The 15 Best Online Side Hustles of 2024

The e-commerce industry is expected to exceed $1 billion in revenue in 2024. The good news is that anyone can carve out a portion of that revenue with an online side hustle. To that end, if you’re looking to supplement your income from the comfort of your home, start by exploring trending ways to make money online. 

From gig-based work to full-fledged solopreneurship, endless opportunities exist to increase your earnings online. See below for the 15 top online side hustles to help you grow your income in 2024.

1. Domain Flipping

Just like you can profit by investing in physical real estate, you can also make money by selling “digital real estate” in the form of domain names. Domain names are the digital addresses that individuals and organizations use to represent themselves online. An individual can do a domain name search to secure the right domain that accurately reflects their brand. For this reason, domain names are valuable online assets. 

Domain flipping works by buying new or expired domains at a low cost and then selling them at a markup. To get started: 

• Conduct research to learn which domain names and extensions are most valuable

• Consider targeting a specific niche you’re knowledgeable about

You can profit from the growing domain landscape by strategically buying and selling domain names. Name.com simplifies bulk domain searches, allowing you to swiftly compile a list of available domains that match your criteria from a wide array of domain names and TLDs.  You can also purchase premium domain names with our aftermarket search tool, enabling keyword or specific domain searches to find your ideal domain. Or, capitalize on expiring domains: domains not renewed by their owners, providing an opportunity to purchase them once they are released back to the public.

From there, you can re-sell the domain names on marketplace platforms or advertise them directly to your target audience.

2. Domain Reselling

Domain flipping isn’t the only way to earn extra income with domain names. If you already have a website or a digital platform, you can offer domain names as an add-on to your existing products or services. 

Becoming a domain reseller in this way allows you to make extra money off each domain name you sell to support your main business. Working with a registrar to integrate domain services directly into your site allows you to create an automated domain reselling side hustle without purchasing the domains yourself. 

The Name.com Reseller Solution allows you to offer domain services directly on your platforms, making domain reselling one of the easiest and most lucrative ways to make passive income online.

3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves advertising another brand’s products with referral codes and earning commission from any sales associated with your referrals. Your affiliate partners typically provide you with this code or link, which you can feature on blog posts, videos, social media captions, or newsletters.

To take advantage of this online side hustle, find products that interest you through affiliate marketplaces, such as ClickBank, FlexOffers, or Amazon Associated, then start incorporating them into your online content, promoting that content, and start enjoying passive income each time your referral generates a sale. 

4. User-generated Content

User-generated content, also known as UGC, is sponsored content that showcases a brand authentically. As a UGC creator, you work with brands to create videos and blog posts that show off their products from the customer’s perspective. 

UGC creators don’t need a large social media following to be successful—in fact, many brands look for UGC content from small creators because they can share and post it on their social pages.

Start by making a few sample videos for products and brands you like to build a portfolio, then reach out to brands about selling your UGC.

5. Social Media Management

Freelance social media management is ideal for anyone tuned into online trends. Not all brands require full-time support from a social media team, but many are interested in hiring social media managers for a few hours a week or month on a freelance basis. 

Check out freelancing sites to look for opportunities that align with your skills and interests, whether that involves managing a content calendar or writing copy for social posts. Build your online presence with a custom domain, and secure a Google Workspace productivity suite with tools like Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and more to build professionalism. 

6. E-Learning Content

Creating digital products is another effective way to earn passive income online. Once you start a digital product, there’s no limit to how many times you can make money from a download. 

If you have expertise in a certain area, you can share your knowledge by producing downloadable e-learning content, such as eBooks and online courses. These can be easily housed by creating a landing page using the one-page website builder. There are also several e-learning platforms that you can use to post and promote your content and connect with an audience that values your expertise.

7. Personal Coaching

If you’re looking for an online side hustle that allows you to engage with others on a personal level, consider becoming a personal coach. Simply pick a niche that aligns with your interests, whether fitness training, finance, or anything in between. 

Then, you can offer one-on-one video conferencing sessions, sell access to webinars, or design personalized content that focuses on your expertise. Consider leveraging Wix Website Builder to build your coaching business online and enhance your professional image.  

8. Online Focus Groups

Companies spend billions of dollars yearly on market research. As a consumer, you can get paid for sharing your perspective on different products and services. You can earn extra cash by taking surveys or participating in online focus groups. 

These opportunities can range from short surveys that only take a few minutes to extensive video interviews about an industry or product. To get started, sign up with a market research platform, such as Statista, SurveyMonkey, or Google Trends that can pair you with relevant market research opportunities based on your:

• Demographics
• Interests
• Buying habits 

9. Print-On-Demand Products

If you have an artistic eye, consider opening an online shop that sells print-on-demand (POD) merchandise. You start by creating a design, uploading it to a POD platform, and linking it to your online shop. Then, whenever someone purchases a product featuring one of your designs, the manufacturer will create it on demand and ship it directly to the customer. 

POD shops are ideal for anyone seeking passive income opportunities because you don’t have to invest in any merchandise or handle the shipping logistics.

10. Downloadable Templates

Along with selling educational content and original designs as digital products, you can also offer customizable templates for various platforms, industries, and subjects. Options can include:

• Email templates
• Social media templates
• Budget templates

If you’re familiar with specific software programs, such as photo editing apps or spreadsheet systems, you can likewise create your own presets and sell them as templates to other users.

11. Dropshipping

Dropshipping allows you to open an online shop without purchasing or managing any inventory up-front. With this approach, you can save significant money while still earning money by selling your products. 

To start your dropshipping business, simply find a manufacturer to create products and ship them directly to customers when you get orders. 

Easily establish your online store, connect with suppliers, and automate order fulfillment using eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, Wix, and Webador to secure your supplier.

You’ll remain in charge of marketing and maintaining a platform where customers can buy your products. 

12. Online Tutoring

You can use several platforms to provide online tutoring services over video conferencing software, like Google Meets or Zoom, for seamless conferencing.

For instance, there are many English tutoring platforms where native English speakers can teach basic lessons to individuals looking to increase their English fluency.

You can tutor one-on-one or in groups, depending on your preferences and teaching style.

13. Stock photography

If you have an eye for photography, you can make money by selling your photos as stock images. All you have to do is submit your photos to stock photo sites, which then license your photos to businesses. 

Because there’s a demand for a wide variety of stock photo subjects, you can hone in on a specific niche or target different trending topics with your images.

14. App testing

Did you know that user testing companies will pay you to download certain apps or visit specific websites? App developers need to be able to identify bugs and ensure features are functional before launching their apps. 

As an app tester, you simply click on buttons and links to navigate through the interface, then make note of any issues. After playing with the interface, you’ll share your feedback to help shape the app’s development. 

App testing opportunities are typically paid per project, so consider looking for apps that interest you.  Some top app testing sites include Fiverr, FlexJobs, UpWork, and Amazon Mechanical Turk. 

15. Audio transcribing

Many companies provide captions and transcriptions for their audio and video content to make it accessible and understandable to all customers. By signing up for an audio transcribing platform, you can get paid to translate various audio and video clips into text. 

These projects are often flexible, making this a great side hustle for anyone with free time who can listen closely and type quickly.

Boost Your Earnings with Name.com

Optimize your side hustle journey by choosing an option with a low barrier to entry and lucrative growth opportunities, such as selling and flipping domain names online. No matter which side hustle you pursue, it is essential to establish an online presence to build your brand and boost credibility. Develop your digital footprint by securing your domain name, creating a professional website, and setting up a business email using Google Workspace or Titan Email. 

Sources:

Statista. Revenue of the e-commerce industry in the U.S. 2017-2027. https://www.statista.com/statistics/272391/us-retail-e-commerce-sales-forecast/

Statista. Market research industry – statistics & facts. https://www.statista.com/topics/1293/market-research/#topicOverview