Quick ways to make money online

Flip domain names. Domain names are valuable internet real estate and some people actually make a nice living off of buying and selling them. One strategy is to use Google Adwords to find keywords that are trending and use that information to buy domain names that you think may soon be in demand. However, since short, snappy, or straightforward domain names have already been mostly snatched up, you can also get lucky buying domain names that are random acronyms, as you never know when a person or company with those exact initials will decide to set up a website. (CPC.com, for example, sold for over $200,000 when Contract Pharmaceutical Corporation decided to go online.^[1] Not bad for three letters.) For more advice, read How to Buy a Cheap Domain Name.

Do online surveys. Online surveys won’t earn you much apiece, but they don’t eat up much time either and can add up when you need cash in a pinch. Read How to Make Money with Free Online Surveys for more advice.

Transcribe audio. Websites are getting better and better about providing written transcripts for the hearing impaired, meaning that transcriber jobs pop up fairly regularly. Transcribing is generally low paying but is also easy, fast, and doesn’t require much commitment. Check eLance or oDesk for current transcription postings.

Edit audio. If you have and know how to use sound-editing software, you can clean up webcasts and interviews before they go online. Again, look at a site like eLance or oDesk for opportunities.

Enter contests. Since you won’t get paid unless your entry wins, search for a wide range of free contests in a field where you’re already have a lot of possible entries (ex. photos, logo-making, background design) and submit your work to as many places as will have you. It might take a day to get through all of them, but even a few small successes (or, preferably, a great big one) will make up for it. The experience might even steer you in a new creative direction.