Niall Doherty's Blog, page 167
February 18, 2021
Website Flipping Starter Guide
This is a crash course introduction to website flipping.
I’ve been making money flipping websites for 12+ years. I’ve bought, grown, and sold multiple sites as a side-business, with many 6-figure exits.
You’re about to learn:
The ins and outs of website flippingHow to get startedHow profitable website flipping can beAnswers to commonly asked questionsLet’s get to it!
Jump to…What is website flipping?How much money do I need?Where to buy and sell websites?Red flags to look out forQuick wins to increase site valueWhat skills do I need?Common MythsSuccess StoriesIs it profitable?Pros and ConsLearn moreWhat is website flipping?The idea of website flipping, similar to real estate flipping, is to purchase an income-producing website, make some improvements, and then sell (i.e., flip) to another buyer.
At a high-level, a content website is built on a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress which houses content written by the owner themselves, or hired writers.
In general, most of these websites drive human visitors (i.e., website traffic) by implementing SEO techniques to rank content within search engines, and/or from social platforms, such as Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
This traffic is then converted into revenue by using display ads, affiliate marketing, digital products, or other means.
A website asset can be flipped at a standard multiple of 2.5 to 3 times its annual profits, as of this writing. In other words 30 – 36 times monthly profits.
For example:
Those are just some typical examples, but your experience may vary.
For those who understand how to find undervalued websites, flipping can be a great way to make money online. However, it is an active job where the “flipper” has to work to increase the website’s sale valuation.
Editor’s note: website flipping can be considered a Resale business, which we classify as a Level 3 online business. See this framework for more info.
How much money do I need to start website flipping?For those interested in doing website flips, I first highly recommend building and growing a website from scratch.
Only then will you understand the ins and outs of what goes into a website, how it’s built, and what levers you can pull to increase income.
However, if you want to purchase a revenue-generating site earning $100/mo, it will cost you $3,000 to $3,500 at fair market valuations.
I recommend buying a site earning at least $100/mo because that gives you enough cash flow (and motivation) to continue growing.
Where to buy and sell websites?There are two major ways to buy websites:
Directly from private website ownersThrough website brokeragesThe latter will be the most common way to find websites for sale and is the one that most flippers utilize.
Out of all the website brokers, I highly recommend the following three:
Flippa: Public Auction MarketplaceTypical asset prices: No minimum requirementListing type: Auction, Classified listingsFlippa is the eBay of digital assets. They have the largest amount of active websites, SaaS, e-commerce, mobile apps, etc. for sale.
Most of their listings are auctions with a fixed end time, but they do allow for classified listings that are ongoing with a minimum price, and an option to place a “Buy It Now” price.
Flippa is great to find deal flow, but you have to know how to weed out the bad deals from the good ones. That requires a proper due diligence methodology. If you can hone such skills, then you can truly find the “needle in the haystack” type of deals.
Visit Flippa
Empire Flippers: Private Brokerage Typical asset prices: $100,000 or moreListing type: Fixed pricing based on their valuationsEmpire Flippers are one of the largest private brokerages for content websites and e-commerce businesses (primarily Amazon FBA).
They vet each asset to ensure traffic, P&L, etc. all line-up. Empire Flippers does not broker smaller sites that would be friendly for a beginner budget. Most of their deal flow is valued at above $100,000.
Empire Flippers sends out a weekly email Monday morning USA time with sites for sale that week. Note that the good deals sell almost within 24 hours; there is a ton of demand for quality businesses.
Visit Empire Flippers
Motion Invest: Private BrokerageTypical sale prices: $50,000 or lessListing type: Fixed pricing based on their valuationsA relatively new marketplace, Motion Invest solely focuses on content-based website businesses.
They vet each deal before it hits the marketplace. Their deals are more beginner-friendly; at times they have sites listed for less than $10,000.
They also have a dutch-auction marketplace where the price will continue dropping by a certain amount every 2 days until a buyer acquires the business. This is a unique structure in the broker marketplace.
If you are looking for smaller content sites, Motion Invest is a good choice.
Visit Motion InvestWhat should you look for? What are some red flags?Here are a few major red flags you should look out for when buying a website business…
Falsified Traffic DataTraffic – in other words, visitors coming to the website – is the main pillar of a website. Without traffic, there is no revenue, nor any asset value. Traffic sources can be from organic search engines, social media, email marketing, among others.
When you are buying a website business, make sure to verify traffic numbers.
Ask the seller for Google Analytics guest access so that you can verify the following:
Traffic trend over time Number of page views Which pages are getting traffic on the siteThe geographic location of traffic
Expert tip: You can verify the Google Analytics traffic trend against third-party tools such as Ahrefs and/or SEMRush.
Falsified P<his is a common issue in any business, brick & mortar or online. Verification of the P&L is key to buying an asset.
In digital businesses, ask the seller to provide the following:
Detailed screenshots from each revenue source for each month of operationsVideo recording of seller walking through each revenue source showing the earnings Expert tip: Cross-reference your traffic page views against the revenue per month. For example, calculate the revenue per visitor (i.e., revenue divided by visitors) and check this against industry averages for the niche.
Low-quality SEO BacklinksIf the site is SEO-focused (i.e., receiving traffic from organic search engines like Google), make sure to double-check the quality of backlinks that have been built.
There are two main ways to check this:
Third-party tools such as Ahrefs, SEMRush, Moz, and/or Majestic SEOGoogle Search ConsoleA seasoned website investor has a subscription to third-party tools which makes due diligence much simpler. You should also ask for guest access to Google Search Console where you can pull a CSV report of the backlinks.
Expert tip: Keep an eye out for low-quality links from non-niche relevant articles. For example, if you are vetting a site in the kitchen niche, and you see many links that were built from news sites that seem out of the ordinary – this is a red flag that requires further investigation.
Every Friday we email 11,113 people like you with top tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. No hype, no scams, no fake gurus. Sign up below to get the next one.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
What are some common “quick wins” to increase a website’s valuation?
Like with any asset, the goal is to increase its value with quick wins. A content website has many “levers” that you can manipulate to increase earnings.
Some quick wins to look for…
Add Display AdvertisementsMany affiliate-based content businesses, which monetize the site via commission-based products/services, usually do not deploy display ads via networks like Ezoic, Mediavine, AdThrive, or Google Adsense.
Display ads can add a new revenue stream to an existing site solely monetized with affiliate marketing. In general, display ads do not reduce affiliate commissions.
The benefit of display ads is that they do not require changes to the site structure or layout; The networks place advertisements automatically within the site’s elements thus it is one of the most passive ways to generate revenues.
Expert tip: Add display ads to your site for 30 – 90 days and monitor the affiliate commissions during this time.
Informational content (i.e., what, how, where) are perfect candidates to be monetized with display ads, but they also are great for adding affiliate links.
If you can write an article that answers a visitor’s question, and then point them to a product or service that offers a solution to their problem, some of them will click through and buy. If you are an affiliate for the product or service you recommend, you will earn a commission.
Expert tip: Add call-out boxes or comparison tables to the end of informative articles to increase conversions.
Comparison tables often have the highest clickthrough rates of any element on the page. A quick win is to place comparison tables right after the introduction section of the article.
A comparison table should have the following:
Name and pictureBullet point of high-level featuresCall-to-action buttonHere is an example of a comparison table that has high clickthrough rates:
Expert tip: Make sure to use a distinct color for the call-to-action buttons (e.g., yellow, red). This ensures users focus on the button as they scroll down the page.
Everything in the world of website investing can be learned. Having a technical background helps but is not necessary.
These are the major skills to develop…
Ability to learnHaving the ability to research and learn-as-you-go is critical.
All the information to grow your website business is readily available online via other blogs, YouTube videos, or online courses. The ability to apply the learnings to your site is crucial.
Team managementThe ability to build and manage a team gives you a big advantage. A website usually requires writers, editors, assistants (to format and publish articles), server experts, among other talents.
In the beginning, you will handle most of these tasks yourself. But as you scale, outsourcing will be key. As you hire, you will level-up from working IN the business to working ON the business.
DelegationHiring is not enough. The ability to “let go” and delegate the tasks to your team is key.
Some investors are not able to delegate, which results in them getting overwhelmed over time and/or the business is neglected.
Delegate early!
Basic data skillsYou should have the ability to view charts, understand P&Ls, and develop key performance indicators (KPIs).
This will help you spot the right website asset to buy, and also help you to grow the asset.
Don’t get attached to the businessAlways keep your business positioned for a sale. Always keep your P&L up to date. Do not get attached to the business. While this may not seem like a skill, it is.
Being prepared for a sale will help in case you do have to sell. Best case you never need to sell. But life can get in the way. So be ready.
Two Silly Myths About Website Flipping Website flipping is passive incomeThis is a misconception.
A website is a living breathing entity that needs to be taken care of. At times there will be less work, but there will always be work.
You can delegate most of it to experts, but managing the team will then become the work.
Website flipping can be learned quicklyThe ability to buy, stabilize, grow, and sell takes practice, intuition, and grit.
While it’s easy to get started – since acquisitions can be done for less than $10,000 – repeating successful flips over and over again takes systematic procedures, and the ability to find quality deals.
👇 Subscribe to eBiz Weekly 👇Every Friday we email 11,113 people like you with top tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. No hype, no scams, no fake gurus. Sign up below to get the next one.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
Website Flipping Success Stories
Lifestyle Niche Site Sold for $27,000 after 8 monthsWe acquired a niche site in the lifestyle/health niche for $5,500 in August 2020. The website was earning around $250 – $300/month when acquired.
We grew the site by performing conversion rate optimization (CRO) to increase earnings, and also generate more traffic with on-page search engine optimization (SEO) and more content.
The site grew in traffic and earnings to reach just shy of $1,000/month by November 2020. Check out the revenue charge below:
We sold the site for $27,000 in January 2021.
Here is the P&L breakdown:
Acquired for $5,500Revenues while holding: $3,673Content writer costs: $705Theme costs: $56Asset sale: $27,000Total profit: $24,412We increased our original investment of $5,500 within 6-months to $24,412 profit.
That is a 4.5X on our initial capital.
$2,700 to $24,000 In A YearOnfolio did a case study on how they took an acquisition for $2,700 to sell for $24,000 in one year.
This site was making around $200/mo and was acquired for $2,700. This puts the multiple at 13.5x monthly revenues or 1.12x annual revenues. This was a good acquisition by the Onfolio team since typical valuations are at the 30x monthly or 2.5 – 3x annual revenues.
However, proper due diligence was not done since both the traffic and revenues were decreasing. This caused a steep decrease of 30% thus impacting revenues.
Due diligence is the most important factor when evaluating any acquisition. However, the site was turned around by doing the following:
On-page changes to the content to target keywordsInternal linking between articlesBacklink building by reaching out to other blogs in the spaceAdding new revenue streamsThis allowed the site to increase revenues to $885/mo via Amazon Associates. Here is a screenshot of earnings:
The site was then sold to a private party for $24,000.
Is website flipping profitable?Yes, website flipping certainly can be profitable.
For someone getting started, their first niche site will consist mostly of sweat labor and investing in a few software, services, and training courses:
Training:Authority Hacker course or plenty of YouTube videosWebsite backend:
WordPress for freeWebsite theme:
GeneratePress, Thrive Themes, ElementorContent:
Free. First-timers should write content to save fundsSEO:
Free. Do it yourself and learnHosting:
Can range from $5 – $15/mo. I recommend Siteground or Bluehost for beginners.
That’s it to get started.
The main aspect then becomes how much content can you produce yourself. Of course, you can outsource parts of this.
Websites sell for a multiple of 30 – 35 times monthly average profits. Therefore, getting a site to earn $500/mo can net you $15,000 to $17,500.
Pros and cons of website flipping ProsEasy to bootstrap with a low budget. All information is readily available for free onlineEasy to outsource parts of the site maintenance once revenue is coming inPlenty of broker marketplaces that will handle your website sale processSale valuations are favorable to anyone entering (range from 3x – 3.5x annual profits)
ConsIf the primary driver of traffic is search engines, a Google algorithm update can reduce your site’s value almost overnightCommission payout changes can happen without warning (e.g., Amazon Associates cut commissions without warning in April 2020)Can be challenging to find good websites for sale; there are more bad deals than goodCan be difficult for newcomers to perform due diligence on a website they want to buyHiring talent online is different than hiring talent face-to-faceLearn more about website flipping
This was a detailed primer on website flipping. Websites are digital assets that provide cash flow. They can be acquired from various private and public marketplaces for favorable valuations.
If you are interested in acquiring a business, digital assets like websites would be a good first choice.
To learn more about website flipping for free, check out The Website Flip newsletter, where I share growth case studies, guides, and exclusive deal flow for sale.
Other ways to make money onlineThere are many other ways to make money online, to work from home or anywhere in the world.
Full list of ways to make money onlineMore profiles of online money makers👇 Subscribe to eBiz Weekly 👇Every Friday we email 11,113 people like you with top tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. No hype, no scams, no fake gurus. Sign up below to get the next one.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
February 12, 2021
eBiz Weekly #110
eBiz Weekly is a free newsletter packed with tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. We send it out every Friday to 10,911 legendary subscribers. We also post the content of each email here on the website.
Sign up to get the next edition of eBiz Weekly delivered to your inboxHP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
View the archive
This week:
MetaHuman CreatorMVPs of billion dollar companiesThe 100th video of MKBHDDeal of the Week: Adobe Creative CloudGet Paid To Read BooksAd inspiration from fast growing companiesTom Brady’s MantraPeople pay billions of dollars for this$300,000 a year via UpworkShould you build in public?MetaHuman CreatorPrepare to have your mind blown by the 1-minute video on this page 
MetaHuman Creator is the latest and greatest digital animation tool from Epic’s Unreal Engine.
Unreal Engine is what produces life-like graphics for many popular video games, and shows such as The Mandalorian.
Their new tool will let you create incredibly real-looking digital humans in less than an hour. You pick the hair style, skin tone, body shape, etc. Then animate them however you want.
What online business opportunities will this open up?
No doubt we’ll see lots more CGI used in adult entertainment.And probably more virtual influencers like Lil Miquela.More people will be able to create realistic looking movies without leaving their computer.How about creating a perfectly-groomed digital clone of yourself to appear in YouTube videos?Or using that clone to see how different outfits or hairstyles will look on you.Any other ideas?
MVPs of billion dollar companiesRyan Gum shows the first versions of products that turned into billion dollar companies:
DropboxZapposAirbnbGrouponTwitterMy favorite:
The Zappos MVP was a fake e-commerce store. Nick Swinmurn took photos of shoes from his local mall and uploaded them to a website. When a customer purchased, he went back to the store, bought the shoes, and sent them to the customer.
MVP = Minimum Viable Product.
The main takeaway here is to start small. Don’t try to build the perfect product before you launch. Build the minimum viable version of the product, launch it 
and see what kind of feedback you get.
Speaking of starting small, check out this 2009 video from YouTuber MKBHD.
It was his 100th video, in which he notes that he has managed to build his channel to “70-ish subscribers.”
Today MKBHD has 13.6 million subscribers and earns an estimated $193k per month 
These things don’t happen overnight.
Deal of the Week: Adobe Creative CloudYou can get 25% off Adobe Creative Cloud through the 14th 
That includes Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and a bunch more Adobe apps.
Last week’s featured deal – $39 for lifetime access to POSTOPLAN social media manager – was a hit with you guys. It’s still available here if you want to grab it.
See all deals this weekGet Paid To Read BooksWe recently put together a list of ways to get paid for reading books 
The first five:
Reading Books Via AppsWriting Book ReviewsWriting Book SummariesProofreadingEditingWe dive deeper into all those and several more in the article, showing how much you can earn, what skills and equipment you need, handy resources, etc.
Ad inspiration from fast growing companiesThat’s what Great Creative provides 
Check it out if you’re looking for ideas for your own advertising campaigns.
Be careful though: just because an ad is featured on that website doesn’t mean it was actually effective.
Tom Brady’s Mantra43-year old Tom Brady won his 7th Super Bowl last weekend 
CNBC Make It notes that Brady has frequently turned to a book called The Four Agreements to help him perform at an elite level.
The four agreements are:
Be impeccable with your wordDon’t take anything personallyDon’t make assumptionsAlways do your bestBrady has referred to the second one as “kind of a mantra for my life.”
From the book:
You take it personally because you agree with whatever was said. As soon as you agree, the poison goes through you, and you are trapped in the dream of hell. What causes you to be trapped is what we call personal importance. Personal importance, or taking things personally, is the maximum expression of selfishness because we make the assumption that everything is about “me.”
Sounds good, but as anyone who’s seen The Last Dance knows, sometimes taking things personally can work to your advantage 
John da Maia writes about the time he bumped into Bryan Cranston before a meeting at Amazon’s headquarters.
Cranston told him:
If you analyze the world, you will find that you have been told stories since you were born. You need stories to make sense of the world. And the most important thing: people pay billions of dollars to hear a story.
John goes on to recount an experiment performed by a journalist back in 2009…
[The journalist] wanted to find out if storytelling was powerful enough to make people spend more money on ordinary / low-value objects.
His strategy was brilliant: have creative writers invent stories about the objects and then post them on eBay and understand if the invented stories increase the value of the object measured by the eBay auction.
He bought 200 objects with an average of $1 each. The objects couldn’t be clothing or anything that could be considered artwork. The results were mind-blowing.
One example was a plastic banana 
bought for $0.25 and sold for $76. Another was a mug bought for $0.39 and sold for $31.
All because of the compelling stories the writers attached to those objects.
If you want to get better at storytelling yourself, two great books on the topic:
Building a StoryBrand (8m video summary)Storyworthy (18m author TED Talk)$300,000 a year via UpworkThat’s Sam Hill’s story on the Tropical MBA podcast 
Sam used to be a senior associate at PwC, hired out at $350/hour. To get his first gigs on Upwork, he charged only $45/hour.
The universe doesn’t care about your corporate controller or that you were a consultant or investment banker or whatever. Like that is a totally different world and it doesn’t play in ‘entrepreneur land’
I loved Sam’s goal of sending 20 proposals a week on Upwork. He reset the number to 20 every Monday and made sure he got it to zero by the end of the week.
He also shares on the podcast that putting together a pitch deck and using loom videos in his proposals helped him stand out and win jobs.
Related: 4 proven Upwork cover letter templates
Should you build in public?Matt Giovanisci and Brendan Hufford tackled this topic recently on Money Lab Live.
Lots of people nowadays recommend that entrepreneurs build their businesses in public, which is not always good advice.
Be sure to weigh the pros and cons before going this route yourself 
You've been reading the web version of our free weekly newsletter, eBiz Weekly. Enter your email below to join 10,911 subscribers and get the next one delivered direct to your inbox.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
That’ll do it for this week.
Was there anything above that you found particularly useful or interesting?
I aim to pack these emails with the best tips, insights and opportunities for building your online business. Your feedback helps me do that.
Also, feel free to forward this email to a friend, or you can direct them to the online version here: https://ebizfacts.com/ebiz-weekly-110/
In case you missed em, here are the last three editions of eBiz Weekly:
#109 – 34 Sites for Paid Research Studies#108 – $10k/month affiliate marketing in Dutch and German#107 – $500,000 for deep frying a turkeyFull archiveUntil next week, rock on with your legendary self 
—
Niall Doherty – Tbilisi, Georgia
eBiz Facts
By the way...
How To Make Money Online
A deep article laying out all the possibilities for making money online, based on the 6 levels and 19 types of online business.
Recommended Resources
Check out our collection of the best tools and resources for building an online business. Web hosting, email marketing, productivity, top-rated courses, etc.
Free Courses
A massive list of FREE Udemy courses to help build your online business. We only list top-rated courses – minimum 50 ratings – and update every 24 hours.
Find A Remote Job
See our list of the best ways to find a remote job, based on 100+ hours of research and testing.
Start Earning Online
A free crash course to help you build an online business, consists of 11 videos shot in Spain, Russia and Montenegro.
Freedom Business Builder
FBB is a private community of online business builders. Our 300+ members range from people just starting their first online businesses, to experienced online entrepreneurs earning thousands of dollars each month.
Facebook + Twitter
If you enjoyed the above, come follow eBiz Facts on the socials. We share this kind of content regularly on Facebook and Twitter.
Sign up for more tips and insights to build your online business 🚀
You've been reading the web version of our free weekly newsletter, eBiz Weekly. Enter your email below to join 10,911 subscribers and get the next one delivered direct to your inbox.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
February 5, 2021
eBiz Weekly #109
eBiz Weekly is a free newsletter packed with tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. We send it out every Friday to 10,710 legendary subscribers. We also post the content of each email here on the website.
Sign up to get the next edition of eBiz Weekly delivered to your inboxHP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
View the archive
This week:
34 Sites for Paid Research StudiesGrowth Hacking on SnapchatDeal of the Week: POSTOPLANHow to do cold outreach rightFree SEO Writing MasterclassHis online course made $6,622 in 5 daysThe key to being successfulSuper Bowl, Twitter, PinterestMomentos + Finance Report34 Sites for Paid Research StudiesWe recently spent 30+ hours looking into online paid research studies.
That’s where you give companies feedback on their products and services. Or you help scientists or researchers gather information about things like diseases or human behavior. And you get paid for your time.
For example, last week I saw a study that pays parents $100 to jump on a 60-minute call and talk about their experience homeschooling their kids.
The best sites for finding such studies:
Respondent PingPong
FindFocusGroups.com r/PaidStudies
Check out the full article for even more research study and focus group websites.
You won’t make a consistent living from this kind of thing, but it can be good for an extra $100 to $500 per month without much effort.
Growth Hacking on SnapchatSome insight into how one creator has earned almost $3 million via Snapchat’s Spotlight (basically their version of TikTok):
Spotlight, in what was most likely an attempt to drive traffic away from competition posed by TikTok and its creator fund, declared it would splurge a daily ONE MILLION DOLLARS between the most popular and highest rated videos on the app. Enter Cam Casey.
Casey, an online creator who has been lurking on the edges of YouTube and Instagram for a few years, saw an opportunity to exploit this reward system. He worked out that if you make enough videos on a daily basis, they’re bound to wind up on the trending page.
Snapchat’s limit per account was 100 videos per day, so Cam uploaded 100 videos per day.
After three weeks he had 70 videos in the top 100 and had earned $1.5 million
The key though is that Cam had been making and posting short videos to TikTok and Instagram for a long time before, and was already earning himself a living via those platforms (source). He was able to repost a lot of that existing content to Snapchat and cash in on their crazy incentive program.
Some say luck = preparation x opportunity
Cam’s preparation was creating tons of content and learning what kinds of videos did well on social. Then he saw the Spotlight opportunity and went all-in to make the most of it.
Not your typical 19 year old.
Deal of the Week: POSTOPLANPOSTOPLAN is a tool for scheduling and organizing social media posts. It’s perfect for managing your own social media campaigns, or those of your clients. Google around for reviews and you’ll see it’s very highly rated 
The VIP plan usually costs $10 per month or $60 per year, but you can get a lifetime deal here for only $39.
See all deals this weekHow to do cold outreach rightShaan Puri tells the story of how his cousin hustled and got connected with Chamath Palihapitiya, “a billionaire Silicon Valley venture capitalist.”
Basically the cousin heard mention that Chamath might run for governor of California, so he found someone to build a quick one-page campaign website and sent it to Chamath.
They wakeup in the morning to 3 emails from Chamath.
The first – “Holy shit! I love it!”
The 2nd, asking to setup a call
Instead of begging to meet a busy person…they did something to add value to him, which made him WANT to meet them.
Could you use a similar approach to meet your dream clients or mentors?
Surfer is giving free access to their new SEO writing course until February 28th.
After that, the price will be $199.
Definitely worth a look if you want to improve your content game
Preetam Nath recently launched an SEO course that earned him almost $7k in five days. Read his blog post if you’re thinking to create an online course yourself.
We’ve previously profiled Preetam on eBiz Facts, breaking down how he co-founded SuperLemon, a WhatsApp plugin for Shopify stores that generates $29,000 in monthly revenue
Marc Randolph is best known as the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix. He’s also started a bunch of other companies, including one that sold to Google for $2.6 billion in 2019 
His words during a recent podcast interview:
I’ve realized that the key to being successful is not how good your ideas are. It’s how good you are at being able to find quick, cheap, and easy ways to try your ideas.
One approach to help you test an idea quick, cheap and easy: RAT
Super Bowl, Twitter, PinterestI love keeping an eye on Darko’s User Acquisition Channels.
In the latest edition, he shares 3 opportunities for drawing attention to your business:
Pinterest storiesSuper Bowl newsjackingTwitter for newsletter growthMomentos + Finance ReportFeel free to check out my latest personal ramblings, and my January finance report.
Sign up for more tips and insights to build your online business 🚀You've been reading the web version of our free weekly newsletter, eBiz Weekly. Enter your email below to join 10,710 subscribers and get the next one delivered direct to your inbox.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
That’ll do it for this week.
Was there anything above that you found particularly useful or interesting?
I aim to pack these emails with the best tips, insights and opportunities for building your online business. Your feedback helps me do that.
Also, feel free to forward this email to a friend, or you can direct them to the online version here: https://ebizfacts.com/ebiz-weekly-109/
In case you missed em, here are the last three editions of eBiz Weekly:
#108 – $10k/month affiliate marketing in Dutch and German#107 – $500,000 for deep frying a turkey#106 – Successful 1-person online businessesFull archiveUntil next week, rock on with your legendary self
—
Niall Doherty – Tbilisi, Georgia
eBiz Facts
By the way...
How To Make Money Online
A deep article laying out all the possibilities for making money online, based on the 6 levels and 19 types of online business.
Recommended Resources
Check out our collection of the best tools and resources for building an online business. Web hosting, email marketing, productivity, top-rated courses, etc.
Free Courses
A massive list of FREE Udemy courses to help build your online business. We only list top-rated courses – minimum 50 ratings – and update every 24 hours.
Find A Remote Job
See our list of the best ways to find a remote job, based on 100+ hours of research and testing.
Start Earning Online
A free crash course to help you build an online business, consists of 11 videos shot in Spain, Russia and Montenegro.
Freedom Business Builder
FBB is a private community of online business builders. Our 300+ members range from people just starting their first online businesses, to experienced online entrepreneurs earning thousands of dollars each month.
Facebook + Twitter
If you enjoyed the above, come follow eBiz Facts on the socials. We share this kind of content regularly on Facebook and Twitter.
Sign up for more tips and insights to build your online business 🚀
You've been reading the web version of our free weekly newsletter, eBiz Weekly. Enter your email below to join 10,710 subscribers and get the next one delivered direct to your inbox.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
January 29, 2021
eBiz Weekly #108
eBiz Weekly is a free newsletter packed with tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. We send it out every Friday to 10,468 legendary subscribers. We also post the content of each email here on the website.
Sign up to get the next edition of eBiz Weekly delivered to your inboxHP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
View the archive
This week:
Make Money Playing Video GamesTikTok Cheat Sheet“pain in the ass” = opportunityDeal of the Week: 25% off the SEO ChecklistWTF is Bitcoin anyway?5x the work, same amount of timeGumroad UniversityBootstrapped a SaaS to $10k MRRComing soon: Clubhouse monetization$10k/mo affiliate marketing in Dutch and GermanMake Money Playing Video GamesWe put together this in-depth article of 41 ways you can make money with video games 
Probably the most easily accessible thing on there is Quality Assurance Testing, which pays an average of $36 per hour. We listed a handful of sites that hire QA Testers regularly.
(And if you know anyone who’d like that article, please do send it their way. A ton of time and research went into it.)
TikTok Cheat SheetLi Jin and Lila Shroff put together this guide
Lots of great examples in there showing how businesses are leveraging TikTok, and how you can do similar.
My favorite example is this video from TabTab, an app that helps you split the cost of subscriptions. Almost 60,000 views on that.
Also, Li and Lila run Side Hustle Stack, which is a big list of platforms you can use for gig work or side hustles. Plenty of online work ideas there.
“pain in the ass” = opportunityThat’s just one of many gems in this article from Charles Ngo.
Friction is good. Facebook and AdWords make it easy for anyone to advertise online. The easier it is to advertise, the more competitors you’re going to face.
You can think of friction as a defensive moat.
The article is mainly about distribution channels, how each one has a golden age, and how to know what’s the next big thing
For example, the golden age of Facebook was 2012-2016, when ads were still cheap and organic reach was still decent.
Nowadays, not so much.
Charles lists 4 distribution channels worth looking at in 2021, including “the #1 app for Gen Z” … which probably isn’t what you think.
Related: Darko dives into 3 acquisition channel opportunities
Deal of the Week: 25% off the SEO ChecklistThe SEO Checklist is a handy framework to help you rank your site on page one of Google.
Or, you can use it as a solid process for boosting organic traffic for your clients.
Usual price is $97, but use the code EBIZFACTS at checkout to get a 25% discount
If you don’t really get the whole Bitcoin thing, or you’re just curious to know more about it, definitely check out this 3-hour podcast deep-dive from the guys at Acquired.
As they say in their intro, Bitcoin is officially the best investment of all-time, with 3,000,000x appreciation over the last 12 years. Meaning a $350 investment in Bitcoin back then would now be worth about $1 billion
Related: best business podcasts for online entrepreneurs
5x the work, same amount of timeThis article on WebSavvy is worth a read if you struggle with delegation.
Teaser:
Gumroad UniversityYour job as a leader (in your job/business) is two-fold: predict & delegate. This is how to do the delegate part even better than you do right now. Essentially you can think of every task as a 10-80-10 task…
If you’re interested in creating and selling digital products, Gumroad University has plenty of free guides and case studies to help you out
Some of the case studies:
Jesse Enkamp – 6 figures teaching karate onlineFloortje Visser – 6 figures selling digital artDru Riley – $100,000 in ~8 months with a freemium newsletterJust keep in mind that digital products are a Level 4 online business (according to our framework).
Bootstrapped a SaaS to $10k MRRJon Yongfook launched Bannerbear in Sept 2019 and recently hit $10,000 monthly recurring revenue
Bannerbear is software that “helps you auto-generate social media visuals, ecommerce banners, dynamic email images and more with API and integrations.”
Even if that means nothing to you, it’s worth reading Jon’s story. It illustrates well the rollercoaster ride of building a high-level online business 
(SaaS is Level 5, btw.)
One of my favorite takeaways from Jon:
Coming soon: Clubhouse monetization“Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.”
Clubhouse has been generating lots of buzz lately 
Mashable has a good explanation of the app here.
Basically, you can jump in and out of different chats, on different subjects, in something akin to a live, free-flowing podcast. You can simply listen or choose to throw in your thoughts. Imagine a cocktail party or, clubhouse.
Much of the buzz comes from Clubhouse being invite-only, and from lots of celebs – Oprah, Kevin Hart, Ashton Kutcher, etc. – and big-name entrepreneurs using it.
There’s no monetization built in to Clubhouse, but they recently announced plans for such:
$10k/mo affiliate marketing in Dutch and GermanOver the next few months, we plan to launch our first tests to allow creators to get paid directly—through features like tipping, tickets or subscriptions. We will also be using a portion of the new funding round to roll out a Creator Grant Program to support emerging Clubhouse creators.
Every so often I hear from non-native English speakers asking if you can make good money doing affiliate marketing in other languages.
From now on, I’ll refer them to this 40-minute interview with Nigel Hooijmans
The highlights:
Nigel is from the NetherlandsHe publishes content in Dutch and GermanHe started blogging in Sept 2019Says he didn’t know much about SEO or affiliate marketingHis main site took off at the end of 2020, earning about $14k in December.Related:
23 affiliate marketing website examplesMy list of the best affiliate marketing courses (based on 500+ hours of research)Sign up for more tips and insights to build your online business 🚀You've been reading the web version of our free weekly newsletter, eBiz Weekly. Enter your email below to join 10,468 subscribers and get the next one delivered direct to your inbox.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
Phew. We managed to get through all that with nare a mention of GameStop. Job well done.
Was there anything above that you found particularly useful or interesting?
I aim to pack these emails with the best tips, insights and opportunities for building your online business. Your feedback helps me do that.
Also, feel free to forward this email to a friend, or you can direct them to the online version here: https://ebizfacts.com/ebiz-weekly-108/
In case you missed em, here are the last three editions of eBiz Weekly:
#107 – $500,000 for deep frying a turkey#106 – Successful 1-person online businesses#105 – Can I make money as a freelance writer in Africa?Full archiveUntil next week, rock on with your legendary self
—
Niall Doherty – Tbilisi, Georgia
eBiz Facts
By the way...
How To Make Money Online
A deep article laying out all the possibilities for making money online, based on the 6 levels and 19 types of online business.
Recommended Resources
Check out our collection of the best tools and resources for building an online business. Web hosting, email marketing, productivity, top-rated courses, etc.
Free Courses
A massive list of FREE Udemy courses to help build your online business. We only list top-rated courses – minimum 50 ratings – and update every 24 hours.
Find A Remote Job
See our list of the best ways to find a remote job, based on 100+ hours of research and testing.
Start Earning Online
A free crash course to help you build an online business, consists of 11 videos shot in Spain, Russia and Montenegro.
Freedom Business Builder
FBB is a private community of online business builders. Our 300+ members range from people just starting their first online businesses, to experienced online entrepreneurs earning thousands of dollars each month.
Facebook + Twitter
If you enjoyed the above, come follow eBiz Facts on the socials. We share this kind of content regularly on Facebook and Twitter.
Sign up for more tips and insights to build your online business 🚀
You've been reading the web version of our free weekly newsletter, eBiz Weekly. Enter your email below to join 10,468 subscribers and get the next one delivered direct to your inbox.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
January 24, 2021
Paid Research Studies (2021)
This is the definitive guide to finding online paid research studies that you can earn from.
Today you’ll learn:
What online paid research isWhat types of research you could participate inLegit places to find well paying research studies you can do from homeTips on how to succeed making money from paid researchI’ve spent a week researching and learning about all the different places you can earn cash from taking part in studies.
Best Sites for Paid Research StudiesIf you’re in a hurry, these are the top sites we recommend:
Worldwide
Inside USA
Keep scrolling for more info and resources.
Jump to…What is online paid research?How much can I earn?Best International SitesBest Sites for the USA30+ More Legit SitesAre paid research studies legit?Are $350+ focus groups real?What skills do I need?General TipsPros and ConsCan I be a full-time participant?Share your experience🏡 Want to Work From Home? 🏡Join 10,317 subscribers to our weekly newsletter and every Friday we'll send you tips, insights and opportunities to help you earn a living from home.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
What Is Online Paid Research?Online paid research is a broad term. It mainly includes activities like:
Focus GroupsProviding feedback with a bigger group of testers or participants.In-home Interviews
Talking directly with people over the phone or internet.One-on-one Interviews
Sharing your opinion via video conferencing software.Answering Questionnaires
Giving feedback to short questions based on your opinions or experiences.Taste / Product Testing
Receiving a “first-look” at products and testing them.Mock Trial / Mock Jury
Participating in a simulated court trial to help legal workers train.
You’ll sometimes see paid research called “paid studies” or “paid focus groups” too.
Generally you’ll be providing companies information about their products or services to help them improve. Or you might be helping scientists or researchers gather information about things like diseases or human behaviour.
The subject of research can be varied.
Note that we differentiate between paid research studies and paid surveys, though there can be some overlap. Both are considered GetPaidTo (GPT), but you’ll usually earn more money with research studies.
See our list of best survey sites How Much Do Research Studies Pay?Typically, research studies can pay anything between $8 – $450 per hour.
While generally not a consistent source of income, they can be a great way to earn some extra money.
An example of a paid online research study that many people could potentially qualify for:
facebook.com/probemarketresearchPotential earnings rely on a few factors:
Method of researchOnline studies tend to pay less than in-person ones. This is because the range of information a researcher can receive is limited to text or speech. Sometimes the higher paying studies need more information (i.e. health metrics in clinical research).Length of study
The longer the study, the higher the chance of earning. Some studies can be less than an hour in length. Others might go on for several weeks or months.Type of payment
Some online paid research positions don’t pay in cash at all but rather gift cards or vouchers. These could limit you to certain vendors you may not be interested in (Walmart when you live outside the U.S. for instance).Number of research studies available
Don’t be fooled into thinking high paying online studies are everywhere, they’re not. As far as market research companies or clinical trials go, they are expensive to set up and manage.Demographics
Certain studies want to target a specific age, income or gender etc. There’s no promise you’ll qualify for enough studies to make it worth your while.
The highest to lowest earning online paid research study types are:
Focus groupsTaste/product testingQuestionnaires or surveys (list of best survey sites)The last group pays the least but usually has more regular opportunities.
Best Places to Find Paid Studies OnlineThere are several legit sites to find paid research studies.
The two best places, in my opinion, are PingPong and Respondent. They take participants from anywhere, not just the U.S.
Let’s take a closer look at each.
RespondentRespondent.io is a website that helps companies like Allstate and eBay perform market research studies.
As a “respondent” (fancy word for research participant), you’ll be paid for taking part in focus groups, one-on-one interviews and other research work.
Examples of paid research studies available at Respondent:
The majority of the studies are performed online or via phone (i.e. remote).
Earning Range$20 – $500 per studyPros and ConsHigh payoutGood reputation among online workersNot easy to qualify for research studiesSlow customer supportFull Respondent reviewCheck out RespondentPingPongPingPong is a recent player in the marketing research space, launched in 2017. Its platform is designed to bring developers and research participants together in one-on-one video calls to help test websites.
As their past clients include companies like BT, Skyscanner, Zapier and Nestle, you know they’re legit.
One user reported earning €40 per hour participating in 3 studies on PingPong:
Source: reddit.com Earning Range€10 – €100 for every session€30+ per hour of a video call (special cases up to €200)Pros and ConsYou don’t need to match any special criteriaThe chance to work with top brandsRequires providing feedback with a webcamPossibly boring if you’re not interested in web design and usabilityCheck out PingPong Best Sites For Paid Studies Online In The USAIf you’re a U.S. resident there are two more options worth checking out: FindFocusGroups.com and r/PaidStudies.
These are listing sites as opposed to market research companies.
FindFocusGroups.comFindFocusGroups.com allows you to search for both in-person and online research studies taking place across America.
At the time of writing, there are several online focus groups and clinical trials listed. These cover topics as broad as credit cards, Bay Area living and home ownership.
Example:
FindFocusGroups.com Earning Range$65 – $400 per studyPros and ConsFrequently updated Good number of focus-groups and research studies availableAll studies with decent payThird-party site, can’t always promise legit studiesThe application process isn’t standard (dependent on whatever site you’re referred to)Check out FindFocusGroups.comReddit r/PaidStudiesr/PaidStudies is a growing subreddit that was first started in 2017.
It lists paid market research studies, including the ones that can be done online from anywhere in the USA.
An example of a paid study linked from r/PaidStudies:
Earning Range$25 – $500 per studyPros and ConsNew research studies posted dailyBig range of study types; clinical trials, focus groups, product testing, etc.You don’t have to create an account to apply Third-party site, can’t always promise legit studiesSome overlap with platforms like Respondent re-posting studiesCheck out r/PaidStudies 30 Other Legit Places to Find Paid Focus GroupThere are a bunch of other legit places with research studies available.
Sites below are listed in alphabetical order. So, there are some really good ones mentioned even towards the very end of the article. Keep scrolling down and you will see examples of online studies that pay up to $500 for a 75-minute call interview…
20|20 ResearchPart of the Schlesinger marketing group, 20|20 Research has over 30 years experience in the industry.
They offer both online focus groups and one-on-one interviews mainly to U.S. residents. Examples:
Source: reddit.com Earning Range$50 – $350 per qualitative research$1 – $10 for each quick survey (quantitative research)Pros and ConsHigh earning potentialMany short survey opportunities available, paying out anything between $1 – $10 cashLengthy pre-screening testsHigher earning rates for in-person studies (specifically for people in Charlotte, Nashville and Miami)Check out 20|20 ResearchAdler Weiner ResearchAdler Weiner Research has over 60 years experience in the industry. They specialize in consumer, medical and business-to-business marketing.
They offer focus-groups, in-depth interviews and shop alongs (a research team goes with you to shop).
An example of online study:
Earning Range$25 – $300 per studyPros and ConsDiverse research study typesReputable companyMostly want people for in-person studies in Chicago, Los Angeles and Orange CountryCheck out Adler Weiner ResearchAmazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)Mechanical Turk is a “microjobs” site from Amazon where you can get paid to perform small tasks, including participation in research studies.
MTurk brings researchers and participants together allowing for pseudo-anonymity between both. Having a third party (Amazon) overseeing payments is a great way to protect both parties.
Examples of the higher paying tasks one user reported on the Hustle:
thehustle.coAs you can see above, this user was earning between $10.54 – $14.24 per hour, while only taking the highest paying surveys.
However, most tasks pay at the lower end:
theatlantic.comThe Hustle reported average earnings:
A 2018 academic study analyzed 3.8m tasks completed by 2,676 workers on MTurk and found that average earnings through the platform amounted to $2 per hour. Only 4% of all workers earned more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour.
Earning Range$1 – $14 per hourPros and ConsMany varied opportunitiesOpen to internationalsLower payingStrong competition for placesVisit Amazon Mechanical TurkCheck this subreddit which posts the highest paying tasks on MTurkAmerican Consumer OpinionBoasting 6 million members, American Consumer Opinion runs paid research studies several times a year. They normally don’t pay much, but you might be selected for those rare market research studies that pay up to $50.
The platform runs on a points system rather than cash payouts. When you hit $10.00, you can request your money.
Earning RangeAbout $2 – $5 for a few minute study$0.1 – $0.3 compensation if you disqualifyPros and ConsVaried research subjectis (product opinions, website testing, etc.)Much more low-paying surveys than higher-paying focus groupsVisit American Consumer OpinionApex Focus GroupApex Focus Group is seeking individuals to participate in paid focus groups, survey panels, clinical trials, and phone interviews.
Most of their studies are 90 – 120 minutes in duration and on the topics like food, sports, entertainment, pets, electronics, automobiles and parenting.
Examples:
apexfocusgroup.com Earning Range$35 – $75 (per 1 hour session)$250 – $500 (multi-session studies)Pros and ConsHigh payoutsVaried research topicsHigh competition among participantsU.S. residents onlyApply for Apex Focus Group as a focus group participant👇 Subscribe to eBiz Weekly 👇Every Friday we email 10,317 people like you with top tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. No hype, no scams, no fake gurus. Sign up below to get the next one.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
Brand Institute
As the parent of the Drug Safety Institute (DSI), Brand Institute specializes in medical research surveys.
They only work with licenced healthcare workers as participants. Most surveys seem to take 15 to 40 minutes and pay between $10 – $20 on average.
The list of open surveys is only available for signed-up users. But you can find their users reviews on Facebook. One user posted a screenshot of his survey history a few years ago…
reddit.com Earning Range$2 – $30 per studyPros and ConsQuick earning opportunity for healthcare workersMany reported that surveys were interesting and funRequires a medical license number from participantsNot that many surveys seem to be available latelyVisit Brand InstituteCarnegie Mellon University | Center for Behavioral and Decision ResearchCarnegie Mellon runs a few online studies from their research lab. Subjects include things like personal attitudes, beliefs, human judgement and decision-making.
Example:
reddit.com Earning Range$8 per hour on average (for online studies)Pros and ConsShort online studies (from 5 minutes to an hour)Enter a lottery for a chance to win a larger prizeParticipants are primarily needed for in-person studies in labs on campusCan not participate in more than one study at one timeVisit Carnegie Mellon University’s Research CenterColumbia Business School | Center for Decision SciencesColumbia Business School is continually recruiting people to take part in online studies.
Recent topics of study have involved completing interactive decision-making tasks, short cognitive tests, solving brain teasers and answering general questions about politics.
Earning RangeAbout $16 per hourPros and ConsGood number of research projectsSteady pay rateFew studies for people outside USMay be strict eligibility requirementsApply for CDS Virtual LabCenterWatchCenterWatch is an aggregator of worldwide clinical research studies. They list studies from research labs and clinics all over the globe, including those doing important research on subjects like dementia and genetic screening.
Unfortunately, they often don’t disclose the earning ranges on their studies and many are strictly voluntary.
You’ll need to play around with the search filters to find paid and/or online studies. Try searching for the following keywords:
PaidCompensationCompensatedGift cardHere’s an example of a paid online study I found via search:
centerwatch.com Earning RangeVariablePros and ConsAvailable studies on all continents (but mainly in North America, Europe and Asia)You can find well-paid studiesPoor site navigation (hunting for paid online studies can take a while)Many studies are voluntaryVisit CenterWatchFieldworkFieldwork is a marketing research company that has been operating since 1980.
They are mainly focused on consumer and medical panels and have several in-person paid research locations in the US.
Example:
fieldwork.com Earning Range$75 minimum for focus groupsPros and ConsShort sessions (1-2 hours)Variety of topicsFew online paid research gigs (most are in-person)Visit FieldworkFocusGroup.comFocusGroup.com is another research company owned by the Schlesinger Group. They list many online focus groups and research studies on their Facebook page.
FocusGroup.com also operates under the brands Focus Pointe Global and Inspired Opinions.
Example of an online focus group:
facebook.com/SchlesingerGroup Earning Range$75 – $200 per studyPros and ConsReputable brandGood number of research projectsAll studies with decent paySlow payout (cash usually received within 6-8 weeks of participation)There could be some delays in paymentVisit FocusGroup.comCheck out Focus Group on Facebook for the latest studies Google’s User Experience ResearchGoogle runs different focus group studies to get user feedback on a range of their products and services.
Many of these studies offer redemptions in the form of gift cards or charity donations. Gift card options are relevant to your country.
Earning Range$25 – $200 per hour of screen-recording surveysAbout $0.5 or more for 30-40 minutes of surveys that don’t require screen recordingsHere’s the official word from Google:
Pros and ConsWide eligibility (just have to use Google products)Open for people outside the USDonate to your favorite charityLengthy sign-up process (1-2 hours survey regarding your usage of Google products)Pay varies greatly depending on a type of surveyVisit Google’s User Experience ResearchHarvard University | Psychology Department Study PoolOnce your participation is complete, you’ll get a small thank-you gift like a gift card or a donation to your favorite charity. We’ll always tell you what the reward will be before you decide whether to participate.
Running since the 1800’s, Harvard’s reputation as one of the world’s finest educational institutions is global.
Harvard’s Psychology Department is also one the highest ranked in the world. It has openings for paid research on the regular.
Some of the studies require you to attend in person, but they also do online studies. Time and compensation will be listed in the description of each study.
Earning Range$10 – $25 per hour on averagePros and ConsAvailable opportunities for foreign internationalsLimited places (plus high competition)Register at Harvard’s Psychology Study Pool🏡 Want to Work From Home? 🏡Join 10,317 subscribers to our weekly newsletter and every Friday we'll send you tips, insights and opportunities to help you earn a living from home.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
MIT Behavioral Research Lab
There are many different types of paid research you can do with the MIT Behavioral Research Lab. Common activities include completing group assignments, filling out questionnaires, playing games and taking part in interviews or discussions.
MIT uses the platform Sona to bring participants and research leaders together. Online studies usually last between 15 and 45 minutes.
Earning Range$10 – $20 per hour for online studiesWhile most researchers pay participants a flat rate, some researchers prefer to use a performance-based payment system, where participants receive a fixed base rate for completing a study, plus a variable bonus that reflects how well they perform in certain tasks.
Pros and ConsPerformance-based payment gives opportunity to earn moreStrict eligibility criteriaOpen to US residents onlyVisit MIT Behavioral Research LabMindswarmsMindswarms is a market research company that’s focused exclusively on video.
Completing one of their studies involves recording your insights on a business or product via a smartphone, tablet or webcam. Past clients include Nike, Verizon and Google. You can find out more about their clients here.
Earning Range$10 – $50 per study (from a few minutes to 20 min)Pros and ConsVideo formatFew studies availableVisit MindswarmsNorthwestern University | Department of PsychologyNorthwestern University’s Psychology Department is at the cutting edge of psychological research in America.
Recent study topics include Covid-19, the impact of the Trump presidency and the efficiency of female leaders.
An example of a recent online study:
psychology.northwestern.edu Earning Range$15 – $421 per studyPros and ConsInteresting topicsAvailable studies for those under 18 years of ageMost surveys for U.S. residents onlyCheck out paid studies at Northwestern UniversityPurdue UniversityPurdue University, known as one of the most innovative schools in America, is another site that will pay you for taking part in studies.
A recent online telehealth study, looking at speech in individuals with Parkinson’s disease, shows the type of research they do…
purdue.edu Earning Range$10 – $70 per studyPros and ConsVaried research topicsSome studies provide extra bonuses for completing sessionsWebsite is difficult to navigate (hard to figure out which opportunities are online vs in-person)Few online studiesCheck out research studies at Purdue UniversityPlaza ResearchIn business since 1982, Plaza Research runs a lot of studies targeted at consumers, parents, teens, students, business professionals and healthcare workers.
Most focus groups are up to 2-hours long and discuss things like new products from major manufacturers.
Example:
reddit.com Earning Range$50 – $200 per studyPros and ConsGrowing number of opportunities (online survey taking, paid interviews and focus groups)Long sign-up processPoor website designVisit Plaza ResearchProbe Market ResearchProbe Market Research conducts group interviews over the phone or online. You can get paid for your opinions on things like new TV commercials, beauty products and even soda bottle designs. Past clients include Dell, Lego and eBay.
An example of recent online research on credit cards:
facebook.com/probemarketresearch Earning Range$50 – $400 per studyPros and ConsChance to work with top brandsMostly US-based opportunitiesVisit Probe Market ResearchCheck out PMR’s on Facebook to view recent research opportunitiesRecruit and FieldRecruit and Field has been in business since 1977. They specialize in connecting and inviting participants to take part in focus groups, phone interviews, online surveys and in-home product testing.
Some studies pay cash while others offer Amazon gift cards and PayPal payouts.
Example:
facebook.com/recruitandfield Earning Range$100 – $300 per studyPros and ConsVaried research formats (phone, online, in-home, etc.)Competitive (the website claims a pool of 300,000 respondents)Visit Recruit and FieldCheck out Recruit & Field on Facebook for the latest studies👇 Subscribe to eBiz Weekly 👇Every Friday we email 10,317 people like you with top tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. No hype, no scams, no fake gurus. Sign up below to get the next one.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
Reddit r/FocusGroups
r/FocusGroups is a community very similar to r/PaidStudies and has a lot of crossover. You can sign up to each of the opportunities they list directly.
At the time of writing there are studies paying as high as $250 per hour that require only a WebCam to share product opinions…
Earning Range$50 – $400 per studyPros and ConsNew daily listingsOverlaps with other sites on this listVisit r/FocusGroupsResolution ResearchResolution Research looks for “engaged and enthusiastic participants from all walks of life in the US and Canada”, according to their website.
They run focus groups, product and device tests, mock juries, taste tests and online surveys. They also run two other research panels; The Medical Panel and PaidStudies.com.
Earning Range$20 – $200 per survey (estimated)Pros and ConsReputable brand (several studies running across different panels)Confusing web interface (lots of redirection to other panels/websites)Visit Resolution ResearchSIS InternationalSIS International does research into topics like smoking and tobacco use, social media opinions and online entertainment use.
You’ll get paid to join focus groups, do online surveys and give product feedback in one-to-one interviews. Example:
sisinternational.com Earning Range$25 – $400 per studyPros and ConsOpen to international participants (Germany, London, Milan, etc.)Available studies for teenagersSome users reported poor customer serviceVisit SIS InternationalCheck out SIS International on Facebook for the latest studies in the USAStanford Graduate School of BusinessStanford’s School of Business is another Ivy-league University running a research lab.
Most studies can be done online or in-person at choice. Studies typically include cash or gift card payments averaging $25 an hour.
Studies are usually run through Sona, MTurk or Opinion World.
Earning Range$25 per hourPros and ConsOpen to internationalsMost studies can be done onlineSpecific eligibility requirementsVisit Stanford Behavioral LabSurveyFeedsSurveyFeeds is another aggregator site that lists several online paid research gigs.
Example:
surveyfeeds.com Earning Range$25 – $500 per studyPros and ConsNationwide studiesNot many studies availableVisit SurveyFeedsSurvey SquadSurvey Squad is most active on their Twitter account when it comes to listing new paid research spots. Recent studies include online live chats on the topic of finance, nutrition and dating.
Example:
surveysquad.com Earning Range$50 – $200 per studyPros and ConsAll studies with decent payEarn additional rewards by completing multiple surveys through Survey SquadMany users reported never qualifying for surveys or being denied after initial confirmationSlow payoutVisit Survey SquadCheck out SurveySquad’s Twitter account for the latest studiesUniversity of California | Anderson Behavioral LabThe UCLA Anderson School of Management has a couple of online paid research places looking at things like decision making, consumer and organizational behavior and human judgement.
You’ll have to register via Sona (here) to apply for paid studies.
Earning Range$13 – $15 per hourPros and ConsOpen to internationalsFew research gigsVisit Anderson Behavioral LabUniversity of California | Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorThe Semel Institute offers mainly in-person research studies but does have a few online studies occasionally.
Research focuses on neuroscience, with investigations into things like body dysmorphia, depression and sleep. Some studies focus on teens under 18 years too.
Click on the studies that interest you on this page and contact the email address provided.
Earning Range$10 – $15 per hour (estimated)Pros and ConsInteresting and varied research topicsOnline studies are rare (and hard to filter them on the site)Visit Semel InstituteUser InterviewsUser Interviews does what it says, it pays to hear your thoughts over Zoom calls and other conferencing software.
Recent studies have looked at things like streaming services, food delivery and mobile apps. You can view the list of available paid research studies here.
Example:
userinterviews.com Earning Range$15 – $340 per studyPros and ConsMany studies with decent payThe company has good reputationLong screeners to apply for studiesMay be hard to qualifyBrowse all studies available via User InterviewswatchLabThe WatchLab is an American-based marketing agency operating out of Portland and Chicago.
They sometimes have paid studies you can do over the phone or online. Most of these are 1-2 hour long focus groups.
Example:
facebook.com/watchLABResearch Earning Range$90 – $200 per studyPros and ConsMainly focus groupsMost studies are in-personVisit watchLabCheck out watchLab’s Facebook page for the latest studies🏡 Want to Work From Home? 🏡Join 10,317 subscribers to our weekly newsletter and every Friday we'll send you tips, insights and opportunities to help you earn a living from home.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
Are Paid Research Studies Legit?I’d say paid research studies are definitely legit.
Like any online earning opportunity you have to be careful though. Many sites will just waste your time with screening questionnaires if you don’t fit certain demographics.
Make sure the paid research study you do apply for has their criteria clearly listed.
How to Make Sure Research Companies Are LegitHere’s what you can do to avoid wasting your time and only find legit chances to earn:
Check for an official addressDoes the company have a listed public address with contact numbers and staff listings?Look for a professional website
Does the website look well put together with a good about page that talks about how studies work?Read the company privacy policy
Read all documentation available so you know your rights as a participant.Check email correspondence
Does the email address include the company or institution’s name?Avoid any request for money
If someone is asking for money up front it’s definitely a scam.Check online profiles:
Verify who you’re dealing with by looking for a company profile at the Better Business Bureau or Trustpilot.org.
Are $350 focus groups real?Although there are chances to earn this amount of cash (or higher) don’t expect it to be standard. Earnings like this aren’t typical.
Your best chance to earn high are to go with the sites recommended at the beginning of this article:
PingPongRespondentr/PaidStudiesFindFocusGroups.com
What Skills Do You Need For Paid Studies?You only need basic skills to take part in paid studies.
Besides being able to confidently use a computer or mobile device, you’ll also need to be good at the following:
CommunicationSpeaking when requested and giving precise feedback.Punctuality
Attending studies at the time specified.Question comprehension
Understand and matching what’s asked in each study.Upholding confidentiality
Respecting the privacy requests of the research.
General Tips For Doing Well With Paid ResearchHere are some suggestions to do well in paid research and increase your chances of landing further gigs:
Know your rightsCarefully read the terms and conditions of every study you join.Give honest information
Be truthful with your answers, don’t give research leaders the answers you think they might want to hear.Remain patient
Don’t interrupt other participants.Follow instructions
Do the things researchers ask of you to the best of your ability.What Are The Pros and Cons of Paid Research?
The main pros and cons below:
It’s a simple and fast way to make decent moneySharing your opinions can be interesting and funYour opinions can have an important impactIt’s not a reliable way to earn It’s tough to find high paying online research gigsMeeting the criteria and getting accepted can take a long timeCan I Be A Full-Time Online Research Participant?My opinion is that it’s next to impossible to do online research as a full-time job.
There just aren’t enough studies to qualify for and most of them won’t pay out enough to make it worth your while.
See more reliable ways to make money online
Share Your ExperienceHave you participated in any online research studies? Are there any good sites you’re aware of that we didn’t mention?
Let us know in the comments below.
Other ways to make money onlineThere are many other ways to make money online, to work from home or anywhere in the world.
Full list of ways to make money onlineMore profiles of online money makers👇 Subscribe to eBiz Weekly 👇Every Friday we email 10,317 people like you with top tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. No hype, no scams, no fake gurus. Sign up below to get the next one.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
January 23, 2021
Get Paid To Read Books (2021)
This is the definitive guide on how to get paid to read books
I’ve been working online for several years and spent 15 hours researching what you can do to earn cash remotely if you love to read.
If you want to:
Learn the best ways to earn money reading booksUnderstand the pros and cons of reading jobsKnow where to get started finding jobs as a book reviewer, narrator, editor, translator and lots of other reading-related jobsThen this is the guide for you.
Love books and want to make money online? Check out our list of the best business books for online entrepreneurs.
How To Make Money Reading Books: 11 Best WaysThere are several ways to make money reading books. Here are the 11 best. They start off fairly easy and tend to get harder as you go down the list.
Reading Books Via AppsUsing a smartphone, tablet or any other digital reader to read for cash.
Writing Book Reviews
Reading books then writing a review telling people what you thought.
Writing Book Summaries
Breaking down the main themes, concepts or plot of a book into a small text.
Proofreading
Reading books and checking for errors, continuity issues or whether books meet a specific criteria.
Editing
Reading books and correcting errors. Or improving books for readability.
Reading Books Aloud
Narrating books and converting them to audiobooks.
Translating Books
Reading books in one language and translating them to another.
Blogging About Books
Starting a blog talking about the books you read.
Podcasting About Books
Recording your thoughts about books for others to listen.
Starting a YouTube Channel About Books
Becoming a “booktuber” and making videos about the books you read.
Publishing Books
Reading books, forming a partnership with authors and marketing them to the public.
Let’s take a deeper dive into each.
Get Paid To Read Books Via AppsGetting paid to read books via apps is easy to get started with.
You get paid for the amount of words you read.
How Much Can You Earn Reading Books via Apps?Earnings are relatively low compared to other ways to make money online.
$0.25 to $1 is the typical range for about 20,000 words (source). 20,000 words would take the average reader at least 2 hours to finish, according to Words to Time.
Most apps also pay via a point system.
Legit Places to Make Money Reading Books via Apps
Booksta
Read and earn coins that you can later redeem for gift cards. Popular vendors include Amazon, eBay and Delta Air Lines. Bookshout
Another similar app but you can’t earn cash. You can only redeem points for ebooks in their store.
What Skills Do I Need to Make Money Reading Books via Apps?Skills that could help you include:
Fast reading ability (but natural enough that speed trackers don’t suspect foul play)Concentration and focus
What Equipment Do I Need to Read Books via Apps?You can get started with most apps with only a smartphone.
A tablet or eReader, thanks to larger screens, could help improve reading speed.
The Pros and Cons of Getting Paid to Read Books Via AppsVery easy to get startedRead the books you wantExtremely low pay Most apps don’t allow direct cashoutsLimited choice of booksGet Paid To Write Book Reviews
An experienced book reviewer writing for high-profile websites can make good money from reading books.
Most people get started leaving honest reviews on websites like Amazon and Goodreads first, then graduate to paid work later.
How Much Can You Earn As a Book Reviewer?Earnings are variable. For many clients, you’ll be expected to pitch a rate. Typical earnings range between $10 to $100 per review.
Legit Places to Get Paid Writing Book ReviewsHere are 4 legit sites that pay writers per review.
Online Book Club :Pays anything between $5 to $60 per book review. 1 Also pays out via Amazon vouchers. Some users complain about delayed payments and the time it takes to learn the system (reviewers advance levels as they gain experience). Reedsy Discovery
Works differently in that reviewers earn $1, $3 or $5 tips from other readers rather than direct payment. Most books are self-published. Reedsy is mainly a publishing platform for authors to market their work. Women’s Review of Books
A feminist book review site that also works in print. You’ll have to pitch reviews to the editor first. Pay is reported to be around $100 per review. Writerful Books
It pays $100 Amazon gift cards to the top reviewers on the site and between $10 to $50 a normal review. Writerful mainly wants reviews of contemporary fiction.
Other sites that pay freelancers for book reviews but aren’t that clear on rates include:
Dog Eared ReviewsBook marketing company that pays for positive (4 stars and above) reviews only. Kirkus Media
Looks for 350-word reviews of books of all genres. NetGalley
Connects publishers with readers via a membership platform. Publishers Weekly
Sometimes offers freelance positions for reviewers and editors. Tyndale Blog Network
Rewards users with points for social media shares and quizzes more than reviews. U.S. Review of Books
Asks for 300-500 word book reviews. Pays monthly.
Gain more experience reviewing books and the potential to earn (or turn it into a full-time gig) could be a reality.
Here are some high profile places you could land freelance opportunities. You’ll have to pitch the editorial team for each.
Chicago Review of Books NewYorker.com NPR.orgMost big news and culture sites pay book reviewers well.
A few book review sites that give advanced book copies in exchange for reviews include (but don’t pay for reviews):
Book BrowseMoody PressLola’s Blog ToursEdelweissBethany House What Skills You’ll Need to Be Successful Reviewing BooksTo be successful in book reviewing you’ll need to be able to write well, give honest reviews and work to tight deadlines.
Freelance writing courses could help. Earn More Writing scores well according to our review.
What Equipment You’ll Need to Review BooksYou’ll only need a computer and basic word processing software to get started.
The Pros and Cons of Writing Book ReviewsCreative (it’s fun to share your opinion on the books you read)Chance to develop a strong writing portfolioCan potentially earn up to $100 per reviewDon’t always get to choose the books to reviewMany authors/publishers will pressure you to give good reviewsMany review sites don’t pay (they give advanced copies)Get Paid To Write Book Summaries
Summaries are becoming more popular with people too busy to read books.
Getting paid to write them is another legit way to earn.
How Much Can You Earn Writing Book Summaries?The best gigs, with well-known companies like Blinkist and GetAbstract, are usually full-time.
This article estimates similar content writing positions paying around $75,000 per year. Don’t take this as the norm though, you’ll need extensive experience to land anything near this.
Legit Places to Get Started Writing Book SummariesHere are 2 legit places to earn cash writing book summaries:
Booklist PublicationsPays $12.50 for 175-word book summaries. Also pays out $5 for rejections. New Pages
Looks for 100 to 200-word summaries on books or literary magazines. Doesn’t specify pay.
What Skills You’ll Need to Write Book SummariesTo do well writing book summaries you’ll need the ability to read fast and distil things down to a few major points.
Skills are similar to those needed by book reviewers.
What Equipment You’ll Need Writing Book SummariesA computer and basic word processing software.
The Pros and Cons of Writing Book SummariesUpward trending industry with increasing opportunitiesBook summary websites and apps are on the riseSummaries can be harder to write than reviewsMight not be able to choose the books you summarizeGet Paid To Proofread Books
Proofreading is an important part of the publishing process. Authors or publishing companies will sometimes pay you to read texts first before they go out to the public.
This is a role that’s slowly becoming more automated, especially with tools like Grammarly.
How Much Can You Earn Proofreading?Basic book proofreading jobs don’t pay that well. But when combined with other writing-based roles, especially editing and writing, you can expect to make anything between $35,000 – $120,000 for a full time remote position.
It’s possible to work with publishing houses directly as a proofreader. Doing so can often lead to higher paying opportunities. It involves reaching out and making contacts though.
Legit Places to Get Started ProofreadingThe best places to get started proofreading are the same as those we recommend for finding editing jobs: Flexjobs, Upwork and PeoplePerHour.
Similar opportunities to find work proofreading include getting paid to read manuscripts. AgentQuery is a good site to check out if that’s something you’re interested in. Sometimes they post book review opportunities too.
More info about proofreading jobs What Skills You’ll Need to Be Successful ProofreadingEntry level proofreading jobs require only basic skills.
You’ll need to have a close eye for detail and be able to communicate any errors quickly.
What Equipment You’ll Need For ProofreadingBasic computer equipment only.
The Pros and Cons of ProofreadingMinimal skills needed for basic proofreadingThough it’s not easy to find ‘proofreading only’ jobs for books (most look for writing and editing skills)Get Paid To Read and Edit Books
Experienced editors have lots of opportunities when it comes to earning cash via reading.
Their role is important in helping to make texts easier to read. Most editors combine their work with other skills like proofreading and copywriting to increase their hourly rates.
How Much Can You Earn Editing Books?The median salary for book editors is around $59,000 per year.
Many top level editors can make more than this, especially if they have direct connections with big publishers.
Entry-level editing work usually pays in the region of $10 – 20 per hour.
3 Legit Places to Get Started Editing Books
FlexJobs
There are lots of remote editing opportunities here. Most are US-based full-time positions but there are lots of freelance and part-time positions listed too. Upwork
Upwork is the place to go for freelance or hourly-based editing positions. A few of their recent listings include positions editing short stories in paranormal romance, non fiction business books and childrens books. PeoplePerHour
Many editors get started advertising their services here and taking on short-term gigs to build their experience. You’ll notice lots of proofreading and editing opportunities here.
What Skills You’ll Need Editing BooksMost top level editors have a range of skills. These include:
ProofreadingEditors skim texts and identify problemsGrammatical changes
Editors have a high command of the language and know how to use grammar preciselyWriting
Changing wording to improve readability
A lot of these skills can be developed and improved through courses. Check out our articles:
Best Copy Editing Courses on UdemyBest Writing Courses on UdemyEarn More Writing Course Review What Equipment You’ll Need Editing BooksYou don’t need any specialist equipment to make a good living in editing. A basic computer set-up should be enough.
The Pros and Cons of Editing BooksYou get to read and help shape the books you readExperienced and well-regarded editors can make good livings working from homeMany people competing for the same types of jobsMore info about editing jobsGet Paid To Read Books AloudGetting paid to read books aloud sounds like a dream gig for a keen reader.
You get to read and others get to listen to the audio recording of the book. It’s not as easy as it sounds however.
How Much Can You Earn Reading Books Aloud?There’s no such thing as typical earnings when it comes to narrating or reading books aloud. Pay depends on the length and type of book. The more experienced you are the more you’re likely to earn.
Business books tend to pay more than short children’s books. Especially those written by established authors. Most books in this genre pay around $50 – 100 per finished hour on sites like ACX.
Jobs are almost always on a freelance basis, meaning earnings are less dependable than some of the other full-time options on this list.
The Best Place To Get Started Reading Books AloudAmazon’s ACX is like a freelance marketplace for publishers looking to convert texts into audiobooks.
Connecting narrators and sound engineers to authors or publishing groups, you have to audition for gigs. Each new listing shows reading time and earning rate (usually per finished hour).
Voices and Bunny Studio are two other places to explore but most opportunities are for things like adverts or podcasts rather than audiobooks.
What Skills You’ll Need To Read Books AloudMost narrators scoring gigs at ACX are trained actors with a background in theatre or film.
You’ll need a good reading voice and understanding of pacing to do well.
What Equipment You’ll Need To Read Books AloudReading books aloud needs some specialist equipment. Basic things include:
MicrophoneVoice editing softwareAccess to a soundproof studioThe Pros and Cons of Reading Books AloudCan choose which books to readHighly competitivePay can be misleading (you get paid for an hour of finished audiobook, not an hour of work)Get Paid to Read and Translate Books
Getting paid to read a book and translate it into another language is a highly technical skill.
To make it work you’ll need an audience in the language you’re translating a book to or from.
How Much Can You Earn Reading and Translating Books?The pay in translation work varies a lot. Generally it depends on three factors:
ExperienceLanguage competencySpeedThe better you are in each the higher hourly rate you’ll be able to command. But you’ll also need to work in languages that are in high demand.
Less widely spoken languages seem to have less competition when it comes to jobs though.
Legit Places To Get Started Translating BooksThe best places to find translation jobs are the same as those for editing and proofreading work. These all require working in English to some extent.
FlexJobsRecent opportunities here include German, French, Italian and Japanese book translation work. Earning ranges from $25 – $30 per hour. Upwork
Book translations aren’t as common as stand-alone article translation work but they still appear regularly. Earnings range from $6 – $25 per hour.
More options and info about translation jobs.
What Equipment You’ll Need To Read and Translate BooksBasic computer equipment is all you’ll need.
What Skills You’ll Need To Read and Translate BooksAside from having mastery in another language, you’ll also need these skills:
Writing abilityCommunicationOrganizationThe Pros and Cons of Reading and Translating BooksGood payRegular opportunities (especially for widely spoken languages)Don’t get to choose what to readCompetition for work (intense for commonly spoken languages)Freelance
AuthorityMost of the options listed so far can be considered freelance work. Freelancing is one of the easiest ways to get started earning money online.
The next few options are more about building an authority business. These kinds of businesses can be more rewarding creatively and financially, but it usually takes more time and effort to see results.
Get Paid To Blog About Books
Starting a blog about books gives you a lot of creative control over what you can read.
It also opens up the possibility of more monetization options. But you’ll need a broad skill-set – successful bloggers don’t just read and write!
How Much Can You Earn Blogging About Books?Blog earnings are variable. Work hard and it’s possible to make a full-time living (and more).
Here are the ways most bloggers make money:
Amazon AffiliatesMake a commission from recommending books and reading-related products on Amazon (eg. tablets and Kindle devices). The higher the cost of the item, the more money you’ll make, but Amazon’s commission rates are notoriously low, usually less than 5% of the purchase price.Display advertising
Placing ads on your blog is another way to increase your earnings. The more traffic you can drive to your site, the more impressions the ads will get. You’ll make more as a result. Popular ad platforms include Ezoic, AdThrive and Mediavine.Sponsored posts
Sometimes publishers of product marketers will pay you to promote things on your blog. Usually they’ll do this by providing a guest post talking about their product or service.
Legit Blogs About Books That Earn MoneyThere are many legit blogs centered on reading books. Here are two interesting ones:
BrainpickingsBrainpickings started as an email series set up by Maria Popova talking about the lessons she was learning from books, creativity and art. Originally intended to be shared among her colleagues in advertising, Brainpickings has since grown into a blog that’s read by over 7 million people monthly. It’s monetized mainly by donations. Nat Eliason
Nat Eliason has grown his personal blog into a monetization machine that promotes his courses and marketing business. The site gets a lot of traction thanks to Nat’s book notes (a category he calls “The Brain”). There are over 250 books covered here, mainly non-fiction. Nat earns from packaging these notes as well as affiliate commissions through Amazon.
What Skills You’ll Need to Read and Blog About BooksTo do well in blogging you’ll need a broad skill-set. You’ll need to have some technical experience setting up a site and using a content management system like WordPress.
You’ll also need to be persistent, disciplined and resilient. It can take a long time to get results.
What Equipment You’ll Need to Read and Blog About BooksYou only need a basic computer set-up to get started blogging.
The Pros and Cons of Reading and Blogging About BooksHigh earning potential (if you succeed)You get to choose what to read and write aboutNeed a big audience to earn wellReturn on investment is slow (you could be blogging for years before you’re able to earn money)Get Paid To Podcast About BooksJust like blogging, you can earn by podcasting about books. A lot of the pros and cons are similar.
How Much Can You Earn Podcasting About Books?Podcasts mainly earn by paid sponsorship. The amount you can earn depends on the number of downloads from listeners.
Industry standards are around $20 – 25 per 1000 listens for a 60-second mid-roll promotion (source).
Patreon is another popular way to earn money from podcasting. Subscribers pay a monthly recurring fee for early access.
Legit Podcasts About Books That Earn MoneyBook RiotA weekly podcast connected to another successful book blog. Has over 400 episodes available for public download.So Many Damn Books
Popular podcast run by two New York-based book-enthusiasts that earns from both Patreon donations and advertising sponsorship.Book Fight
Another two-person podcast that earns from Patreon and commissions from book sales made through Book Fight’s website.
What Skills You’ll Need to Podcast About BooksTo make a good podcast you’ll need sound recording, editing and software skills.
You’ll also need strong research and organization skills to plan podcasts, book guests and publicize your show.
What Equipment You’ll Need to Podcast About BooksAs well as basic computing equipment you’ll want a good microphone.
Access to a soundproofed studio could also help improve production quality.
The Pros and Cons of Podcasting About BooksHigh earning potential (if you succeed)You get to choose what to read and talk aboutNeed a big audience to earn wellSlow return on investment (you could be podcasting for years before you’re able to earn money)Get Paid to Talk About Books on YouTubeYouTube is a creative and potentially lucrative platform to share your love of books and reading.
Becoming a successful “booktuber” isn’t easy however. There’s a lot of skills you’ll have to master.
How Much Can You Earn As a Booktuber?Creators on YouTube monetize their videos via a mix of YouTube advertising, affiliate commissions and sponsorships. The more views you get, the more money you’ll make.
See examples of YouTubers from different niches and how much money they make Legit Booktubers Earning Money Reading and Talking About BooksPolandBananasBOOKSWith over 400K subscribers, Christine Riccio makes weekly vlogs about books, comedy and everything in between. Some of her more popular videos discuss the Harry Potter and Twilight fiction series.Jessethereader
Jesse is another big booktuber who does predictions, round-ups, unboxing and other fun book-related activities. His most watched videos are list-type comedy videos but he also has interviews, challenges and product reviews.Katytastic
Kat talks about both reading and writing on her YouTube channel. Her updates are less frequent than the above examples but she’s still grown a sizable platform of 250K subscribers.
What Skills You’ll Need To Read and Talk About Books On YouTubeYou’ll need to have some diverse skills to make it on YouTube.
Video editing and recording skills are a must starting out. You’ll need to get comfortable talking in front of a camera and be creative when it comes to video topics.
Building a personal brand is crucial to making YouTube work.
What Equipment You’ll Need To Read and Talk About Books On YouTubeYou can get started making videos with basic video recording equipment on a decent smartphone or laptop.
Develop a following and you could reinvest into more high-tech hardware and software later.
The Pros and Cons of Becoming A BooktuberGood earning potential (if you succeed)You get to choose what to read and make videos aboutYou’ll probably need to sell your personality more than your love of readingBuilding an audience can take a whileGet Paid To Read Books As A Publisher
Starting a book publishing business could bring a lot of opportunities to read and discover new books and authors. Although it isn’t necessary, it’s definitely one perk of the job that will appeal to book lovers.
How Much Can You Earn Publishing Books?Running a publishing business isn’t easy. You won’t earn per hour or project. You’ll have to buy or negotiate the publishing rights to books and hope they sell well to earn a percentage.
How much you earn depends entirely on your business skills.
The Best Sites To Get Started In PublishingTo do well in publishing you’ll need to tap into self-published authors and market their books effectively. Sites like Amazon and Goodreads can be great for this. Especially the new author or self-published categories of either site.
Approaching bloggers or YouTubers that have good audiences is another idea. You could strike up book deals with these creators and negotiate a percentage of the sales on your behalf.
What Skills You’ll Need To Be Successful In PublishingDoing well in publishing means doing well in business. To do that, you’ll need the following skills:
An eye for talentAbility to negotiate (especially when it comes to royalties, commissions or percentages)MarketingOrganization and management What Equipment You’ll Need To Get Started In PublishingStarting out, it makes most sense to stick to digital books rather than paper.
A basic computer set-up is enough.
The Pros and Cons of PublishingHigh potential earnings (especially if you find and market a best-seller)Good business model for people with an existing platform (blog, YouTube channel, etc.)Very difficult to get started withNeed strong business skills Know other ways you can get paid to read books?If so, let us know in the comments below.
Other ways to make money onlineThere are many other ways to make money online, to work from home or anywhere in the world.
Full list of ways to make money onlineMore profiles of online money makers👇 Subscribe to eBiz Weekly 👇Every Friday we email 10,317 people like you with top tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. No hype, no scams, no fake gurus. Sign up below to get the next one.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
January 22, 2021
eBiz Weekly #107
eBiz Weekly is a free newsletter packed with tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. We send it out every Friday to 10,294 legendary subscribers. We also post the content of each email here on the website.
Sign up to get the next edition of eBiz Weekly delivered to your inboxHP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
View the archive
This week:
$500,000 for deep frying a turkeyHack for exploring any type of online businessTop 100 companies hiring remote in 2021What’s your tendency?Selling her notes for $22,000Step-by-step guide to landing pages that convertDon’t launch products, launch ideasNew website, 7 days, 1 million page viewsPassive income website has earned $100,000+Momentos$500,000 for deep frying a turkeySeveral weeks back I wrote about Snapchat paying users $1 million per day to post videos to their new TikTok-like platform called Spotlight.
Now the New York Times is reporting that some folks have been making a killing doing just that, including one teenager who has earned nearly $3 million in a couple of months
Another jaw-dropping success story is a 27-year-old who usually earns $12.50 working at a Lowe’s in Albuquerque:
When she noticed the new Spotlight feature on Thanksgiving, she decided to upload a video of her sister deep frying a turkey.
Two weeks later, Ms. Romo learned that her video was so popular that it had earned her about half a million dollars.
Also mentioned in the NYT article is 18-year-old Katie Feeney, who has earned $1 million in two months posting unboxing videos to Snapchat. Highlights here to give you a sense of her work.
Hack for exploring any type of online businessGoogle search site:mixergy.com [type of business]
For example:
site:mixergy.com agencysite:mixergy.com dropshippingsite:mixergy.com affiliate marketing site:mixergy.com saasNo matter what you’re interested in, Andrew Warner from Mixergy has likely interviewed a bunch of people in that space and pulled great insights out of them.
I did this yesterday for a business idea I’m exploring and found 2 very relevant interviews and a third that led me down a promising rabbit hole 
The top five:
LionbridgeTTECLiveopsWorking SolutionsKellyConnectRelated: a few other ways to get a remote job
What’s your tendency?I like this free 10-minute quiz from Gretchen Rubin.
One of the daily challenges of life is: “How do I get people—including myself—to do what I want?” The Four Tendencies framework makes this task much easier by revealing whether a person is an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel.
The quiz will reveal your dominant tendency and show you how to work with it to get things done 
Pat Walls tweets about newsletteros.com, described as “an instructional wiki for people that want to start their own newsletter.”
Janel Loi apparently put 150 hours into creating it and has earned $22k since launch on November 19th
The product is essentially just Janel’s notes about creating, growing and monetizing a newsletter. It’s packaged as a Notion project and sold through Gumroad. Janel’s words:
The truth is that I really built the thing for myself, then expanded the content and made it pretty before selling it to others.
Could you organize and polish up your own notes and sell them like this?
(Worth mentioning that Janel had a mailing list of 915 people and a few thousand followers on Twitter when she launched Newsletter OS. That surely contributed to her success. Build something like that without an existing audience, and sales will be harder to come by.)
Step-by-step guide to landing pages that convertAnother great article from Marketing Examples
Here’s how you could make money from that info:
Reach out to someone you know with a landing pageOffer to make their page convert better, free of chargeApply what you learned in that articleMeasure the impactAssuming you get positive results, leverage that to find a paying client: “Want me to do similar for you?”If you don’t increase conversions the first time, keep tweaking the page until you do.
If you don’t know someone with a landing page, offer the service for free in an appropriate Facebook Group or subreddit. Someone will take a chance on you.
Don’t launch products, launch ideasDean Walton founded Endorsal.io back in 2019. It’s a SaaS that helps businesses collect reviews and testimonials
Dean writes on the company’s one-year anniversary that it’s going well, in large part because he validated the idea before he built the product.
I began fleshing everything out in my mind and visualised exactly how it should look, feel and, most importantly, work. Then, instead of following my usual path (months of development plus uncertainty surrounding the launch), I decided to launch the idea first, without a product.
He built a simple website that described the software and allowed people to pre-order.
Within a few weeks…
By then I’d had a few hundred people sign up to the mailing list, made a few thousand pounds in pre-sales and even been approached twice with interest to buy the company.
All without a product.
While I was thrilled, all I kept thinking was… “I wish I’d figured this out five years ago!”.
Could you test out your business idea the same way?
Throw up a quick website, drive traffic to it, see what kind of interest you get.
Better yet, if you have a decent following on social media, can you describe your idea there and measure the response?
Nat Eliason did that last year before building a course that went on to earn him $400,000 (details here).
New website, 7 days, 1 million page viewsSean Markey writes about registering FlattenTheCurve.com last March, teaming up with a public health expert for the content, and getting to 1 million page views within a week
Goes to show that you don’t need to be an expert yourself to create something popular and useful. Connect with experts and help them deliver their message to the world.
Passive income website has earned $100,000+The site is foboko.com.
Type in a word and it gives you example sentences containing that word. Works for several languages. Monetized with display ads.
The owner of the site shares in this YouTube video how he built and launched the site in 6 weeks back in 2016, including his clever hack for generating the sentences
More info on Reddit, where the owner writes that the site has always earned between $1000 and $5000 per month, and he’s only had to devote 2-3 hours per month to it since the initial push.
MomentosMy latest personal ramblings are here, with words about another legal threat 
You've been reading the web version of our free weekly newsletter, eBiz Weekly. Enter your email below to join 10,294 subscribers and get the next one delivered direct to your inbox.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
That’ll do it for this week.
Was there anything above that you found particularly useful or interesting?
I aim to pack these emails with the best tips, insights and opportunities for building your online business. Your feedback helps me do that.
Also, feel free to forward this email to a friend, or you can direct them to the online version here: https://ebizfacts.com/ebiz-weekly-107/
In case you missed em, here are the last three editions of eBiz Weekly:
#106 – Successful 1-person online businesses#105 – Can I make money as a freelance writer in Africa?#104 – New mom makes $127,000 freelance writingFull archiveUntil next week, rock on with your legendary self
—
Niall Doherty – Tbilisi, Georgia
eBiz Facts
By the way...
How To Make Money Online
A deep article laying out all the possibilities for making money online, based on the 6 levels and 19 types of online business.
Recommended Resources
Check out our collection of the best tools and resources for building an online business. Web hosting, email marketing, productivity, top-rated courses, etc.
Free Courses
A massive list of FREE Udemy courses to help build your online business. We only list top-rated courses – minimum 50 ratings – and update every 24 hours.
Find A Remote Job
See our list of the best ways to find a remote job, based on 100+ hours of research and testing.
Start Earning Online
A free crash course to help you build an online business, consists of 11 videos shot in Spain, Russia and Montenegro.
Freedom Business Builder
FBB is a private community of online business builders. Our 300+ members range from people just starting their first online businesses, to experienced online entrepreneurs earning thousands of dollars each month.
Facebook + Twitter
If you enjoyed the above, come follow eBiz Facts on the socials. We share this kind of content regularly on Facebook and Twitter.
Sign up for more tips and insights to build your online business 🚀
You've been reading the web version of our free weekly newsletter, eBiz Weekly. Enter your email below to join 10,294 subscribers and get the next one delivered direct to your inbox.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
January 15, 2021
eBiz Weekly #106
eBiz Weekly is a free newsletter packed with tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. We send it out every Friday to 9,981 legendary subscribers. We also post the content of each email here on the website.
Sign up to get the next edition of eBiz Weekly delivered to your inboxHP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
View the archive
This week:
Successful 1-person online businessesHow MrBeast opened 300 restaurants overnightMillion Dollar ComebackDeal of the Week: LinkedIn LearningDoctor’s 6 online revenue streamsZero Subscribers, 1 Million ViewsI couldn’t stop listening to thisTips for a better lifeUpdated Authority Hacker ReviewQuality QuestionsSuccessful 1-person online businessesPulling some highlights from this thread on Hacker News:
testimonial.to – software for collecting video testimonials – $5k revenue first two weekshuntr.co – job application tracker and CRM – $15k/monthsyften.com – keyword notification service – full-time incomeniceboard.co – job board software – $5k/monthcloset.tools – Poshmark automation software – $40k/monthdesignjoy.co – unlimited design service – $300k/yearHow MrBeast opened 300 restaurants overnightYouTube megastar MrBeast recently launched 
MrBeast Burger, allowing fans to order branded food items from 300 restaurants in the USA.
It took McDonalds five years to open 300 restaurants, but MrBeast seemingly did it overnight.
This 6-minute video explains how.
Related: here’s how much MrBeast earns from YouTube each month
[Six months ago] I left behind everything I own, the money I’ve earned, my entire network, stepped away from my seven figure business, and I took on a new identity and went homeless. I set out to make $1 million in 12 months starting with nothing aside from one pair of clothes and a cellphone. I had no place to live.
The purpose of the project was to help people going through a tough time because of the pandemic. I noticed a lot of people were reinventing themselves and it was an opportunity to help those going through that situation.
Six months in, Mike has made “a very underwhelming $28,000” which I’d argue is still very impressive.
He’s mainly made money doing freelance VA and marketing work, subletting an apartment, and via an ecommerce coffee brand he started 
Check out his YouTube video where he documents taking the leap from freelance to agency.
From the 7:40 mark there you’ll see how he sells a $25/hour client on a $2000/month retainer, aiming to outsource the retainer work.
Deal of the Week: LinkedIn LearningLinkedIn Learning gives you access to 1000’s of courses related to professional development
Learn how to code, build a business, be more productive, etc.
Sign up for the 1-month free trial and you can take as many courses as you like. They remind you 7 days before your free trial ends. Then you can pay $20-30 per month if you want more.
See all deals this weekDoctor’s 6 online revenue streamsAli Abdaal has a YouTube channel about life as a doctor 
He started it as a medical student in 2017.
Stats for the first 6 months of his channel:
52 videos1000 subscribers$0 revenueFast forward to today and his stats look like this:
333 videos1.36 million subscribers$1,332,400 revenue last yearRyan Gum has an excellent Twitter thread breaking down the growth of Ali’s channel and six revenue streams.
Zero Subscribers, 1 Million ViewsSpeaking of YouTube, Charlie Hoehn shares how he made a video for a client that got 1 million views in 8 months…
…starting on a channel with no subscribers and without any promotion
Charlie mentions that he used Pixar’s story structure to plan the video:
I couldn’t stop listening to this– Once upon a time…
– And every day…
– Until one day…
– And because of that… (3X)
– Until finally…
– And ever since that day…
I recently ripped through The Dream Season 1, a podcast about multi-level marketing.
It’s fascinating, like a top-notch Netflix series for your ears
You’ll come away from it understanding why MLM’s prevail despite most participants spending a small fortune while earning less than $1 per hour.
Tips for a better lifeConor Barnes has 100 good ones
Three of them:
8. When buying things, time and money trade-off against each other. If you’re low on money, take more time to find deals. If you’re low on time, stop looking for great deals and just buy things quickly online.
30. If you listen to successful people talk about their methods, remember that all the people who used the same methods and failed did not make videos about it.
94. You don’t have to love your job. Jobs can be many things, but they’re also a way to make money. Many people live fine lives in okay jobs by using the money they make on things they care about.
Related to the last: 3 reasons why “follow your passion” is bad advice
Updated Authority Hacker ReviewFinished updating my review of Authority Hacker’s affiliate marketing course (The Authority Site System).
I went through all the lessons in the new 3.0 version the past couple of weeks and completely overhauled the review.
I gave the previous version a 4.6 rating out of 5.
The new version is even better so I bumped the rating up to 4.8
Related to that, we also published a review of another affiliate marketing course yesterday, this one called Passive Income Geek.
Quality QuestionsWords from Pablo Picasso:
“Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.”
If Pablo was alive today, I’d send him here and prove him wrong.
That’s a free service by my friend Neville, sending you a thought-provoking question each day via email.
Questions that will help you think deeper about life and work
You've been reading the web version of our free weekly newsletter, eBiz Weekly. Enter your email below to join 9,981 subscribers and get the next one delivered direct to your inbox.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
That’ll do it for this week.
Was there anything above that you found particularly useful or interesting?
I aim to pack these emails with the best tips, insights and opportunities for building your online business. Your feedback helps me do that.
Also, feel free to forward this email to a friend, or you can direct them to the online version here: https://ebizfacts.com/ebiz-weekly-106/
In case you missed em, here are the last three editions of eBiz Weekly:
#105 – Can I make money as a freelance writer in Africa?#104 – New mom makes $127,000 freelance writing#103 – This website sold for $102.5 millionFull archiveUntil next week, rock on with your legendary self
—
Niall Doherty – Tbilisi, Georgia
eBiz Facts
By the way...
How To Make Money Online
A deep article laying out all the possibilities for making money online, based on the 6 levels and 19 types of online business.
Recommended Resources
Check out our collection of the best tools and resources for building an online business. Web hosting, email marketing, productivity, top-rated courses, etc.
Free Courses
A massive list of FREE Udemy courses to help build your online business. We only list top-rated courses – minimum 50 ratings – and update every 24 hours.
Find A Remote Job
See our list of the best ways to find a remote job, based on 100+ hours of research and testing.
Start Earning Online
A free crash course to help you build an online business, consists of 11 videos shot in Spain, Russia and Montenegro.
Freedom Business Builder
FBB is a private community of online business builders. Our 300+ members range from people just starting their first online businesses, to experienced online entrepreneurs earning thousands of dollars each month.
Facebook + Twitter
If you enjoyed the above, come follow eBiz Facts on the socials. We share this kind of content regularly on Facebook and Twitter.
Sign up for more tips and insights to build your online business 🚀
You've been reading the web version of our free weekly newsletter, eBiz Weekly. Enter your email below to join 9,981 subscribers and get the next one delivered direct to your inbox.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
January 14, 2021
Passive Income Geek Review
This is the definitive Passive Income Geek review for 2021.
I spent 20+ hours reviewing all the free and premium training materials for the Passive Income Geek course.
If you want to know:
How it compares to similar coursesHow Morten Storgaard found successIf it’s possible to get a discount on the courseThe main pros and cons of the trainingIf the whole thing is legit or a scamThen you’re in the right place.
Let’s get started.
Passive Income Geek – Key Points
About
A beginner-friendly course teaching how to build websites that can help you earn passive income.
💰 Price
$299 for first year, $99 membership every year after (join now)
😍 Pros
Good value for money. Easy to follow, systematic course with a somewhat unique approach.
😩 Cons
Relatively new course. Few successful case studies available.
Verdict
Solid budget introduction to building income-generating websites.
Overall Rating3.7/5
Visit Passive Income Geek
This review of Passive Income Geek is a joint effort between Will Peach of willpeach.co.uk and Niall Doherty of eBiz Facts.
Our process:
We accessed the course at the end of 2020 / beginning of 2021.Will went through the course materials and community and took notes.We discussed Will’s impressions of the course, what he liked, what he didn’t like, etc.We agreed we were happy with Passive Income Geek overall and would recommend it to others, giving it a rating of 3.7 out of 5.Will searched online for other reviews of the course to see if there were any key points we missed.Will wrote a first draft of this review.We sent the draft to Morten Storgaard (creator of the course) and asked if he had any comments or corrections.We made our final edits and published the review.We shared the review with our Freedom Business Builder community and asked for feedback.Note: We earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase through referral links in this review. Read our full disclosure here.
About the Author
Hey, I’m Will Peach.
I’ve been working online since going remote with a start-up in 2012.
Since then, I’ve made money online doing several things:
BloggingFreelance writingBasic web designRemote contractingIn early 2020, I began to focus on passive income websites as a side hustle along full-time study. So I knew a few things about making money online and building websites before diving into Passive Income Geek’s course.
Jump to…Intro
The best affiliate marketing course?What is Passive Income Geek?Who is Morten Storgaard?How is Passive Income Geek’s different?Checking out PassiveIncomeGeek.comWhat is a passive income website?Review
Who is Passive Income Geek for?Who is it NOT for?How does it work?Course structurePrivate communityPrice (and discount) infoRefund policyPraise
Value for moneyUnique approachesSystematic and practicalPassive link buildingPassive Income Geek’s websitesCriticism
Few successful sites?Content creation module is lackingAds first approachLater modules feel rushedNitpicksWrap Up
Are students actually getting results?Who should take this course?Passive Income Geek alternativesThe best affiliate marketing course?The Passive Income Geek course was created after high demand from the YouTube channel of the same name.
It’s approach is very similar to that taught by Income School’s Project 24, though Morten tends to focus more on earning money from display ads than affiliate marketing.
That said, there’s a lot of overlap between what Morten teaches and what you’ll see in many affiliate marketing courses, so that’s our main basis for comparison.
We’re on a mission to review all the top affiliate marketing courses.
Passive Income Geek is a solid course, but it’s not the best we’ve seen so far…
Course
Rating
Review
Authority Hacker's TASS
4.8/5
Authority Hacker review
Income School's Project 24
4/5
Project 24 review
Matt Diggity's Affiliate Lab
tbd
Affiliate Lab review
Commission Hero
2.6/5
Commission Hero review
Udemy affiliate marketing courses
2/5
Udemy affiliate marketing courses review
Affiliate Marketing Mastery
1.5/5
Affiliate Marketing Mastery review
Affilorama
1.5/5
Affilorama review
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing
1.5/5
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing review
Wealthy Affiliate
1/5
Wealthy Affiliate review
Six Figure Mentors
0.7/5
Six Figure Mentors review
ClickBank University
0.5/5
ClickBank University review
Super Affiliate System
0.5/5
Super Affiliate System review
See all the affiliate marketing courses we've reviewed »
Want To Know When I Review Another Affiliate Marketing Course?
Join 9,868 subscribers on my mailing list and I'll keep you in the loop. You'll also receive my weekly newsletter packed with tips, strategies and opportunities to build your online business.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
What is Passive Income Geek?
Launched in early 2020, Passive Income Geek started out as a YouTube channel focused on building passive income websites.
The website was launched in November of 2020.
Here’s the description for the Passive Income Geek YouTube channel:
Source: YouTube.com/PassiveIncomeGeekThe niche sites Passive Income Geek builds – and teaches others how to build – are mostly based on the successful examples he shares on the channel. These sites include:
GoDownsize.comAnimalHow.comSewingMachineTalk.comThese are primarily monetized via display ads and affiliate marketing.
Above: GoDownsize.com homepagePassive Income Geek had success selling AnimalHow.com for $30K. This happened 21 months after launch.
Here’s a video where Morten talks more about that…
Who is Morten Storgaard?
Morten Storgaard is the founder of Passive Income Geek.
He started building online businesses in 2007 from his home in Aarhus, Denmark. He became an SEO consultant in 2010 and began building a portfolio of passive income sites.
Morten launched Passive Income Geek first as a YouTube channel in January 2020. Previously he helped his wife Maria grow another channel, Go Downsize, to over 100K subscribers.
Here he is appearing on the latter channel with his wife back in 2015.
A few more things about Morten:
His first online business was an e-commerce site selling prints.He was in serious debt when he decided to go all in on blogging, as revealed in this video…His main motivation to build online passive income is to spend more time with his wife and young son…
He cites Tim Ferriss, Pat Flynn and Jim and Ricky from Income School as key influences…
Source: passiveincomegeek.comOne of his sites made over $23,000 in ads for the month of November 2020, as revealed in this video…So it’s safe to say Morten knows what he’s doing.
How is Passive Income Geek different?Passive Income Geek borrows a lot from the Income School approach to building niche sites. It focuses on content and topic research.
Backlinking isn’t a big part of the strategy. Nor is using premium SEO tools.
Instead the course is big on using the free information provided by Google to build a website. It also goes into more depth (with more examples) than the instructional how-to’s Morten shares on YouTube.
Here are the main things Passive Income Geek’s course does differently:
Focuses on “underserved topics”To help guide niche selection and content creation.Centers on display ads as the best/easiest source of income
Arguing they have little impact on site metrics or load speed.
I’ll dive into those points later in this review.
For now, here are a couple of other unique things I found worth mentioning about the course:
Reveals sitesThe examples used in the course are from Morten’s real-life projects.Unique tips
A couple of the lesson modules had tips and tricks I’d not seen before (especially the module on finding a good domain name).Active “build along” projects
The forum and community is currently undertaking a “2021 start a new site” project. Morten is providing more over-the-shoulder content and the community is posting their results
Here’s an interview with Morten where he talks more about his approach to building websites, and the Passive Income Geek course:
Checking out PassiveIncomeGeek.com
The Passive Income Geek website is the home of Morten’s course. It’s where most of the viewers of his YouTube channel are directed to.
The homepage looks like this…
As of this writing, the free blog-style content is pretty thin. Morten’s primary focus is his YouTube channel. He doesn’t convert his video transcripts into posts like other sites in the space.
What you will see on the site, aside from a bio and an access page to the community and course, are tool recommendations. That’s where Passive Income Geek talks about all of the products he’s using…
It’s worth mentioning that there’s no hard sell when it comes to recommending these products. Morten’s approach is very casual and friendly.
You’ll see that just from watching his videos on YouTube.
As far as the site goes, it’s clean and nicely designed. The course is built using the same theme and styling.
What is a passive income website?There isn’t a clear definition from Morten as to what a passive income website is. But based on his YouTube videos and course landing page, it’s a website that:
Is targeted to a specific niche or topicAnswers important questionsRecommends useful productsCan be managed via outsourcingEarns from ads, affiliate commissions or info productsObviously there’s the social media aspect too. But this isn’t something Morten keenly recommends for those just starting out.
Source: passiveincomegeek.comTo summarize, the philosophy of the course is similar to other top affiliate marketing courses. It’s about building and providing something of quality to the user.
It’s not about creating a thin “best X for Y” site.
👇 Subscribe to eBiz Weekly 👇Every Friday we email 9,868 people like you with top tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. No hype, no scams, no fake gurus. Sign up below to get the next one.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
.counter-reset-a { counter-reset: section 6 !important }PASSIVE INCOME GEEK REVIEWWho is Passive Income Geek for?
I’d say that Passive Income Geek’s course is aimed primarily at beginners.
Here’s what the FAQ says…
Source: passiveincomegeek.comHaving completed all the course modules, I’d argue that you need at least some basic knowledge about websites to get real value.
This is because there isn’t much explanation of the basics.
The course doesn’t go deep into how to use WordPress or how to carve out a great page layout in Elementor. Most of those questions, it seems, are intended to be answered in the community feature of the course.
Morten’s comments after reading this review:
Actually, this is getting added with the “Build With Us” challenge.
That’s where I will show exactly how to set up WordPress, Elementor, Astra, and the site overall with over-the-shoulder practical steps. I will also record how I write and create content and do research in these videos.
EVERYTHING will be documented as a side-course – I just wanted to do this together with folks to make it more interactive and not just have it pre-recorded before the course launch. (hence, the note about “content creation module” missing).
Where the course does hold up is on it’s promise of value for people already on the journey.
For people like me, who know the basics and have built a few successful sites in the past, there’s a good amount of unique content here.
But it’s not exactly clear on how long it will take to reach that full-time income level for those just starting out.
Who is Passive Income Geek NOT for?I’d advise anyone who takes the term “passive income” as easy, or anyone short on time, to stay away from this course. Despite the name, the work involved is anything but “passive.”
There’s no direct explanation on the site (or YouTube channel) as to who the course is NOT for.
But having spent 20+ hours researching and reviewing the course materials, I’d say this is a fair assessment of the type of people who would NOT benefit from the Passive Income Geek course:
Anyone expecting the process to be passiveIt’s not as simple as watching and consuming all the course content. Morten tells you what work you’re expected to do at the end of each lesson.Anyone short on time
The course material itself is quick to get through but the actual application could take hours. The first module on niche hunting is a good example. You’ll be expected to have gone away, done some research and completed a spreadsheet before you can benefit from the next module.Anyone unsure about the undeserved-topic approach
Passive Income Geek’s strategy isn’t for everyone. Seasoned SEO’s or affiliate marketers might question the lack of methodical analysis using popular tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush and the like.
How does the Passive Income Geek course work?
It’s pretty simple. You can work systematically through each module, watching or reading the content as you go, or you can dive into the areas that best interest you.
The course describes itself as a “mix of text, tools and videos”…
Source: passiveincomegeek.comSign up to the course (here) and you’ll be greeted with an introductory video. This is where Morten gives a brief rundown of who he is and what to expect from the course…
Once you have access there you’ll be able to start going through the learning material (modules) or hang out in the community.
One of your first suggested actions is to introduce yourself to the community.
You’ll see that that thread is one of the fastest growing. It has plenty of weekly activity.
People who regularly watch YouTube or listen to podcasts in the niche website space will probably recognise a few names already signed up and building.
As far as timelines go, it’s not exactly clear. Morten is documenting the process of building a site from scratch using his method in the “Build With Us” challenge (more on this later).
How is the Passive Income Geek course structured?The course is divided into nine modules:
Niche selectionTopic researchFinding a domain nameSetting up your websiteWriting awesome contentSEO tipsMonetizationSocial mediaOutsourcing contentEach module is then divided into a number of “actions”. These “actions” are divided into individual lessons.
Your progress is tracked as you go.
Here’s how working through the first module will look. A green checkmark shows you the parts of a module you’ve already completed…
Sometimes you’re expected to complete certain tasks like working through a spreadsheet or researching an idea before moving on.
The spreadsheets are provided in the ‘materials’ tab for each module.
You can easily switch between these and get access to the things you need.
As you complete a module you’ll be directed back to the course homepage. From there you’ll get a general overview of the course and the modules you have remaining.
The Passive Income Geek CommunityDespite being relatively new, the Passive Income Geek Community is growing fast.
Interactions happen on the forum side of the course. The layout for this is simple. The newest threads are displayed at the top and the most active ones are listed just underneath.
Threads are categorized in the way they relate to each module. There is also an Everything Else category for general questions, comments and case studies.
Going through the course, I noticed several new threads being started each day.
Posting something myself, I was also impressed how quick other members were to share their advice. As he does for most threads, Morten even answered me directly.
What’s interesting about this community element is that it’s hosted away from social media platforms like Facebook. Personally, I like this as it prevents becoming distracted by the noise.
The community is also the home of on-going events. For example:
That’s already generating a lot of buzz. New video content is being posted regularly, showing Morten following his strategy in real-time.
How much does Passive Income Geek cost?Passive Income Geek’s course costs $299 for the first year. $99 of that fee is for an annual membership. This renews each year on the date of sign-up.
Here’s how billing looks…
So the cost of the course itself breaks down like this, so long as you keep renewing:
Year 1: $299Year 2: $99Year 3: $99Etc.Minimal Additional ExpenseTo follow the course, you’ll have to spend money on a domain and hosting.
Although the course also has a module on outsourcing, it’s entirely possible to do all the work yourself to save money.
Passive Income Geek Discount?Right now there’s no discount available for Passive Income Geek.
This could change as the course continues to grow and establish itself. We’ll update this review if any discount comes along. (Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the loop.)
Subscription PaymentIt’s important to emphasize that Passive Income Geek is NOT a one-time payment.
It’s easy to cancel your subscription, but be aware that, after the first year, you will be billed $99 annually to retain access to the community and the training materials.
Passive Income Geek Refund PolicyPassive Income Geek offers a 30 day money back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with the course you can request a refund.
You can also request a refund if you forget to cancel your subscription and it automatically renews after the first year.
Want To Know When I Review Another Affiliate Marketing Course?Join 9,868 subscribers on my mailing list and I'll keep you in the loop. You'll also receive my weekly newsletter packed with tips, strategies and opportunities to build your online business.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
PRAISE FOR PASSIVE INCOME GEEKValue For Money
Passive Income Geek’s Course is one of the cheapest affiliate marketing courses currently available. For $299 you get access to a lot of value. The course is well structured and has an active community.
Another bonus is that the passive income website strategy doesn’t rely on paid or premium tools. Instead it uses information available from Google on its search engine results pages to guide the approach.
Although there is mention, and a couple of videos, featuring SEO tools like Ahrefs, it’s made very clear they’re not necessary.
Morten believes the traffic estimations most tools give for keywords is unreliable at best. (The guys from Income School have the same philosophy, as discussed in our Project 24 review.)
Unique approach to Niche Validation and Topic ResearchMorten’s approach to niche validation is unique while being well structured.
His basic advice is to use signals from Google to work out what niches you can break into. This is done via plugging “seed keywords” into search and seeing what comes up via Google autocomplete.
This video from Morten addresses this approach…
The fact that the course expands a lot further on the YouTube content is also worth a mention. Morten gives plenty of over-the-shoulder style examples where he applies his strategy to different niche ideas.
I also got a lot of value out of the templates he provides in this module. The process is methodical enough without being too work-intensive to figure out if a particular niche idea is worth it.
Compared to Authority Hacker’s course, it’s a more direct way to get started while still being mindful of the common pitfalls.
Systematic and PracticalPassive Income Geek has you begin with niche research and then move on to finding underserved topics.
Doing all this before learning about things like outsourcing or social media, makes intuitive sense.
The same goes for the module on finding a domain name. There’s a lot of fresh content here I haven’t seen elsewhere. The idea of using bulk domain name checkers to find brandable site names is a good one.
Passive Link BuildingThe Passive Income Geek course isn’t anti-backlinks. Morten still puts values on links helping you rank. He just doesn’t build them in the ‘traditional way’ that many other courses suggest.
This is where the Passive Income Geek course deviates most from the “Income School method” people might be familiar with.
Morten suggests building links smartly via outreach on places like HARO and shows plenty of examples of how and where he’s done that.
For many people new to building websites, link-building is one of the most challenging parts of the process. Passive Income Geek’s tips are a lot more appealing (and passive) than some of the strategies mentioned in other courses.
Passive Income Geek’s SitesThe success of sites like GoDownsize.com shows that Morten’s method works: it apparently makes over $25,000 per month from advertising and affiliates.
Source: passiveincomegeek.com(Btw, that 500k monthly pageviews number checks out on SimilarWeb.)
Many of the video explainers and the examples in the course use the data and results from GoDownsize.com to show the techniques put into practice.
But the fact it leans heavily on this one site can be something of a criticism too…
CRITICISM FOR PASSIVE INCOME GEEKFew successful sites?GoDownsize.com is used a lot as a clear example of Passive Income Geek’s tactics working. The other sites, AnimalHow.com and SewingMachineTalk.com however, aren’t nearly as successful.
That, coupled with the fact there are lots of other mentions of sites targeting other niches during the course, could be a slight criticism. Morten doesn’t reveal these other examples, or talk about whether they’ve worked or not.
But it is worth mentioning that I don’t think it’s a problem of transparency. Following along with the “Build With Us” challenge, Passive Income Geek is keen to show the community his efforts building a new site.
Given the effort there and the undeniable success of GoDownsize, this criticism could be a little harsh.
Morten’s comment after reading this review:
I actually do share numbers from other bigger sites from my portfolio outside GoDownsize.com:
In that video, Morten talks about a site he started only a year earlier that’s earning $30 from ads per 1000 page views. At 100k page views per month, that works out to about $3000 per month.
Very impressive for such a young site.
Content creation module is lackingOne thing missing from Passive Income Geek is an over-the-shoulder example of how Morten recommends researching and writing great content.
The course is full of practical tips on crafting great headlines and thinking about search intent but it’s lacking in terms of a real-time video.
For a beginner starting out, with no idea of where to go next after building an article outline, I feel it’s a key thing missed.
(Note: Morten has begun releasing videos covering these topics with the “Build With Us” challenge.)
Ads First ApproachPassive Income Geek’s display-ad centric approach to earning cash could anger more advanced SEO’s who argue it’s better to focus on affiliate marketing.
In some ways, building a strong info-content site is more time consuming than creating a tightly focused affiliate site monetized by lead generation or affiliate sales.
Although the course touches on all three methods of monetization – ie. advertising, affiliates, info products – the lessons on lead generation are very thin.
Later Modules Feel RushedJust as there’s little info on the social media side of building a passive income site, other sections of the later modules feel slightly rushed or incomplete.
The ‘setting up your website’ module is a good example here. In it, Morten shows us GoDownsize.com’s design set-up using the Elementor page builder without really explaining how the tool works.
(Morten tells us that this training will soon be improved however.)
I also feel the course could benefit from being more clear about timelines; what I’m expected to have done by when, etc.
NitpicksOther minor issues worth mentioning:
BuggyThe course is relatively new so inevitably it’s got some teething problems. Some of the external links send you away from the course hub and the text could benefit from thorough proof-reading and spell checking (English isn’t Morten’s native language).Calls to Action
Some of the modules could be improved by clearer calls to action with highlighted text. Sometimes it’s not clear what the next steps of a lesson are or you have to scroll back up to figure out what’s next.Branding
Passive Income Geek’s “Course” is a bit confusing in terms of branding. Sometimes it’s hard to differentiate between the course, the YouTube channel and Morten himself. They all use the same name!👇 Subscribe to eBiz Weekly 👇
Every Friday we email 9,868 people like you with top tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. No hype, no scams, no fake gurus. Sign up below to get the next one.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
WRAP UPAre students actually getting results with Passive Income Geek?
It’s too soon to judge if Passive Income Geek’s students are getting results from the course.
Judging by the activity in the Community section of the course though, plenty of people have made a start implementing what they’ve learned.
Morten’s techniques do have some reliable testimonials however, particularly from clients of his SEO consultation work…
Source: passiveincomegeek.comBut we’ll need to see the results of people who’ve been following Passive Income Geek’s methods for several months before we can fully determine how effective they are.
Who should take this course?The Passive Income Geek course is a solid introduction to the world of passive income website building for people on a budget. Absolute beginners may need to ask a lot of questions, but the essential information is all there.
Just make sure you have the time to put in the work.
Passive Income Geek AlternativesWe’re on a mission to review all the top affiliate marketing courses.
Here’s our progress so far…
Course
Rating
Review
Authority Hacker's TASS
4.8/5
Authority Hacker review
Income School's Project 24
4/5
Project 24 review
Matt Diggity's Affiliate Lab
tbd
Affiliate Lab review
Commission Hero
2.6/5
Commission Hero review
Udemy affiliate marketing courses
2/5
Udemy affiliate marketing courses review
Affiliate Marketing Mastery
1.5/5
Affiliate Marketing Mastery review
Affilorama
1.5/5
Affilorama review
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing
1.5/5
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing review
Wealthy Affiliate
1/5
Wealthy Affiliate review
Six Figure Mentors
0.7/5
Six Figure Mentors review
ClickBank University
0.5/5
ClickBank University review
Super Affiliate System
0.5/5
Super Affiliate System review
See all the affiliate marketing courses we've reviewed »
If you can’t afford to invest in the course just yet definitely check out the Passive Income Geek YouTube channel.
There’s lots of great free content there that’ll help explain the basics.
Your Passive Income Geek ReviewAre you a member of Passive Income Geek’s course?
Please consider leaving a review below – good or bad – it doesn’t matter so long as it’s helpful to other readers.
Thanks for your support!
Want To Know When I Review Another Affiliate Marketing Course?Join 9,868 subscribers on my mailing list and I'll keep you in the loop. You'll also receive my weekly newsletter packed with tips, strategies and opportunities to build your online business.
HP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you 🔒
Check out our privacy policy to see how we protect and manage your data.
January 8, 2021
eBiz Weekly #105
eBiz Weekly is a free newsletter packed with tips, insights and opportunities to build your online business. We send it out every Friday to 9,628 legendary subscribers. We also post the content of each email here on the website.
Sign up to get the next edition of eBiz Weekly delivered to your inboxHP
We'll first send a confirmation email to make sure it’s you
