Earning money is not everyone’s cup of tea. It requires a lot of will and efforts. There are hundreds of ways of earning money, study hard and become a doctor or engineer, or you could even earn money by showcasing your creative side. But in this era of technology, a great way of earning money is through the internet.

Along with the blinding wealth of information, the internet could be a source of your income as well. Here is a checklist of top 5 ways you can follow to earn great bucks!

1. Feedback

You should spend time getting feedback on what you’re selling before launching it. Get market validation from potential customers who aren’t in your social circle.  Some entrepreneurs use the “will they pull out their wallet” test before investing money in a business. If you’re just starting out, surveys are a chance to find out what the customer is hoping the product/service will solve or do for him or her. This would minimize the chances of your failure and you would also attract a lot of attention.

2. Have a website

When talking about making money online, having a website is a must. It is the most important tool to popularize your work.

Three easy steps to having your own website to sell products without spending a lot of cash are:

• Select a content management system (CMS), such as WordPress, which is popular for its user friendliness and is free.
• Register a domain name and subscribe to a hosting service, such as GoDaddy.
• Or for anyone setting up an e-commerce site, both Shopify and Squarespace are easy e-commerce platforms that allow you to build an e-commerce site yourself.

3. Know your Competition and Customers

Study up on both, your competitor and complementary brands. Know well what they are offering and what else you can offer. Find out what your customers desire and work hard to emerge better than your competitors.

4. Create an action plan

Create an action plan for sales and marketing. Planning in advance would give you a clear view of what needs to be done and what not. One way to reach your goal is to figure out which marketing avenues to leverage. Given the wealth of social-media possibilities, start with one or two social-media outlets where you know your audience is. In general, for new products the best channels are Facebook and Pinterest. Another kinds of marketing tools include are advertisements and promotions.

5. Do as much yourself as you can

Working the most by yourself allows you to control the process and brand. Don’t farm out jobs you can do yourself, especially in the beginning. Also it would help in saving your money if the budget is limited.