schedule themselves in blocks based on their availability. You can schedule yourself for blocks as short as 30 minutes.

Keep in mind, the more you work, the more money you will make. So, it would be wise to schedule yourself during peak hours to maximize your earning potential.

For example, most of the insurance calls come in Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST. It would be to your advantage to optimize your schedule to coincide with the busy times.

So, how much can I make as a LiveOps work at home agent?

You are in charge of your earnings. The more you work and better you perform, the more you can earn! You’ll find the companies that contract with LiveOps offer different pay structures for Independent Agents.

Some clients will pay .25 per minute spent talking on the phone ($15.00 for every full hour spent talking). Others might offer a per-minute pay rate plus bonuses for sales. And some may only have commission opportunities available.

How do I get paid as a LiveOps work at home agent?

You are providing your services as an Independent Agent. This means you will have to submit a bill or invoice to LiveOps as a service provider. LiveOps will pay you twice a month by check or direct deposit (your choice!).

This is a common way for independent contractors to be paid. Typically payments are made on the 1st and 15th or the 15th and the 30th or 31st (whichever is the last day of the month).

Ready to apply?

If all this sounds good, you are probably eager to get started with the application process. There are nine steps from start to finish:

1. Select one of the five opportunities discussed
2. Begin the online application for that position
3. Complete the questionnaire and assessment tests
4. Perform a voice audition
5. Receive an invitation to contract with LiveOps
6. Complete paperwork and sign your contract
7. Pay for and pass the background and credit check
8. Complete the certification process
9. Start taking calls and earn money as a LiveOps work at home Independent Agent

If you’re ready to start the application process, you can begin here.

What else should I know about LiveOps?

LiveOps is a reputable company currently contracting with over 20,000 Independent Agents. For the most part, reviews from Independent Agents are favorable. You can even ‘meet’ current agents here. Most agents enjoy the flexibility that comes with being their own boss. Some agents report difficulties with getting support once they complete certification and go live with calls.

Renewing Your Contract

Agents are extended contracts for a six-month period. After that time, your contract may or may not be renewed. If you don’t take a lot of calls or close many sales (for the sales positions), LiveOps may choose to part ways after six months.

Completing Certification

All agents must complete certification prior to taking calls. The certification process is entirely free. However, you will not be paid for any time spent completing certification. Agents can become certified in multiple opportunities. This means you could work for more than one of the LiveOps work at home opportunities available.

The Application Process

From start to finish, the application process can take several weeks to complete depending on how long your background check and certification takes to complete.

All in all, if you like the idea of being an independent contractor, LiveOps is a great way for you to take charge of your earnings and be your own boss. Your success is entirely dependent on how much you put into it–so if you are dedicated and work hard, you can make a good living as a LiveOps work at home Independent Agent.

Ready To Kick Your Cubicle To The Curb?

Sign up for the free remote workers’ library below! You’ll gain instant access to free ebooks and guides to help you create your very own cubicle escape plan.

The post Be Your Own Boss as a LiveOps Work At Home Agent appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

The answer depends on you! Even if you’ve never made a single dollar online, you can definitely get into the passive income game. It’s just a matter of playing to your strengths and finding the right revenue stream(s) for you.

Whether you’re a creative maker or a right-brain thinker, there are beginner-friendly ways to make passive income online.

1. Course Creator

A quick look on Pinterest and you’ll see no shortage of awesome solopreneurs sharing amazing income reports. And many of these #girlbosses are all online courses creators! While these women (and men) are pros now, they weren’t always. Everybody starts at the beginning, so don’t feel like you need to be a well-seasoned pro to earn passive income as a course creator.

In fact, you don’t even need to be a so-called expert to teach others. As long as you have knowledge to share, whether it’s about knitting, resume writing, networking, or wine tasting, you can package it into a course!

Teachable

To explore the idea of earning passive income as a course creator, head on over to Teachable. This is an easy-to-use platform solopreneurs often turn to when they’re ready to make and sell a professional course online.

On top of the free and paid-for options to create, Teachable sets you up for success with plenty of helpful guides, webinars, and tutorials. Even their blog is packed with articles that cover everything a beginner will need to go from course idea to course creation in as little as 20 minutes a day.

2. Stock Photos

You may not realize it, but stock photos are everywhere. When you visit a website, look at ads, read a magazine, or browse a brochure, chances are there’s a stock photo or two (or 20) being used. Bloggers, business owners, and marketers turn to large photo marketplaces whenever they need an image to help tell their story.

Because of this high-demand, online photo marketplaces constantly need new images to add to their lineup. That’s where you come in. And, before you even ask — you don’t need to be a pro-photographer to make passive income online with photo sites!

In fact, if you have a smartphone, you can use images right in your phone’s gallery. One great image can sell over and over again earning steady income month after month.

Each stock photo site will have different terms. But, more often than not, you can offer as many images for sale as you’d like. Each time one of your snaps sells, you get a commission. It’s really that simple.

3. Ebook Author

Like creating a course, you can also write an ebook without being a so-called expert. In fact, you can write a non-fiction ebook in just 30 days. If you’d like to exercise your creative writing chops, you can go the fiction route. But, keep in mind, it often takes much longer to pen a fiction ebook than a non-fiction one!

To turn an ebook into passive income, it all starts with an idea. Maybe you want to put together a recipe book filled with crockpot recipes for one. Perhaps there’s personal branding advice you’ve been dying to share with the masses. Whatever your knowledge, passion, or hobby, chances are you can capture it into a well thought out ebook.

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing

Not only is Amazon the Mecca of online retailers, it’s a popular platform to buy and sell ebooks. Because of it’s popularity, many ebook authors use Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) to get their words in front of millions of online shoppers.

Amazon KDP walks you through each of the steps it takes to format and upload your book for sale. The percentage you’ll earn on each purchase depends on the price of your book. Books priced between $2.99-$9.99 earn the highest royalty rate of 70%.

You can also choose to enroll your book in Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program. Kindle Unlimited allows subscribers to read as many ebooks as they’d like each month for one low fee. If your book is enrolled in this program, you’ll earn for each page that is read.

Royalties earned from KDP are made once a month, and can be direct deposited to your bank account.

Gumroad

Another popular place to sell your ebook is called Gumroad. While this platform isn’t as large as Amazon, there’s still plenty of potential to bring in passive income.

Once your ebook is for sale, you can easily promote it with direct links to Twitter and Facebook. Plus, there are built-in tools that help you build an audience and email list, which can result in a loyal following that equals more sales.

What I like about Gumroad is the option to set your book price as “pay what you want.” That is, buyers can pay what they feel is a fair rate for your ebook, whether that’s $1 or $100. Whatever your price point, payments are made once a week — every Friday!

4. Refer-a-Friend

You won’t get rich with referral programs, but they are super easy ways to make passive income online. Your cell phone provider, apps you use, online retailers, and even your bank may have a referral program.

What is refer-a-friend? Essentially, you make money for using a service and telling others how great it is. Most of the times, you’ll get a unique link that you can share with friends directly or throughout social media. Whenever anybody clicks your link and signs up and/or makes a purchase, you’ll get a bonus. The bonus can be in the form of cold hard cash or an account credit.

For example, Capital One has a referral program for its account holders who refer new customers. Whenever someone uses your link to sign up for a new account, you’ll receive 50 bucks deposited into your account. But that’s just one example of the many referral programs out there that can help you make passive income online.

Curious if companies you currently use have refer-a-friend programs? Check out this list for more than 40+ popular programs that can lead to passive income.

5. Digital Downloads

Some online stores keep physical inventory on hand, which means lots of packing, shipping, and returns — not exactly passive. When you eliminate physical products and opt for digital goods, you can create an e-commerce passive income machine.

When it comes to selling digital downloads on autopilot, you can get super creative. Sewing patterns, greeting cards, templates, coloring pages, invitations and printables can all be created ahead of time and delivered digitally to customers. And, like the other options listed, you can make a digital item once and sell it many times over.

Shopify

One of the easiest ways to make passive income online with digital products is with Shopify. This popular e-commerce platform makes it easy to get digital downloads up for sale thanks to its intuitive website builder and apps that allow you to sell around the clock without having to be anywhere near a computer.

Their help center is brimming with the best advice from experienced sellers as well as helpful tutorials that’ll make it easy to get your shop open. Go ahead and give it a try for free and see just how easy it is to create this passive income revenue stream!

6. YouTube Channel

Can you cook? Play the guitar? Use Photoshop like a pro? Whatever your talent, you can record yourself or your computer screen and turn those videos into a passive income YouTube channel.

Granted, it takes time to develop a following. But if you focus on quality content, your audience will follow. Screencast software, like Camtasia, can help you create professional tutorials for anything computer related whether it’s a how-to video for setting up a website or a step-by-step guide to mastering Photoshop.

If you prefer to be front and center, you can easily do that too with a decent webcam and microphone. Product reviews, cooking demos, makeup how-tos are great videos to share with an online audience. But, again, feel free to get creative and use your unique talents to broadcast valuable videos to the world.

Some of the most popular YouTube channels involve health, finance, fitness, and food. But, really, you’re only limited by what you’re able to do.

YouTube Partner Program

Because you can use affiliate marketing and advertisements to monetize your YouTube Channel, that can translate into some pretty impressive passive income month after month — all for recording a video once but getting paid over and over again. A video made a year ago, can still earn impressive revenue today!

Some YouTube stars can make millions (yes, millions) each year off of their channels. The amount you make in passive income will depend on the number of viewers and types of advertisers. SocialBlade has a handy calculator you can use to project your passive earnings based on audience size and video views.

Once your channel gets large enough, you may even be invited to join the YouTube Partner Program. You have to apply to get in, but once you do, you’ll start earning income right away (on the videos you’ve chosen to monetize).

7. Become a Blogger

If I can start a blog and make passive income online, you can too. In fact, many bloggers make most of their income passively. Affiliate marketing and ad sales are (probably) the two most popular residual ways bloggers earn month after month.

And while it may take a little bit of time to get earnings rolling in, once you do, it can be pretty substantial. Take a look at Michelle over at Making Sense of Cents. Her popular finance blog routinely earns $100,000 each month — often in passive income!

How to Monetize Blogs

Making passive income online as a blogger all starts with a niche. Again, the big-money makers are often related to finance, relationships, fitness, and food. But don’t be afraid to think outside of the box, either. You don’t need a large audience to make money, just a specific one that you can monetize.

We know bloggers use a combination of revenue sources to make passive income online each month. If you decide to start a blog, you may prefer certain methods of monetization over others. And that’s okay. You need to find what feels right to you and focus on the those revenue streams that pay off the most.

Amazon Associate

Recommend products on Amazon and earn a commission on each sale. There are also special bounties that pay a flat-rate for each conversion, i.e., someone signs up for a Prime membership trial using your link and you earn $5.

With millions of products to choose from, you can use Amazon Associates program to monetize just about any blog. Your earnings are paid out once monthly.

Media.net

As a Media.net publisher, your blog will display Yahoo contextual ads. Anytime someone clicks on an ad from your site, you receive a payout. You can customize the look of ads to complement your blog’s design, not overwhelm it.

Commission Junction

Advertisers sign up on Commission Junction to manage their affiliate programs and open them up to publishers, like you. There are programs for all types of services, stores, and products. So, chances are, you can find plenty of programs that would work for your niche.

Google Adsense

Google Adsense is one of the most popular platforms to display ads on websites. And it’s the one I use the most here on Work From Home Happiness. Ads are customizable so they never overwhelm your blog’s content. And the analytics are great in helping to optimize ad placement so you can make adjustment to help increase your passive income earnings!

Make Passive Income Online

While passive income isn’t always easy to come by, it is possible to create residual revenue streams — even as a beginner. Remember, not all options will make sense for you. And chances are you’ll find one that sounds the most promising. Not sure which that may be? The best way to find out is just to simply get started. Many of the options on this list are free or at least offer a free trial, which gives you a chance to try before you buy!

Few people make money online overnight. But with a little patience and a lot of tenacity you too can make passive income online, even if you’ve never earned a single buck online before.

Happily,

Ashlee

P.S. This post contains affiliate links. What are they? Check out my disclosure statement for more info.

The post Make Passive Income Online: 7 Totally Doable Ideas for Beginners appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

And these income reports can do a lot to inspire you to get online and start your own blog. Those very income reports are what spurred me into action, even though I seriously knew nothing about blogging.

Terms like domain, host, plugins, framework and themes were foreign to me. But, nonetheless, with dreams of earning major passive income as a blogger on my mind I launched and — barely earned anything during the first three months Work from Home Happiness was online.

Fast forward another three months and I was actually starting to pull in a blogging income! It definitely wasn’t anywhere near $100,000/month (and still isn’t), but it was enough that I could cut down on freelance writing to focus on growing even larger. And by my first year up and running, I was making a full-time income as a blogger.

So, what was it exactly that turned my blog around?

An expensive paid-for blogging course? Nope.

A super-secret online treasure chest? Uh-uh.

I simply changed my theme! Seriously, that was it.

Choose Carefully. Your Theme Matters

Being the frugal person that I am, I opted to use a free WordPress theme when I first launched Work from Home Happiness back in April 2015. The non-optimized, design-lacking theme made the site look, well, cheap. This bargain-bin look repelled visitors and advertisers alike.

And in the world of blogging, no visitors + no advertisers = no money.

So, even though I was blogging my heart, I saw next to no growth and equally low income. Not wanting to throw in the towel just yet, I set out to figure out why great content alone wasn’t enough to grow my blog.  What was it these pro-bloggers were doing that I was missing?

The answer was right in front of my face — or on my computer screen:

The majority of them were using the exact same blogging platform AND framework.

What was it? The power of WordPress with the versatility of Genesis framework!

WordPress and Genesis for Blogging Success

As a newbie to the blogging world, I knew that most bloggers used WordPress for its versatility and ease of customization. You probably know that too! But when it comes to themes, I didn’t realize many super-successful bloggers were all on the same page — or framework, that is.

Take a look:

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents earns upwards of $100,000/month as a blogger. What powers her blog? WordPress and Genesis!

The Budget Mom, Kumiko, offers sound financial advice to the masses while earning $2,000+ a month. What software and framework is her beautiful blog built on? You guessed it — WordPress and Genesis!

Lena, over at What Mommy Does, earns anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 each month on her blog. And, as you probably guessed by now, she uses the WordPress-Genesis combo too.

And that’s just three examples of successful bloggers. Really, the list could go on and on — seriously. To date, Genesis Framework powers more than 500,000 WordPress sites and counting.

Starting to see the potential in running a WordPress blog using the Genesis framework?

But before you go out and start a blog using the one-two WordPress-Genesis punch, let’s look at what Genesis is and why it’s so darn awesome.

What is Genesis?

StudioPress is the mastermind behind Genesis, the industry standard design framework pro bloggers love. It’s built specifically for WordPress and can be easily customized with any number of child themes. For example, Work from Home Happiness is run on WordPress using the Genesis framework with a child theme by Restored 316.

Confused? Think of your blog like a house.

WordPress is the foundation.

Genesis is the walls.

And the child theme is the decor that makes your space uniquely you.

Why is Genesis so Popular?

There are a number of reasons Genesis is the preferred framework of thousands of full-time bloggers, myself included. My big reason for switching to Genesis early on was the fact that it gave my blog a professional look without the professional price tag.

With the different child themes and plugins, Genesis is easily customizable, giving your blog a perfectly polished look even when you’re pinching pennies and taking the DIY route.

And that’s why Genesis is the perfect platform to use from the time you launch until you reach full-time success. You don’t have to look like a beginner just because you are one

If you’re already impressed by Genesis and how thousands of online entrepreneurs trust this versatile framework to bring their blogs to life, just wait, it gets even better!

Introducing StudioPress Sites, The Risk-Free, No-Hassle Way to Launch a Blog!

Recently, StudioPress took their popular framework a step further by packaging it with hassle-free hosting, top-notch support, and more than 20 pro themes as part of StudioPress Sites.

So, what exactly is StudioPress Sites? Great question!

Aside from gaining access to the Genesis framework and 20+ amazing themes to create a beautiful blog right out of the box, you’ll get:

• Fast-loading performance
• Zero hosting hassles
• Rock-solid security
• World-class support
• Automatic updates of Genesis and WordPress
• Advanced SEO (great for beginners!)
• Free SSL certificates

All of these amazing features can be had for one low monthly price paid out quarterly or on a yearly basis — the choice is yours. There are plans available for bloggers and affiliate marketers as well as those with ecommerce ambitions.

And because StudioPress believes in their products, they offer a risk-free 30-day refund policy. If you’re unhappy for any reason or just don’t think it will work for you — no problem! They’ll give you a no-questions-asked refund.

So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to StudioPress Sites and start your own money-making blog today so you too can say #goodbye9to5!

This post contains affiliate links. What are they? Check out my disclosure statement for more info. 

The post The Seriously No-Fuss Way to Launch (and Maintain) A Blog Like A Pro appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

Saving money!

When you start a coupon site, you can help people do just that. And there’s certainly a huge demand for coupon codes, promotions, and other money-saving deals.

Consider this, about 59% of adults head online to find promo codes before they make a purchase. In other words, more than half of online shoppers in the U.S. will seek out savings before they buy. That impressive statistic translates to a potentially profitable niche for the savvy saver who wants to start a coupon site to share their money-wise ways with others.

Why Coupon Sites are Natural Money Makers

Shoppers search for coupons when they’re ready to make a purchase. I don’t know about you, but I often have my virtual cart loaded up and, before I submit my credit card info, will do a quick search to see if I can find a discount. If so, great! If not, no problem. I’m still going to make the purchase.

And that’s what makes coupon sites so profitable — people searching for promo codes are primed and ready to buy. When you attract shoppers to your site with coupons and deals before they buy, you’ll find your conversion rates are quite high. Even if you have little traffic, you can still be pretty profitable!

Pick Your Niche!

But before you start a coupon site, you need to pick a niche. There is no way you’ll be able to compete against the big-name deals sites out there like Groupon, Retail Me Not, Coupon Sherpa, Coupon Chief, Brad’s Deals, etc.

And that’s okay. When you nail down a niche, you won’t have to.

These big sites focus on all deals across all categories. You, on the other hand, will narrow down a much more targeted (and profitable) audience.

What Makes a Good Niche?

A low-competition market is ideal. But it also helps if you have a connection with your chosen niche.

Let’s say you’re a baker. You decide to start a coupon site to help shoppers find the best deals on baking supplies. Cupcake toppers, standmixers, cookie sheets, gluten-free flour — if it has to do with baking, you’re going to help people save. Awesome!

As a professional baker, you know what brands are popular and you can recommend, with confidence, the best of the best baking supplies. Plus, you can share your professional baking knowledge on your site’s blog, which will help pull in even more traffic. This translates into more sales through your site, which ultimately means more money for you!

Underserved Market

Experience aside, you still need to find an underserved market and be the one who brings a coupon site to the table. When you do, competition won’t exist and you can focus more on providing quality content to help drive traffic and sales through your site.

How to Find Low-Competition Niche

A quick Google search will determine whether or not a coupon site already exists in your prospective niche.

Let’s go back to our baking supplies example. When I search for “baking supply promo code” or “baking supply discount code” or “baking supply coupon,” no niche coupon sites come up!

That’s a good thing.

Of course, Retail Me Not and other larger coupon sites appear in the search results. And that’s to be expected. Remember, these mega coupon sites focus on every kind of coupon code and discount under the sun.

But, at this time, there are no niche coupon sites focusing on discount baking supplies — until you start one of course

Niche Inspiration

At a loss for a niche? That’s okay. Sometimes, niches just don’t jump right out at you! When I need a little niche inspiration, I think of the three broad money-making niches out there:

1. Money
2. Love/Relationships
3. Health/Fitness

Grab a pen and paper or open up a new Google Doc and start jotting down potential ideas. Think of your interests, experience, and hobbies. Do any of them fall within the big 3 money-making categories?

If so, great! Do a Google search to see if there are any existing coupon sites focusing on that particular niche. Try to come up with ten ideas. I bet at least one of them will turn out to be your niche!

Set Up Your Coupon Site

So, you’ve got a niche in mind? Great! Now we can take the next step: Setting up your coupon site. If you’ve never owned a website before, I recommend you use BlueHost and WordPress to start a coupon site. Individually, they’re pretty awesome. But when you put them together, you get a super easy way to own and maintain a professional and profitable website.

BlueHost

BlueHost is a hosting provider. To get your website seen, you’ll need a host. Think of your host as your coupon site’s landlord. You’ll pay a small amount of ‘rent’ each month to BlueHost to give your site a place to live online.

When you choose BlueHost to help you start a coupon site, you’ll get a free domain name and one-click WordPress install. It doesn’t get much easier than using the BlueHost-WordPress combo. And as a Work from Home Happiness reader, you get extra special offers:

Plus, I’ve put together a no-fail, step-by-step tutorial to help you set up hosting through BlueHost AND install WordPress. Go check it out. I’ll wait here until you’re ready for the next step.

Why WordPress?

In case you wondering why I stronlgy recommend WordPress to start a coupon site, it’s mostly because WordPress is very user-friendly. You can seriously get your site up in a very short time, even if you have zero previous experience. You can also customize your site using themes and plugins, which means you never have to touch a line of code!

And there are a number of themes that are made specifically for those who want to start a coupon site (more on that later). With the right theme uploaded, you can have a very pretty and functional coupon site right out of the box.

Start a Coupon Site with the Right Theme

A quick search for coupon theme on marketplaces, like Envato, will yield a ton of results. And, really, you can’t go wrong with any one you choose. But my personal favorite is the Coupon Theme over at My Theme Shop.

This theme has great reviews and offers a lot of bang for your buck. My favorite features include:

• Customizable homepage
• Mobile responsiveness (looks good on all devices)
• Adsense optimization (even more revenue for you!)
• Several layouts to choose from

As soon as you upload and activate this theme on your WordPress site, you’ve got a professional and easy-to-use coupon site, ready to be monetized. And because it’s optimized for conversions, you’ll find it really does make it that much easier to drive sales through your site! Go ahead and demo it before you buy. I know you’re going to love it and its features.

Monetize Your Coupon Site

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably wondering how the heck you actually make money off of coupon sites. After all, you’re not actually selling anything. Instead, you’re just giving people money-saving coupons, discount codes and other promos. Where’s the money in that?

I’m glad you asked!

Affiliate Links

The majority of your money will be made with affiliate links. Let’s look at Retail Me Not’s homepage as an example:

From Things Remembered to Under Amour, these are all affiliate links! Whenever someone visits the Retail Me Not site, clicks on one of these links, and then makes a purchase, Retail Me Not gets a percentage of the sale.

Let’s pretend we want to buy women’s shorts from Under Armour. We click on the link from Retail Me Not’s homepage and are then redirected to the specific sales page for the shorts:

After we cilck on the link from Retail Me Not, the address (highlighted in red above) contains specific tracking info, called a cookie. This is how Under Armour knows that Retail Me Not referred us. Now when we make a purchase, Retail Me Not will get a percentage or commission. Easy, right?

That’s it. And that’s exactly how you too can start a coupon site and make money as an affiliate marketer!

Finding Affiliate Programs

So, how exactly do you find affiliate programs to join? I’m glad you asked! And to help you out, I’ve created this super quick and easy to follow affiliate marketing ebooklet. There are 50 affiliate networks listed as well as helpful hints for finding niche affiliate programs.

Start a Coupon Site — the Right Way

Ready to start a coupon site? Heck, yes! That’s the spirit. Now make sure you’re going about it the right way. Carefully choose your niche and find relevant affiliate programs you can use to monetize your site.

Remember, coupon sites are naturally high converting. Even a little bit of traffic can result in a nice payout every month. But you’ve got to get started! Need some advice? Have a question? I’ve got you covered. Leave them in the comments below!

The post Start a Coupon Site and Make Money Online as an Affiliate Marketer appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

The answer, in most cases, is they own a money-making website. You can too. And it’s easier than you might think.

Granted, you don’t need a website to make money online. But if you want complete control over your earnings and endless income opportunities, owning your own website is the way to go.

Benefits of Being an Online Entrepreneur

It can be a little slow going in the beginning as you set out to create a money-making website. After all, just because you build a website, doesn’t mean people will visit it. But with a little patience and a lot of hard work, you can launch a site from scratch and use it to earn a full-time income.

And the benefits of building your own site (and not working for someone else) are seemingly endless:

• Be your own boss
• Freedom to work wherever
• Unlimited earning potential
• Passive income possibilities (earn money while you sleep!)

And then there’s the whole feeling of self accomplishment — a pretty good thing to have. In fact, entrepreneurs are said to be some of the happiest people around. And who couldn’t use a little extra dose of happiness?

Who Would Make a Good Online Entrepreneur

It’s not easy to start a website on your own. It’s harder still to turn that website into an income generator. Because of these challenges, would-be online entrepreneurs need to have traits like:

• Motivation
• Passion
• Tenacity
• Self-Belief
• Creativity
• Versatility
• Flexibility

Of course, this is just a short list of traits of successful entrepreneurs. But if you have the drive to get something up and running and the follow through to make it happen, you can find success — no experience required.

What You Don’t Need to Be a Successful Online Entrepreneur

It’s easy to talk about traits of successful online entrepreneurs. But what about the things you don’t need?

For starters, you do not need years of experience or any experience at all. In fact, thanks to user-friendly WordPress, you can get a variety of money-making websites up without:

• Touching a line of code
• Knowledge of web design
• Previous domain ownership
• Graphic design know-how

Sounds too good to be true, right? It’s not. You really can take the DIY approach to creating a beautiful website thanks to WordPress.

A Quick Lesson in WordPress

If you’re new to the world of online entrepreneurship, it’s easy to get overwhelmed — hosting, plugins, and themes — oh my!

But, fear not! It’s easier than you think, and something you really can DIY. First things first, let’s understand what WordPress is and why it’s an easy-peasy platform to use for beginners (and experts) alike.

What is WordPress?

In a nutshell, WordPress is an easy-to-use website creation tool, also known as a content management system (CMS).

Many bloggers (myself included) use this powerful platform to create a money-making blog. But WordPress isn’t just for bloggers!

Some big-name brands that use WordPress include:

• MTV News
• The New Yorker
• BBC America
• Star Wars Official Blog
• Forbes
• Mashable
• NY Times Blog

Really, the list could go on and on.

So, why does everyone from one-woman bloggers to big-name brands love WordPress?

Here’s what some high-profile users had to say about WordPress:

“…We are able to get the same editing tools and easy-to-use interface into the hands of all our editors.” – BBC

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“…Everyone we spoke to said that WordPress was the better choice for ease of use, intuitiveness, and simpler workflow.” – Kaiser Family Foundation 

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“It enables non-technical personnel to contribute to our team’s blog, and they can actually figure it out in WordPress.” – NASA

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“We have developed a responsive theme that we can use to easily launch a new section of our website and quickly start creating content.” – TIME.com

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Still not convinced? Here’s some other benefits of using this popular platform to launch your own online business.

Benefits of Using WordPress

It’s Free

Did someone say free? Yep. That’s right. This powerful website builder is free. Forever. You’ll never, ever have to spend a dime to install WordPress on your site.

It’s Easy to Use

You don’t need a developer background to launch a site on WordPress. I started this blog without knowing a single thing and was able to get it up and running in a matter of minutes — yes, minutes. You can too. WordPress really is that easy to use.

It’s Scalable

When you use WordPress you can start small and grow organically — and the sky’s the limit! You’ll never outgrow WordPress — remember, everyone from bloggers to big-name businesses use WordPress because it suits the needs of both small operations and large-scale projects.

It’s Mobile Friendly

Most of us browse the internet on mobile devices. And when a website isn’t mobile friendly, visitors will leave it before it even loads. Thankfully, WordPress looks great on mobile devices (known as being ‘responsive.’)

It’s Quick

How long would it take you to open a brick-and-mortar business? Months? Years? Well, with WordPress, you can literally have your own money-making website up and running in a weekend. Seriously. It’s so easy to use and the install is super quick — you spend less time constructing your site so you can get straight to the money-making part.

It’s Versatile

Whether you want your own boutique, blog, or business WordPress has got you covered. The countless plugins and themes allow you to create a perfectly tailored site that fits your needs, no matter what they may be.

It’s Beautiful

Speaking of plugins and themes — you can create a truly beautiful site with WordPress. I can talk and talk about how pretty WordPress sites are, or I could show you what I’m talking about (I think the latter is way more effective).

Want to start your own subscription service? WordPress can do that. Take a look at Fair Ivy for inspiration:

Want to launch the brand of you? You can do that, too. Just ask Brandice Daniel who tells her unique story using WordPress:

Or if you want to start a blog, you know you can do that with WordPress. I’m a sucker for food blogs and love how WordPress makes recipes and images that much more appetizing. Check out Sugar & Cloth to see what I’m talking about:

What You Need to Launch

You’re convinced how powerful (and pretty) WordPress can be. Now you’re ready to DIY your own money-making website. Woohoo! So, what exactly do you need?

First things first, you’ve got to pick a host.

Hosting Your WordPress Website: .Com or .Org?

There are two kinds of WordPress out there: WordPress.org and WordPress.com

• WordPress.com sites are hosted for free
• WordPress.org sites cost money to host each month

Now, at this point you may be saying, “It’s a no-brainer — I’m choosing the freebie option.” And while this is totally okay if you want to blog for fun or hobby, it’s not the way to go if you want to make money blogging.

Why?

On WordPress.com, your web address will look something like this:

• YourTotallyAmazingandAwesomeSite.WordPress.com
• YourNameHere.WordPress.com

Not exactly the most professional look when you’re trying to monetize. And speaking of monetizing, when you go the freebie route, there are limitations on how you can make money with your site. From WordPress.com:

We understand monetization is important for many site owners, and we welcome and support many methods of monetizing the hard work you put into your blogs and sites.

There are a few restrictions, however, because we’re dedicated to keeping the WordPress.com community uncluttered by scams and unwanted commercial messages or “spam”.

This limits your earning potential in a big way since there are restrictions on ads, affiliate links, and sponsored content via WordPress.com — 3 major sources of potential revenue!

Self-Host WordPress.org

When you decide to self-host your site via WordPress.org, you get to choose whichever domain name you want without having to include WordPress. For example:

• YourSuperCoolandFantasticSite.com
• ThisBlogBelongstoMeandMeAlone.com
• YourUniqueNameHere.com
• ExtremelyCleverandCatchyName.com

You get the point. And there’s no restrictions on how you monetize. This means you can sign up for whichever ad networks and affiliate programs that make sense for your site. And when it comes to sponsored content, you have total control over what does and does not make its way to your blog.

If you want to make money with a website, self-hosting is the way to go. Period. Not only does it give off a professional vibe, it puts you completely in control of your site and your revenue streams.

What’s in a Host?

When you decide to self-host, you need to pay for hosting services each month. A host is the service that gives your site visibility. You can buy a domain name but without a host, your site won’t be seen online.

Think of it like this: In mobile home communities, residents own their individuals houses but they have to pay lot rent each month to park their homes on the property. Think of your hosting provider as your site’s landlord — you own your site, but you’re paying the host to ‘park’ your website online.

And finding a good host can make your life as a newbie online entrepreneur that much easier. I recommend BlueHost for:

• Affordability
• 24/7 support
• Free domain name ($14.99 value)
• One-click WordPress install

It really doesn’t get much easier than hosting your WordPress site with BlueHost. With their one-click install, you can literally have WordPress up and running in a matter of minutes.

And, to make it even easier, I’ve created a no-fail guide to help you set up hosting with BlueHost and how to install WordPress — quickly.

Money-Making Websites You Can DIY with WordPress

What kind of money-making website will you launch? With WordPress, the sky’s the limit. You can start a niche site for the purpose of making affiliate sales. You can create a boutique that sells handmade goods. You could even launch a local directory that shares events and places in your town. You could start a membership site or sell information products.

Really, there’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to online entrepreneurship — you do what you love or what appeals to you.

Need a little inspiration? I’ve launched three different money-making websites with WordPress (and show you how you can do it too):

• Job Board
• Blog
• Freelance Service Site

Keep in mind, I’ve started these sites without prior experience and was able to make them successful. But I also know that it’s one thing to dream about being an online entrepreneur and another thing to actually get started. If that sounds like you, you need to read The Four-Hour Work Week to learn how you too can escape the 9 to 5 and build your own online career that lets you work anywhere you want!

Questions? Have an online business idea but don’t know where to start? Leave it in the comments below. I’m here to help!

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure statement for more information.

The post How to Create Money-Making Websites You Can DIY with WordPress appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

Chances are, it’s not an everyday occurrence. Instead, you probably consume the majority of your news and entertainment digitally.

You’re not alone.

Americans love digital content. In fact, only about 2 out of every 10 adults gets their news from print papers. Even ebooks are more popular than their print counterparts. About 61% of all books sold each day are digital!

Pretty impressive, don’t you think?

So impressive, in fact, that you’d be doing yourself (and your wallet) a disservice by not selling digital content.

Benefits of Selling Digital Content

Almost anyone can sell content for download. It’s true.

If you have knowledge to share, you have knowledge to sell.

Technically, this is called information marketing or being an infopreneur. And the benefits of being an infopreneur are many:

• Passive income
• Low startup costs and overhead
• Easy-to-maintain business
• Limitless earning potential
• No physical products or inventory to keep on hand
• No shipping
• Easily scaleable

With digital content, you can create a product once and sell it over and over again — often, on autopilot. This means you spend less time on customer service, packaging and shipping and more time on marketing and making (which means more money for you!).

Who Can Sell Digital Content?

It’s a common misconception that you have to be the end-all-be-all expert in a field or niche to be a successful infopreneur.

This couldn’t be further from the truth.

While you do need to offer valuable content, you don’t have to be the foremost scholar in your field.

Heck, you don’t even need to be a designer, prolific writer or seasoned teacher to sell digital content.

So then what do you need?

You need to be able to solve a common problem.

Find a Pain Point. Then Solve It.

To be a successful infopreneur, you need to identify a widespread problem or pain point. Once you do, you can use your existing knowledge to solve it. This is what will sell your digital product(s) for you!

For example, let’s say you’re a millennial who amassed $10,000 in savings in a year’s time so you could buy a house. That’s great! Chances are, there are other millennials out there who have next to nothing in their savings. And their light bank accounts are preventing them from buying a house any time soon.

While you’re no financial expert, you have the real world experience to back up your teaching. You could show other young millennials how to create a budget, track their spending, set aside money to save, and start a side hustle to boost their bank account — all things you did to reach your $10,000 goal in a year.

Your guide could be packaged into a workbook/ebook combo that you can sell and market to millennials. And because you just (successfully) did exactly what they’re trying to do, you automatically have tons of credibility to back up your content.

Of course, this is just a random example. Your digital content will need to be based on your own experience and existing knowledge.

But remember, if you want people to buy what you’re selling, find an audience’s pain point and offer them a solution.

Easy(ish)-to-Create Content

Have you got a pain point in mind? Are your wheels turning on how you can solve it? Great. That’s half the battle.

Now you’ll need to start selling. But before you can sell anything, you’ve got to get creating.

There are a lot of ways you can take your ideas and package them into products for sale. There is no right or wrong answer when creating digital content. Sure, everyone has an opinion on the subject. And as you get more experienced as an infopreneur, you’ll develop your own preferences too. But if you’re looking for an easy way to go, you can’t go wrong with these ideas.

Ebook

You can create an ebook in just 30 days. That’s right. In a month’s time you can end up with a perfectly polished ebook that sells really well.

It all starts with a solid outline. A well written outline takes care of about 40% of the work. Once you have the general layout, filling in the content is a breeze.

Even if you don’t think you’re a great writer, you can still get an ebook up for sale. How? Hire a ghostwriter. You can turn to a freelance platform site like Upwork or even Fiverr to outsource the writing.

But a word of advice: The end will result will only be as good as what you invest in it. Paying someone $10 to write 10,000 words will likely result in a not-so-stellar finished product. And the whole point of creating digital content is to sell it. Your ebook won’t sell if your content is lacking.

Workbooks

If your content would work better with a lot of user input, then a workbook may be the better way to go. A workbook is like an ebook but it offers a lot of blank space for the reader to fill in their own content. This helps them ‘work’ their way through a problem by writing things out.

Any kind of self-help subjects do great in the workbook format. And, like an ebook, you can always outsource the content creation if you have an idea of what you want but lack the words to put it all in writing.

Tutorials

If videos are more your thing, consider creating how-to tutorials. You can easily create a screencast to show viewers how to master techniques in Photoshop, create templates in Word, or code their own website. Really, you can create a screencast on just about anything that can be demonstrated on a computer.

With a decent microphone and free software, you can get a screencast complete and up for sale in a matter of days.

Printables

For the design-inclined, printables can lead to plenty of passive income success. Some of the most popular printables include:

• Invitations
• Sewing patterns
• Decorations
• Wall art

But those are just a few popular examples — you can create and sell whatever makes sense for you. Are you an avid organizer? Create a printable checklist to help combat clutter. Have a handle on gluten-free cooking? Sell recipe cards. Savvy shopper? Make a calendar of the best time of year to save.

Again, wherever your expertise or knowledge lies, use it to drive your creations.

How to Sell Digital Goods on Autopilot

Now that you’ve discovered a pain point, devised a solution, and packaged it into a sellable good, it’s time to get down to business. But how, exactly, do you sell your content without having to babysit your sales 24/7?

I have one word for you: Shopify.

Shopify is a super-easy, hands-off ecommerce solution. In just a few clicks, you can get a perfectly polished website up that hosts your digital content for instant download. The best part? With easy-to-integrate Shopfiy apps, it can all be done on autopilot.

With Shopify on your side, a customer lands on your site. Places your digital product in their cart. Checks out. And, boom, the content is instantly made available to them via download. How’s that for passive income?

Selling on Shopify

The easiest way to get up and running is to sign up for Shopify and download the free Digital Downloads App.

With this app installed in your shop, you can:

• Set download limits
• Give customers direct downloads upon purchase
• Automatically email download link after purchase
• Provide automatic updates if you change or edit content

With this app in place, you can automate the entire process as you make sales and fulfill orders 24/7.

And instead of logging in constantly to keep track of sales, the app allows you to see, at a glance, how many products you’ve sold and the number of downloads every single day.

Ready to start selling? You can get up and running in just a few steps:

•  Simply sign up for a free 14-day trial of Shopify
• Pick your favorite theme — there are premium and free options available
• Customize it to your liking — change colors, layouts, and add a logo (all without touching a single line of code).
• Upload your products and launch!

That’s it. You’re now ready to start earning passive income by selling digital downloads on Shopify!

This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend products, services and brands that I trust. Learn more by reading my disclosure statement. 

The post Passive Income: How to Sell Digital Downloads on Autopilot appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

Do Your Keyword Research

This is probably one of the most important tasks of the day, and the one you should start with. Keyword research will not only tell you what products to stock and what product categories to include, but it will also help you suss out the competition and size up your intended niche.

• Start broad and hone in – explore different keyword avenues to make sure you’re covering all bases. Save all your data in spreadsheets and use data filtering to help you manage keyword variants.
• Make a list of all the keywords you need to use in your title tags and on your product and category pages, and have it open when you write.

Some useful keyword research tools to bookmark:

• Answer The Public
• Ubersuggest
• Keyword Tool Io
• Google Keyword Planner*

Keyword research tools usually have a free version that works just fine – if you want more data you can become a pro subscriber.

*Google Keyword Planner won’t show you keyword search volumes unless you pay for some Google Adwords advertising (might be worth it in the long-run).

Start By Selling Other People’s Products

Product development and working with suppliers can take an age – why not start with dropshipping instead? Dropshipping means that you only handle the sales side of the bargain – leaving the order fulfilment to someone else.

• You will need to find a supplier who matches your criteria. The best option is a wholesaler who will allow you to use your own branding to make the whole chain more consistent for the consumer. Go with someone reliable with a good track record. Remember – you’ll be dealing with the fallout on the customer side.
• You can also become a seller on third party sites like Amazon or eBay and take advantage of retail arbitrage ;(more on arbitrage here). These sites have great SEO and their product pages rank well, so this could be potentially lucrative if you get the right deals.
• Affiliate marketing is another popular niche which is all about commission-based earning. Affiliate marketing is easy to set up as you don’t handle the products yourself, but some affiliate programs don’t offer great commission (read this handy post on how to set up a profitable affiliate niche).

Use Tools to Help You Build Out Your Store

You won’t be able to design and customize an online store from scratch in a day, but you can create an online store fast if you use an ecommerce platform.

• An ecommerce platform is a great way to get an SEO-friendly and professionally designed store up and running in a day. They tend to be very secure, and as you pay for many of them monthly, you’ll be spreading the cost too.
• Tight budget on the day? Take advantage of free trials and pay the monthly invoice later to reduce startup costs (open an online store with this free trial).
• A professional template is a fantastic way to get a store ready to go fast. You can always make design tweaks and changes later. Most platforms have drag and drop editors – no coding required.
• If you are more comfortable with code, you usually have a custom CSS or HTML option too.

Shoot Product Images in Bulk (on your smartphone)

Professional photography is great, but if you want to move fast – become a professional photographer with your smartphone instead!

• Use your smartphone to take attractive and unique product images. Design your own set and take photos in nice, natural lights. A neutral setting like an office or a warehouse would be ideal.
• Take some photos for social media too – introduce some interesting props and tell a story with your setting.
• Customize high-quality stock imagery from sites like Pexels and Pixabay for hero images and social media backgrounds.

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Adapt processes and paperwork from other stores and merchants and customize them so that they fit in with what you are trying to achieve.

• Don’t go and write your terms and conditions, delivery policy and privacy policy all by yourself – you will just get needlessly delayed and frustrated. There are loads of policy generator tools and plugins out there that you can tweak and refine.
• Use competitor research as your launch pad – don’t copy what they are doing, but learn from their sites (and mistakes) to improve yours.

Launch with a Bang

The biggest mistake ecommerce merchants make when they first start out is not prioritizing promotion. Promoting an ecommerce store is a huge job and is obviously going to take more than a day, but here is where you can start.

• As we’re all about speed – you could start with the PPC (pay-per-click) advertising model. Advertise on search engines and social media sites to help you drive traffic from day one. PPC warning: PPC is only cost-effective if properly managed. If your ads are misleading and your landing pages don’t deliver, you will be wasting your money.
• Promote your store heavily on social media with offers and incentives during the launch.
• Reach out to bloggers and influencers who may be interested in covering your store or products. Capitalize on your newsworthy novelty factor around your launch.
• Keep tweaking and optimizing your store for your keywords – post-launch data should show you where some of the gaps are.

Hope you’ve got enough there to get started with your side hustle. Remember that you will have to keep refining and changing your store as customers react to it. Use data and analytics to help you further refine your user-experience. What do you think is the biggest barrier to you setting up a side hustle right now?

The post How to Set Up Your Ecommerce Side Hustle in a Day appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.