Whether it’s the post-pandemic rush to be productive or the fact that it is easier than ever to be present online, people are looking for new and exciting ways to make money online.
There are more than 12 million to 24 million eCom sites across the globe; more and more are being created every day; 1 million of these sites sell more than $1,000/year.
Before moving further, let’s have a look at what happens in the world of eCommerce every minute:
- In 2021, eCommerce generated an estimated USD 9,305,555
- Around 9,512,937 visits are generated on online stores
- Nearly 250,000 packages are delivered
- PayPal processed 29,299,847 transactions, representing US $1,780,936
- US $713,740 were spent on ads
So, if you also want a share of this billion-dollar pie, 2022 is an excellent time to start.
Earn All You Can With An Ecommerce Store
The best way forward is to set up your own website to sell your art, crafts, services, and various products sourced from wholesalers. With our expert help, you can earn profits on your investment and become a part of the eCommerce industry.
Before proceeding, let’s look at some key factors that helped us choose the best option for your online store.
To choose the best ways to make money online, we’ll be looking at:
- Type of the Business: whether it’s product, service, or audience-based
- Startup costs: The upfront budget you’ll be needing to launch the product/idea
- Effort: The time, skill, or experience will be required to put into the idea
- Leverage: How confident are you to turn the idea into a money-making venture?
- Profitability: How much profit can you expect in a year?
Now let’s explore some expert recommendations for what you can do to start making money online via your very own eCommerce store.
7 Best eCommerce-Friendly Ways To Earn Money Online
Here are our top picks for making money online with an eCom store:
Dropshipping
Dropshipping, one of the easiest and trendiest online businesses of 2022; especially coupled with Shopify, this multi-million dollar industry offers easy access and doesn’t cost a penny.
So, create an eCommerce store, list any top trending dropshipping products, and there you go.
Once you have established your dropshipping eCommerce store, start promoting across social media channels and search engines to enjoy maximum traction.
However, this business model does not require a warehouse for stock-piling; you don’t need to keep the stock of what you sell. Instead, when your store receives an order, the third party (the manufacturer or wholesaler) fulfills and ships it on your behalf.
So, startup costs are low; this is the reason why beginners and pros are increasingly setting up their dropshipping stores and making money online.
To be the best drop-shipper, you need to be a good trend-chaser; there’s no shame in catching a trending product wave, as far as the provided services know how to create a difference. If you’re already selling the trendiest products on your dropshipping store, then you’re just some SEO-friendly approaches away from a successful eCommerce store.
Customized Arts & Crafts
Another profitable way to earn money in 2022 is to sell customized/direct-to-consumer brands; no, we are not talking about original products that make meaningful improvements or add details to known items.
Here, our point is to make products by hand, especially jewelry, home décor, beauty products, customized apparel, footwear, and more. As you have observed, many big brands that offer personalized products often start at a small scale.
In this business model, you will have complete control over the product development and quality of the items. The only drawbacks in this are:
- It can be time-consuming,
- It isn’t easy to find or create a niche
- It’s challenging to scale
That said, there’s a hack to customized products; you don’t need to create everything from scratch; find the relevant suppliers or manufacturers that can help you bring your product to life.
Print-on-demand Solutions
A subset of dropshipping, print on demand is a business model that will let you customize white-label products with their designs; these products can only be sold after a customer buys, eliminating the need to hold inventory.
Unlike dropshipping, print on demand will let you keep the product’s unique selling proposition (USP), such as the aesthetics in your control. As the customer places the order, the company will add the selected design to the product, complete the order, and then ship it to the customer.
Again, you don’t need to worry about shipping or production and their related costs and risks; this is the quirkier solution to earn money online than customized products.
Sell on Marketplace
For the sake of giving options, here we are covering two known marketplaces – Amazon and Etsy; we will keep the pace quick, comparing them neck to neck.
From Etsy to Amazon, almost every online marketplace offers shared advantages and disadvantages. The upside is that accessing their networks lets you reach the masses, as users regularly browse these sites.
These channels work in harmony with your website and are known to be a great place to begin the entrepreneurial journey. With a community of 45.7 million buyers, you can use Etsy and grow your brand awareness.
To make your products get found and unlock new opportunities on this go-to destination for product discovery and research, optimize your listings. Selling your products on marketplaces, like Amazon, is an excellent way to make money from home, don’t forget the caveats they come with:
- Amazon has its own set of rules for its marketplace: Amazon is known for providing the best consumer experience; the irony is that you will never get the share of the data of your target and potential customers
- Amazon owns the customer relationship: You cannot track the record of your Amazon customers, which means you cannot re-market them later
So, why not start at home?
Zaapi is a home-grown platform for Thai eCommerce websites that can help bring your business to a distinct audience without worrying about any of the issues above.
Freelancing
Data entry, writing, graphic design, digital marketing… you name it, there’s a possibility that you will find an abundance of freelancers.
Yes, almost every role is viable to offer as a freelance service. The best thing with freelancing is that you have more leverage over the price; you can charge anything when positioning your work as outcomes instead of deliverables. Businesses often hire freelance writers to create content for driving traffic and leads.
To be the best freelancer, niche down when getting started. Focus on a recognizable pain point layered on top of any industry or niche and use specific titles when making pitches.
Most freelancers start at a freelance platform like Fiver, Upwork, etc., and get a few clients on a long-run contract; once you master the skills, expand into another business model. We suggest setting up your very own freelancer website, so you don’t have to pay a cut to those other platforms and deal with your clients on your terms.
Digital Products
Digital products have the best margins to earn money from home; only the upfront costs (planning and development) would be high. The variable costs of selling digital products will be comparatively low. For example, developing media or software is expensive, but delivering to customers is not.
With tangible/digital products, you can repeatedly sell without the need for manufacturing or restocking inventory. They come in downloadable files such as a plug-in, PDF, or interactive document, so no shipping or logistics.
E-learning is one of the most in-demand products projected to be worth $374.3 billion in 2026. Take advantage of this and expand your business; whether it be education, consulting, or memberships, you need social media presence to promote your products and make sales.
Why not try the Zaapi platform to sell your eBooks, guides, and short courses?
Media
Media encompasses an extensive range of services like music, videos, paid newsletters, digital art, magazines, or podcasts.
Closely related to digital products, media selling seems geared toward creative ventures. This business model is suitable for artists and creators who want to express their freedom freely or don’t have access to networks, galleries, PR, etc.
So, How Will You Earn Money Online With An eCommerce Store?
Heading into 2022, the opportunities to earn money online is limitless; we have covered several ways, be sure to pick the one that suits your skills, financial situation, and passion.
If you’re not the one who can commit to a full-time job, freelancing is the best option for you; you can create digital products or sell what attracts you in your spare hours and earn bucks online.
Don’t worry, if you don’t have an eCommerce store, get it created with Zaapi and start selling your products across the globe; with this friendly yet intuitive platform, you don’t need to own a laptop or desktop to run your dream venture – your mobile will be your eCom store.
Now that you’ve learned how to make money online, start working on your idea and build something meaningful; get ready to work hard and reach your goals. Good luck.