We all dream of stumbling upon hidden opportunities to make extra money with little effort. What if I told you that those Secret Websites to Earn Money do exist – if you know where to look?
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll introduce you to 7 under-the-radar Secret Websites to Earn Money. From getting paid for microtasks, to taking surveys, to travel hacking credit cards, I’ve done the heavy digging so you can uncover real methods for monetizing your time online.
These are not well-known sites, but ones I’ve personally tested and verified. By the end, you’ll have a toolbox of passive income ideas you can put to work right away!
Understanding Online Secret Websites to Earn Money Opportunities
With the internet opening up a world of Secret Websites to Earn Money possibilities without needing huge capital or qualifications, it’s no wonder that side hustles are on the rise. Approximately 43% of Americans have one. And up to $1.2 trillion is made annually through online platforms across various industries according to recent Nasdaq estimates.
But with so many opportunities floating around, how do you spot legitimate ways to earn versus pie-in-the-sky claims? As a beginner, where should you focus your efforts among established options versus emerging trends?
This guide will overview the main categories of tried and tested online income ideas perfect for first-timers. I’ll also sprinkle in some emerging opportunities to keep on your radar.
Selling Products or Services Online
The e-commerce explosion has enabled solo entrepreneurs to build businesses by marketing their products without huge overheads. Here are popular avenues to earn an income online through sales:
Selling on E-commerce Marketplaces
Secret Websites to Earn Money on Platforms like Etsy, Amazon Handmade, and Shopify remove barriers for artisans and makers to set up digital storefronts easily. You handle the production and shipping of your handcrafted products, jewelry, or other artistic wares. The platforms take care of visibility, customer trust, and payment processing for a cut. Focus your efforts on designing quality products, taking appealing photos, and using keywords to make your listings higher.
Freelance Services
Secret Websites to Earn Money like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer let you market your skills as a freelancer. Highly sought-after services are programming, graphic design, digital marketing, writing, video editing, and music production. You create a profile highlighting your expertise, experience, work samples, and rates. The platforms help match you with clients while taking care of billing and payment collection for a fee.
Selling Digital Products
From online courses, ebooks, royalty-free graphics, photography, and website templates to podcasts – anything digital can earn you passive income. For example, upload a cookbook to Gumroad. Or post AfterEffects video templates on Envato. Digital products require more upfront creation effort but enable the possibility of multiple streams of royalty earnings.
Tips for Beginners
When getting started selling online, resist jumping into saturated markets like t-shirts or jewelry right away just because of easy entry. Vet opportunities suited to your unique talents that solve burning needs for people. Start tracking time and costs related to product development and orders so you can price profitably.
Completing Online Tasks and Gigs
You can earn money by completing micro tasks that humans still perform better than computers. Companies break down large projects into small human intelligence tasks and depend on an on-demand virtual workforce.
Microtask Websites
Sites like Appen, Clickworker, and Amazon Mechanical Turk operate on a microtask model. You’ll tag images, moderate content, transcribe audio clips, and fill surveys for a few cents or dollars per task. Earnings depend on speed and quality of work. Ideal as a casual side hustle for some spare cash.
Taking Paid Surveys
Sites like SurveyJunkie and Swagbucks let you share opinions on products, ads or web experiences for cash or gift card rewards. Each survey may pay $1 to $5 for 10 to 15 minutes. Pro tip: Complete profile questionnaires thoroughly so you qualify for surveys matching your demographics. This prevents disqualifications mid-way.
User Testing
Sites like UserTesting.com and TryMyUI let you earn $10 to $60 per test session as you share thoughts on new apps, websites, or products. You’ll think aloud as you navigate interfaces, complete tasks, or test concepts. Sign up and see if you get selected for opportunities aligned with your background.
Monetizing Content & Traffic
Building an audience around content and monetizing the traffic to your blog, YouTube channel or social media can become income streams:
Display Advertising
Sign up with ad networks like Google Adsense, Media.net, and Ezoic that place relevant text and display ads around your content. You earn a share of ad revenue based on impressions and clicks. Works best with high, targeted traffic volumes.
Affiliate Marketing for Secret Websites to Earn Money
Promote products relevant to your audience through affiliate links that give you a sales commission percentage. For example, link to creative tools and resources from your design blog posts. Amazon Associates is the largest affiliate program. ShareASale and CJ Affiliate cater to bloggers.
Building a sustainable income solely from a blog or influencer sponsorship requires consistency, patience, and gradual audience growth. Understand that it may take over a year before you start seeing viable earnings.
Emerging Opportunities for Secret Websites to Earn Money
Some emerging digital opportunities include:
- Social AR Filters & Lenses
Spark AR and Snapchat Lens Studio let you create augmented reality filters and lenses for Instagram and Snapchat. If viral hits, you can earn a share of ad revenues. Several Snapchat lenses have made their teen creators millions already.
- Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
Digital artists are selling their artwork as NFTs for thousands of dollars. Iconic video clips as NFTs have sold for millions. However, you need strong talent and an understanding of Web3 spaces as the market has cooled post-peak 2021 hype.
The world of online income ideas keeps expanding, especially at the intersection of content and digital ownership enabled by blockchain. Keep your eyes and ears open. When you spot a new opportunity gaining serious traction, get in before saturation.
7 Best Secret Websites to Earn Money
Microtask Websites
Microtask websites allow users to earn small amounts of money for completing quick, simple tasks online. They break up services like data entry, transcription, and content moderation into tiny projects – enabling people to do small “gigs” for a few cents or dollars at a time.
While boring and repetitive for a human, these microtasks are still trickier for current AI than, say, content writing. By distributing these tasks to people, sites can solve large volumes of work. And allow you to collect payments that add up…
Appen
Appen is a seasoned microtask site, around since 1996, known for short-term contracting jobs like speech tagging audio, classifying search engine data, spotting offensive web content, and more.
I like Appen because you can find very specialized, interesting micro gigs compared to rivals. The pay is decent too – typically $15 to 30 USD per hour. However, project durations vary wildly – some last months, others just days. There is also stiff competition to qualify for projects.
Pros:
- Well-established company
- Higher pay rates
- Varied, unique projects
Cons:
- Inconsistent work
- Competitive qualification
Ideal for: Experienced marketing contractors who can handle technical micro projects
Clickworker
Another seasoned microtask site based in Germany, Clickworker focuses on writing, editing, research, and data categorization tasks. It acts as a bridge between clients with basic, scalable needs and a distributed workforce that can complete volumes of small jobs.
You won’t earn as much per hour. Most tasks pay $3 to 7 USD. However, the site is beginner-friendly with simpler requirements compared to Appen. There is also high availability – over 1.2 million pieces of work submitted per month globally.
Pros:
- Beginner friendly
- A steady stream of work
Cons:
- Tedious tasks
- Lower pay
Ideal for: Students, homemakers, and others seeking basic extra income
Paid Survey Sites For Secret Websites to Earn Money
Here’s a little-known fact about big consumer brands – they are willing to pay for your opinions. Market research is crucial for companies to design products that cater to customer needs, preferences, and usage feedback. And that’s why taking paid surveys can put some spare change in your pocket.
So how do you sift through hundreds of survey sites to find ones that are legit and profitable? By spotting these tell-tale signs of quality:
✔️ High TrustPilot and App/Play Store ratings ✔️ Established panel from a known market research company
✔️ Detailed user screening for survey matching ✔️ Actual compensation proof from real users
Let’s analyze my top 3 under-the-radar recommendations:
Survey Junkie
With an “A” rating on BBB (Better Business Bureau) for transparent pricing and practices, Survey Junkie has a strong reputation. While more known than other entries here, it remains less used compared to the major apps.
Some user favorites – are custom profiling that filters out irrelevant surveys, a sizable member rewards program for milestones, and easy PayPal withdrawals. Typical surveys pay $2 to $5 for 15 to 20 minutes. Power users report $200+ monthly earnings.
Pros:
- Strong Reputation
- Quality profiling
- Rewards system
Cons:
- Potential DQs after starting
- Dense survey screens
InboxDollars
With a large market research panel and a straight rewards model, InboxDollars calculates all surveys taken into cash. I like how earnings show up in your account immediately – rather than waiting for request thresholds.
Most surveys run 10 to 30 minutes for $0.5 to $5. $30 minimum to withdraw though. Savvy users can stack consistent daily survey batches for $100+ per month. Their invite system also lets you earn 10% of friends’ confirmed incomes.
Pros:
- Instant calculated rewards
- Invite bonuses
Cons:
- Cluttered interface
- $30 withdrawal minimum
Cashback & Travel Hacking
Travel hacking – the art of earning free travel through clever points and miles usage. Cashback Taking it up a notch are cashback credit cards. These feature bonus categories where you can earn well above the typical 1% return on normal spending.
When you look beyond mainstream brands, you can unearth cards with targeted 5% cashback offers on expenses you already have – from groceries to dining out. The key is stacking these category bonuses across daily spending:
5% cashback on supermarket spending 3% cash back on gas 2% cashback on online shopping
And offset those rewards against any annual fee to determine if a hidden gem card will pay off long.
USAA Preferred Cash Rewards
This lesser-known Visa through USAA offers a straight 5% cashback category that cardmembers can tailor every quarter, from gas stations to pharmacies and more.
There is no annual fee. Cash rewards can be redeemed for deposits and more. Note you need military affiliation for eligibility though.
Pros:
- 5% customized category
- No annual fee
- Flexible redemptions
Cons:
- Military affiliation required
PenFed Power Cash Rewards
For a general, unlimited 2% cashback on all purchases, check out PenFed. They offer both a premium Visa with an $85 annual fee and a no-fee version with lower rewards. Spend analysis says the fee-free card returns over $500 per year for regular users – with no category fuss.
Pros:
- Unlimited 2% cashback
- No annual fee option
- Gas promotional offers
Cons:
- A military account is needed for the top version
Cashback & Rebate Apps
You’re probably used to coupons and loyalty programs when shopping at favorite stores. Downloadable cashback apps take it to the next level by giving you automatic kickbacks and exclusive deals when scanning store receipts and barcode purchases across thousands of retailers – in-person or online.
Ibotta
One of the most popular rebate apps, Ibotta, partners with leading chains and brands across home goods, restaurants, travel, and more. It offers fixed cashback on featured items purchased and scanned through the app.
Typical offers run from $0.25 to $2 back on everyday staples from milk to packaged goods to beer. Users report reliably earning about $10 to $15 per month through casual use. You can cash out starting at $20 to Paypal or gift cards.
Pros:
- Huge brand partnerships
- Reliable cashback amounts
- Low cashout threshold
Cons:
- Tedious receipts scanning
- Limit 5 item redemptions per retailer
Which Secret Websites to Earn Money Opportunity is Right for You?
Assess your talents, interests, risk appetite, and effort levels you can sustain. Weigh factors like the need for upfront capital, and the ability to fail and try again. Then make an informed choice about which online income approach to attempt first.
With this beginner’s guide scanning the horizon of main and emerging online money-making categories – you’re now equipped to spot the right opportunities for you. Time to pick an avenue aligned with what makes you tick and dive in! Stay focused and give it time to build momentum. Here’s to unlocking the income possibilities of the digital world.
Read More About GREAT BUSINESS IDEAS FOR A SECOND CAREER
Conclusion to Secret Websites to Earn Money
And there you have it – 7 Secret Websites to Earn Money that most people haven’t heard of before. From completing microtasks, taking surveys, and testing products to travel hacking cards and earning cashback, I’ve given you the inside scoop.
Now grab this list and get started right away. Because more people means more competition for these hidden gems. So take advantage of these secret opportunities ASAP – and watch the extra income start rolling in each month!
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