Is Making Money Online a Scam?
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I recently had a comment on this blog from a reader who seems to think that the ability to make money online is just a scam and that it is not possible. This is what he said
All those people who have sites claiming to teach you how to make money with blogs - they’re lying, you do know that, right? The only way they make money is by selling the “secrets of making money from blogs” to gullible end-users like yourselves.
Seriously. Give up and get a proper job. You sound like a nice guy, so I’m telling you straight. The internet is free.
So it got me thinking? Is the ability to make money online simply a scam? Are the only people making money online those who are selling their “secrets” which aren’t actually true.
Personally I do not believe this statement for one second. If no one was making money online except for the sites that are about making money online then why are there so many other sites out there. They could not possibly run at such a large scale and fail to make any income from it.
I have been thinking through this statement because it is a really interesting one. What if you couldn’t make money online because the internet is ‘free’, wouldn’t this change the way you looked at the internet and the way you looked at Make Money Online (MMO) websites. If this was true it means I should definitely give up now and stop chasing my dream of working full time online.
If no one made money online then there wouldn’t be so many websites
There are so many websites out there (and so many large websites too) that they couldn’t possibly be running if they didn’t make any money. Websites such as myspace and facebook which are worth over $1 billion could not be worth that much money if they did not make money. If no one made money from their websites then people wouldn’t put as much time and energy into them. This proves that you can make money online because otherwise these websites wouldn’t exist in the size and quality which they do.
I have personally made money online (though not a lot)
Personally I have made $50 from flipping domains, $50 from flipping websites, $80 from selling affiliates and about $10 from selling advertising. I have made money myself online and therefore I know that it is possible.
I know people who are making money online
People like Jason over at The University Kid are making loads of money online (or so they say) and I bet some of my readers are making money online also. If you are please leave a comment in the sction below stating how much money you make online per month.
What do you think? Do you think the ability to make money online is a scam? If so then let us know in the comment section below. If you disagree (like I do) let us know also. I want everyone’s input.
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September 2, 2008 pm30 1:00 pm
Two months online and I am not making any money. More traffic, better content would help. However, I suspect there are some people making good money that are promoting to the masses making money blogging.
September 2, 2008 pm30 1:08 pm
I have seen http://www.thepissbiscuit.com go from non existance to a pagerank of 3 in just 7 weeks. He would be making some decent money.
I can offer you some adivce on your blog Doubleourmoney if you want
September 2, 2008 pm30 2:03 pm
Sure people make money online - I make about $8,000 a month (60% adsense and 40% affiliates) and that’s with sites that you wouldn’t give a second glance and would never have heard of. People with major sites will easily make $20k+ a month.
Like most people who make decent money I don’t disclose my sites because I don’t want them copied - so perhaps people think I’m making it up. Who cares!
PageRank doesn’t give you the slightest clue how much a site makes, it’s traffic, niche and ad positioning that matters.
Good luck!
September 2, 2008 pm30 8:26 pm
@ Susan
Wow that is really an achievement. I would love to hear more from you. $8,000 per month is amazing. I make about $100 per month online at the moment. Nothing to be too proud about
September 2, 2008 pm30 9:03 pm
Hey Ryan,
“The ability to make money online” is vague. Of course it’s possible.
Don’t worry about how much all these “MMO bloggers” are making…just consume the info, and apply it. Ultimately, how much “you’re making” is what matters
You said that you have made money flipping a couple domains and sites, right? So, flip more! Read about ways other people are doing it and find ways to flip more volume in less time.
I see a lot of people searching for too many “new things” at once. That causes scatterbrain.
While you are discovering more ways to make money, keep improving what’s already working for you…build on it, then expand to other areas.
My $0.02 CDN.
Cheers!
Jay
September 2, 2008 pm30 9:06 pm
I think a lot of people are under the illussion that making money online is as simple as creating a blog and waiting for the cash to flow in. It is usually these people who scream the loudest that making money online is a scam. There is money to be made but you need to have patience and the ability to not only learn from your mistakes but learn from others. There is a wealth of free, good quality information on the net just waiting for anyone who wants to learn.
September 2, 2008 pm30 11:44 pm
I was blogging for about two months now. I don’t post regularly since I was tied up to my day job. I never made money from my blog since I don’t get much traffic. All the while I thought that having high page rank means having high earnings.
Good to know that you are earning $100 per month Ryan. Not everybody could earn like that online. And that is something that you should be proud of. Good Job!
Bobby
Bobbys last blog post..The Natural Scent of Human Pheromones
September 3, 2008 pm30 6:20 am
Ha, even Susan isn’t my real name, see how neurotic I am (and the email address I gave is made up, sorry). The key to making money is to find a niche that appeals to people with money (usually 30+) like travel, finance, health etc - I do travel sites. And then make the best site(s) possible. Just one or a few sites, not hundreds. It’s taken 3 years of hard work (full time) to get to my current level. 2 years to ‘learn’ adsense and a year to ‘learn’ affiliates. $100 a month is a good start, at least it proves it’s possible - once you realise it’s possible to make money online then you can’t stop wanting to make more!!
September 3, 2008 pm30 6:51 am
@ Susan
How come you use a fake name and email address? It is not like I am a spammer, I am just trying to make real connections.
It has taken me about one and a half years of learning how to make money online to get to this point and will probably take me another one and a half till I am earning what you are earning.
It is really fun though and like you said once you start you always want more.
September 3, 2008 pm30 9:52 am
Hey Ryan,
The internet is far from “free”. I mean, look at the cost of hosting, domain names, software, etc. Or if they think it’s free….tell them to look at their monthly cable bill. Heck, traffic to a web site isn’t “free”. It takes time, and time is money.
Also, look at all of the products online being sold EVERY second. Millions of products, every day.
Making money (good money) online is very plausible. People do it every day. It’s just a matter of getting the knowledge and know-how of what to do. Then comes the work.
September 3, 2008 pm30 10:38 am
I wouldn’t really say that MMO is a scam, but it all depends on what the method is. And you’re right about the trust part of it. If you actually know someone for a fact that they make money online, then you should follow them. It’s all about accountability.
Sly from SlyVisions dot Coms last blog post..The Internet Through An Entrepreneur’s Eyes
September 3, 2008 pm30 12:44 pm
Ryan,
If you are willing to do a post on how to improve my blog, I am all for the help.
September 3, 2008 pm30 3:01 pm
@ TipJar - I see what you mean about how the internet is not free. There is so much stuff we have to pay for to use it or to run a website. That is a good point which I never thought of
@Sly - I trust Darren at Problogger because it is obvious he is already doing it (look at his number of subscribers). I trust people when I can see how they are doing it. Good point
@ DoubleOurMoney - I will do that post for you, give me a week or two to get it out though (I have a que of posts ready to go) but I definately will
September 3, 2008 pm30 6:18 pm
This reminds me of a saying, “Those who knows…SHOW and those who don’t…TEACH” and it’s so true in the context of MMO.
Yan
Yan Shall Blogs last blog post..Where Did They Go From Here?
September 5, 2008 pm30 7:15 am
@Susan
$8000 a month with 60% adsense, that is really impressive and here I thought that adsense wasn’t viable.
***
@Ryan
I’m a big fisherman, and the thing that drives me crazy is when I’ve been fishing all day without a bite. Then along comes some guy who throws out a line and strike. We can look at it two ways. He somehow cheated because we can’t do it. Or, he did it, and therefor so can we.
@Yan Shall Blog
I just said the same thing on another post… I love that saying, probably because I didn’t like school very much… don’t like the word teachers at all. But I do Love the words mentors/etc.
September 5, 2008 pm30 11:44 am
I’ve made somewhere around $2000 since the first of this month, September 2008.
I generally follow a pattern like Susan mentioned, developing a lot of niche sites, each with the goal of earning an average of a $1 a day. Some do a lot better than that. I also have my my flagship blog, OpTempo, that is designed as a generalist blog. I’ve been trying to stay diversified between Adsense, eBay/EPN, affiliates and my own digital products.
It’s really a matter of finding underserved niches, these even exist in the MMO niche, and providing people with either directions to what they want or what they want.
September 5, 2008 pm30 12:47 pm
@ Yan - This is an awesome saying. I would love to write a whole post about it. Or would you like to do a guest post about it for this blog?
@ Jonothan - It took me a few goes to work out what you were saying about the fishing thing. I think you were saying that seeing someone achieve it can either inpire us that we can do it, or lead us to assume he is cheating because we can’t do it. Wise words
@ Frank C - That is an impressive figure. How love have you been making money online? How do you make your money? Just through niches or other ways?
I would love to learn a few things from you. First I am trying to build this blog for the long term but I would love to work on niche blogs also because the income sounds great
September 5, 2008 pm30 1:25 pm
I’ve been making money online in several ways, off and on, for a few years. The past 3 months have been the most profitable though.
I was a Powerseller on eBay for about 2 years until I got tired of our house looking more like a warehouse, that on top of ever escalating eBay fees.
For about the past year I’ve worked on developing niche sites and my flagship blog. About half of my current income is eBay affiliate, about 20% Adsense and the rest is other affiliate offers, domain sales or sales of my own digital products (ebooks and programs). I’m trying to move more toward digital products right now since that is way more profitable although I want to stay diversified.
September 5, 2008 pm30 4:23 pm
@Ryan: Look forward to your post on it. On a guest post, I’ll see what I can do about it.
@Jonathan: Yeah, it’s one of my favorite too..
Yan Shall Blogs last blog post..PeoCash Pack - A Complete Turn-Key Solution for Novice Affiliates
September 5, 2008 pm30 5:26 pm
@Frank C - So is it difficult to learn how to find and create niche sites that make about $1 per day? I have the time on my hands and would love to do this. Can you teach me more?
@ Yan - Would love you to guest post on it. If you can’t then I will write a post on it.
September 5, 2008 pm30 5:38 pm
@Ryan: I have got 2 reviews on hand and an update on my blog so I don’t think it’s possible for me to write anything more at least till end of the month.
Yan
PS: Aha, I got my banner up amongst the bigger names.
September 5, 2008 pm30 6:16 pm
@ Yan - Thanks for the banner advertising. It is great to have you as a partner of Smarter Wealth. Ok that’s fine. I will do the post myself.
Want me to do any guest posts for your blog?
September 5, 2008 pm30 6:19 pm
@Ryan
Yes. That is what I meant. Also seeing others make money while we don’t just proves that there are also opportunities available - Imagine fishing in a lake which held zero fish.
September 5, 2008 pm30 6:27 pm
@ Jonathan - Wow. Your fishing wisdom has gone way bayond the simple “teach a man to fish”. This is getting sooooooo deep (get it…like deep under ocean….where the fish live??) haha.
I like where your head is at
September 5, 2008 pm30 6:54 pm
@Ryan: Send me you best shot, Ryan and I’ll put it up if I like what I see..
The banner? I’m just trying to prove that you’ve made the money however small it may be..while others are still dreaming..:-)
Yan Shall Blogs last blog post..PeoCash Pack - A Complete Turn-Key Solution for Novice Affiliates
September 6, 2008 pm30 2:54 am
“$8000 a month with 60% adsense, that is really impressive and here I thought that adsense wasn’t viable.”
- my eCPM is only half what it was year ago. So my visitor numbers has increased 4x and income only 2x. So it is still viable but is getting harder. Affiliates don’t seem to be dropping in the same way, so they are probably the profitable future
Pretty much any niche can make $1 per day I think, but finding the time to make and promote loads of those sites won’t be easy. I do have a few $1-5 a day niche sites but at least 90% of my income comes from just 3 sites, and most of that from just one.
The niche sites I have are sport, travel, gardens, property restoring, recipes etc (although I always struggle with recipes) so I guess anything can work if you stick at it.
I never tried very hard with clickbank/electronic books yet.
September 6, 2008 pm30 4:29 am
@Ryan - I’ve got several articles about how I do it on my blog. Go to my about page and there’s a handy list of my MMO articles so you don’t have to sift through the archives and site map to find them.
@Susan - I agree that a small number of the sites make the bulk of the money. The problem often is identifying which ones will do well. Some people get lucky with just a few sites but most have to do a lot of trial and error to find something that sticks. Of course, the low end producers can be used to boost the power of the big producers.
September 6, 2008 pm30 7:33 am
@Susan
Thanks for the low down. If your biggest earnings come from three, why not focus your efforts there. I’ve seen other individuals do this. They start multiple niche sites and see which one bites - then put 110% into those few. The results - massive increases. It is the 90/10 rule put your effort into the 10% that count.
Recipes, I love cooking
But, I never follow recipes, I just know what works with what and I can make anything out of what is in the fridge. Had to learn to cook when I was young, (mom was in car accident - broke neck - was out of action for a very long time) She is 100% now - true miracle. Anyways, I had to cook, clean and do all those things. Going out to eat with my fiancee is always a let down, because both of us say I could have done it better. laugh.
Jon
September 6, 2008 pm30 3:06 pm
Jonathan, you’re right and I do put 90% of my efforts in the profitable sites - but I am aware that google can de-index sites or they can lose their SERPS for no apparent reason so I try to have a few completely unrelated sites - so if the worst happens I will still have some income! Also travel sites are quite seasonal, and it’s useful to have something to ‘fill in the quiet months’.
September 7, 2008 pm30 12:04 pm
That’s what I hate in some MMO blog. They teach on how to make money online and yet they haven’t still earned any.
Husseins last blog post..Google Going To Buy Digital Point
September 11, 2008 pm30 1:07 am
Its not a scam as long as the person is being completely honest. A TON of MMO blogs give ideas that have “worked” for them, yet they have never done it or made any money off it.
September 23, 2008 pm30 8:40 pm
I only earn about 10$ now on the internet. It is not so mcuh but i am only startet a while ago!
October 10, 2008 pm30 12:39 am
many (infact all)of the make money sites online are just fake…they say give ur email id and we will send u the content…but i feel that its bullshit
Rahul Jadhavs last blog post..Adding Feeds To Your Blog
October 16, 2008 pm30 2:57 pm
I have earned alot form making money in the internet.. i believe that some are scams and some are not.. but i know they %60 of it are scams.. just like the PTC’s or PTP’s but i have earned alot from PTP’s than any other Paid to websites…
Escoofields last blog post..Darth Vader pissing he’s general
October 19, 2008 pm30 4:00 pm
hey i want to contradict my earlier comment …i have visited some really good mmo blogs recently which has changed my opinion
Rahul Jadhavs last blog post..Choosing A Niche For Your Blog
October 23, 2008 pm30 4:57 am
I know exactly what you mean Ryan! The people who seem to be making most money, are the people telling people how to make money by telling people how to make money!
It seems ridiculous right? Wrong. The thing is, I believe that you CAN succeed in the MMO niche, you just need to be willing to put everything you can into it! You also need variation. Ryan, you have a strong position, mixing in entrepreneurial insight and making it into more of a journey.
On the other hand, this is not the method I will be focusing on. I am working at staying as far away from this as possible, so that I can then apply stuff to this niche. It is tough, but one reason I think “noobs” fail, is that they believe the only way to make money online is in the MMO niche…which they will most likely fail at making money in!
Of course, maybe all these people saying the niche is dried up and not to go near it, are actually playing a reverse game? In that, the niche is full of potential, they just want to get it before you!
Sophies last blog post..quotetoday: "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty" - Winston Churchill
November 16, 2008 pm30 9:39 am
its funny how some people think its a scam…. hahaha
Eric Tans last blog post..Dear Mr. Obama
November 20, 2008 pm30 4:54 am
You know in some ways it is a scam. Getting more and more involved in the internet it still amazes me how much content is based purely around making money. Don’t get me wrong I am making money from a few sites I have but I also believe in content.
Learning about long tails etc I am beginning to spot so much that is only there so the author can make money. Good or bad I don’t know. I’m not sure what the internet would now be without it.
It is to some extent a merry go round. People making sites, people commenting(ahem) to get links so they get more comments so they are better ranked etc.It goes on and on.
But to be honest , I love it!