When I was first searching for ways to make money online, the biggest issue I kept running into was if the website was legit and actually going to pay me. With that said, I have found a lot of scams, but I have also found quite a bit of websites that can actually be quite lucrative.

This is a list of the top websites I was using to make over $800 a month. I highly recommend these sites if you are looking to get into making money online or to just add some extra income to your life.

I have personally worked and received payment with all these sites and can confirm their legitimacy.

 **The Title is just an estimate amount, you can earn more or less depending on the amount of sites you sign up for and tests you take. **

UserTesting

• This has been one of my go to sites since finding out about user testing. You are payed $10 per 15-20-minute test and more for longer or face-to-face tests. They also consistently have tests which means consistent opportunities to make money. They pay via PayPal exactly one week to the minute after you submit the test. You can sign up for UserTesting here.

Validately

• This is another user testing / focus group site that has been a go to for me. You are emailed whenever there is a new test available. The amount paid depends on the length of the test, but I have seen them ranging from $10-70. You will need to make sure to click on the email as soon as possible because tests go very quickly. If you are able to get the tests though, then this is can be a very lucrative website. Validately pays via PayPal within 1 week of your test being approved. You can sign up here.

Prolific

• This is easily my favorite survey site. Since Prolific is based out of the U.K., payments will be made via PayPal in British Pounds and then you will have to exchange it via PayPal. With that aside, this site pays very well for the amount of work done and has a minimum wage of earning at least 6pounds an hour. You will have to get at least 5 pounds to cash out and tests are first come, first served. So some may not always be available, but as survey sites go, this is my favorite. Another reason I enjoy this website is that it is used for a lot of colleges to do research so the surveys that you participate in tend to be pretty interesting compared to some other websites. You can sign up for Prolific here.

UserLytics

• This is another User Testing site. UserLytics pays $10 a test via PayPal, with some longer tests paying more. I don’t receive as many test invitations as the other sites with them, but I still highly recommend adding UserLytics to your arsenal. Sign up for UserLytics here.

TryMyUI

• This is also another User Testing website (Seeing a theme?). They pay $10 via PayPal per test that averages around 15-20 minutes and you have the opportunity to earn more from longer tests. Try TryMyUI here.

Honorable Mention

Amazon M-Turks

• Another survey site that I used when I was first started making money online was Amazon M-turks. This is a tasked based website where you have to do different tasks for different pay. The more tasks or M-turks that you do, then the higher chance you have to get higher paying M-turks. This is a good way to earn money with no experience as well as having a chance to advanced to higher paying M-turks. I also really enjoy Amazon M-Turks because they provide payment every three days via direct deposit. Sign up to be an Amazon M-turker here.

Those are the top sites that I use to make money online, like I mentioned earlier, the title number is just a rough average. You can make more or less than that depending on how available you are and how many tests you take. You may not qualify for all tests as well, but by signing up for as many as you can and responding to invites, you will have a higher chance to start earning a decent income online.

I hope this list has helped you find a site or two that you can use to earn extra money online. For more ways to earn money online check out my posts; “Top 5 Focus Group Websites” and “Top UX Testing Sites“

Thanks for reading!

There are a lot of different ways to go about earning extra money online, from surveys to user testing. With that said, one of the best ways to earn a remote income is often overlooked, focus groups.

The point of focus groups is to determine what exactly customers are looking for/thinking when searching/interacting with a product/service. Basically, you will be asked a series of questions regarding your opinion on a provided topic while market researchers for the client’s company are taking notes so they can improve on their product/service. While this is happening, your screen and audio is usually being recorded so the researchers can really see first reactions.

Since the topic will change each job, focus groups make earning a side income online fun and interesting.

Below are my top 5 go to websites for joining online focus groups;

20/20 Research Panel

• 20/20 Research Panel is one of the first focus group platforms that I started using, and one that I still use to this day. With a large success rate of qualifying for studies (some studies lasting multiple weeks), 20/20 Research is a must for anyone looking to sign up and participate in online focus group studies. You can sign up to start participating here.

FocusGroup.Org

• As the title implies, FocusGroup.Org specializes in online focus groups. While you may have to take a few tests before you qualify, the payments can be well worth it (I have seen multiple studies paying between $90-200). Sign up here for your local demographic and wait for an invitation email to see if you qualify for the actual study.

User Interviews

• Another top platform to sign up for to participate in online focus groups is User Interviews. With a wide range of study topics (Anywhere from reality TV show viewers to individuals who travel for work), User Interviews provides its participants with exciting and interesting focus groups to make earning an online income an enjoyable experience for both sides.

L & E Research

• Here is another online focus group platform that provides a good amount of study invites for its participants. While I haven’t had as much success with this platform as I have with the others, I still would not rule it out of the platforms that you should sign up for to get invitations to participate in studies.

Validately

• Finally, we have Validately. This is a site that I really enjoy, they have consistent opportunities for UX tests /Focus Group studies, as well as paying really well (So far, I’ve seen between $10-70). The only downside is that the tests go very quickly, so you need to respond to the invite as soon as you get the email. But if you are able to do that, then this site can be very lucrative. Validately pays via PayPal within 1 week of your test being approved. You can sign up to get opportunities for future studies here.

While there may be other focus group platforms to earn an income, those are the top 5 that I can verify their legitimacy and will give you the best results for your time.

Remember, just because you qualify or sign up for a study, doesn’t always mean that you will be chosen and get the job. Make sure to sign up for as many as you can, to always tell the truth while filling out qualification surveys (focus groups need very specific audiences), and to be available and show up on time if you’re chosen to participate in a study. Just like user testing, you need to keep signing up and showing up when selected to get the best results.

Thanks for reading!

Through-out the past few years, I have come across some articles that have gone above and beyond in helping inspire me to do what I want in life as well as helping maximize my life as a whole.

Between teaching me important business skills and quality life lessons,  I have learnt an incredible amount of information that has helped me in reaching my goals and maximizing the life I live.

Here are the articles that have helped get me to the next level in life, and I hope they can do the same for you:

“1,000 True Fans” – The Technium

• This article explains how you don’t need to have millions of fans to make a living with something, but rather “1,000 true fans”. I highly recommend this to anyone who has thought about starting their own business, people who are already starting their business, or to those who already have one up and running.

“First, Ten” – Seth’s Blog

• Like “1,000 True Fans”, this article quickly lays out the same concept that if you provide a great product to a small number of “true” or “super” fans, your audience will expand due to word of mouth and recommendations.

“The Tail End” – Tim Urban / Wait But Why Blog

• Every now and then, we need some perspective in life. This article does just that by helping in showing the bigger picture of things in life as well as showcasing what really matters down to 3 important lessons. I have re-read this article at least once every year since I first read it, and every time it helps me remember what is really important to me.

“How I Earn 1 Million Frequent Flier Miles Each Year” – Nomadic Matt

• This article was my go to in helping me learn how to earn frequent flier miles when I was first starting out. While I don’t make 1 million points a year, I do earn an average of at least 100,000 miles a year, and I have this article to thank for that.

“TPG beginner’s guide: Everything you need to know about points, miles, airlines and credit cards” – The Points Guy

• This article is like the previous, but with a bit more information and from a different persons experience. Just like Nomadic Matt’s, this article has taught me how to effectively earn miles and points through credit cards and maximize my spending. Thanks to the information I learned from this and the previous article, I now not only have 100,000+ airline miles, but also 100,000+ hotel points! Check it out and learn how you can do the same!

These are just a few articles that have helped me in my life. But remember, these are just the surface. There are many other articles out there that are incredibly informative and have the power to help you achieve your goals. Be open, explore, and have fun!

Post in the comments or shot me a message if you know of any articles that can help inspire and maximize the lives of others!

Thanks for reading!

With more and more businesses and platforms migrating towards the online world, there hasn’t been a better time for everyday people to start doing the same and become online freelancers themselves.

While it may be harder and harder to have a physical location to sell your product/service, it is getting easier and easier to move your business online and selling start from there.

Below are two lists of the best platforms that I recommend to start selling your product or services without having a website of your own:

Selling a Product

An increasingly popular way to start earning an income online is to start selling products through an online store or marketplace. Whether it be t-shirts, jewelry, second hand books, guitars, artwork, etc., there seems to be a demand for practically any product.

These are the most popular platforms to start your online store on to start selling your products:

• Esty – I’m sure you know at least one person who is selling something on Etsy or have heard of someone doing it, and that is because it is a great platform to sell your products. Etsy seems to be the place where niche products thrive, so don’t worry if you think your product is too “out there”.
  • Recommended for:
    • Artists
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Clothing Designers
    • Jewelers
    • Musicians

• eBay – eBay is still just as big as ever and is a great place to set up an online store. I highly recommend this to people selling second-hand items as this is where most people first come and search.
  • Recommended for:
    • Auto Parts / Hardware
    • Electronics
    • Musical Instruments / Equipment
    • Second-Hand Stores

• Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) – If you want to sell your product on Amazon, this is where you go. This is for people that have a bit of experience already and are ready to take their business to the next step. It is also great for people who don’t want to deal with the process of packaging and shipping their product, as FBA provides storage, packaging, and shipping to their sellers. I would recommend trying out Etsy and eBay before this to get an idea of how your products sell.
  • Recommended for:
    • Sellers with previous experience selling online.
    • Sellers with high quantities of product or product with high demand.
    • Sellers who want to eliminate the process of dealing with the storage, packaging, and shipment of their products.

Selling a Service

If selling a product isn’t your thing, then you can always sell a service. People are always looking for freelance graphic designers, musicians, tutors, coders, testers, as well as many other services that you could be providing.

Here are the top platforms that I recommend that you use to start selling your services to people;

• Fiverr – With Fiverr, you can set up an account to start selling your services or “gigs” to prospective buyers. The allure of the platform is that gigs can range from $5 upwards in price, making it very economical for buyers and sellers alike. There are literally thousands of different services being sold on Fiverr, from math lessons to voice-overs, so there’s no need to limit yourself on what service to sell. If you have a skill that you think you can provide to people, set up a gig and see if you get any buyers.
  • Recommended for:
    • All types of freelancing that can be done virtually, create a gig and try it out!

• Upwork – Same as Fiverr, Upwork is a platform that you can use to provide and sell services to buyers. Upwork is where you tend to find people looking for more “professional” services such as web design, accounting, legal consultation, etc. Upwork is also one of the biggest freelancing sites, which means it has a lot of potential clients. With that being said, it also has a lot of competition, so keep that in mind.
  • Recommended for:
    • “Professional” Services
      • Accounting
      • Coding
      • Legal
      • UX / Software Testing
      • Web Design

• Guru – Same as Fiverr and Upwork, Guru provides you with a platform to be able to sell your services to clients. Buyers on Guru tend to be looking for the same services as Upwork’s clientele. However, Guru has less clients. So, while there may be less competition, you still have to compete for the clients there are.
  • Recommended for:
    • See above

As you can see, there are many options for you to go about selling your product/service to people and start earning an online income as a remote freelancer. I would highly recommend to anyone considering this, to do something you are passionate and/or knowledgeable about. Money may be the end goal, but you want to make sure that you enjoy yourself on the way as well as provide a great product/service to your clients.

Hope that has helped in your pursuit in becoming an online freelancer!

Thanks for reading!

In an interview with Yahoo, the famous investor Warren Buffet gave what he believes is the best advice for success saying, ” By far the best investment you can make is in yourself.” (Yahoo)

With that being said, we are super fortunate to live in a time where knowledge is so readily available as well as cheaper than ever.

Within the last two decades, a lot of schools have moved to more online approaches as well as the production of websites dedicated to online courses. Many of these courses are from experts in their field and provide a wealth of knowledge for the fraction of the price you would usually pay in more formal schooling approaches. Even top rated schools such as Berklee College of Music are providing online courses to the public now, so it truly is looking like it is going to be the way of the future!

Below is a list of my favorite websites (Some paid/ some free) that provide courses to further your education.

Udemy (Paid)

• Udemy has to be my favorite course/learning website. They have an incredible range of topics to choose from as well as regular sales that ends up making for great knowledge at an extremely cheap price.
  • • Some of my favorite courses I have taken so far are;
      • WordPress for Beginners – Master WordPress Quickly – Andrew Williams
      • Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer – Chris Croft
      • Blogging Masterclass: How To Build A Successful Blog In 2020 – Brad Merrill
      • The Complete Digital Marketing Course – Rob Percival

Alison (Free/Paid)

• Alison is my favorite free site to take courses from. They have literally hundreds of business courses as well as courses in many different topics. They also offer paid courses for certificates. Alison is definitely a website to check out to take some courses and improve your business knowledge.

Fiverr (Free/Paid)

• Fiverr is an online platform to sell your services from, but it also provides great free business guides and courses you can pay for. From learning how to create a website, to making commercials, to even learning how to open a restaurant, Fiverr guides has a wealth of information for you to learn from for your online business.

MasterClass (Subscription/Paid)

• This is a course website that focuses on popular leading figures in their fields teaching their own course on subjects in those fields. I think that this is a very cool one, because MasterClass really gets some pretty well-known people in their industries to teach on their subjects in pretty well created curriculums. I don’t think that you will become a “master” in any of these subjects just by watching these classes, but I think that they offer really valuable insight on how experts in their fields approach it. I would highly recommend anyone that finds multiple classes that they are interested in, to get the annual pass. It ends up being super cheap in the long run and they occasionally have sales to bring that price down even more.

GoDaddy (Free)

• GoDaddy has a great selection of articles on how to build your online business with steps covering the basics to the finished product. It is definitely worth checking out, there is a lot of great knowledge there that shouldn’t be missed.

YouTube (Free/ Paid Premium)

• I have honestly learnt so much from YouTube videos that I had to put this on the list. There is a lot that can be learned by searching topics of your interest on YouTube. There can be a lot of bad content, but there is a lot of extremely well made and useful content as well that shouldn’t be passed up. YouTube can also be extremely helpful in helping figuring things out if you are stuck. Since a lot of other people have been in similar situations, there is a high chance there is a video out there that can help you.

As you can see, there are a lot of websites out there to take courses for free or at a very cheap price, and that is only the tip of the iceberg.

As I mentioned earlier, top rated schools are now offering courses to the public as well as a lot of other colleges. There is still plenty of opportunity to learn any new skills you have been wanting to or build upon any existing ones!

I hope that this article has helped inspire you to invest in yourself and take some courses to learn more. As I like to say, Knowledge is Freedom.

Thanks for reading!

Survey sites were my bread and butter when I was first starting to learn how to make money online. They also are the type of websites that we always hear about and hear so many horror stories of scams and stolen information. While there are definitely plenty of websites out there that are just out to scam you, there are also a lot of reputable ones where you can make some decent pocket change.

While I don’t think it is really possible to make a full income through survey or task-based websites alone, I do think that they have their value and are worth taking a look at if you are just starting to learn how to make money online.

Below is a list of the top survey/task-based websites that I have used and received payment from and think are valuable sites to have in your arsenal of websites to earn money from online.

Amazon M-Turks

• This is one of the first websites I used when I was first making money online and I think it is still one of the best surveys/task-based programs out there. This is a tasked based website where you have to do different tasks for different pay. The more tasks or “M-turks” that you do, then the higher chance you have to get higher paying “M-turks”. This is a good way to earn money with no experience as well as having a chance to advance to higher paying M-turks. I also really enjoy Amazon M-Turks because they provide payment every three days via direct deposit.

Prolific

• This is one of my favorites when it comes to survey websites. It is based out of the U.K. so you will be paid via PayPal in British Pounds and then will have to exchange it on PayPal to your preferred currency. With that aside, this site pays very well for the amount of work done and has a minimum wage of earning at least 6pounds an hour. You will have to get at least 5 pounds to cash out and tests are first come,first served so some may not always be available, but as survey sites go, this is one of my favorites. Another reason I enjoy this website is that it is used for a lot of colleges to do research so the surveys that you participate in tend to be pretty interesting compared to some other websites.

PineCone Research

• This is another survey site that I used when I first started out and think is worth mentioning. You get paid $3 per survey when available, the first one arrives in the mail as a check and then every other one is paid with a cash out gift card system. Even though the invites for surveys are spread out, I still think it is worth signing up for if you are just getting into making money online.

ClickWorker

• This is a tasked based website where you can earn money by recording yourself doing sports to proof reading sentences. You can choose which tasks you want to do from a list of available tasks and can go from there. Each task is paid differently. Ones where you have to take videos are going to be paid more then other ones. I used this site when I was first starting out and think it has the opportunity to be a way to make some decent side money. Payments are made via PayPal. There are some tasks that do not pay out for 30 days so it can end up taking quite a while to get your money, that is why this is not my favorite of the sites listed. That being said I still have gotten paid, so if you’re fine waiting then there’s money to be made.

As I mentioned earlier, I don’t think that survey sites alone will provide a cushy income, but I do think that they will provide a good source of pocket change that also shows the possibilities of making money online.

I hope that this article helped and that you were able to better understand survey/task websites and maybe even found one that you want to join to start earning money online.

Thanks for reading!

User Experience (UX) Testing is easily one of my favorite ways to make money online.

Before I found out about UX testing I was making my money online through random survey and task sites. While those are good ways to make money, user testing is by far the superior method in terms of efficiency and time/earnings.

What is User Testing?

You may be wondering what “User Testing” even is. The basic concept to User Testing is that you “test” a client’s website by either performing set tasks or just browsing through the website as a visitor.

While doing this you explain what you are doing and your thought process during it, as you are doing so your screen is being recorded as well as audio. This is then used to help the client figure out what users like about their website and what and where to improve on.

No experience is usually necessary other than the application video. You are usually paid per video (around $10) and each video averages at around 15-20 minutes. Longer videos and face to face ones can offer the chance to earn more.

Through-out my testing career, I have tested for restaurants, banks, future games, and even for a condom website (You can specify if you want to test 18+ material). You never know what kind of site you’ll be testing next, which lends to fun and new work experiences.

Below is a list of my go to User Testing websites to start getting into the UX (User Experience) field and start making money online.

UserTesting

• This is my top go-to site when it comes to User Testing websites. They pay $10 a test, with longer and face-to-face tests paying more. They also consistently have tests which means consistent opportunities to make money. They pay via PayPal exactly one week to the minute after you submit the test.

UserLytics

• UserLytics is another website that I really enjoy for making money through user testing. They also pay $10 a test via PayPal with higher tests paying more. Unlike UserTesting, they do not have a consistent rate of tests to do. However, I still believe it is worth signing up with them even if it is only a few tests a month.

TryMyUI

• Another UX website that I really like, TryMyUI pays $10 per test via PayPal usually within 4 days of completing a test and pay higher for longer tests. Just like UserLytics, their test rate can be somewhat inconsistent.

Validately

• This is a site that I really enjoy, they have consistent opportunities for tests and pay really well (So far, I’ve seen between $10-70). The only downside is that the tests go very quickly, so you need to respond to the invite as soon as you get the email. But if you are able to do that, then this site can be very lucrative. They pay via PayPal within 1 week of your test being approved.

I think that User Testing is by far one of the best ways to start making an income online, and if you sign up for all of these programs then you will be well on your way to earning consistent money online. I hope that these websites helped lend to your journey of making money online.

Thanks for reading!