I often get asked how to earn money online without an investment. And if it’s actually possible?
Today I show you how to create a thriving website that brings in monthly profits on a shoe-string budget.
When you land on a successful website, the first thought that pops to mind is, “Man, they must have had a lot of money to invest in this website, it looks expensive!”
The truth is that with modern-day internet marketing tools it doesn’t actually take that much money to build a beautiful, profitable online business.
How to Earn Money Online Without an Investment:
The easiest and most risk-free method to make money online is through affiliate marketing.
You don’t need to create a product or be an expert in a particular industry. Nor do you need to learn complicated programming languages to build fancy feature-full websites or services.
In fact, all you need to worry about is traffic, sending traffic to your affiliate partners. That’s all you need to worry about.
How to Find Affiliate Offers to Promote?
Finding affiliate offers is not as difficult as you might think, and they’re plenty of affiliate programs to choose from.
In fact, almost every major brand name company has an affiliate program, it’s an important way for a business to boost sales.
Clickbank is probably the most popular platform for affiliates marketers and producers.
Take a look at the website and you’ll be able to find affiliate offers in pretty much every niche. It’s free to join as well.
Another infamous platform Amazon Associates, Amazon’s affiliate program is a very user-friendly platform with 1,000’s of products to promote.
Once You Find a Product Promote:
Then it’s a matter of taking the niche that interests you and plugging the results into a keyword research tool, and check out the keyword stats.
Sometimes all it takes is to publish a in-depth review and that will bring in plenty of traffic, assuming the review is legitimate and not just a bunch of hype.
Time to Build a Website:
You will first have to build a website.
Why?
Because 99% of affiliate programs require you to have a website in order to promote their products.
This has never been easier, the Wealthy Affiliate training center offers two free websites through their WordPress based website builder called SiteRubix – Click Here to read our Review!
It comes with easy to follow video training, free cloud hosting, and 10 online business classes.
I recommend Wealthy Affiliate because not only do they provide free hosting and other features, it also has an extremely detailed training library.
This is perfect for beginners and advanced marketers alike, and the community is extremely supportive and helpful.
– All great things you want to have at your disposal when starting an online business…
Is It Hard to Start an Online Business?
As it turns out, creating a profitable website is not as difficult as it seems, and you don’t even need that much money to get started.
In fact, it’s possible to set up the foundation for a solid website on a budget of less than $20 dollars!
There are a plethora of tools at your disposal, it has never been easier to create an online business than it is today, so what are you waiting for?
It will require a small financial investment, but more importantly it will require an investment in time, effort, and the ability to take action.
How to Generate Traffic without Investment?
The easiest and steadiest way to bring in warm blooded and targeted traffic is to simply write articles that target specific keywords.
These are keywords that your niche audience is googling on a daily basis.
The next step is to write your posts with the intention of helping people and keep it simple.
If you can connect with and help your niche audience, you will create an online investment that will continue to pay you over time.
Let me tell you, it’s an amazing thing.
As you build content based on helping people that share interest in your niche, you will get search engines like Google to find and rank your targeted post.
Think of the posts really as a sales campaign.
The search engines will link your content with readers and hopefully (if you’re content is top-notch and informative) the readers will share the content on social media.
As this happens you’ll see your website grow in popularity, boosting affiliate sales.
How to Find Targeted Keywords:
There are a lot of keyword research tools out there, some are free, and others require a monthly fee.
I tried a lot of keywords research tools until I found one that was simple to use and is probably responsible for most of my website’s traffic.
It’s called Jaaxy and here’s a link to my in-depth Jaaxy review of these guys.
So how much will all this cost?
Not nearly as much as you might think.
You’ll need:
- A domain name ($15/year).
- A stable and fast hosting service (varies, but usually around $10 a month. Free with Wealthy Affiliate’s Training Program).
- WordPress installation (free).
- Keyword research tool (free at Wealthy Affiliate).
- Affiliate product to promote (that’s always free).
So as you can see, creating a website for the sole purpose of promoting an affiliate offer is extremely easy.
You don’t need much money at all to get started.
Potential Income: $1,000 to $100,000/month – No Joke
Could you use an extra couple thousand dollars per month?
Maybe take care of your mortgage payment, pay for a new car or take a awesome vacation? Sure, who couldn’t.
A simple niche specific affiliate website could bring in a lot of money every month if you know what you’re doing.
That’s the essence of the blueprint for how to earn money online without an investment.
Get a Plan, Make it Happen:
There’s a lot more that you need to know, more tips and tricks that will make it possible for you to dominate search engines like Google and boost your website.
But yes, it’s possible.
If you want to learn more, get an action plan and follow it.
That’s what I did and it worked out very well. Click the link below to see how the process works.
Here’s My Top Recommended Training >>
Is it Hard to Do This:
The training material is easy to follow, all you have to do is copy their system and apply it to your own projects.
You’ll have a website up and running in no time and the sales will come flowing in.
Otherwise, if you choose to work on your own without advice, you’ll have to learn through trial and error, and that can take a long – long – time.
Wouldn’t it make sense to avoid all those problems?
Remember, everyone had to start somewhere, and if you really want to make money online, there’s no time like the present, tomorrow is just another excuse away.
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Got ideas on how to earn money online without an investment or just want to run your ideas by us, leave a comment below.
You writing is always fabulous. This is third time I’ve read your blog and I find the information very useful.
Hi Todd, Thanks for sharing your guide here to make money online without investment, It is really interesting to read your article because it is full of truth. Starting an online business is not an easy task and also we can’t able to earn money from it. It needs some time to develop and also to grow our business to earn a decent income a month. Thanks, Todd for sharing your insights here.
I agree with everything that you have said. I’m actually currently with Wealthy Affiliate and this is the best decision that I have made in my entire life. It really is helping me with living out my dream and is also complementing my income nicely. I will hopefully be able to earn more by the end of the year, when I will be able to quit my full-time job and travel!!!!
Yes Reyhana, that’s the goal. Live the life you want on your terms, that’s what inspired me to do this. Work hard at WA each and everyday and always focus on helping your website users, this is key.
You can earn good money online without much money, I wrote a post about how long the process takes and what to expect, check it out here.
Stay strong to your goals and even detail them and put them in your work space to keep you motivated.
The article is very informative. I am also looking into affiliate marketing and Wealthy Affiliate seems like the way to go. How long does it usually take to see results from affiliate marketing and are there certain strategies involved that will boost traffic that you can share with us?
Strategies that we can leverage to see traffic from all over the web.
Hi Nigel,
The biggest recommendation that I can give you is to follow the Wealthy Affiliate Online Entrepreneur Course everyday. Don’t skip around and do your best with ever task.
I do have my guide to what I do with each and every post I create. And every post I create is based on bringing in traffic based on keyword phrase that my niche audience is searching for everyday on Google.
You can grab my Free eBook To Target Traffic to Convert More Sales right here.
You’re other question on the time frame to earn money online is a good one and needs to be considered before considering a niche based affiliate business.
For that, I created this post… How Long Does It Take To Make Money Online.
I’d highly recommend you check out all these resources.
Cheers,
Todd
Earning money online without much of an investment is possible if you’ve got the right plan. And Wealthy Affiliate is the best, I previously used another company but I made $0.
However, Wealthy Affiliate consistently helps me make money on a monthly basis – it really is a no brainer who I prefer to be with if you want to learn and succeed. Without a doubt their training is awesome and worth looking into most definitely.
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for the feedback on Wealthy Affiliate. There are the most amazing online business training center I’ve ever found, and I’ve reviewed 100’s of these programs.
The key is taking the time to utilize all their educational resources and building your online business correctly from the start. The nice thing though is that you can always improve on an online business.
If you’re not spending much on outsourcing, you can turn an online business into an awesome investment that pays you passively, but that’s after you put in the initial work to make it successful.
For those that are not already members, check out Wealthy Affiliate’s Membership Options (Free or Premium).
Thanks,
Todd
HI there,
Yep! the method works I’m on month 7 so far and I have made $800, $230 so far this month. I’d say it works! I don’t use any paid traffic or anything like that, in fact only money I spent was on my domain name and then a premium theme from the money I reinvested into my site! I expect to make $1,000/month by Christmas!
I only spend 2 hrs a day on my site!
Just wanted to give a mini testimonial!
Awesome Derek, that is a great testimonial to how well a proven training system works to bring online income without much of an investment. I’m at $2.13/day cost for this site (less than $64/mo) and it brings in full time income that consistently grows on a monthly basis.
Great work Derek and thanks for the awesome feedback. Earning money online with a small financial investment is possible if you’re willing to invest the time in the training and effort in building out your site.
Cheers,
Todd
That was a really excellent explanation of how to start an online business with affiliate marketing.
I think a lot of people who are looking to make money online without much of a financial investmetn, are always quick to chase after all of these ads you see on “how to make $1000’s a day with little effort required”. Those sort of programs are most likely some sort of scheme where you are just selling the dream to someone else to get commission.
I think that anyone who is looking to generate extra income online, or start their own online affiliate marketing business would greatly benefit from reading this article to see how easy it is start up and which tools to use to succeed.
Cheers
Nicki
Absolutely Nicki, excellent feedback and so true. It takes real work and the desire to learn, just like anything. The difference is that it doesn’t take much investment in the form of money, but plenty of determination and some time. To find out if you are really down for something like this, read this post on how long it takes and what is involved.
Great advice Nicki, thanks again.
Todd
I thought that this was an excellent break down of what it takes to get going with an online business and be successful at it. You did a great job of showing just how possible it really is to get a website going from scratch and make real strides each and every day toward making your website the best that it can possibly be.
Thank you for that, not only for the great info but also for reminding me that anything is possible when you really put your mind to it.
Best of luck to you in the future!
Hey Alex, best of luck to you too. Keep going down the path you’re currently on and you are going to do great. It’s completely possible to earn money online with little investment, the first year is the most important. Don’t give up! I know I wanted to many times and I’m so freaking glad I didn’t.
You need to measure success in other terms than money when you first start out. Focus on learning keyword research and writing to help people (your niche audience). Once you have these two basic skills, you can see traffic and later the money follows.
For those that aren’t sure if making money online is for you or not, read this post!
Thanks,
Todd
I wish more people could read your post, “How to Earn Money Online without an Investment,” because in my experience, most people work harder at dead-end jobs than they will ever work with their own online business.
And, yes, anyone who can operate a computer can build a profitable online business. All they need is a website, a keyword tool and a few skills. Fortunately, you generously show where anyone can get these and get started.
Thanks Gary for your feedback. I think it’s important to know that you can earn a great income online with absolutely zero investment, well of course your time. However, I would strongly advise people to get started with the right training and invest in a professional theme and an awesome domain name.
The training, keyword research tool, theme, and domain name are minimal investments, less than $700 your first year. After that you will want an email opt-in service, and of course as your site becomes profitable you may want to outsource some tasks to grow your online business further, but that’s it.
And that’s what makes affiliate marketing with a niche website the perfect online start-up.
Cheers,
Todd
I loved how organized this article was and how you described Wealthy Affiliate and the possibilities that come along if you join and stick with it.
It’s so hard to find legit ways to work online and it’s great that your getting the word out about WA. I also liked the facts that you included about Wealthy Affiliate.
I had no idea that they had helped that many people within a year’s time, it’s pretty hopeful for the rest of us who are just starting out. Great article and amazingly informative.
Learning how to earn money online is a reality and I’m glad you’re working with WA. I also want to share a great success story of what real work and knowledge can produce.
Read Colton’s Story Right Here..
You need to pick a niche you’re passionate about that has products that you can sell. If you have that combination, don’t waste any more time and make it happen.
It works and is a reality Brenda, stick with the daily training and catch a weekly webinar, even ones from years past have valuable info.
Best of luck,
Todd
Seeing how people become successful through online marketing gives me hope. I want to try it myself but am too new and don’t know where to start, there’s so many ideas and options. At least now I know I am not alone and there is no need to go through the trial and error process.
You’re right. Wealthy Affiliate does have helpful people that are willing to assist me at any stage of my learning process – anytime from anywhere.
Very useful information you provided here!
Alvin
Hi Alvin,
That’s great to hear and I too am amazed at how people always help out. I too get stumped and just reach out to the community when I need help or ideas.
Stick the training daily, catch a webinar weekly and let you’re mind imagine and explore.
You’ll start with affiliate marketing through a niche website because it’s the most cost efficient method to make money online. Plus the long term potential is huge.
I think you should read these two posts to help you pick a niche that will work for the long run as well as the process of learning how to earn a long term income online.
How long does it take to make money online? Good Question
How to find a niche market?
Best,
Todd
Hi there Todd,
It’s interesting that you pointed out that many successful online marketers we see today started with zero investment.
It reminds me of an interview podcast that invited Pat Flynn as the guest. In case you don’t know, he’s the owner of The Smart Passive Income.
In his early career, he actually created a portfolio website where he organized all his notes and designs. It was meant to impress his employers but the information was so massive that Google starts sending online traffic which he didn’t even know at that point of time.
So when he lost his job and almost broke, a friend showed him that he can actually monetize from all the traffic that he’s getting. Since all he had was his notes, he converted them into an eBook and sold his first for less than $20 which convinced him that online marketing is real.
Between then and now, he has learned the ropes of online business and made himself a millionaire.
Sometimes, I think you just need that downhill dip in life so that you can spring up higher than anyone else.
But we can’t expect that to happen all the time. I think it’s wiser to start an online business – with the guidance of Wealthy Affiliate training – while our financial situation is sound so that we can focus more on learning and perfecting the skills needed for success.
Hi Cathy,
Right before I started looking at Wealthy Affiliate as my online training/education platform, I looked into many of Pat Flynn’s recommended programs and was also very impressed with his passive income site. I think he makes between $65,000 to $100,000 per month from his online sites.
There’s no doubt that Pat has created an impressive online business that started with little investment, and he’s an inspiration to many online marketers. But when I looked at some of his recommendations versus Wealthy Affiliate’s training program, I felt that WA provided a all in one training program that included all the things that I needed to earn money online without much investment.
The WA program itself includes cloud hosting for up to 50 websites, step by step training courses that are easy to follow that positively impact your online business, domain names, weekly webinars on every topic related to internet marketing and a keyword research tool.
So for me, I think Wealthy Affiliate is the most all inclusive training program to be able to earn money online without much of an investment. The fact that my site makes online sales every day and night while I spend a total of $64/month to keep it going is proof enough that people can make their online dreams a reality and for little investment.
Thanks for sharing your perspective Cathy on this post, I know you’ve been working online the last couple of years and so I really appreciate your feedback and thoughts.
Take care,
Todd
A good well detailed article introducing wealthy affiliate and Jaaxy. As a premium member myself I can whole heatedly say I agree with all the content in this blog.
We all have to make sure we don’t get caught up in an Internet scam and with these two internet marketing products, you are definitely in safe hands. The owners Kyle Loudoun and Carson Lim really pride themselves on creating useful marketing tools.
So if you’re serious about creating your own income producing online business, treat yourself to a premium membership, you won’t regret it. As a matter of fact, it may end up being the best decision you’ll ever make.
Thanks for your feedback and good to hear the WA and Jaaxy are working for you. It’s hard not to make them work if you put in the effort, but they make the process happen so much faster.
Kyle and Carson produce nothing but quality, and they are constantly trying to improve their services, so it’s nice to be in good hands.
The best way I know how to earn money online without an investment, or at least with a minimal one, is the educational program Wealthy Affiliate provides and the keyword research tool Jaaxy.
Maybe ad mail-chimp in for email campaigns and you’d be off to a smashing start. But it starts with education first.
Todd
Hi Todd,
Being able to start a business with virtually no outlay is one of the great advantages of the internet. I remember when I started my first bricks and mortar business how hard it was to find the cash, I thought I would never have enough to get started.
With an online business, you don’t have those problems. As you say, you can start without an investment or with just a few dollars. In the current economic climate being able to earn money online with no investment could interest many people, so you’re doing a great job getting the word out.
However, it’s definitely worth investing in some training, this could be the difference between success and failure. Once you have started the business you’ve just got to keep working. Put in the effort and success will come, it’s just a question of time.
Thanks for a great post,
Peter
Absolutely Peter, investing in a good educational program and a good keyword research tool is all you really need to get going.
The Wealthy Affiliate Training Center provides cloud hosting, so that’s a nice way to eliminate an extra expense. But what really nice about WA is the constant updated training’s for pretty much any subject you can think of.
And you’re certainly right, more people want to learn how to earn money online, they just need to take one step at a time and learn the process. Once you work at it a little, it’s not too hard.
Thanks for your input Peter,
Todd
Hey Todd! great article as always.
I joined Wealthy Affiliate a few months back, and i am just starting to see the fruits of my labor, i don’t make 100’s of dollars a day but after 3 months the thrill of getting money from a site i created is a great feeling and in time i hope to scale it up to where it can earn 3 or 4 figures a week – that is the goal but i also enjoy writing about my niche and learning the process.
So i thank you for introducing me to wealthy affiliate at 19/20 years old at the start of my online business journey, it’s great for people in college/university as it requires little money and can eventually make you a lot 🙂
Hi Gino,
That’s great to hear how your site is coming along and that you’re starting to make sales. What you’ll find is that as you consistently post content that helps your niche, you’re sales will increase as well.
You’re traffic has probably rocked as you started posting more, but give it a full year and you’ll be amazed at how much traffic your site is getting. When I look at my Google Analytics, I’m amazed at how my numbers, traffic, and sales all have spiked up as my site gets older, and yours will too.
Your site looks great and your posts are always fun to read and loaded with helpful information, just keep up the hard work and you’ll get to those goals.
Thanks again for your feedback and I’m glad I led you to WA, also good to see you join the yearly membership. That makes the investment that much less at less than a dollar a day.
Cheers,
Todd
What a great topic. A lot of people want to learn how to earn money online without any investment.
You are so right when you say you can start an online business on a shoe-string budget and still make it a success.
This is one of the HUGE advantages of an online business. It does take some time to turn it into a success and to find what will work for you. But unlike a traditional business, it is not going to cost a fortune in the process!
All the tools you suggest are not going to cost you a fortune, and along with some inexpensive training from the right source, they are all you need to build a successful online business!
Great post Todd 🙂
~John
Hi John,
Nice to hear from you. Absolutely, the two best tools I used and use to earn money online without much of an investment are Jaaxy and Wealthy Affiliate.
These are also the two most important tools to teach you SEO, building cool websites, learning how to create marketing campaigns, and even tweaking your campaigns from the owners themselves (at WA).
Both are well worth it at $45 dollars/month, it’s a priceless education to launch anyone’s online career.
Cheers,
Todd