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11 Ways to Generate Traffic for Your Affiliate Offers
Traffic is the lifeblood of any affiliate marketing campaign, and as such, it's important to understand the various sources from which you can generate traffic. In this article, we'll explore the top 11 traffic sources for affiliate marketing, and provide you with actionable tips for leveraging each one to drive more traffic to your affiliate links.
Social Media
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are some of the most popular sources of traffic for affiliate marketers. By creating engaging content and building a following on these platforms, you can drive a steady stream of traffic to your affiliate links.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engines like Google and Bing can be a powerful source of traffic for affiliate marketers. By optimizing your website for search engines and creating high-quality content, you can improve your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your affiliate links.
Content Marketing
Creating high-quality content on your website can be a powerful way to drive traffic to your affiliate links. By providing valuable information and resources to your audience, you can attract more visitors to your website and increase the chances that they'll click on your affiliate links.
Email Marketing
Email marketing can be a powerful way to drive traffic to your affiliate links. By building a list of subscribers and sending regular email campaigns, you can promote your affiliate products and services and drive more traffic to your affiliate links.
Influencer Marketing
Working with influencers in your niche can be a powerful way to drive traffic to your affiliate links. By partnering with influencers who have a large following in your niche, you can tap into their audience and drive more traffic to your affiliate links.
Paid Advertising
Paid advertising can be a powerful way to drive traffic to your affiliate links. Platforms like Google Adwords and Facebook Ads allow you to target specific audiences and drive more traffic to your affiliate links.
Forum Marketing
Participating in online forums and communities related to your niche can be a powerful way to drive traffic to your affiliate links. By providing valuable insights and resources, you can attract more visitors to your website and increase the chances that they'll click on your affiliate links.
Video Marketing
Creating and promoting videos on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo can be a powerful way to drive traffic to your affiliate links. By creating engaging and informative videos, you can attract more visitors to your website and increase the chances that they'll click on your affiliate links.
Podcasting
Creating and promoting a podcast can be a powerful way to drive traffic to your affiliate links. By providing valuable information and resources to your audience, you can attract more visitors to your website and increase the chances that they'll click on your affiliate links.
Affiliate Network
Joining an affiliate network can be a powerful way to drive traffic to your affiliate links. By partnering with other affiliate marketers, you can tap into their audience and drive more traffic to your affiliate links.
Referral Marketing
Referral marketing can be a powerful way to drive traffic to your affiliate links. By incentivizing existing customers to refer their friends and family to your website, you can drive more traffic to your affiliate links.
In conclusion, the above are the top 11 traffic sources for affiliate marketing. By understanding the different sources of traffic and implementing the strategies outlined above, you can drive more traffic to your affiliate links and increase your chances of success as an affiliate marketer.
#entrepreneur#entrepreneurship#Entrepreneurs#Entrepreneurlife#entrepreneurlifestyle#roi#entrepreneurmindset#entrepreneurgoals#skills#skill#skillsdevelopment#marketing#marketingdigital#marketingtips#marketingonline#marketingstrategy#marketingagency#emailmarketing#emailmarketingtips#emailmarketingcampaigns#emailmarketingstrategy#email#emails#business#businessman#businessideas#campaign#socialmedia#socialmediamarketingfrom#make money as an affiliate
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Bluehost Review – 7 Pros & 4 Cons of Bluehost (Server Speed Tested!)
Bluehost
https://www.bluehost.com/
Bluehost is a fantastic choice for beginners who want to build their first website for their businesses or blogs. Their onboarding process and automatic WordPress installation makes everything feel very easy to use. They may not provide the best value or service, but their product just works.
If you’re flopping about, unsure whether or not to use Bluehost as your web hosting provider, worry not – you’ve stumbled on to the right page.
Here at Bitcatcha, we’re a little obsessed with web hosting (our doctors say it’s borderline unhealthy).
We’ve gone ahead and gotten ourselves a Bluehost account, run some performance tests on their shared hosting plan, and we’re ready to present to you the most definitive Bluehost review you’ll find on the internet.
A Little Bit About Bluehost
Founded by a very young Matt Heaton and Danny Ashworth all the way back in 2003, Bluehost has been around a LONG time.
They’re practically dinosaurs in the industry, but that ain’t a bad thing – having been around for so long means that they’ve learned a thing or two about web hosting, and are able to provide their users with a kick-ass user experience.
For a web hosting provider that’s known and used by people all over the world, Bluehost has but 1 datacenter, which is located in the US. That datacenter powers all of their clients’ websites, which adds up to a whopping 2 million, and is growing by the thousands each day!
Hot Damn!
They obviously made quite an impression in the market, because, in just 7 short years, they got the attention of web hosting giant Endurance International Group, which proceeded to acquire them into the EIG group of companies.
With the support of EIG, Bluehost managed to substantially grow their once small team to a family that’s 750 people large, allowing them to provide much needed round-the-clock support for their customers!
Not impressive enough for you?
Then check this out – Bluehost is also one of the 3 web hosting providers that are actually recommended by WordPress!
If you’re wondering why that’s impressive, it’s because 30% of sites in the entire world wide web is actually powered by WordPress. In other words, they’re the rock stars of the internet and getting an endorsement from them is similar to getting your workout gear endorsed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Now that you’re acquainted with Bluehost, let’s find out why, in our humble opinion, Bluehost is a pretty strong web hosting provider!
7 Great Reasons To Pick Bluehost!
1. Bluehost Is Surprisingly Easy To Use
If you’ve ever built a website before and used a web hosting service provider with a crappy interface, you’ll understand the pain of logging into the dashboard and… not knowing what to do.
Bluehost surprised us with their onboarding process. After completing the registration process, we logged in to the dashboard and before we knew it, clicked next a few times and then, *poof* magic – WordPress was already installed and ready to go.
But pictures speak a thousand words, so here are some to show you what really went down after logging in.
Bluehost will begin by asking you a series of questions about what kind of site you’ll be creating. Select an option from the drop-down menu, and hit continue. Easy-peasy.
They’ll then ask what kind of site you’ll be creating, whether it’s a blog, e-Commerce site, or a niche website selling poop scented wrapping paper.
Them pesky buggers will want to know more about your site, but worry not, because they have your best interests at heart. Name your site, think of a tagline, and rate your website building level on their noob detector scale.
All you have to do next is pick a theme you like, and then boom, WordPress is automatically installed just like that! No need to worry about getting it installed in the wrong folder, or drastically messing something up.
Bluehost will take care of the backend, while you just need to worry about customizing your site and making it look pretty.
If you’re new to site building, I’m pretty sure you have no problems at all creating your site with Bluehost. Even those of us that are a little more seasoned will appreciate how convenient their dashboard is to use.
Look out how beautiful that custom cPanel interface looks. None of that confusing looking dated mess that comes with stock cPanel.
2. They’re Surprisingly Fast Around The World!
According to thinkwithgoogle, fast site load speeds are important for online businesses to be successful, and server response time plays a HUGE role in getting websites to load up fast.
However, with merely 1 datacenter located in the USA, we didn’t think Bluehost would do very well when put through our proprietary server speed test.
Using our test site hosted on their basic plan, we went to town and started testing their response times – boy, we were dead wrong.
Average Speed: 153 ms
The American hosting provider responded exceptionally well, hitting speeds that are WAY faster than Google’s recommended 200ms in all countries, except for Bangalore.
They’re obviously fastest in the USA as the datacenter is located there, but they’re no slouch in countries on the other side of the world like Singapore, Sydney and Japan!
With an average worldwide score of 153ms, Bluehost is one of the fastest A-ranked hosting providers we’ve ever had the pleasure of reviewing. You can rest assured that no matter where your target audience resides in the world, Bluehost will be able to deliver!
Well… except if your audience is in India. You might want to check out our piece on the best web hosting for India instead.
LEARN MORE @ BLUEHOST OFFICIAL
* User-friendly hosting with great speed at an affordable rate!
3. They’ve Got High-Performance Servers
Those of you with plans to run large scale e-Commerce websites or reddit-like forums would be happy to know that Bluehost offers High-Performance Servers that are suitable for your needs.
Why is this important?
Well, with shared web hosting, the purpose of the server is literally in the name – you’re sharing the space with other users, which helps reduce the cost.
However, some users might accidentally (or intentionally) use up way more resources than allocated, which means that everyone else sharing the server with that user will experience site slowdowns – sometimes their sites won’t even load at all.
With High-Performance Servers, Bluehost allocates fewer users per server, and each user is given a file count of 300,000 – this means more computing resources per user, consistent site load speeds, and less downtime caused by rogue users!
BUT!
As it is with all things good, there’s always a catch.
Their High-Performance servers are only available with their Pro plan, which is a whole lot pricier than the rest of their shared web hosting plans.
Guess if you want good performance, you’ve gotta pay for it.
Quite frankly, we have every confidence in their servers. Our test site is hosted only with their Basic plan, and even then, the uptime for it has been 100% since April 2018!
Uptime since April 2018
99.98%
* Bluehost Basic Plan Uptime - tracked with uptimerobot.com
If their shared hosting servers can produce such uptimes, we can easily expect the same from their High-Performance servers.
4. Fantastic Security Features
When we say security, we don’t mean features that just keeps your website safe from those fiendish, ne’er do well hackers.
We’re talking about security in terms of peace of mind, and keeping spam away from the sanctuary of your brand new email inbox.
Let’s look into peace of mind first.
You don’t want to spend days, weeks, months, customizing and tweaking your business website to get it to look perfect and suited to rank on the front of page Google, only to load it up to discover that someone screwed the pooch and your entire website is gone.
For this, Bluehost provides their users with CodeGuard basic – at $2.99 a month.
CodeGuard Basic
The name sounds cool, but it’s actually just a fancy name they came up with for their daily backup service. It’s not bad at all – monitoring your website/database frequently, notifying you if there are any changes, and automatically performing backups.
The basic version provides 1GB storage space, daily backup and monitoring, and 3 restorations a month.
If you need more, CodeGuard comes in Professional, Premium, and Enterprise versions too, but be prepared to pay higher prices for those.
SpamExperts
We assure you, Bluehost won’t be sending someone that can tell you the nuances between different types of pork used in SPAM products.
Instead, SpamExperts is their term for an advanced email filter. It scans incoming emails for spam, viruses, phishing, and other email-related attacks by spammers, and filters them with a rockin’ 99.98% accuracy, all before it reaches your inbox.
Basically, it helps your mailbox stay squeaky clean and junk-free.
SiteLock
In terms of actually protecting your website, Bluehost comes with a basic firewall that offers a minimal level of protection against external threats.
However, If you want enhanced protection, you can get it in the form of SiteLock.
SiteLock comes in three tiers: Essential, Prevent, and Prevent Plus.
With Essential, you’ll get to enjoy automatic Malware removal, which does exactly nothing against DDOS attacks or anything major.
With Prevent, the security level is upped a little with Automatic Malware Removal, DDoS Protection, 6-hour response time and….Image Optimization. Quite frankly, I don’t know what image optimization has to do with security, but it’s a feature I won’t be complaining about.
Prevent Plus does everything Prevent can, but with the added benefit of having daily scan frequency.
SiteLock is good and all, but the thing is, they all come as an add-on, meaning we’re gonna need to fork out more money to enjoy it. Come on Bluehost, you can afford to give your customers a little extra security for free!
5. They’ve Got A Buffet Of Benefits
Gone are the days where you have to carefully plan out the number of sites you’re planning to launch, and the kind of resources needed to run all of it effectively.
Bluehost’s shared hosting plans come with all sorts of benefits, and best of all, almost everything is unlimited! We’re talking:
· Unlimited websites
· Unlimited SSD storage
· Unlimited parked domains
· Unlimited subdomains
· Unmetered bandwidth
You are basically free to create as many sites as you want with them! And you won’t have to worry about the number of visitors to your site!
Be wary though – having too many visitors at the same time might take up too much resources, and Bluehost is notorious for deactivating/deleting rogue sites.
6. Support Responds Very Fast!
One of the most infuriating things in life is waiting for support to respond to you, especially if your site needs attention NOW.
While we were setting up our test site, we were quite pleased to find that support responded via Live Chat very quickly. We’re accustomed to waiting at least 15 minutes for live chat support staff to respond, but the Bluehost support team consistently responded in less than 5 minutes.
We didn’t try phone or email support, but with live chat responding as quick as they do, we hardly think that those methods of support are necessary, although it’s nice to have in case of emergencies.
You won’t have to worry about support in different time zones either, because Bluehost’s support is available 24/7.
Excellent job, team!
7. Freebies That Matter
Some companies will entice you to sign up with their service with shallow free gifts. We’re talking about those that market regular services as “free”, such as “free” 24/7 support, or “free” WordPress installation.
Not Bluehost.
With the all-American web hosting service provider, you’ll actually get freebies that’ll make a difference in your bank account.
With every shared hosting plan purchased, Bluehost will throw in a domain name, free for the first year. To put things in perspective for you, domain names can cost anywhere from $8 to $872 million – yes you read that right. Here’s proof.
Aside from that, you’ll also get the enjoy free SSL – now this might not be much, but every little bit definitely helps to make a difference to the small business owner!
SEE FULL FEATURES @ BLUEHOST OFFICIAL
* Unlimited website, SSD, domains, and more!
4 Disadvantages Of Bluehost
They say that every rose has its thorn. Well, turns out Bluehost is quite thorny.
1. Bluehost Only Has 1 Datacenter
We mentioned previously that we were quite impressed by how fast Bluehost’s 1 datacenter performed, and we still are.
However, every millisecond counts when it comes to site load speed, and we know they can actually perform WAY better if they had datacenters in other continents to support audiences living further away.
They might have one of the best worldwide average speeds among all the web hosting services we’ve reviewed, but if another hosting provider like SiteGround has a datacenter in Asia, it’s a given that sites will load up faster for target audiences located there.
2. Untrained Trainees
I hate to say this because we all start out somewhere, but you really have to be wary of support that are a little wet behind the ears.
Bluehost doesn’t really make an effort to hide that they outsource their support team to India, which isn’t really a big deal anyway. I don’t mind, as long as they’re efficient and fast.
But what I do have a problem is incorrect advice given by trainees.
While setting up our test site, we asked the support team one really simple question:
“Does Bluehost provide us with an Uptime Guarantee?”
The support didn’t know what an uptime guarantee was.
Fine, maybe it got lost in translation. We explained what we were looking for and their reply was YES, Bluehost has an uptime guarantee!
So we asked him to point us to the terms of the guarantee and after going through it, we discovered that the provider does not actually guarantee uptime.
Lucky that this is just a minor issue. God forbid this young support chap gives the wrong advice regarding something major and causes some real damage to our sites.
Bluehost, if you’re reading this, PLEASE train your trainees. This is not acceptable.
3. No Uptime Guarantee
After ranting about it in the earlier point, I can’t really not talk about the lack of uptime guarantee here.
Downtime is quite detrimental to any website. You lose potential sales or conversions if your site is experiencing downtime, and if it’s consistent enough, search engines might not even bother listing your site.
This is why an uptime guarantee is important.
It shows you that the provider is committed to keeping your site up and running, and they’re willing to compensate customers if they face downtimes of below a certain percentage.
Not having one is a giant red flag in our books.
That being said, we have to give Bluehost props – their uptime is actually fantastic, as evidenced by the uptime data collected from our test site.
For the lazy, it’s been at 100% since April 2008. Quite an impressive feat!
4. Dodgy Checkout Practices
Pretty sure everyone reading this will be familiar with the sleazy used car salesman that tries to slyly upsell you things you don’t really need just to make a higher sale.
Making a purchase with Bluehost feels a little bit like we’re dealing with people of that sort.
Upon checkout, the box for SEO tools and Sitelock will be checked, which pushes the price up to close to $60 a year.
These things are nice to have but are completely unnecessary, and unsuspecting buyers might just click next and make the purchase unknowingly – which happened to me.
Make sure you uncheck these boxes before making your purchase (unless you actually want these features).
VPS Hosting
If you’re in need of VPS hosting, Bluehost’s virtual private servers are sure to please. Supported with SSD storage, you’ll enjoy all the power, flexibility and control you’ll need for your VPS needs.
Plans range from $18.99 – $59.99 a month.
Dedicated Hosting
Bluehost’s dedicated hosting plans allow users to have unrestricted access to their servers. With their industry-leading robust platform, you’ll get to enjoy powerful flexible hosting at decent prices.
Their dedicated hosting plans range from $79.99 – $119.99 per month.
GET 33% OFF @ BLUEHOST BASIC (FOR $3.95/MO)
* Price shown is based on 36-month subscription. ** 30-day money back guarantee!
Verdict: Bluehost Is Good, But Not The Best Choice!
Just because we didn’t pick Bluehost to be the best web hosting brand, doesn’t mean that they’re not a good service provider.
They’re actually pretty decent, providing their users with fast enough speeds worldwide to ensure their users’ sites are loaded fast enough to generate a healthy amount of sales.
With superb useability and great UX, Bluehost is fantastic for beginners. Their WordPress recommendation should speak volumes about their service.
One thing we need to mention is that Bluehost is still using cPanel, which is great news for those of us that are accustomed to using it. Since cPanel increased their prices, most web hosting providers have decided to dump them, but so far there seems to be no indication of Bluehost dropping cPanel.
However, the lack of an uptime guarantee got us pretty peeved, as most major providers have the balls to provide some sort of compensation if their users’ sites are down for a certain amount of time.
The very fact that the companies are willing to put their money where their mouth is, inspires confidence. Bluehost does exactly the opposite without an uptime guarantee… what if the websites hosted with them go down for an entire week?
Anyone can promise to “strive to maintain network and server uptime” but it means completely jack if they can’t sack up and foot the bill when shit hits the fan.
However, credit where credit is due – we’ve never had a problem with Bluehost’s actual uptime before. As a matter of fact, the uptime has been 100% on our test site since April 2018!
Our humble opinion is that Bluehost is a pretty strong hosting provider. They may not be the fastest and they may not be the best, but if you’re just looking to host a simple website, they’ve got all the tools you’ll need to do so effectively.
#hosting#web hosting#best hosting#hosting reviews#make money 2021#make money online#make money as an affiliate
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7 Best WordPress Hosting Choices for 2021 (Compared)
Are you launching a new site and looking for the best WordPress hosting company?
There are 100’s of them out there, and choosing the right one for your site can improve your SEO and boost your sales. So in this guide, we’ll discuss how to choose the best WordPress hosting service.
What Is the Best WordPress Hosting?
Here’s a table of contents for easy navigation:
1. Bluehost
2. SiteGround
3. DreamHost
4. WPEngine
5. HostGator
6. InMotion Hosting
7. GreenGeeks
The companies below have excellent support teams and solid, reliable service, which is why we recommend them to WPForms users. They’ve also agreed to offer our readers exclusive discounts up to 63% off.
1. Bluehost
Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosts on this list, probably because they’re an official WordPress.org recommended hosting solution. They’re also consistently rated #1 for small business web hosting, so you can’t go wrong here. They’ve got a traditional cPanel dashboard area for you to easily control your hosting.
And with Bluehost, you don’t have to worry about your website being slow just because there’s a spike in traffic, for instance. In addition, their 24/7 customer service is available by phone, email, or live chat and can help you whenever you need it. They also offer a free domain and free ssl certificates.
Bluehost also has an amazing 1-click install for WordPress, so you can rest assured that’s taken care of easily.
On top of that, prices start at just $2.75 per month.
· Speed: 689 ms
· Uptime: 99.99%
· Customer Support: 4/5
· Website: bluehost.com
2. SiteGround
SiteGround is another wildly popular WordPress web hosting provider that’s got sky-high ratings from users. Plus, it’s also recommended officially by WordPress.org, which is a big deal. And they provide unique in-house WordPress speed and security solutions to make your site as fast and secure as possible.
Also, SiteGround offers location-specific hosting with 3 different data centers in the USA, Europe, and Asia so you can choose the one closest to you and make sure your site is lightning-fast. Additionally, they offer WordPress daily backups, daily caching, plus unlimited databases and email accounts.
And, their pricing starts at just $3.95 a month.
· Speed: 649 ms
· Uptime: 99.98%
· Customer Support: 5/5
· Website: siteground.com
3. DreamHost
Another officially recommended hosting provider from WordPress.org is DreamHost. This independently owned and operated company is a smart choice because they offer a 97-day money-back guarantee. Plus, they’ve been powering millions of sites since 1997. Their standard shared hosting package is a popular choice.
And if you choose DreamHost, you’ll get a custom dashboard, one-click WordPress installation, automatic updates, unlimited space, unlimited bandwidth, and free SSL certificates. So if you’re looking for an excellent WordPress host that offers easy site creation with high-speed SSD storage, then DreamHost could be the right one for you.
Plus, prices start at just $2.95 a month.
· Speed: 445 ms
· Uptime: 99.90%
· Customer Support: 4/5
· Website: dreamhost.com
4. WPEngine
WPEngine is a managed hosting company used for WordPress. And you know they’re reliable since they have some popular clients including companies like Yelp, MyFitnessPal, Asana, National Geographic, and PBS. That’s because they’re one of the best managed WordPress hosting plans in the world.
So if you’ve got a high-traffic site and need a top-notch host, you’ll appreciate that WPEngine partners with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud. These partnerships give your WordPress website the highest possible availability, speed, scalability, and security. And it all comes with 24/7 customer service.
In addition, WPEngine plans include the Genesis Framework + multiple StudioPress themes completely free (an amazing value). And if you want, they can help you get WordPress pre-installed if you’re starting from scratch.
Prices start at around $20 per month.
· Speed: 582 ms
· Uptime: 99.99%
· Customer Support: 4/5
· Website: wpengine.com
5. HostGator
HostGator supports millions of websites and is a leader in the shared hosting space. They have affordable plans with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
In addition, all plans include a website builder with templates, unlimited bandwidth, and $100 in AdWords credits to help you optimize your WordPress SEO. On top of that, HostGator offers amazing 24/7 support.
Additionally, prices start at just $2.75 a month.
· Speed: 691 ms
· Uptime: 99.96%
· Customer Support: 5/5
· Website: hostgator.com
6. InMotion Hosting
InMotion Hosting’s many great features include SSD storage, unlimited bandwidth, a free domain, and a 90-day money-back guarantee. And unlike most other shared hosting plans, InMotion Hosting gives you a choice of data centers so you can pick the one closest to you and improve your page load time.
Also, we love that they’re eco-friendly and use advanced Outside Air Cooling tech in their green data center that reduces their carbon output by 2000+ tons per year.
And prices for InMotion start at only $4.99 per month.
· Speed: 982 ms
· Uptime: 99.91%
· Customer Support: 4/5
· Website: inmotionhosting.com
7. GreenGeeks
The most eco-friendly hosting company on this list is GreenGeeks. Not only do you get a free SSL certificate and free domain name, but they give back 3x the power they consume into the grid in the form of renewable energy, for instance. Also, their SSD storage makes them one of the fastest WordPress hosting providers that also delivers on security and reliability.
Plus, they’ve got a 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 support.
And their prices start at just $2.95 a month.
· Speed: 697 ms
· Uptime: 99.92%
· Customer Support: 4/5
· Website: greengeeks.com
The Best WordPress Hosting (Winner)
So now that you’ve seen the best web hosting services for WordPress and what they have to offer, it’s time to decide which one is right for you.
Ideally, you want to pick a service that’s fast, in your budget, and promises over 99% uptime. All of the hosting providers on this list are excellent, but our overall recommendation goes to Bluehost.
That’s because they’re officially recommended by WordPress.org. Plus, Bluehost is super affordable for blogs and small business websites, but can also work for eCommerce sites as well. And you’ll get amazing 24/7 support from a WordPress expert at any time.
#hosting#best hosting#web hosting#hosting reviews#make money online#affilaite marketing#make money 2021
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Best Cheap Web Hosting
The 7 Best Cheap Web Hosting Options to Consider:
1. Hostinger – Best cheap web hosting for most users
2. DreamHost – Cheapest month-to-month web hosting
3. Bluehost – Best cheap web hosting for WordPress
4. GreenGeeks – Best for image and video-heavy websites
5. SiteGround – Best for users who need extra support
6. A2 Hosting – Fastest cheap web hosting services
7. HostGator – Best for cheap cloud and VPS hosting
When Does It Make Sense to Go With Cheap Web Hosting?
One of our favorite WordPress web hosting providers is WPEngine. It’s fast, reliable, and you get a ton of other perks (like a 100% hands-off white-glove hosting experience).
The catch? It’s $30+ per month on the cheapest plan. Ouch.
When your website is new, you don’t need all those fancy add-ons or fully-managed hosting services. They’re absolutely overkill for new websites.
Instead, you need cheap web hosting that’ll get you up and running as fast as possible without breaking the bank.
Which… is why cheap shared hosting exists. It’s an affordable option for small or new websites with little traffic and a limited number of files, images, and pages.
The good news is that you can start with one of these cheap hosting options and upgrade to better services when you start to see a decline in site performance and can justify the added expense.
The bottom line: if you’re just getting started, cheap web hosting is perfectly fine. We actually highly recommend it. But, don’t forget to think about where you want to be in five years and choose a hosting provider that can scale alongside you.
#1 – Hostinger — Best Cheap Web Hosting for Most Users
Hostinger
Best for Most Users
On a shoestring budget? Get everything you need for your new website, including an SSL certificate, 10 GB of storage space, 100 GB of bandwidth, one email account, and 24/7 customer support, for just $0.99 per month.
If you’re looking for the best long-term pricing and an excellent overall introductory plan, Hostinger’s Single Shared Hosting is our top recommendation. With it, you get everything you need to launch your new website (without breaking the bank).
With most options on this list, you have to pay close to $100 or more upfront. But with Hostinger, you only have to pay $47.52 for four years of hosting services.
But the best part is that even after your initial contract term, monthly prices renew at $2.99 per month. Which is still significantly cheaper than all of the other options listed here.
So, for less than the cost of a cup of decent coffee, you get:
· One website
· One email
· 100 GB of bandwidth
· 10 GB of SSD storage
· Free SSL certificate
· One-click WordPress installation
· 24/7 customer support
· 99.9% uptime
However, the plan doesn’t come with a domain name, so you’ll need to buy one separately. You can do so through Hostinger or one of our top domain registrar recommendations.
Most domain names are $8 to $12 per year. The cost is readily justifiable since you’re getting such a great deal on hosting.
Alternatively, you can upgrade to Hostinger’s Premium Shared Hosting package ($1.99 per month), including a free domain name for the first year. With this plan, you also get 100 email accounts, 20 GB of storage, and unlimited bandwidth.
The Premium plan is also a great option if you run out of storage space or hit your monthly bandwidth cap on the Single plan.
As such, Hostinger can scale alongside your website as it grows, delivering more resources and improving your site’s performance along the way for just a few dollars more per month.
Regardless of the plan you choose, you get 24/7/365 live chat support to help you if anything goes wrong, you need help choosing a plan, or you’re confused about anything as you get started. In our experience, the support team is friendly, speedy, and extremely knowledgeable.
Hostinger’s our top recommendation because it offers affordable long-term pricing, scalable website performance, high server uptimes, and around-the-clock support.
#2 – DreamHost — The Cheapest Month-to-Month Web Hosting
DreamHost
Cheapest Month-to-Month Plans
Worried about making a long-term commitment? DreamHost has your back with the most affordable month-to-month payment options on the market. Paid plans start at just $4.95 per month for one website with unlimited traffic and no contract required. All plans come with a free SSL certificate and WordPress pre-installed.
If you don’t want to commit to several years in advance, DreamHost offers the cheapest month-to-month pricing on the market at $4.95 per month.
There are no long-term contracts, no commitments, and no other unexpected fees.
But don’t let its cheap monthly price tag fool you—you don’t have to sacrifice features, functionality, or website performance for affordable month-to-month pricing.
DreamHost’s Shared Starter plan comes with everything you need, including one website, 50 GB of SSD storage space, and unmetered bandwidth.
The Starter plan also includes:
· WordPress pre-installed, so you don’t have to worry about installing it
· Free WordPress migrations if you’re switching from a different host
· Free domain name privacy (most charge extra for this)
· A drag-and-drop WordPress website builder
· Live chat, ticket, and phone support
· A free SSL certificate
· 100% uptime guarantee
However, as with all great things, there are a few limitations.
DreamHost’s introductory month-to-month plan doesn’t come with a free domain name or any email accounts. Other providers listed here do include these, so it’s an important consideration to think about.
A domain name will cost you $6.99 if you buy through DreamHost.
You can also opt for a one-year or three-year plan (they come with a free domain) or buy one through one of our top domain registrar recommendations.
You can add an email account for $1.67 per account per month, making your total cost $6.26 per month.
Alternatively, you can upgrade to DreamHost’s Shared Unlimited plan at $8.95 per month, which includes unlimited email accounts and unlimited site storage.
The best part about DreamHost is that you can stick with month-to-month pricing as long as you’d like and switch to a one or three-year agreement to lower your monthly hosting costs whenever you’re ready to commit.
One-year plans start at $3.95 per month, and three-year plans start at $2.59 per month for the Shared Starter package. Sign up for DreamHost’s no-contract hosting for $4.95 per month today!
#3 – Bluehost — Best Cheap Web Hosting for WordPress
Bluehost
Best for WordPress
Bluehost is one of only three hosting providers recommended by WordPress. Every plan comes with 24/7 customer support, one-click WordPress installation, automatic WordPress updates, unmetered bandwidth, a free CDN, and a free domain for the first year for just $2.95 per month (that's 63% off!). Try it risk-free for up to 30 days today!
WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) globally, powering over a third of the entire internet.
So, choosing to use WordPress is a smart choice—it’s also what we use here at Crazy Egg.
WordPress itself has three recommended hosting platforms, with Bluehost being the most popular. It offers a great starting point for beginners, but it also has advanced, fully-managed WordPress hosting plans when you’re ready to take your WordPress site to the next level.
As such, it checks all our boxes for website performance and scalability. However, Bluehost’s WordPress Basic plan is our top cheap WordPress hosting recommendation.
It starts at $2.95 per month (with a three-year contract) and includes:
· One website
· 50 GB of SSD storage space
· A free domain for the first year—most charge extra for this!
· A free content delivery network (CDN)
· Free SSL certificate
On top of that, you also get automatic WordPress installation, so you don’t have to worry about the technical side of installing it yourself. And you can rest easy knowing you’re getting the most up-to-date version, regardless of when you sign up.
All Bluehost plans come with automatic core and plugin updates, resulting in a more secure website with fewer vulnerabilities.
But the best part is that you don’t have to spend time checking for updates, installing them, or maintaining your account. Bluehost takes care of everything WordPress-related for you so you can focus on launching, creating content, and running your website.
If you’ve never used WordPress before, it can be a bit of an uphill climb to learn.
However, Bluehost helps ease the learning curve by delivering 24/7/365 WordPress expert support for getting started, designing your website, and other questions you may have along the way.
Bluehost promotional pricing starts at $2.95 per month. However, you have to sign up for three years in advance to unlock this price.
And after your initial contract term, the price increases to $8.99 per month.
Whether you want to start a blog, an ecommerce store, a business website, or anything in between, WordPress powered by Bluehost has you covered. Get started with Bluehost for $2.95 per month today!
#4 – GreenGeeks — The Best Cheap Web Hosting for Image and Video-Heavy Websites
GreenGeeks
Best for Content-Heavy Sites
GreenGeeks is the only provider on our list that includes unlimited storage space and a 300% green energy match on its introductory plans, making it a perfect match for websites with a lot of images, videos, and content. Paid plans start at just $2.49 per month.
GreenGeeks is a cheap web hosting provider you may not have heard of. But with over 40,000 happy customers around the world, they’re not new—nor unproven—by any means.
We love GreenGeeks because it’s the only provider that provides unlimited storage space, even on the cheapest introductory plan.
As such, it’s an excellent choice for content, image, and video-heavy websites.
Whether you run a blog, create hundreds of video product reviews, or want to display your high-resolution photographs in all their glory, you don’t have to worry about hitting storage limits with large files.
With that said, GreenGeeks does have an excessive resource user policy that states every website on its shared hosting plans may not use more disk space or bandwidth than is required for the regular operation of a website.
They don’t explicitly state what that “limit” is, but most users shouldn’t have issues with this, as long as you’re not using storage space for the sole purpose of archiving or storing large files.
Besides unlimited storage space, it’s also one of the most feature-rich entry-level plans we’ve seen on the market. For just $2.49 per month, you get:
· A free domain name
· Unlimited email accounts
· Nightly backups
· A complimentary SSL certificate
· A free content delivery network (CDN)
· Zero-day vulnerability fixes
· One-click WordPress installation
· 24/7/365 live chat, phone, and ticket support
But keep in mind that you have to sign up for three years in advance to get the best prices. After your promotional period, your monthly rate jumps up to $10.95 per month.
On top of those features, GreekGeeks is the only cheap hosting provider with a 300% green energy matching program, making your website 3x greener than those hosted on other platforms. In case you’re wondering why green hosting is a thing…
Data centers (the things that power the internet) account for 2% of the world’s carbon emissions, equal to that of the aircraft industry.
And that number is expected to grow to 14% by 2040.
In response to this, GreenGeeks offsets carbon emissions put off by their services by 300%. So they’re leaving the world 3x better than they found it. Get started with GreenGeeks for $2.49 per month today!
#5 – SiteGround — The Best for Users Who Need Extra Support
SiteGround
Best Customer Service
Never built a website before? Get everything you need to launch your website plus world-class customer support along the way in one affordably priced hosting package with SiteGround. With their award-winning support, you’ll never have to worry about navigating technical mishaps or building your site alone. Paid plans start at $6.99 per month.
If you’ve never built a website before or aren’t comfortable navigating the technical side of building a website, SiteGround is your best bet.
When you sign up, you get all the essential features you need to launch your new website, plus an entire team of dedicated experts ready to help you along the way.
SiteGround’s support team is top-rated, and the company’s known for having the happiest customers in the industry. The hosting provider’s most recent annual customer survey found that to be true, as SiteGround received a 97.7% customer satisfaction rate.
So, you can rest easy knowing you’re in good hands if you need help, run into an issue, accidentally break your website, or are unsure of anything throughout the process.
In our experience, they’re very fast, friendly, knowledgeable, and dedicated to helping you get your website launched with as little frustration as possible. SiteGround offers customers a free site migration via its WP Migrator and also provides a professional migration service for $30 per site if you need to move several sites.
But SiteGround is also there to help once your website is up and running, as well.
Want to change something but not sure how to do it? No problem.
You can easily browse the SiteGround knowledgebase full of tutorials and how-to guides, hop on the phone, start a live chat, or create a helpdesk ticket.
With a 15-minute average response time and 90% issue resolution on the first contact, you can resolve issues in record time and get back to running your business.
Aside from support, you also get a ton of benefits and features on the cheapest plan, including:
· 10 GB of storage space (plenty for new websites)
· Daily backups in case something happens to your site
· Unlimited email accounts
· A free content delivery network (CDN)
· Automatic core and plugin WordPress updates
· A complimentary SSL certificate
· 100% renewable energy match
The introductory plan starts at $6.99 per month with a one-year contract. After that, your plan renews at $14.99 per month, making it the most expensive shared hosting plan on our list. But it’s well worth the added cost if you need additional support and would rather consult the professionals than spend time troubleshooting issues on your own.
If you’re looking for a feature-rich hosting plan, extra peace of mind, and a reliable customer support team you can get in touch with at any time, SiteGround has you covered. Get started with SiteGround for $6.99 per month today!
#6 – A2 Hosting — The Fastest Cheap Web Hosting Provider
A2 Hosting
Fastest Cheap Web Hosting
Looking for the fastest hosting provider that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? A2 Hosting’s shared hosting plans offer various speed-boosting features like turbo servers (on the turbo plan), solid-state drive storage, high storage limits, and a complimentary content delivery network. Paid plans start at just $2.99 per month on the introductory plan!
47% of web users expect your website to load in less than two seconds. And 40% of people will hit the back button if it takes longer than three seconds to load.
Improving your site speed is essential, and your hosting provider plays a role in how fast your site loads. As such, if you’re looking for the fastest cheap web hosting service, A2 Hosting is our top recommendation.
You can get started on their most affordable plan for $2.99 per month—as long as you sign up for three years in advance. After that, your plan renews at $8.99 per month. It comes with:
· Unlimited email accounts
· Phone, live chat, and email support
· A free SSL certificate
· 99.9% uptime guarantee
· A built-in website builder
However, one of A2’s standout introductory features is a whopping 100 GB of SSD storage.
Most new websites will only use a small percentage of that, meaning you get faster load times since you’re not using up a lot of space. Just like with your computer or phone, the closer you get to maxing out your allotted storage space, the worse your device performs.
This is true for your website as well.
And the solid-state drive provides an additional speed boost compared to traditional hard drives since they can access stored memory (almost) instantaneously.
The cheapest plan also comes with a free Cloudflare content delivery network (CDN). It helps improve site speeds and performance by caching the content on your site. Essentially, the CDN stores and displays a snapshot of your website, rather than loading it from scratch.
You can further improve site performance by upgrading to the Drive plan at $4.99 per month. It includes unlimited storage space and twice as many server resources at your disposal.
However, the most significant speed boost happens on A2 Hosting’s Turbo Boost plan, which starts at $9.99 per month. With it, you get an advanced version of a solid-state drive for storage, a turbo boost server that’s up to 20x faster, and a slew of other speed-boosting features.
Regardless of the plan you choose, A2 offers an anytime money-back guarantee if you’re unhappy with your site’s performance for any reason. Get started for $2.99 per month today!
#7 – HostGator — The Best Cheap Cloud & VPS Web Hosting
HostGator
Best Cheap Cloud & VPS Hosting
Frustrated with your website’s performance on shared hosting? HostGator offers an affordable way to upgrade to cloud or VPS hosting with some of the lowest prices we’ve seen. Upgrade your performance with cloud hosting starting at just $4.95 per month or VPS hosting at $19.95 per month with 2 GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores today!
If you’re on the hunt for cheap hosting that delivers better performance than shared hosting, HostGator’s cloud and VPS hosting plans are our top recommendations.
Most users won’t need this level of hosting when they’re just getting started. So, if your website is brand new or you’ve never created a website before, we recommend going with one of the other options on this list.
Note: VPS and cloud hosting require more technical knowledge since set up, configuration, customization, and server maintenance are all in your hands.
Cloud hosting is different from shared hosting because you get your own allocated resources (you don’t have to share) split between numerous servers. As a result, you get better performance, flexible resources, enhanced scalability, and more uptime.
So, if you’re currently frustrated with your shared hosting plan and frequently experience traffic spikes or plan to grow quickly, this is an excellent way to get an affordable upgrade.
To put HostGator’s cloud plans in perspective, Google charges $40 to $50 per month and Liquid Web charges $19 per month. However, HostGator’s introductory cloud hosting plan starts at just $4.95 per month.
With it, you get:
· 2 GB of RAM (plenty for small sites)
· 2 CPU cores (with shared hosting, you typically get one)
· Unmetered storage space
· A free domain name for the first year
· A complimentary SSL certificate
· Automated server switches if something goes wrong
· Custom-built caching configurations
If you’re not sure what all that means, don’t worry. It all equates to improved website performance with your own resources at a fraction of the cost of other cloud hosting providers.
VPS hosting, on the other hand, is slightly different from cloud hosting. You still get your own resources, but you’re limited to one physical server. This type of hosting is best for hosting one website that’s outgrown shared hosting but doesn’t need the scalability and dynamic demand that cloud hosting provides.
Bluehost VPS hosting starts at $29.99 per month, and A2 VPS hosting starts at $39.99 per month. So, it can be quite the spike from shared hosting.
However, HostGator’s introductory VPS hosting plan starts at $19.95 per month, and you get the same number of resources as its entry-level cloud hosting plan.
The most significant differences are that there’s a storage space limit of 120 GB, and you don’t get automatic server switches since you’re limited to one server.
Methodology For Choosing The Best Cheap Web Hosting
Now you know our top cheap web hosting recommendations.
Next, let’s talk about the criteria we considered and how we chose these specific providers (aside from our own experiences using them).
When it comes to cheap web hosting, it’s typically understood that lower costs come with a lower ceiling for performance and fewer features. So, the methodology we outline below will help you decide which “type” of cheap is the best fit for your new website.
Promotional Pricing vs. Long-Term Costs
Every option on this list has a monthly promo fee of less than $7 per month and they all renew at less than $15 per month after your initial contract term.
Compared to dedicated or managed hosting, this is a steal (even at the renewal rate). However, you need to decide which type of “cheap” you’re looking for.
Do you want to pay as little as possible today, or do you want the best long-term pricing?
If you’re looking for the lowest out-of-pocket costs today, Dreamhost is the cheapest. You can get started for $4.95. And that’s it.
The other good news is that you don’t have to worry about promotional pricing. That’s the price you’ll pay forever.
However, the cheapest long-term web hosting service is Hostinger at $0.99/month with a two-year contract. You’ll pay $47.52 today for four full years of hosting. Then, the price goes up to $2.99 per month.
It’s cheaper in terms of long-term costs, but it’s more out-of-pocket today.
Another thing to consider is the cost of add-ons and other features you may need but aren’t included in your cheap hosting plan. This includes things like domain name privacy and protection, email accounts, a domain name, and extra security.
Many “cheap” plans don’t include some or all of these things to keep costs low.
So, while something may SEEM to be the cheapest option out there, don’t forget to factor in these extra expenses when comparing prices for different providers.
For example, both Hostinger and Dreamhost don’t include a free domain name with their introductory plans. So, that’s an added expense you need to consider. Furthermore, Hostinger comes with one email account, whereas Dreamhost doesn’t include any.
As such, you’ll have to pay extra for email accounts if you need them, whereas the other options on our list include an unlimited number of email accounts for free.
Website Performance
If you’re interested in optimizing for search engines or improving the overall user experience, site speed makes a difference.
Want people to stick around? Load faster than three seconds. Want to sell more products or generate more affiliate revenue? Don’t make visitors wait.
Most cheap hosting plans offer similar site speed performance. The real difference comes when you upgrade to a managed plan or dedicated server. However, A2 Hosting boasts the fastest cheap web hosting in the industry.
With that said, factors like storage space, bandwidth, and a content delivery network (CDN) play a role in how fast your site loads.
While every provider listed here (aside from Hostinger) offers unmetered bandwidth on their cheap introductory plan, that doesn’t mean it’s unlimited.
Once you reach a certain threshold, your site’s performance will start to suffer and you’ll need to upgrade to a better plan as your website gets more traffic and you use up your available storage space.
In terms of website performance, Hostinger is the most limiting with 10 GB of storage space and 100 GB of bandwidth on the entry-level plan.
Which… makes sense because it’s the cheapest option on your list.
These limitations won’t affect you when you’re just getting started. But, as your website grows, you’ll start to feel the degradation in performance until you upgrade to a more expensive plan.
On the other hand, GreenGeeks offers the most room for growth with unlimited storage space and unmetered bandwidth. However, it’s more out-of-pocket today and the renewal rate is on the more expensive side.
Going back to what we talked about earlier, you have to decide which type of “cheap” is the best fit for your situation.
High Server Uptimes
Every provider on this list has an uptime guarantee between 99.9% and 99.99%. However, this doesn’t mean you’ll never experience downtime.
In most cases, that guarantee doesn’t include scheduled downtime or situations outside of the provider’s control. Which… covers nearly every situation in which your site would be down.
If your site does go down for more than 0.1% of the month, you get 5% of that month’s fees back for every hour of downtime.
But they list numerous events that don’t qualify for their 99.9% guarantee, including scheduled maintenance and network outages. It leaves us to wonder what actually IS covered under their promise.
With that said, unexpected downtime could mean lost revenue or missed opportunities.
So, that 0.01% of downtime—or more—isn’t something to take lightly (regardless of what your provider promises).
And although it may not happen often, your site WILL go down at some point. When it happens, you need top-notch customer service that’s on top of resolving the issue as fast as possible.
24/7/365 Support
Whether you’ve never set up a website before, have set up hundreds of websites, or are migrating from a host you’re unhappy with, 24/7/365 support is crucial.
Aside from unexpected downtime, quick access to an experienced customer service rep should play a role in your decision. This is true even if you don’t expect to contact them for anything because you never know what’s going to happen.
Some provider’s on our list outsource customer support, meaning their representatives aren’t a part of their in-house team.
This can lead to extremely frustrating service experiences, particularly because they may not know enough about the technical side of your hosting plan to actually do anything and help you resolve the issue.
Another thing to consider is where the support team is located. Are they strictly US-based?
While that’s excellent for US customers, it’s not so great for international customers in different time zones. You may have to wait an entire day to get a response due to time differences.
Furthermore, you may not be able to call the support team at all if they don’t provide international phone numbers.
The best way to test response times and overall support quality is to take advantage of money-back guarantees. Sign up for an account, pay the initial fees, and get to know their customer support team.
Try every support channel they offer and take note of your experience.
If they’re unhelpful or you don’t get the help you need in a timely manner, cancel and move on to a host better suited to help you.
Just remember to cancel and request a refund before your refund period is up.
Most providers give you at least 30 days to try out their services. However, DreamHost gives you 97 days, and A2 Hosting offers an anytime money-back guarantee. With that said, SiteGround is known for its exceptional customer service. So it’s a fantastic choice if this is your first time buying hosting, or you’d like additional guidance along the way. However, it does come in as one of the most expensive “cheap” hosting options on our list.
Summary
Choosing the right cheap web hosting provider isn’t always easy, but it’s an essential consideration for your website’s future.
So, sit down and take the time to list out your requirements.
Then make an educated decision based on your priorities and specific needs.
If you’re still stuck, Hostinger and Dreamhost are our top cheap web hosting recommendations. They’re usually a safe bet. But if they do not check all your boxes, you can use this post as a guide while you go through the process of making your final decision.
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Managed WordPress Hosting: The All-You-Need-to-Know Guide + 10 Best Managed WordPress Hosts for 2021
Is the managed WordPress hosting industry coming to an end? I mean, is WordPress easy-to-grasp enough so that we no longer need any companies helping us out setting up our web servers, and then taking care of those servers on a regular basis?
Well, if you’re a developer working with WordPress every day, then you might want to believe that it’s indeed the case. For people like that, setting up efficient servers with Linode or DigitalOcean is a breeze. But as Chris Lema very accurately pointed out, WordPress is far from simple, especially for your parents, your neighbors, or whoever else simply wants a website without getting their hands dirty.
What is managed WordPress?
The term “managed” for WordPress means that all the server-related responsibilities and tasks are handled for you by the web host. This usually includes things like installing WordPress itself, handling backups, updates, plus security and performance checks.
For the end user – who might not be that familiar with the technical stuff – WordPress is just a black box that allows them to have their work/posts/articles/products published on the web. And it should stay that way too.
So, companies offering managed WordPress hosting seem to be a good response to that need. Or are they? Let’s find out in this article.
1. SiteGround
Pricing: $6.99, $9.99, $14.99 / month
SiteGround offers the cheapest managed WordPress plans, catering both to bloggers and non-technical people, as well as developers that need advanced features like Git integration and staging areas.
Among their entire offering, the GrowBig and GoGeek plans stand out as the best managed WordPress hosting options. The former is a more affordable setup ($9.99), while the latter is more powerful (less accounts on the server) plus offers “geeky” features for developers and enterprises ($14.99).
Overall, the GoGeek plan is a nice solution for people who want to experiment with the platform on their own, apart from getting all of the standard hosting features that come out the box.
Pros
o Officially recommended by WordPress.org.
o Free Let’s Encrypt SSL for all plans.
o Git integration.
o Free PCI compliance (for e-commerce).
o Staging.
o SSD drives.
o CDN included.
o Multiple websites on a single account.
o 24/7 support. Via phone as well.
o Free backup and restore features.
Cons
o Even though the cheapest plan is enticing at $6.99 / mo, it won’t be the best solution for most high-traffic sites.
2. Bluehost
Pricing: $19.95, $29.95, $49.95 / month
Bluehost offers several different hosting plans depending on your needs and the type of website that you want to launch. One of the more interesting and powerful ones is their “WP PRO” tier, which is a fully managed setup.
As part of it, you not only get classic Bluehost’s web server admin panel but also an all-in-one marketing center and dashboard, good SEO features, email marketing features, and social media tools. The servers have also been optimized for performance.
No matter which specific tier of the WP PRO plan you select, you get to launch an unlimited number of websites, set up unlimited domain names, unlimited subdomains, plus there’s no limit on the disk storage or bandwidth.
Moreover, Bluehost also gives you a 1-hour onboarding concierge call. During the call, you work with a WordPress pro who will help you set up your site with Bluehost. They can also assist you in selecting a theme and the right set of plugins for your site.
Note; If you’re not sure if the WP PRO plan is something you need then consider getting started with the classic plan of Bluehost’s (from $2.95 / mo.). That one also has great onboarding and gives you access to some of the “managed hosting” features for a fraction of the price. You can later on upgrade to a higher-up plan if needed.
Pros
o Unlimited websites, disk space, bandwidth/traffic.
o Fully managed experience.
o Staging environment.
o Instant WordPress installs.
o 1-hour onboarding concierge call.
o CDN enabled for your site.
o 24/7 customer support.
Cons
o The support quality has mixed reviews among users.
o Picking a data center location isn’t straightforward.
Go to Bluehost
3. WP Engine
Pricing: $22.50, $86.25, $217.50 / month; custom pricing available for bigger setups
Managed WordPress hosting is something that WP Engine has offered ever since the company was created, and it’s what originally put them on the map among other firms more established at the time.
Despite some rough episodes along the way (problems with its growing infrastructure), WP Engine seems to have found its balance. Right now, WP Engine offers managed solutions that are somewhere in the middle of the road between beginner-friendly, and developer-friendly WordPress hosting.
Pros
o CDN included for all plans.
o Great scalability – suitable for websites rapidly growing in traffic.
o Free automated migration.
o 24/7 chat support for all plans. 24/7 phone support starts with the “Growth” plan.
o Free access to the Genesis Framework and over 35 StudioPress WordPress themes.
o Included SSL certificates.
Cons
o High overage costs, even up to $1 per every 1000 visits.
o It’s reported that WP Engine tends to modify native WordPress code quite heavily, making it hard to move to another host in case you need to do so in the future.
o The add-ons for options like WordPress Multisite, geotargeting, and additional sites can get pricey.
4. Flywheel
Pricing: $13, $25, $96, $242 / month
Albeit a somewhat new player in the managed WordPress hosting space, Flywheel has made a name for themselves very quickly. They’re a great choice for non-developers who want to launch a WordPress site and make sure that it’s going to work with no interruptions.
Potentially great for designers, small business owners, freelancers, bloggers, and all non-technical people in general.
Pros
o Ultra beginner-friendly interface and easy to use.
o Data centers around the world – your website will perform well no matter where your audience is.
o Built-in caching and automatic backups.
o 24/7 live chat customer support for all plans.
o Free SSL for all plans.
o Flywheel has a policy of no overage charges.
o Some relatively inexpensive pricing for those just getting started with managed hosting.
Cons
o Additional server features can get expensive. For instance, if you want SSL, CDN, and multisite ability, that’s an additional $30 / mo on top of your current plan.
o Phone support is no longer provided.
5. Kinsta
Pricing: $25, $50, $83.33, $166.66, up to $1,250 / month
Kinsta is a smaller player compared to the other companies on this list, but they’ve quickly earned their spot in the landscape due to the high quality of their hosting platform and an overall WordPress-only focus. Kinsta is more of a premium solution, but what you get for your investment is a highly optimized platform, ready to take on a large number of visitors, automatically scaling, supporting SSH, WP-CLI, Git, integrating a CDN, and offering many many more perks. Not only that, but Kinsta has launched two pricing plans that are more affordable for smaller businesses.
Pros
o Powered by Google Cloud Platform and their premium tier network.
o 1440 daily uptime checks per site.
o Free CDN for every plan.
o Automatic scaling.
o Support for Let’s Encrypt, SSH, WP-CPI, Git, and more.
o Free website migrations and hack fixes.
o Staging and cloning environment.
o Weekly automatic MySQL database optimizations for your WordPress site.
o Quick SSD storage.
o Self-healing PHP.
Cons
o The cheapest option is $25, significantly more than some of the other options on this list. Luckily Kinsta’s cheapest plan used to be $100 per month, so at least it has improved.
o Although you do get access to the Google Cloud Platform for cheap, the lower priced plans have fairly low monthly visit maximums.
6. Presslabs
Pricing: $99 + $0.30*, $299 + $0.20*, $599 + $0.10* (* per 1,000 extra pageviews / month)
Presslabs offers high-performance managed hosting for agencies and publishers with website networks and web development clients. There’s only one high priced plan to choose from and after that you are charged based on the number of site visits. That being said, you’re paying for an incredibly fast, secure, and reliable hosting environment that’s completely managed for you. Presslabs is meant for publishers and agencies with rapid growth in mind. In short, Presslabs customers expect tons of traffic in the near future and don’t want any hiccups along the way. However, there’s no way the average business would be able to afford the Publisher Plan.
On the other hand, the Developer plan is completely free and offers an excellent environment for workflows, along with plenty of custom tools. It seems like Presslabs makes the most sense for developers and extremely fast-growing publishers. Overall, we’re not factoring in the Developer Plan in this comparison since it doesn’t seem to qualify as a managed WordPress hosting plan.
Pros
o Collaboration features for managing your agency or publishing team.
o Git-driven environment for development.
o 24/7 email and phone support. The general support is during normal business hours, but Presslabs has emergency email and phone lines.
o Free SSL certificates.
o An included CDN with HTTP/2.
o Incremental backups every 15 minutes.
o Staging environments.
o A beautiful and powerful dashboard powered by ReactJS Technology.
o A Developer Plan is provided at no cost.
Cons
o The pricing makes it completely out of the question for many businesses.
o Even after paying $599 per month you still must pay extra for additional pageviews.
7. LiquidWeb
Pricing: $19, $79, $109, $149, $299, $549, $999 / month
LiquidWeb caters to agencies and online professionals with multiple websites. It has everything from Cloud VPS to custom solutions, but the WordPress managed hosting starts with a plan that supports 10 sites and 50GB of SSD storage. With solid speed, security, and customer support, LiquidWeb should be considered by larger enterprises and those who need quality managed hosting for several websites.
Pros
o Plans that support anywhere from 10 to 50 sites. You can also get a custom price for more sites.
o Daily, automated website backups.
o Staging areas to test your sites.
o Free SSL.
o Development tools including Git and SSH.
o 24/7 customer support through chat, email, and phone.
o A fairly reasonable monthly price to host 10 websites.
Cons
o No managed WordPress hosting for smaller companies with fewer sites.
o LiquidWeb has some history with downtime issues.
8. GoDaddy
Pricing: $24.99, $49.99, $89.99, $169.99 / month
GoDaddy is really expanding deeper into the WordPress space every day. Or at least it seems like it. The company has been releasing many new for-WordPress products lately, and they seem like they really have a grasp on what’s needed for a more traffic-heavy WordPress website. Their managed WordPress hosting plans offer good server performance, with modern technologies and additional security features.
Pros
o Affordable if you want to launch five websites.
o One-click staging sites for all your websites.
o Backups up to 90 days.
o Automatic daily malware scans.
o Quick SSD storage.
Cons
o You need to be careful going through their checkout process / shopping cart. There’s a lot of upselling going on … for things you might not necessarily need. Most of those additional offers are enabled by default.
o Allegedly, GoDaddy is not the easiest host to leave if you ever need to.
9. Pagely
Pricing: $199, $299, $499, $999, $2500 / month
At the time of this article, Pagely seems to be a more developer-centered solution among the companies presented on this list. It’s also the fastest of the managed WordPress hosts. First off, they’re now using Amazon’s servers, which gives them access to many of Amazon’s advanced features. For instance, they let you take advantage of things like SSH, staging, Git integration, WP-CLI and more. You also get the power and privacy of a VPS. That being said, Pagely is also much more expensive than most managed WordPress hosts.
Pros
o Real-time malware monitoring.
o Advanced developer features.
o Automated daily backups.
o Built-in redundancy.
o Great scalability.
o You can use nearly any plugin or theme you want.
o Each plan supports a large number of sites.
Cons
o Phone Support is only available on select plans. You’d think for $299 per month you could call someone.
o The highest overall prices on this list – starting at $199 / month.
10. WPMU DEV hosting
Pricing: $7.50, $18.75, $37.50, $75 / month
With WPMU DEV hosting, you will get to choose two pricing models based on your needs. Either buy a membership to the whole WPMU DEV platform, or get only the hosting service starting at $7.50. The prices scale up from there depending on the server power that you require.
If you decide to go with their membership based plan, you get access to a number of tools and plugins. And, chiefly, you get a $10-$30 worth of credit towards your hosting plan. Just as an example, your $30 credit that’s part of the Agency membership allows you to use up either three Bronze hosting plans, or one Silver plan with no additional payments.
WPMU DEV hosting pricing packages in detail:
WPMU DEV is a new player to the WordPress hosting landscape. They provide a wide range of premium services, plugins and themes, delivered as part of a single membership and meant to make managing and growing your WordPress website easier.
On the hosting front, they offer a fully managed setup that runs on a VPS platform. Every hosting plan gets its virtual machine with containerized server resources (this includes RAM, SSD storage, a vCPU, etc.).
Each setup gives you a choice of one of eight data centers all over the globe, good security features (WPMU DEV’s own Defender and Automate services), object and page caching, CDN, backups, staging environments, and automated migration tools.
Pros
o Great security features to keep your site safe.
o A really nice UI, which contributes to an overall great user experience.
o Backups handled for you.
o You get to choose the server parameters that you need.
o Easy migration.
o Staging environment included.
o You get a whole suite of extra tools and plugins bundled in.
o Multiple support options available: big knowledge base, a members forum, 24/7 live chat, ticket support.
Cons
o It’s more expensive to get started with since you have to buy a whole subscription to WPMU DEV, and can’t just get the hosting.
o The pricing structure overall can be confusing.
What is managed WordPress hosting?
Managed WordPress hosting means that hosts handle basic hosting administrative tasks, such as installing WordPress, security, speed, WordPress updates, daily backups, website uptime, and scalability.
But hold off on the WordPress hosting companies thing for a moment. Let’s talk 1/4 mile drag racing.
If you wish, you can drag race with your everyday stock Honda Civic.
But if you watched The Fast and the Furious, you know that in order to get some real good 1/4 mile times out of it, you need to get specific work done to that Civic.
… Get a tricked out turbo charger, a tuned chip, better tires, a better tuned gearbox that puts the power to the wheels quicker (or whatever, I’m no expert here).
So at the end of the day, you still have the Civic, but it’s been optimized to perform at its best in a 1/4 mile drag race.
WordPress hosting is somewhat the same.
Under the hood (no pun intended), a web server is a web server, and it’s usually built with the same components. Every car has an engine, some wheels, and all the other usual parts. But it’s how these parts are set up, and what kind of specific parts they are, which makes all the difference. It’s what makes a car purpose-built for one thing or the other.
While all web hosts can handle WordPress, the best managed WordPress hosting has been optimized for WordPress websites specifically.
More than that, it usually features some side-services revolving around things like expert support, automatic updates, backups, and so on. It’s like a concierge WordPress hosting package, where you not only get the hosting, but also everything else that will enrich your experience further.
Essentially, having your website hosted on a managed WordPress hosting platform gives you the freedom of not having to worry about the technical stuff, and simply focus on the true essence of your work online – running your business, publishing content, selling your products and what-evs.
What’s the difference between shared hosting and managed hosting?
Here are some of the things that you usually don’t have to worry about if you’re on a managed WordPress hosting plan vs. its shared hosting for WordPress counterpart:
Managed
o Automatic site/WordPress updates.
o Automatic daily/weekly backups.
o Built-in speed optimization through caching and CDN networks.
o Built-in security mechanisms optimized for WordPress.
o Built-in database optimization for WordPress.
o Scalability optimizations (servers capable of handling more traffic if need be).
o Server settings optimized specifically for WordPress software.
Shared
o You need to do updates manually with most hosts.
o Backups only available through third-party plugins.
o Speed optimization only available through third-party plugins.
o General security mechanisms on the server itself. Added security through third-party plugins.
o No additional database optimization.
o You’re usually limited to a set number of visits. Your website can go offline for a while if you go over it.
o Set to work with a range of different platforms and website scripts.
Most importantly, with managed WordPress hosting, you get access to expert support (preferably in a 24/7 manner and via phone) that’s always ready to solve any issue you might have. With shared hosting plans, on the other hand, you have no certainty that the person on the other end will be knowledgeable about WordPress and/or able to solve a specific problem related to the platform.
In short, all of what you can see in the left column of the table above is managed on the host’s end … that’s where the name managed WordPress hosting comes from.
When do you need managed WordPress hosting?
Okay, so let’s answer the big question: Why and when do you need managed WordPress hosting?
Use the best managed WordPress hosting companies for:
o Websites that are growing rapidly.
o Websites experiencing spikes in traffic.
o Individuals, bloggers, and businesses without much technical knowledge that just want for their WordPress website to work with no hassle.
o Business websites that can’t afford to be offline.
o Website owners who value great support that responds fast and can solve any issue.
o Businesses looking for growth, and everyone who wants their hosting platform to be able to grow with them.
With all of the above in mind, it’s also important to know some downsides usually related to managed WordPress hosting.
Keep in mind, though, that the things listed below are not deal-breakers by any means. They are just the realities of managed WordPress hosting, and potentially what makes this kind of hosting unique and optimized for the WordPress platform specifically:
o Usually more expensive than shared hosting. As we talked about a while ago, you can get a reliable shared hosting plan for $5 a month. With managed hosting, it’s usually in the $15-$50 range (or more).
o Most of the time, you can only run WordPress sites on this kind of hosting. This is due to the architecture of the server itself and its settings. That being said, for 99% of the users this won’t be an issue, for obvious reasons.
o Some of your favorite plugins might be banned by the host. Due to the optimizations made by a given managed WordPress hosting company, some plugins can be banned from the servers. Most commonly, this is done to prevent those plugins from slowing down the server, straining the database, interfering with caching, making too many HTTP requests, and so on. For instance, WP Engine’s list of disallowed plugins is a good reference here.
o You have less control. If you enjoy taking a look into the WordPress core every once in a while to fix this or that, you might find this difficult to do with some managed WordPress hosts. The environment tends to be more closed down in some areas (although specific modifications are possible … just not all of them).
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Best Cheap WordPress Hosting: 10 Options for Under $0.99/Month
Best cheap WordPress hosting: IN DETAIL
In this article, we’ll take a look at each web host’s support capabilities, performance scores, user ratings, individual plans, and of course the price – then we’ll see which one comes out on top. Basically, we examine a handful of different cheap WordPress hosting offers based on multiple criteria. That way, you get all of the information you need without any fluff.
1. Bluehost
From $2.95 / month
Bluehost is one of the few hosting companies officially recommended by WordPress.org. This makes it one of the more convenient solutions in the market. Bluehost provides you with a nice custom panel to manage your hosting setup, plus all the features you might need to build and launch your WordPress site. Bluehost is also one of the most popular hosts out there – getting hundreds of votes in our hosting survey.
Despite the low price, you also get a free domain name with your plan and access to free site builders and 1-click WordPress installs.
Load times av. of last 30 days:
o Germany: 2.13s
o Seattle, USA: 1.66s
o Toronto, Canada: 1.79s
o Sydney, Australia: 2.25s
Support options:
Pricing
o Basic ($2.95 per month): Supports one website, with 50GB of disk space and one free domain name. Which is not common among plans at this price point.
o Plus ($5.45 per month): You can have unlimited websites, unmetered website space, unlimited email accounts and email storage.
o Choice Plus ($5.45 per month): This plan includes everything you get in Plus, and also added domain privacy and auto site backups. Currently the same price as Choice, which makes this a better option.
When to consider using Bluehost
Bluehost is a good choice for users who prefer hosting solutions that are easy to get started with and have an overall good reputation in the market. Plus, the fact that you get a free domain name alongside a $2.95/month host is incredible.
Make sure you use the above link for Bluehost. It is an affiliate link (meaning that we’ll get a small commission), however, it will also unlock a $2.95 vs $3.95 discounted price for you. You won’t get this discount if you visit the Bluehost site in any other way than via the link above.
Go to Bluehost
What users say:
o Bluehost is the first hosting platform ever recommended by WordPress.org.
o Bluehost ranked 7.93 / 10 by users.
o 23.7% of Bluehost’s customers are first-timers to web hosting.
2. Hostinger
From $0.99 / month
Hostinger has been around for a while, and they’ve always been known for their affordable prices. However! What they’re doing with this offer is above affordable. Let me just say it…
Their cheapest web hosting plan is $0.99 / month!
Granted, this is only for the initial pay period and, after that, you’ll need to pay $7.99 / month, but it’s still a great way to get yourself a host that you can use on a simple website project.
On that cheapest setup, you’re allowed to host one website and you also get one email account to go alongside. There’s also 100GB of bandwidth, which should be enough.
On the down side, you don’t get a free SSL certificate, which is a bummer, and there are no daily backups.
Load times av. of last 30 days:
o Germany: 0.39s
o Seattle, USA: 1.23s
o Toronto, Canada: 0.84s
o Sydney, Australia: 3.25s
Support options:
Pricing
o Single ($0.99 per month): Great if you’re launching your first site.
o Premium ($2.15 per month): Great if you’re planning to launch a couple of sites, but you don’t expect either of them to get huge traffic. Also gives you a free domain name for the first year.
o Business ($3.45 per month): Great for normal website projects. Gives you a free SSL and daily backups, and you also get a free domain for the first year.
When to consider using Hostinger
This one is simple, use Hostinger if you want to work with the cheapest web hosting platform available. The features offered for that price are not groundbreaking, but this host gets the job done!
3. Namecheap
From $1.58 / month
While Namecheap no longer has sub-$1 monthly prices, they’re still an incredibly affordable host that offers cheap pay monthly WordPress hosting.
They allow you to choose a US- or UK-based data center. You get up to 20GB of SSD-accelerated disk space, unlimited bandwidth, and you can run up to three sites (all on the cheapest plan).
Load times av. of last 30 days:
o Melbourne: 3.14s.
o New York: 1.11s.
o San Jose, CA: 0.61s.
o Stockholm: 2.22s.
Support options:
Pricing
o Stellar ($1.58 per month): Gives you 20GB SSD-accelerated disk space + the possibility to run up to three websites.
o Stellar Plus ($4.88 per month): Unmetered SSD-accelerated storage, bandwidth, and websites.
o Stellar Business ($8.88 per month): 50 GB pure SSD disk space, along with unmetered bandwidth and unlimited websites.
What’s worth pointing out is that Namecheap’s prices above are for monthly payments, whereas many other cheap WordPress hosts will require you to pay for a year upfront to get prices that cheap.
When to consider using Namecheap
While Namecheap isn’t quite as cheap as it once was, it’s still incredibly affordable at just $1.58 per month with monthly payments, or $24.88 for a whole year. That being said, Namecheap lacks a tiny bit in the WordPress-specific features department.
4. DreamHost
From $2.59 / month
Originally founded all the way back in 1996, DreamHost is a stalwart in the web hosting industry. DreamHost is just all-around solid, with affordable prices, good ratings, and a longstanding reputation.
Load times av. of last 30 days:
o Germany: 2.06s
o Seattle, USA: 0.73s
o Toronto, Canada: 0.99s
o Sydney, Australia: 1.80s
Support options:
Pricing
o Shared Starter ($2.59 per month): Supports a single website with unlimited traffic and daily backups.
o Shared Unlimited ($7.95 per month): Supports unlimited websites along with unlimited traffic and daily backups.
When to consider using DreamHost
While there’s nothing flashy about DreamHost in terms of WordPress-specific features, it “just works”, which is all most users want. Additionally, DreamHost has been around for a long time, which should give you confidence in the stability of their hosting.
What users say:
o Rated 4.1 / 5 overall.
o Rated 3.9 / 5 for WordPress-proficient support.
o Rated 4.1 / 5 for reliability.
5. SiteGround
From $6.99 / month
SiteGround consistently ranks as one of the best WordPress hosts around, and it’s not hard to see why. Their WordPress plans offer free site transfers, they support Git on higher plans, and include their SuperCacher tool for improved speeds.
Load times av. of last 30 days:
o Germany: 0.73s
o Seattle, USA: 1.35s
o Toronto, Canada: 1.13s
o Sydney, Australia: 2.19s
Support options:
Pricing
o Startup ($6.99 per month): Ideal for startups and modest business that need to host a single website.
o GrowBig ($9.99 per month): Perfect for businesses with multiple WordPress websites.
o GoGeek ($14.99 per month): Suitable for large companies that receive lots of traffic.
When to consider using SiteGround
SiteGround offers a great mix of advanced WordPress features, low prices, and decent speeds. This makes it a good all-around choice for any type of WordPress user, and especially if you value your websites working with no hiccups while still running on cheap WordPress hosting.
What users say:
o Rated 4.6 / 5 overall.
o Rated 4.5 / 5 for WordPress-proficient support.
o Rated 4.6 / 5 for reliability.
6. GoDaddy
From $1 / month
GoDaddy is one of the biggest names in hosting. Their WordPress plans manage to combine a cheap entry-level price with a free domain name and automatic backups. On all but the cheapest tier, you also get one-click staging sites.
Load times av. of last 30 days:
o Melbourne: 1.83s.
o New York: 0.87s.
o Amsterdam: 1.49s.
Support options:
Pricing
o Basic ($1 per month): Supports a single website and up to 25,000 monthly visitors.
o Deluxe ($12.99 per month): Supports a single website and up to 100,000 monthly visitors.
o Ultimate ($19.99 per month): Supports two websites and up to 400,000 monthly visitors.
When to consider using GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a good option if you only have one or two websites. It’s also one of the cheapest ways to get access to more managed WordPress hosting-type features, like one-click staging sites.
What users say:
o Rated 3.5 / 5 overall.
o Rated 3.3 / 5 for WordPress-proficient support.
o Rated 3.7 / 5 for reliability.
7. InMotion Hosting
From $4.99 / month
InMotion offers cheap WordPress hosting plans alongside a plethora of advanced functionality such as support for WP-CLI, and free website transfers.
Load times av. of last 30 days:
o Germany: 3.16s
o Seattle, USA: 3.35s
o Toronto, Canada: 3.55s
o Sydney, Australia: 3.87s
Support options:
Pricing
o Launch ($4.99 per month): Supports up to two websites, and is perfect for modest setups.
o Power ($5.99 per month): Supports a maximum of six websites, and is an excellent choice for small website portfolios.
o Pro ($13.99 per month): Includes advanced support options, and can handle unlimited websites. It’s a great choice for power users.
When to consider using InMotion
InMotion’s loading speeds aren’t the best in the business, but they do have an excellent support team and plenty of advanced WordPress features. This makes it an excellent choice for those who consider performance to be less critical than on-hand support.
What users say:
o Rated 4.3 / 5 overall (* only small data sample available).
o Rated 4.4 / 5 for reliability.
o Rated 4.2 / 5 for support.
8. iPage
From $3.75 / month
iPage doesn’t offer as many WordPress plans as its competitors, but they do include other helpful features such as popular pre-installed plugins, and a customized control panel. Overall, they remain attractive in the realm of cheap WordPress hosting.
Load times av. of last 30 days:
o Melbourne: 1.68s.
o New York: 0.64s.
o Stockholm: 1.43s.
Support options:
Pricing
o WP Starter ($3.75 per month): Ideal for modest websites, offering unlimited space and bandwidth.
o WP Essential ($6.95 per month): Includes enhanced security and performance features, making it better suited for businesses.
When to consider using iPage
A lot of users don’t need too much flexibility when it comes to their WordPress plans, they just need something that works out of the box without too much fuss. iPage’s modest offerings make it ideal for these types of users – although heavy user loads are a concern.
9. HostGator
From $2.75 / month
HostGator hasn’t had the best reputation among WordPress hosts, despite its low prices. However, they seem to have recently made a turnaround with their WordPress cloud hosting plans, which offer free auto-backups and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates.
Load times av. of last 30 days:
o Germany: 1.29s
o Seattle, USA: 0.72s
o Toronto, Canada: 0.85s
o Sydney, Australia: 1.30s
Support options:
Pricing
o Hatchling ($2.75 per month): Supports a single website with decent traffic, making it perfect for small blogs.
o Baby ($3.95 per month): Hosts unlimited websites with moderate traffic. It’s a good option for small online stores and service sites.
o Business ($5.95 per month – not a typo): Supports unlimited sites, and is a good option for established businesses and enterprises with robust requirements.
When to consider using HostGator
HostGator offers an enticing combination of low prices and good speeds for WordPress websites. What’s more, their support service isn’t half bad either.
What users say:
o Rated 3.7 / 5 overall.
o Rated 3.9 / 5 for value-for-money.
o Rated 4.0 / 5 for reliability.
10. A2 Hosting
From $2.99 / month
A2 Hosting is a popular independent WordPress host that offers a good balance of performance and affordability. One unique perk with A2 Hosting is that they offer pay-monthly hosting, even on their cheapest hosting tiers. And you can also get pre-installed WordPress, as well as a pre-configured free SSL certificate.
Load times av. of last 30 days:
o Germany: 1.37s
o Seattle, USA: 0.95s
o Toronto, Canada: 0.61s
o Sydney, Australia: 2.10s
Support options:
Pricing
o Lite ($2.99 per month): Supports a single website with unlimited storage and data transfer. A good option for basic sites.
o Swift ($4.90 per month): Hosts unlimited websites, and also has double the resources, which means faster page load times. It’s a good option for medium-traffic sites or small stores.
o Turbo ($9.31 per month): Supports unlimited sites and has A2 Hosting’s Turbo functionality for even faster page load times. A good option for performance-conscious users on a budget.
When to consider using A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting generally has a good reputation in the WordPress community and offers a stellar balance of performance vs price. Additionally, they’re one of the few hosts that offers pay monthly hosting, which makes A2 Hosting a good choice if you don’t want to pay for a full year upfront.
What users say:
o Rated 3.8 / 5 overall.
o Rated 3.8 / 5 for performance.
o Rated 3.9 / 5 for reliability.
Conclusion
When it comes to cheap WordPress hosting, Hostinger is the cheapest entry point because you can pay its affordable $0.99 price on a monthly basis. The performance results are also very good, and should be enough to get your first website going.
Other hosts might offer a lower per-month price, but you’ll need to purchase multiple years up front to get the best price.
We also enjoy Bluehost, SiteGround, and A2 Hosting in regards to quality-price ratio. We’ve been recommending them basically every time anyone asks.
That being said, each of the cheap WordPress hosting options we’ve discussed today have their own unique strengths, which makes all of them solid contenders.
#best hosting#hosting#web hosting#hosting reviews#make money 2021#make money as an affiliate#how to make money from home
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5 “Best” WordPress Hosting UK Options Compared 2021
Best WordPress hosting UK
Here are the hosts that we’ve decided to feature in this comparison of the best WordPress hosting options in the UK.
The list is short, that’s right, but that’s for a good reason. We’ve only decided to feature the companies that check out on the items mentioned in the list above – the things to look for in a WordPress host for the UK market.
Also, we’ve taken into account the results of the survey we did. In it, we asked our users about who was hosting their sites and how happy they were with the service. We’ve filtered out the results of that survey to focus only on UK-based users. The companies featured here came up more than once in that survey.
1. Bluehost
o From: £2.43 / month
o Traffic allowed / bandwidth: unmetered
o Websites allowed: 1
o Domain name: 1 free domain name included
o WordPress preinstalled: yes
o UK server location: yes
o UK survey user rating: 3.1
Bluehost is the mainstay of the WordPress hosting market and another company that is officially recommended by WordPress.org.
Though they did have some rocky periods in the past, they’ve made huge improvements over the last couple of years, and are now offering one of the easiest to use interfaces out there in the WordPress hosting market overall.
Each WordPress hosting plan comes with WordPress preinstalled, automatic updates, a free domain name for the first year, 24/7 support (via phone and chat), and even staging (for WordPress development). Bluehost also has a data center in London.
Go to Bluehost
2. SiteGround
o From: £5.99 / month
o Traffic allowed / bandwidth: 10,000 visits monthly
o Websites allowed: 1
o Domain name: not included
o WordPress preinstalled: yes
o UK server location: yes
o UK survey user rating: 3.9
SiteGround is a company that has taken the WordPress hosting market by the storm. They’re the no.1 usual suspect on every WordPress hosting ranking, and for a couple of very good reasons:
First, they’re one of just three hosting firms recommended by WordPress.org. Second, they get very good ratings from users and offer great performance. They also give you 24/7 support via phone, chat, and online tickets.
During setup, you get to select your server location to be in London, which is probably the best choice for UK-based websites.
The only downside is that SiteGround doesn’t include a new domain name free of charge. If you want to register a domain during setup, that’s going to be £14.95 / year.
3. 123 Reg
o From: £5.49 / month
o Traffic allowed / bandwidth: unmetered
o Websites allowed: 5
o Domain name: 2 free domain names included
o WordPress preinstalled: yes
o UK server location: yes
o UK survey user rating: 3.3
123 Reg is the most popular domain name registrar (more than 3.5 million domains registered) and web host in the UK (over 1 million UK websites hosted). Established in the year 2000, the company has been making its mark and expanding their infrastructure constantly – now boasting about their latest hardware with load balancing and a “rock solid” network.
When it comes to their WordPress offering, we have to admit that parts of it are really impressive. Chiefly, the fact that you can host up to five websites and get not one but two free domain names for the first year!
The support options are also good – you get FAQs to answer most of your questions, a UK-based phone number you can call 24/7, plus an online ticket system. Naturally, being the primary host in the UK, 123 Reg has data centers in the country.
4. 1&1 IONOS
o From: £1 / month *
o Traffic allowed / bandwidth: unmetered
o Websites allowed: 1
o Domain name: 1 free domain name included
o WordPress preinstalled: yes
o UK server location: yes
o UK survey user rating: 3.8
*This is a promo price. As part of the offer, you get £1 / mo. for the first six months and then £6 / mo. after that.
1&1 IONOS is another very popular host in the UK, and it’s not hard to see why. Being able to pay as low as £1 / mo. for the first six months plus a free domain name is something not seen anywhere else! This gives you more than enough time to test out your website idea in the wild.
Also, this is said to be a managed WordPress hosting plan, which means that you don’t have to trouble yourself with any of the technical setup. With 1&1 being a UK company, you get a data center in the UK as well. As for the customer support options, you get online support, a help center, and a UK-based phone number to call.
Additionally, the interface is also very user-friendly and makes configuring everything really easy. For instance, there’s a WordPress assistant that guides you through everything step by step. It asks about the purpose of your site and suggests some themes and plugins that could be beneficial.
5. GoDaddy
o From: £2.97 / month
o Traffic allowed / bandwidth: 25,000 visits monthly
o Websites allowed: 1
o Domain name: 1 free domain name included
o WordPress preinstalled: yes
o UK server location: no
o UK survey user rating: 3.8
GoDaddy is the true behemoth of the hosting market – not just for WordPress, but overall! While the company hasn’t always had the best press over the years, they’ve been engaging with WordPress users quite heavily lately – with a strong presence at WordPress conferences and in the community.
Their new hosting platform was built specifically for WordPress with the goal to optimize for speed, reliability, and security. The only downside is that GoDaddy currently doesn’t have a data center in the UK. The nearest one is in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
There’s also 24/7 support and phone support with a UK number – and they tend to be really helpful (tested). Also, they have top-of-the-line tools for backing up and restoring your site in case of trouble (also tested).
#best hosting#hosting#hosting reviews#bluehost#make money online#make money 2021#make money as an affiliate
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10+ Best WordPress Hosting Providers of 2021 Compared & Tested
Here’s a complete, in-depth look at the hosting market in the WordPress space. These are the top 10+ best WordPress hosting services in 2021.
1. SiteGround
Best overall WordPress host ($6.99/mo)
No list of best WordPress hosting could be complete without SiteGround playing a prominent role. The company has been making a name for themselves in the WordPress community for a while now. And not without a reason. Their hosting platform is strong when it comes to for-WordPress optimized servers, plus they offer managed WordPress hosting at price points that are unheard of (read: you won’t find a cheaper managed host of the same quality anywhere else).
What’s also worth pointing out is that SiteGround is one of the few officially recommended hosts by WordPress.org.
For the tests, we went for the StartUp package. Although for a generally more WordPress-optimized package, we’d recommend the GrowBig or GoGeek plan. They are a tad more expensive, but come with additional perks such as advanced caching (custom-built by SiteGround), staging, premium wildcard SSL certificates, and free PCI compliance – should you want to run an e-commerce store.
WordPress installation
Getting WordPress up and running with the built-in installer took just a few clicks. There really isn’t anything more to say here … the installation process really was as seamless as possible.
During this setup process, you also get to choose your server location. There are five data centers available – in USA, Asia and Europe.
Customer support
SiteGround offers what they call “unmatched” support (via chat, phone, tickets, social media), and it’s hard to argue with that, honestly. Apart from being able to access your account and fix any issues, the support agents are also knowledgeable about WordPress and WordPress hosting, and can help you out with a range of other issues that might not be strictly hosting-related.
In our little test, the SiteGround customer support was able to help us get a temporary URL working quickly and efficiently.
Special mention has to go out to the slickness of their customer support software and the extra mile the staff were prepared to go in offering detailed account advice and providing screenshots. (This makes it a great HostGator alternative, for instance, if you want a more refined support environment.)
Cost / mo. (12 months) $6.99
Cost / mo. (24 months) $9.99
Cost / mo. (36 months) $10.49
Cost month-to-month $19.99
Websites 1
Space 10GB
Bandwidth 10,000 visits
Free domains –
Free WP installation, migration, autoupdates, free SSL and CDN, daily backups, free email
Online reputation according to our hosting survey
o Rated 8.38/10 overall by survey respondents (top-rated company)
o Used by 4.83% of survey respondents
o No.2 most popular host in the UK
o The most popular host in Spain
o 93% of users will extend their hosting subscription when it’s up for renewal
2. Flywheel
Great entry-level managed WordPress host ($13/mo)
Flywheel presents a very enticing offer for people who want to get into managed WordPress hosting but also don’t want to spend too much on it.
Feature-wise, there’s nothing missing with Flywheel, and you can expect great performance as well (more on which in a minute). The $13 / month plan allows you to host one WordPress website, and you can handle up to 5,000 visitors monthly (20GB of bandwidth). You also get 5GB of disk space and free site migration. The servers run on Google Cloud Platform.
Focusing on the “managed” features specifically, Flywheel gives you things like daily backups, multisite support, staging (very cool if you want to test new things out before rolling them out to public), SFTP, plus there’s also a free SSL certificate. They also take care of your WordPress updates via the main Flywheel panel rather than letting you tinker with that from the wp-admin.
What’s really impressive is the ease of use of Flywheel’s platform and user panel. Everything is clear, easy to navigate, and you don’t need to be a server pro to perform basic tweaks or configure this or that.
WordPress installation
This literally couldn’t be easier. There are a couple of ways in which you can get WordPress installed. First, you can migrate your existing site from your previous host (for free), you can also create a new site from the Flywheel dashboard in a couple of clicks, or you can use a tool called Local by Flywheel to build a site locally (on your PC or Mac) and then export it to your live Flywheel setup.
Customer support
Live chat is available 24/7. You can also submit support tickets whenever you wish. Since Flywheel allows only WordPress websites, you can expect the support team to know their way around WordPress.
To make things even easier, there’s an extensive knowledge base with lots of helpful articles about their WordPress hosting platform.
Cost / mo. (12 months) $13
Cost month-to-month $15
Websites 1
Space 5GB
Bandwidth 5,000 visits / 20GB
Free domains –
Cache exclusions for WordPress themes/plugins, StudioPress themes included
Performance and uptime
Flywheel loading times
East Coast, USA: 1.54s
London: 1.25s
Mumbai, India: 1.5s
West Coast, USA: 1.21s
Paris: 1.34s
Sydney, Australia: 1.32s
3. Bluehost
Most cost-effective WordPress hosting ($2.95/mo)
We went for the basic package here. As you can see, a very cheap WordPress hosting option – a shared WordPress hosting plan, to be exact.
One immediate point to note is that Bluehost is the only alternative on the list that doesn’t offer a monthly package. Twelve month commitments are the minimum, though that is offset somewhat by a strong money back guarantee policy that I have personally invoked without issue.
WordPress installation
In addition to the standard cPanel options in place, Bluehost’s one-click WordPress installations are handled by a service called MojoMarketplace.
The MojoMarketplace interface for installing WordPress left a lot to be desired. It was possible to install multiple instances accidentally, and overall feedback on what was happening at any given point was inconsistent and confusing. (For instance, when we look at Bluehost vs SiteGround, the latter gives you WordPress installs in just a few clicks.)
On the plus side, this gave us an instant opportunity to talk to support!
Customer support
Service via chat support was fast and friendly and helped us with clearing up the initial WordPress installation problems and setting up a temporary URL to view our site.
Cost / mo. (12 months) $2.95
Cost / mo. (24 months) $2.95
Cost / mo. (36 months) $2.95
Cost month-to-month $9.99
Websites 1
Space 50GB
Bandwidth unmetered
Free domains 1
Automatic WordPress install and updates
Performance and uptime
Bluehost loading times
East Coast, USA: 0.31s
London: 0.26s
Mumbai, India: 0.27s
West Coast, USA: 0.28s
Paris: 0.26s
Sydney, Australia: 0.27s
Online reputation according to our hosting survey
o Rated 8.02 overall by survey respondents
o Used by 9.61% of survey respondents (top 2 result)
o The most popular host in the US
o The most popular host in the UK
o The most popular host in Canada
o 23.7% of Bluehost’s customers are first-timers to web hosting
o Bluehost is the first hosting platform ever recommended by WordPress.org
4. Hostinger
Cheapest WordPress hosting on the market ($1.59/mo)
Hostinger is a very appealing option when it comes to best WordPress hosting, and their entry level pricing has a lot to do with that. At just $1.59 / month, you get to build one website and welcome up to 10,000 visitors (/mo). You also get one email account and a free SSL.
Hostinger also has a handful of WordPress-specific features for you. These include a guided installation with a site-building wizard to speed things up.
With WordPress running, you don’t have to do much maintenance of your own. Most things like core and plugin updates are handled by Hostinger and happen automatically. To make sure that your site runs fast, Hostinger uses LiteSpeed Cache and has it pre-configured.
For those who want to tinker under the hood, there’s a whole database of WordPress tutorials, plus you get access to WP-CLI.
WordPress installation
Hostinger offers one-click installation, so there’s not much to talk about in this department.
What’s worth mentioning, however, is that you do get to choose from eight data center locations around the world – in the US, UK, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Lithuania.
Then, when you log into your user panel for the first time, you can also go through the site-setup wizard. You’ll get to choose from Hostinger’s collection of pre-approved themes and pick the one that suits you best.
Customer support
Hostinger offers 24/7 support. The support team is easy to contact and they will help you with general inquiries (WordPress related and otherwise). Though, you might have to wait a couple of minutes before getting a response.
Cost / mo. (12 months) $4.99
Cost / mo. (24 months) $2.99
Cost / mo. (48 months) $1.59
Cost month-to-month $7.99
Websites 1
Space 10GB
Bandwidth 10,000 visits / 100GB
Free domains 1
WordPress-specific cache (LiteSpeed)
Performance and uptime
Hostinger uptime
January 2021
100%
February 2021
99.99%
Hostinger loading times
East Coast, USA: 1.86s
London: 1.18s
Mumbai, India: 1.92s
West Coast, USA: 2.04s
Paris: 1.39s
Sydney, Australia: 3.39s
5. Kinsta
Best performance among managed hosting ($25/mo)
Kinsta is a boutique hosting provider for WordPress that focuses mainly on optimized managed hosting setups. However, them being “boutique” doesn’t mean that they can’t handle the load.
In fact, Kinsta has the full power of the Google Cloud Platform behind it. They take Google’s infrastructure and make it more accessible and easier to use. Kinsta doesn’t use the traditional cPanel UI, but instead gives users a custom panel that puts focus on what’s important while hiding everything else.
The fact that this host is “managed” means that it’s Kinsta who handle every server-management-related task for you.
WordPress installation
As you’re setting up your account, you can tell Kinsta to install WordPress on your hosting account for you. All you need to do is tick one box.
Customer support
Kinsta offers 24/7 chat and ticket support. The representatives know WordPress and can help with anything you might be struggling with.
Plus, the fact that you don’t have to deal with cPanel will also reduce the number of times you need to contact support in the first place.
Cost / mo. (12 months) $25
Cost month-to-month $30
Websites 1
Space 10GB
Bandwidth 25,000 visits
Free domains –
Unlimited free hosts migrations, free CDN service
Performance and uptime
Kinsta uptime
December 2020
100%
January 2021
99.99%
February 2021
99.96%
Kinsta loading times
East Coast, USA: 1.24s
London: 2.2s
Mumbai, India: 4.23s
West Coast, USA: 2.03s
Paris: 2.24s
Sydney, Australia: 3.86s
Online reputation according to our hosting survey
o Rated 4.3 / 5 for “value for money”
o Rated 4.8 / 5 for “WordPress optimization”
6. WP Engine
Most popular managed hosting ($22.50/mo)
The plan we’ve tested here is called Personal, and it’s the entry-level plan with WP Engine. As part of it, you’re allowed to have 1 WordPress install, and it can handle up to 25,000 visits a month, so probably more than enough for most new websites.
WordPress installation
The whole sign-up process with WP Engine is very straightforward, and I’m only mentioning it here because getting WordPress installed is an integral part of that initial sign-up. In other words, you don’t need to do any WordPress installing on your own, the WP Engine team takes care of that for you.
At the end of sign-up, you simply get an email with all the access credentials and important data regarding your new site.
Customer support
WP Engine offers some great support options – via helpdesk and chat (plus phone if you’re on a higher plan).
Overall, users report very good quality of WP Engine’s support – currently rated 4.5 / 5 by our survey respondents. And we can only confirm this, as the quick interaction we’ve had with the support team has been nothing but positive (helped us get the test site going after solving a billing issue).
Cost / mo. (12 months) $22.50
Cost month-to-month $27
Websites 1
Space 10GB
Bandwidth 25,000 visits / 50GB
Free domains –
Daily backups, free advanced security, free SSL and SSH access, StudioPress themes included
Performance and uptime
WP Engine loading times
East Coast, USA: 1.59s
London: 2.23s
Mumbai, India: 3.49s
West Coast, USA: 1.15s
Paris: 2.31s
Sydney, Australia: 2.54s
Online reputation according to our hosting survey
o 4.7 / 5 – that’s how users rate WP Engine’s level of WordPress optimization
o 92% of users say they will extend their WordPress web hosting subscription with WP Engine
o WP Engine reliability ranked 4.5 / 5 by users (top rank among the best WordPress hosting firms here)
7. DreamHost
WordPress-endorsed hosting ($2.59/mo)
We selected the standard shared hosting package with DreamHost, which was the most expensive of the base offerings we tested. Still, a very popular WordPress website hosting in the market.
Overall account signup with this shared WordPress hosting provider was slick and painless, and I was eager to see how DreamHost’s much-touted SSD servers would perform.
WordPress installation
The one-click install options in the backend worked straight out of the gate and the interface was generally straightforward to navigate.
Customer support
We needed some help in configuring a temporary URL as a subdomain on the main Dreamhost domain. Customer support was easily reachable via chat and able to help us clear the issue up quickly.
Cost / mo. (12 months) $3.95
Cost / mo. (36 months) $2.59
Cost month-to-month $4.95
Websites 1
Space unmetered
Bandwidth unmetered
Free domains –
Fast SSD storage, WP Website Builder
Performance and uptime
DreamHost uptime
December 2020
100%
January 2021
100%
February 2021
99.95%
DreamHost loading times
East Coast, USA: 1.87s
London: 3.33s
Mumbai, India: 3.93s
West Coast, USA: 1.45s
Paris: 2.77s
Sydney, Australia: 3.09s
Online reputation according to our hosting survey
o DreamHost rated 4.4 / 5 by users when asked how happy they were with the value they’re getting for their money
o DreamHost’s user-friendliness ranked 4.2 / 5
8. A2 Hosting
Great out-the-box performance ($2.99/mo)
A2 Hosting is a relatively new player for us when looking for the best WordPress hosting. The company has been making a name for themselves in the WordPress space lately thanks to their affordable prices and very good performance (compared to other similarly priced hosts).
The company has more than 10 years of experience in the hosting world, and seems to know a thing or two on how to deliver a high-quality product. Their WordPress web hosting offering is set on a couple of principles: being developer friendly, offering high security, good performance, and a WordPress-optimized environment.
WordPress installation
All WordPress hosting accounts with A2 Hosting come with WordPress preinstalled. You can also install new instances of WordPress through Softaculous’ one-click installer.
Customer support
A2 Hosting prides itself on giving you access to “24/7/365 Guru Crew Support.” They claim to hand-pick their support team and only work with the most knowledgeable technicians.
When contacting the support, you can use live chat, email or even phone. The agents don’t disappoint when it comes to basic WordPress knowledge and, based on our quick test, they are ready to recommend some solutions even if the question you have for them isn’t entirely hosting-related.
Cost / mo. (12 months) $6.99
Cost / mo. (36 months) $2.99
Cost month-to-month $10.99
Websites 1
Space 100GB
Bandwidth unmetered
Free domains –
Unlimited email accounts
Performance and uptime
A2 uptime
December 2020
100%
January 2021
99.75%
February 2021
99.99%
A2 Hosting loading times
East Coast, USA: 1.85s
London: 2.53s
Mumbai, India: 5.85s
West Coast, USA: 3.07s
Paris: 3.88s
Sydney, Australia: 4.97s
Online reputation according to our hosting survey
o Rated 7.87 overall by survey respondents
9. InMotion Hosting
Best for multiple sites ($4.99/mo)
InMotion offers a lot of hosting options, but we wanted to look into the ones that are optimized for WordPress specifically, so we went into the “WordPress hosting” section and selected the plan called Launch. This one is the most affordable.
The great thing about it is that you get SSD disk space without any additional fees (SSDs are known for their superior performance compared to the other hard disk technologies). Also, you can have 2 websites on this plan, and you get a free SSL certificate.
WordPress installation
Another surprise with InMotion is that you get WordPress preinstalled as part of your WP hosting package. All you need to do is tick the right checkbox during the checkout process. In other words, you don’t actually need to do handle WordPress installation on your own, it’s all being done automatically. Also, during install, you get to select your preferred “max speed zone.” There are two settings: east and west. Depending on which you choose, the site is going to be faster in some parts of the globe vs the others.
After everything is done, you’ll get the access details to your new WordPress dashboard, which is all that’s needed, honestly.
Customer support
Right after you sign up, you’ll realize that InMotion has a lot to offer in terms of support and helping you to launch your website. There are tens of different guides and tutorials on various hosting-related matters. There’s also a separate knowledge channel all dedicated to WordPress.
But that’s not all, the support chat is available 24/7. We’ve tested it by asking some domain-related questions regarding the temporary URL of the site. The person on the other end was able to solve those at first try. Really cool.
Cost / mo. (12 months) $6.99
Cost / mo. (24 months) $5.99
Cost / mo. (36 months) $4.99
Websites 1
Space 50GB
Bandwidth 20,000 visits
Free domains 1
Free security suite and marketing tools
Online reputation according to our hosting survey
o Rated 8.00 overall by survey respondents
10. HostGator
One of the most popular mainstream hosts ($2.75/mo)
Signup with HostGator was straightforward and we were soon logged into a pretty traditional cPanel setup on the backend without incident.
WordPress installation
Installation was also painless using the built-in cPanel WordPress installer. We did find ourselves having to update themes post-install, but that was just a matter of a few clicks.
Customer support
Again, we reached out to customer support for assistance in setting up a temporary URL. Here we hit our first minor inconvenience with a wait time of eight minutes on chat. They weren’t quite as quick to point us in the right direction as previous WordPress hosting providers, but we got there in the end. (E.g. when comparing HostGator vs. Bluehost, the support chat is much easier to access with the latter.)
Cost / mo. (12 months) $7.95
Cost / mo. (24 months) $6.95
Cost / mo. (36 months) $2.75
Cost month-to-month $14.95
Websites 1
Space unmetered
Bandwidth 100,000 visits
Free domains 1
Available on 3 and 6-month plans too
Performance and uptime
HostGator uptime
December 2020
100%
January 2021
100%
February 2021
99.99%
HostGator loading times
East Coast, USA: 1.49s
London: 1.99s
Mumbai, India: 3.06s
West Coast, USA: 1.18s
Paris: 2.18s
Sydney, Australia: 2.27s
Online reputation according to our hosting survey
o Rated 7.92 overall by survey respondents
o HostGator was the third most popular host in the survey
o The most popular host in Brazil
o 74% of users will extend their hosting subscription when it’s up for renewal
11. GoDaddy
Biggest market share for hosting ($1/mo)
We went for the basic package here.
Despite their formerly less than stellar user interface reputation, signing up to GoDaddy went without a hitch.
This feeling continued on into the backend, which was a modern take on cPanel and intuitively laid out – the easiest one to navigate so far in fact.
WordPress installation
WordPress installation was a snap with the built-in installer.
Customer support
GoDaddy was the only WordPress hosting provider on our list not to support the provision of temporary URLs, so we were forced to set up a standard subdomain here.
Our initial attempt to contact support via chat was less than ideal, with wait times of over 40 minutes reported, so we hit the phones instead. (E.g. when comparing GoDaddy vs. Bluehost, the chat can be accessed much quicker with Bluehost.)
Support here was superb. Extremely friendly and professional, they talked us through the subdomain options and assisted in making changes on the account itself.
This continued on in subsequent chat support tickets that were required to clear up some minor DNS snafus that emerged on the registrar side.
Cost / mo. (12 months) $1
Cost / mo. (24 months) $3.50
Cost / mo. (36 months) $5.00
Cost month-to-month $12.99
Websites 1
Space 30GB
Bandwidth 25,000 visits
Free domains 1
Automatic daily malware scan
Performance and uptime
GoDaddy uptime
December 2020
88.65%
January 2021
99.88%
February 2021
99.96%
GoDaddy loading times
East Coast, USA: 1.24s
London: 0.29s
Mumbai, India: 1.18s
West Coast, USA: 1.29s
Paris: 0.31s
Sydney, Australia: 1.7s
Online reputation according to our hosting survey
o Rated 7.36 overall by survey respondents
o The most popular host in the survey overall
o The most popular host in India
o Second most popular host in Canada
o Second most popular host in Australia
o Second most popular host in South Africa
o Second most popular host in Pakistan
o Third most popular host in the UK
12. GreenGeeks
Best green-powered hosting ($2.49/mo)
GreenGeeks is an interesting alternative for those of us who consider themselves being environmentally-conscious. This WordPress hosting platform has been built with the principle of “maximum use” in mind, which means that the architecture makes it possible for no resources to be wasted anywhere.
Also, the company claims that for every amperage they pull from the grid, they re-invest three times that in the form of renewable energy via Bonneville Environmental Foundation.
On the WordPress side of things, GreenGeeks offers WordPress-specific plans at affordable prices, and with lots of features.
All of their servers use Solid State Drives (giving you better loading times), there’s customized caching technology, you get a free SSL certificate to use, and you can integrate your setup with Cloudflare. Here are all the details about GreenGeeks’ platform.
As a great added bonus, you also get a free domain name for a year with your setup.
WordPress installation
GreenGeeks gives you handy 1-click WordPress installs, so there’s not much you have to do by hand.
Apart from that, you also get automatic updates, which should make managing the site on an ongoing basis more hassle-free.
While setting up your account, you also get to choose from data centers in Phoenix, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal and Amsterdam.
Customer support
You can use three main support channels with GreenGeeks: email, phone, and chat. Probably the best option of the three is the live chat – available 24/7. The phone support is available during working hours.
GreenGeeks also gives you access to a knowledge base and a range of tutorials on their website.
Cost / mo. (12 months) $3.95
Cost / mo. (24 months) $2.95
Cost / mo. (36 months) $2.49
Cost month-to-month $10.95
Websites 1
Space unmetered
Bandwidth unmetered
Free domains 1
Unlimited databases, free nightly backups
GreenGeeks uptime
December 2020
99.99%
January 2021
100%
February 2021
99.08%
GreenGeeks loading times
East Coast, USA: 1.83s
London: 1.08s
Mumbai, India: 1.98s
West Coast, USA: 2.21s
Paris: 1.08s
Sydney, Australia: 3.62s
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36 CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE $100 A DAY
Need money? Find out how to make money fast with these creative ways to make $100 a day!
Do you want to learn how to make $100 a day?
I get it. You are frustrated. You keep reading articles that promise you ways to make money but don’t actually deliver.
But this time, you are in the right place!
I’ve been working on ways to make money online for over 5 years now, and I learned a trick or two on my way to creating a six-figure income.
I am not going to lie: the reality is that you will have to put in some work to earn cash. But there are some clever real ways to make money out there if you are up for the challenge!
This is what making more money can do for you:
· Help you to save money and pay off your debt.
· Pay your bills at the end of the month.
· Help you stop living paycheck to paycheck.
· Allow you to reach financial freedom.
· It can even help you to leave a job you hate.
· Plus, you could retire sooner if you want to.
One of the best things you can do to make money fast is to invest in your networking at work, spend time learning as much as possible, and get a raise or promotion. This alone could help you to make an extra $100 a day in no time.
HOW TO MAKE $100 A DAY: 36 CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE MONEY
Making extra money doesn’t have to be hard. There are lots of money-making opportunities out there.
If you are willing to put an hour or two a day into something you are passionate about instead of watching Netflix or looking at Instagram, you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve.
1. Take part in research (up to $150/hour)
If you want to make $100 or more in a day, this is the perfect place to start without much experience or skills!
You can share your opinion in focus groups. Companies are looking for qualified people to join their research studies, and you don’t necessarily need to be a professional to participate.
Last week I received an invite to participate in a beauty study: $150 for an hour of my time! Not bad for answering some questions about my hair care routine!
User Interviews is a legit company that provides qualified research respondents to whoever needs it. And they now recruit people internationally!
The pay goes from $75 for 30 minutes of your time to $450 for very specific one-hour studies.
User Interviews has diverse studies, covering many topics: technology, food, consumer goods, family, software, hobbies, pets, sports, transportation, beauty, social media, music, you name it!
They have some incredible clients, including Pinterest, Spotify, Vistaprint, Wayfair, Thumbtack, and more.
This is how it works:
1. You apply to participate in studies that you think are a good fit for you.
2. The researcher/sponsor of the study reviews responses and sends invitations to the best-fit respondents.
3. If you receive an invitation to participate, you choose a time that suits you from those made available by the researcher.
4. After you have completed the study, you are paid via PayPal, cash, or Amazon gift cards.
More ways to earn $100 in an hour
If you are interested in earning money with focus groups, another top-rated legit company is Respondent.io.
Respondent.io is always looking for industry professionals, parents, and students. They have projects that are available to US residents as well as international. This means you don’t have to be in the US to join and earn from $50 to 250$ per research.
All you need to join is a PayPal account and either Facebook or LinkedIn to connect your profile.
2. Get paid to take surveys
Taking surveys online is an easy, no-brainer way of making extra cash.
I tried many survey sites to see which ones work best. Most survey sites aren’t great. It takes too long to make enough money, and you never qualify. But Swagbucks and Survey Junkie are legit!
They are hands-down my 2 favorite survey companies to make a bit of extra cash!
If you want to make money with surveys, just sign up here:
Swagbucks: my favorite app for surveys and cashback. I made over $200 in less than a year! You’ll get a free $5 bonus when you sign up.
Survey Junkie: a great survey selection to choose from, easy to qualify, and earn money. My favorite survey only website!
These 2 surveys are rated EXCELLENT on Trustpilot and have thousands of reviews! And having tried them both, I have to agree.
Another survey company that I like is LifePoints. It’s available in 40 countries, and there are plenty of surveys to choose from. Each one takes 10 minutes or less.
Most of these surveys can be taken while watching your favorite TV series! You definitely won’t get rich or make 100 dollars a day with surveys alone, but you won’t waste much time, and it will help you get there by making an extra $5-$10 a day!
3. Become a shopper
If you love shopping around, how about doing it for others? With Instacart, you will work as an independent contractor delivering groceries for other people.
There’s great potential to make good money, especially right now.
You could make up to $25 per hour during busy times, although the average is between $10 to $20 per hour.
It couldn’t be easier: you get offered the order, you shop the order, you get paid!
You make your own schedule and pick your orders, and the flexibility is what makes it so great, especially if you have limited time or are a stay at home mum or a student.
4. Get paid to watch videos online
InboxDollars is a cool website to make some cash with surveys. Plus, you can also make money by watching movie previews, TV shows, celebrity videos, the latest news, and many other videos. And you’ll get a $5 bonus just for signing up.
But how does it work?
That’s easy! Simply head to InboxDollars.com and login to see the list of videos available for you to watch. You’ll watch videos on your phone or laptop. InboxDollars then rewards you for watching them with your choice of free cash or gift cards for popular brands.
You need to watch all of the shows in a specific playlist, so be prepared and get the popcorn ready! You can check out how long the playlist runs before you start watching, and playlists range from a few minutes to about a half-hour.
5. Wrap your car
Do you own a car? How about placing advertising on it and get paid? With Wrapify you can get paid up to $452 for having your car wrapped with an ad.
You need to download the Wrapify app, and then they will track your journeys until you reach 50 miles. Once you reach 50 miles, you are eligible to take part in a campaign. Each campaign will place ads on your car for 1 to 12 months.
During that time you will be earning free money every month!
To be eligible to take part in a campaign, you need to:
· Be 21 or older
· Have a clean driving (and criminal) record
· Have a car that is from 2008 or newer
I think this is a cool way to make money, but it’s also a great idea to generate passive income. If you are already driving around town, why not get paid for it?
6. Sell your crafts
If you are a creative person, did you ever think about selling your crafts on websites like Etsy?
When Dan and I were 17, we came up with the idea of selling salt dolls for Christmas. Well, believe it or not, in a couple of months, we managed to make over $1,000!
By making and selling your crafts, you can set your own hours, spend your days producing items that you enjoy making, and earn some money in the process.
The trick here is to make sure you actually make items that will sell.
7. Download these 2 apps and make $125 by going online
Get the Nielsen App and make $50 a year
In the old days, Nielsen used to collect data by tracking TV ratings. But now, they have moved on, and they would like to get people like you to help them study the future of the online world.
By simply installing their app on your smartphone, they will pay you $50 a year if you are in the US.
The app will collect statistics on what websites you go to and how long you stay there. All the data collected is ANONYMOUS, and it’s not linked to you at all!
Install UpVoice Edge extension and earn $75 or more
UpVoice is a new passive user panel that pays users $75 in Amazon gift cards for regularly browsing specific sites (like YouTube, Twitter, Linked In, and Amazon!). While you browse, UpVoice passively collects data about the ads you see and match it with their demographics data to create marketing insights for brands.
It’s currently available in two new forms – a Windows 10 app or an extension for the Edge browser.
And you don’t have to worry about the security of your data! Any data UpVoice shares with their clients is always anonymized and aggregated, and they never share any personal information nor target or monitor individual users.
8. Make an extra $100 pet sitting
If you love animals, pet sitting is a great way to make extra money.
Pet sitting is extremely flexible because you decide when to do it, and you can fit it around your own schedule. It’s easy to do even if you work full time, as you can spend time during the weekend looking after our little friends.
Rover is the perfect place to start!
It offers different services to pet owners and, once you have registered with them, you will be able to decide which one you want to offer to your potential clients:
· Dog walking
· Doggy daycare
· House-sitting
· Dog boarding
9. Teach anything online to kids
And I really mean anything! From cooking to coding!
Did you know that you could make over $10,000 a month teaching online, as Jade does?
Online teaching is forever changing the way kids learn at school and from home.
And if you are passionate about sharing your knowledge, you can benefit from this revolution. All you need is an internet connection and a laptop, and you can start to make money today.
And you don’t need to be a traditionally qualified teacher. You just have to love teaching kids under 18.
Places like Outschool let you teach any sort of subject from the comfort of your own home.
You can teach classical subjects like English and math, or fun classes like acting, singing or sketching.
Listing classed is free, and Outschool will provide you with the perfect platform to host classes online.
Teachers on Outschool earn an average of $35 per teaching hour.
But you have full control over the listed price for a class and the number of participants. Outschool will take 30% of your earnings for their support services. Once your class starts, you will receive payment via PayPal.
Teaching online is an incredible way to make extra money, especially during this time!
10. Get paid to play games online
Do you spend endless hours playing games on your phone when you have nothing to do? How about getting paid to do that?
You can!
Mistplay is a legit Android app that pays you to play. It has over 78,000 reviews on Google Play, and it averages a score of 4 stars!
If you want to start making money:
· Download the app.
· Install a game in your list.
· After 2 to 5 minutes of playing, you will start earning units.
· Share your feedback on the game with developers to earn extra units.
Developers will use your feedback to improve the games before launching them on the market officially.
Once you reach enough units, you can redeem them for free gift cards, including Visa gift cards, Amazon gift cards, Google Play, iTunes, PlayStation gift cards, and more.
11. Get paid to walk
We all know we need to stay active to keep fit! And you are probably trying to get to your 10,000 steps a day every day!
How about getting paid for that? You can!
Apps like Sweatcoin will reward you for every step you take.
This app helps me be even more motivated to stay fit, take the stairs an extra time a day, and walk more! Will you make $100 a day just by using Sweatcoin? No way, not even close. But it’s a free cool app that can get you some nice rewards for something you already do.
12. Become a virtual assistant (and earn up to $4,000/month)
You can earn some great money working from home for a few hours a day by becoming a virtual assistant (up to $35-$50 per hour!).
Virtual assistants need to have strong administrative skills, be highly organized, and be familiar with blogging/social media.
There are different types of tasks a virtual assistant can help a business with. Some businesses use a VA to keep up with emails, customer service online, blogging updates, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.
If you want to find out more about becoming a virtual assistant and all the tasks you can offer to potential clients, I strongly advise you to read Abbey’s story.
13. Answer questions for money
If you are in the US, you could earn up to $100k a year (yep, that’s not a typo) by answering questions online.
JustAnswer connects doctors, software engineers, plumbers, lawyers, and other experts to people that need answers to questions.
You just need a computer or smartphone and an internet connection. You can set your own hours, pick which questions to answers, and earn cash by helping people online.
Just make sure you have the right skills, and you can simply sign up for free, and you’ll be paid monthly via PayPal.
14. Freelancing
If you have some skills, you could put them to good use and do extra freelance work from home!
But how can you find a freelance opportunity?
There are plenty of websites that will help you to find a side job to work part-time from home. You can work for a few hours a day as a proofreader, virtual assistant, bookkeeper, writer, social media manager, tutor, transcriptionist…
The options are infinite, and you could be making up to $100 an hour!
The best way to find freelancing gigs is to register to these great websites:
· Flexjobs
· Weworkremotly.com
· Remote.co
15. Drive people around
If you need to get $100 fast and own a car, driving people around in your spare time can be a great way of earning the extra cash you need in no time.
The best companies to sign up with are:
· Uber
· Lyft
You need to consider car depreciation and the money you are spending on gas, but if you are clever about the trips you accept to do and don’t drive too far for a pickup, you’ll be able to make an extra 100 dollars in a day.
16. Deliver food
If sharing a car with strangers isn’t for you, and you’d much rather share it a burger and some fries, or a pizza, then delivering food might be your best option.
There are some great companies out there that will help you earn some extra cash on the side by delivering food in your free time, in the evening, or on weekends.
For example, you can sign up for Postmates for free in just a few minutes. There are no fees or time commitments, so you take home 100% of what you earn every time you complete a delivery. You can get paid by free weekly deposits, or you can cash out instantly anytime you want. All you need is a smartphone to download the app and select your first delivery!
Check out:
· Postmates
· DoorDash
· UberEATS
17. Deliver for Amazon
Another way to make money is to make deliveries for Amazon Flex. You can make between $18 to $25 per hour, which means you could make $100 a day by simply working 4 hours.
But how does it work? You pick up packages from one of their Amazon facilities or businesses, download an app that gives you the quickest delivery route to follow, and deliver the packages.
You can set the times you can work and build your schedule around your needs. There are opportunities 7 days a week, so it doesn’t really matter when you are free.
18. Monetize your passion for art
Some people say that you should keep your passion separate from your job.
I disagree.
I do what I love every day and couldn’t be happier.
There is nothing better than waking up and looking forward to starting your day because you are passionate about what you do.
And whether you want to transform your love for art into a full-time job or simply use it to make some extra cash on the side, I have options for you.
You can use your artwork to sell things like T-Shirts, mugs, and printed canvases, using a service like Printify. Or sell your art on a specialized website like Artfinder. Or even create your own shop with Shopify.
If you want to find out more about making money selling art, Cory and Sarah have lots of free resources to learn just that.
19. Get paid to shop
How about getting cashback for any online shopping you do?
Fetch Rewards is an incredible app.
While I am writing this, it has over 268,000 reviews on the apple store and a score of 4.8 stars and over 43,000 votes on Google Play and 4.3 stars! How many other cashback apps do you know with these stellar reviews?
With Fetch Rewards, you simply scan any grocery receipt after you shop and save on thousands of popular products throughout the store. Earn points on every receipt you scan. No clipping coupons, chasing down expiring deals, or missing out on savings. Just shop, scan, and save. Yes, it’s that easy!
Rakuten ($10 bonus if you sign up here) is a great app. You can download it for free, and with over 2,000 stores to choose from, you will be able to make some extra money every month!
Depending on what you buy every month, you might be able to get anything between 2 to 7% of your money back, without much effort.
To earn money with Rakuten, you just need to follow some simple steps:
· Go to the Rakuten website or open the app.
· Select the store you need to shop from.
· Buy whatever you were planning to buy as normal.
· Get cashback!
20. Test websites and apps
Are you the kind of person that loves leaving reviews and sharing your opinion on new ads, products, or websites?
Website owners and app developers need to know what visitors think when they visit their site or use their apps for the first time. The main job of a tester is to ensure sites and apps are easy to use and navigate. All you need is a good internet connection and a laptop.
Website UserTesting.com pays you $10 per test via PayPal. Each test usually takes around 20 minutes. That works out to a possible $30 an hour. Not too bad for surfing the internet!
Another great website is BetaTesting: here, you get paid $10 to $25 per test. You simply sign up, add some details about you and which devices you own. This is essential as each test will need to be performed on a specific device. And then you can start testing away.
21. Get paid to write
There are thousands of pieces of new content created online every day. Not all business owners have time to create content for their websites themselves.
If you enjoy writing, you will be able to sell your skills and become a freelance writer in no time! You can find freelance writing jobs on websites like:
· Flexjobs
· ProBlogger Job Board
· Freelance Writing Gigs
· Fivver
· Upwork
· Peopleperhour
People are looking for writers for blog posts, articles, or generic website content. It’s better if you specialize in a niche, as you will have examples of work you can send to potential clients.
Learn how Laura, Leslie, Greg, Samantha have followed their dreams of becoming freelance writers. They are now making between $4k to $15k a month, working from all around the world (and they had no experience when they started)!
22. Start your own blog
As I said, over the years, I played with many different ideas to make money online, and still do.
But starting a blog has been by far the best investment of my time!
There are several ways to earn money blogging: you can create your own products and sell them to your readers, make money with advertising or affiliate marketing, just to name a few.
You won’t need much money to start (you just need to pay for hosting), and you will have to invest your time, but you will be able to make well over $100 a day if you follow my simple steps to make money blogging!
I made $3,878 in a month, after only 3 months, by working part-time on my blog and with no previous experience in writing, digital marketing, or social media! If you want to make more money, starting an online business is one of the best ways to do it.
If you are ready to start a blog: I put together the most in-depth, comprehensive post to help you with blogging. This is NOT a quick read. I will share with you all the tips I used to create a successful 6-figure blog. If you want a thorough free guide to help you along with all the steps,
23. Start an online store
During these last few months of isolation and social distancing, one thing has been clear to many of us. eCommerce is booming.
Over 2 billion people will buy something online in 2021, so why could you be one of the people profiting from it?
Starting an online shop has never been easier.
First, you need to decide what to sell:
· Go the DIY route, and create things to sell online yourself.
· Order products from a manufacturer, then ship them to customers yourself, like my friend Choe does.
· Use dropshipping: list products in your online store, take orders and send the orders to a third-party vendor – the dropshipper – who then creates the product and sends it to the customer who ordered.
24. Create an online course
I am sure you have some skills people will be willing to pay to learn from you. Then teach them!
It’s never been easier to share everything you know. There are plenty of people that make a living from selling online courses, and you don’t necessarily have to be an expert.
You just need to know more than your potential students on the subject!
There are plenty of online websites that make it easy for you to sell your skills and create online courses.
The best ones are:
· Teachable
· SkillShare
· Udemy
If you are seriously interested in starting an online course, a great place to start is the Teachable free webinar. Teachable offers free live training to help you launch your online course in no time.
25. Do small tasks for others
The world is full of people that don’t have time to do small chore-type tasks like data entry, picking up groceries, cleaning their garden, or putting together furniture.
If you are up to running some errands for others, you can easily make some money on websites like:
· TaskRabbit: this is one of the best websites with a wide variety of tasks, but there is a $20 non-refundable registration fee to pay when you sign up to become a tasker.
· Fiverr
· Thumbtack
· Gigwalk
26. Sell your stuff
Need to make $100 fast?
Selling things that you don’t use is one of the quickest ways to make money!
You can start by getting rid of everything you haven’t touched in over a year.
This can be that old camera that is picking up dust in the box under your bed, or your old phone, iPad, or Kindle that you stopped using once you upgraded to the new version!
If you have tech to sell, Whistle is one of the best places to check how much you can get for it. You could make 30% more and get paid faster than anywhere else.
You simply need to answer some simple questions about your device, and you’ll get a guaranteed offer in seconds.
An iPhone X can get you $292. And an Apple watch series 4 up to $165.
Whistle will post to you everything you need to send them your tech if you accept the offer. And as soon as they receive it, you’ll get paid within 24 hours.
Other websites/apps to sell your stuff online:
· Facebook Marketplace
· eBay
· Craiglist
Once you start selling your things, it will be hard to stop!
You will soon realize how much money you are sitting on. You can easily make 100’s of dollars without much effort.
I promise: you won’t miss any of the stuff you sell!
And if you can’t be bothered to sell each item individually, check out decluttr.com. You can sell your tech, CDs, DVDs, games, old cell phones, books, and even Lego pieces!
Simply download the app, scan the barcode, find the item you want to sell, and decluttr will make you an offer for it.
27. Rent out your extra room on Airbnb
Do you own your house and have some extra rooms? Or do you rent a place with some extra space? Check with your landlord if you can rent it out for some cash.
You can start earning money now with websites like Airbnb.
Airbnb is a safe way to earn money, as you can screen your potential guests before arrival, and you can accept or reject them based on previous reviews.
Going away on holiday? List your home while you are away, and you could earn more than what your holiday is costing you!
Or do you live near a stadium where an event is taking place? There is always a need for extra accommodation!
28. Proofread from home
If you are passionate about grammar, punctuation, and spelling and have eagle eyes for mistakes, this might be the perfect job for you!
You can make up to $65,000 a year!
The amazing thing about proofreading is that it can be done anywhere, so it’s perfect for making money at home or while traveling.
29. Sell your photos
Do you love taking pictures?
Did you know you can sell them to stock photo agencies and make money?
You don’t have to be a professional to sell your photos, and you still have the opportunity to earn some money, even if you are just a novice.
You will get paid based on the number of downloads: every time someone downloads one of your pictures, you’ll get a commission.
Best websites to sell your photos online:
· Shutterstock
· iStock
· Adobe Stock
30. Clean out your closet
We all have clothes that we never wear, for different reasons. How about that skirt that we loved when we tried it, but then realized it was just a bit too short when we got home? Or that Christmas jumper we decided to buy 5 years ago and wore only once, before deciding it was far too ridiculous to wear again?
It’s easy to make good money by getting rid of unwanted clothes.
Best websites/app to sell:
· Poshmark
· eBay
· Craiglist
31. Teach English online
Teaching English is perfect for college students, school teachers looking to earn some more on the side, stay-at-home mums, and anyone who likes the idea of teaching from home.
You’ll need a bachelor’s degree and be able to legally work in the U.S, Canada, or the UK.
EF Education First
EF Education First is a highly recognized English school with classrooms all around the world. They also offer English teaching jobs online for both citizens of the UK and the USA.
If you love the idea of teaching while making an income from home, then working with Education First is for you. You can earn up to $20 an hour, and you will teach 1 on 1 classes. Each class is 25 minutes, and salaries are deposited directly into your bank account. Easy!
To become a teacher, you will need to live in the US or UK, have a bachelor’s degree or above in any field. By the start of your contract, you must have completed a 40 hour TEFL (or higher). You also need to agree to an online background check (Education First will cover the fee for this).
VIP Kid
VIP Kid is an online platform for teaching English to Chinese students aged between 5 to 12. You don’t need to know Chinese to teach as VIP Kid is a full English immersion class. The actual class is similar to using Skype or Google Hangout. It provides a 1-on-1 full immersion experience to kids. VIP Kid provides all course materials and lesson plans.
VIP Kid is rated in the Top 5 on Forbes for the best remote companies to work for and is currently hiring remote teachers.
To become a teacher, you need to be eligible to work in the US or Canada. You need to have one year of teaching experience (traditional education or mentoring, tutoring, or alternative education) and a Bachelor’s degree in any field.
Once you are approved, all you’ll need is a computer with a webcam, a headset with a microphone, and a reliable internet connection!
32. Get paid by searching online
We all spend hours every day searching online.
And guess what?
Swagbucks will pay you to use its search engine.
They will also give you a $5 bonus if you sign up by clicking my Swagbucks $5 bonus link. This is probably one of the easiest ideas to make money I found!
33. Monetize a YouTube channel
Do you know how much money YouTubers make?
A lot!
And yes, starting a YouTube channel isn’t for anyone, and it will take time. But if this is something you always wanted to do, now it’s the best time to start.
Google made a whopping $15.5 billion in ad revenue in 2019, up 36% compared to the year before! And a lot of this money (55%) goes directly into YouTubers’ pockets.
34. Get paid to listen to music
If you are a music fan, you will love this! This really is one of the most creative ways to make money.
Slicethepie.com is the largest paid review site on the internet. You earn cash for every review you leave! Log in and start reviewing unsigned artists and bands to earn some extra cash.
The better your review, the bigger the bonus payment. Slicethepie.com encourages people to leave detailed reviews and will reward them for their time/effort!
You will get paid through PayPal once you reach the minimum payment of $10.
Slicethepie.com also offers a referral program: if any of your friends sign up using your referral code and write reviews, then you’ll receive a bonus payment for every review they submit.
This is similar to survey websites: you won’t make a lot of extra money, but you can get some cash for listening to music. So what’s not to love?
35. Donate plasma
Did you know that you could make an extra $300-$400 a month by donating plasma? If you are not afraid of needles, and seeing blood doesn’t make you faint, you can earn $20 to $50 per donation.
Plus, you’ll help people!
Plasma is the largest component of human blood, and it’s used to help treat people with rare, chronic diseases (from autoimmune diseases to genetic lung diseases, as well as in the treatment of trauma or burns).
You will need to commit between one and three hours, and you can donate twice within a seven day period.
36. Become a carer
Babysitting has been around for years, and for good reasons. And these days, you don’t have to rely on word-of-mouth anymore.
With online websites like:
· urbansitters.com
· care.com
It’s never been easier to find a babysitting job.
And it doesn’t have to stop with babysitting. On care.com, people are looking for all types of carers: elderly care, housekeeping care, tutors, and more.
Simply sign up, and once you are approved, you can start looking for a job.
#make money online#how to make money from home#make money 2021#make money#make money as an affiliate#how to make money#how to makemoney#how to make money 2021
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25 Ways to Make Money Online and Offline
Make money with a side gig and learn how long it will take to see the extra income, whether it’s freelancing online, driving passengers or selling your stuff.
Want to make money, but you’re not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
NerdWallet rounded up 25 legitimate ways to make money — at home or out and about — andlisted each option based on how fast you can get started and get paid. While most people prefer fast cash, don’t discount the “slow” gigs, as they may pay more in the long run.
How to make money online and offline
[Due to the coronavirus pandemic, some of these suggestions may not be currently viable, given measures in place to control spread of the virus.]
1. Sell your gently used clothes
Selling clothes you no longer wear is a quick way to make some money. Start with local consignment shops for faster cash or use siteslike ThredUp and Poshmark to find buyers. If you go the online route, be sure to take clear, well-lit photos of your pieces and research similar items to set competitive prices.
Total time: Fast
SETUP: FAST
· You can sell used clothing and accessories several ways, but they're all pretty quick to start.
PAYMENT: FAST TO MEDIUM
· Fast: A brick-and-mortar consignment store like Plato's Closet will give you cash on the spot.
· Medium: Other in-person and online consignment shops pay you when your items sell, or when they receive and inspect your items. Either way, allow at least a month for your payout.
Requirements
· Gently worn shoes, clothing and accessories.
2. Trade in old phones, electronics for cash
Have an old phone, iPad or gaming system lying around? Sell it on a site like Swappa or Gazelle. Check out Amazon’s trade-in program, which pays participants in Amazon gift cards — and eBay, too. If you’re in a rush, try an ecoATM kiosk, which offers cash on the spot for your device.
Total time: Fast
SETUP: FAST
· Selling directly (Swappa, Letgo, Craigslist): In most cases, you take photos of the phone, verify the electronic serial number (ESN) is clean and post your listing. Some sites review and approve postings, but the time is minimal.
· Selling to reseller (Gazelle): Answer a few questions online for an instant quote.
PAYMENT: FAST TO MEDIUM
· Selling directly: When you get paid depends on how quickly your phone or device sells. Once the item sells, payment is fast.
· Selling to reseller: First, you need to ship your phone to the reseller, which will then inspect it before payment is sent via methods such as check, PayPal or an Amazon electronic gift card, depending on the reseller.
Requirements
· A used phone, laptop, gaming system, etc.
· Cell phones: You need to verify the phone is not stolen or under a repayment plan.
3. Drive for Uber, Lyft
Join Uber or Lyft (or both) and make money by driving passengers around. Just don’t forget to factor in gas and maintenance costs. You need an eligible car in good condition and must agree to a background check and a review of your driving history. Learn more about what it takes to drive for Uber and Lyft.
Total time: Fast
SETUP: FAST
· Allow a few weeks for the application process, background check and car inspection.
PAYMENT: FAST
· Lyft and Uber can pay you instantly through a debit card or transfer earnings to your bank account pretty quickly.
Requirements
· A car with four doors. It must also meet other requirements, such as year, physical condition, etc.
· Let your car insurance company know of your plans before you start driving.
Monitor your money during trying times
If you’re facing financial anxiety, NerdWallet can find ways to save.
4. Make deliveries for Amazon, Uber Eats
Take advantage of the growing delivery trend and sign up for a service like Instacart, Uber Eats, Postmates, DoorDash or Amazon Flex. You get paid per delivery, in most cases, and can even earn tips. A car isn’t always required — Postmates and, in some cities, DoorDash, lets you use a bike or scooter to make deliveries. However, a background check almost always is part of the deal. Learn more about how to get started with Amazon Flex, Uber Eats and Instacart.
Total time: Fast
SETUP: FAST
· The background check can take up to five days, although that timing can vary.
PAYMENT: FAST
· Instacart pays weekly. DoorDash pays weekly or, for a fee, daily.
· Amazon Flex pays twice a week.
· Uber Eats pays out weekly or daily, depending on the option you select.
Requirements
· You'll need a way to deliver items. It could be a car, scooter or bike, depending on the service.
· A smartphone is necessary to accept and process jobs.
· Each delivery service has a minimum age requirement, but it varies by service.
5. Become a dog walker or dog sitter
Love dogs? Make money by becoming a dog walker. Apps like Wag! and Rover offer on-demand dog walking, so you can pick up walks when your schedule allows. If you have space (and your landlord’s permission, if you rent), you could offer overnight dog boarding. Read the fine print if you sign up for these services
Total time: Fast
SETUP: FAST
· It can take up to five business days for your Rover profile to be reviewed and approved.
· The application process for Wag! can take from one to three weeks, and you must pass a quiz.
PAYMENT: FAST
· Rover: Your payments will be ready for withdrawal two days after completing a service. If you use PayPal to receive your payment, you’ll be able to redeem it within an additional one to four days and incur no fees. If you’d rather be paid via check, that can take up to five business days to process, up to 20 days to arrive and cost you a $5 fee.
· Wag! walkers get paid weekly; some are eligible to be paid instantly to a debit card for a small fee.
Requirements
· For Rover or Wag!, you’ll need to live in an area where the service operates.
· If you want to pet-sit, you’ll need an apartment or house that allows pets.
· You’ll have to pass a background check.
6. Get a babysitting gig
Everyone from college students to recent retirees can make money by watching other people’s children. Word-of-mouth referrals from friends and family are still a great way to get started, but you can also create a profile for free on Care.com or Sittercity to expand your reach. Note any specialized skills, such as CPR certifications or experience with special needs children, to make yourself more marketable.
Total time: Fast
SETUP: FAST
· You can create a profile on Care.com or Sittercity in a matter of minutes.
PAYMENT: FAST
· You typically get paid when you complete your gig.
Requirements
· You usually need to be at least 18 to list as a caregiver on Care.com and Sittercity.
LISTEN:
The Smart Money podcast answers the question,
"How do I get my hands on some money?"
7. Find work as a housesitter
If you’re willing to watch someone’s home — and maybe feed the pets, water the plants and take out the garbage — become a housesitter. Tap your personal network for referrals or try out HouseSitter.com, which connects homeowners with housesitters. People often make $25 to $45 a day, according to the company’s website.
Total time: Fast
SETUP: FAST
· You can create a profile on HouseSitter.com in a matter of minutes, though it may take time to secure your first housesitting gig.
PAYMENT: FAST
· You typically get paid by the homeowner when you complete your gig.
Requirements
· Most sites have an age requirement.
Back to top
8. Sell unused gift cards
Make extra money by selling unused gift cards on a site like Cardpool, CardCash or Gift Card Granny. These websites say they will pay you up to 92% of the card’s value. On CardCash and Gift Card Granny, you can also trade in your card for one you’ll use. Cardpool and Gift Card Granny also have kiosks and cashier-assisted locations so you can get cash on the spot. Read more about what to do with unwanted gift cards.
Total time: Fast
STARTUP: FAST
· You can get an instant offer or quote via sites like Cardpool, CardCash and Gift Card Granny.
PAYMENT: FAST
· You can sell gift cards at kiosks and participating retail locations to get cash the same day, or try to sell it online. The latter takes longer, but you may get a better offer for your gift card.
Requirements
REQUIREMENTS
· Your gift card may need to meet a minimum balance to be resold. Not all cards will generate offers.
9. Pick up freelance work online
Make money online through websites such as Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer.com. These sites offer opportunities to do a variety of freelance jobs, such as writing, programming, design, marketing, data entry and being a virtual assistant. Fluent in a second language? Check sites such as Gengo or One Hour Translation, or drum up business through a site of your own. No matter what kind of freelancing you do, keep track of the going rate for the kind of work you provide so you know if you’re charging too much or too little. Learn how to get started on Upwork.
Total time: Medium
SETUP: FAST
· Upwork will approve your profile within 24 hours. But keep in mind it can take time to land your first freelance gig.
PAYMENT: MEDIUM
· Payment varies by site. On Upwork, you're paid after you and the client review the work, 10 days after the billing period ends. On Fiverr, you're paid when the work order is complete, but you can't withdraw funds for another 14 days.
Requirements
· Upwork requires users to be at least 18. Fiverr sets the age requirement at 13. And Freelancer.com requires users to be at least 16.
· Some sites require you be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
10. Test websites and apps
Another way to make money from home is on sites like UserTesting.com. You get paid for your thoughts on how well — or not so well — certain websites and apps worked. You’ll have to pass a short test to be accepted, then you’ll be paid $10 for each 20-minute test, which involves a recording and answering four follow-up written questions. Or you could earn up to $120 to participate in a video conversation with a customer after your test.
Total time: Medium
SETUP: MEDIUM
· You typically need to complete a sample test as part of the application process.
· You will start receiving testing opportunities after your application is approved.
· The timeline for approval can vary.
PAYMENT: FAST
· You get paid seven days after completing a website or app test.
· Payment is issued via PayPal.
Requirements
REQUIREMENTS
· You need to be at least 18.
· You need a computer, internet connection and microphone.
· Mobile app testers also need an Android or iOS mobile phone or tablet.
11. Pick up tasks on Amazon's Mechanical Turk
Even in the age of automation, some jobs still require a human touch. Companies often outsource those jobs via services like Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. As a “worker,” the tasks you’ll be assigned can be tedious — tagging images, transcribing videos, classifying receipts — and can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Temporary employers or “requesters” set the price for each task and get to approve the finished product before paying you. That can leave room for scams, so do your research, and join a community like the MTurk Crowd forum, or the MTurk and Turker Nation subreddits, which can steer you away from shifty dealers. These communities and fellow “workers” can answer questions and give a realistic idea of how much money you can expect to make. Read more about Mechanical Turk as a way to make quick money online.
Total time: Medium
SETUP: FAST
· It’s unclear how long it takes Amazon to review your application, but according to the MTurk subreddit, it can take several days to learn if you were approved or denied.
PAYMENT: SLOW
· After you submit your work, the requester has 30 days to approve it.
· You can have your earnings deposited into your bank account or put on an Amazon gift card.
Requirements
· You must be at least 18 to register for Mechanical Turk.
· You also need an Amazon account to register for Mechanical Turk.
12. List your spare bedroom on Airbnb
Renting out your home or spare bedroom on vacation rental sites is another way to make extra money. Be prepared to spend some money to clean and keep up the property, replace home goods and pay toward service fees. And scrutinize your rental agreement before you get started. Learn how to cash in on short-term rentals.
Total time: Medium
SETUP: FAST
· You can create a listing and start accepting reservations in the same day.
PAYMENT: FAST TO MEDIUM
· Payment is typically disbursed about 24 hours after your guest’s scheduled check-in time, but processing time for that payment depends on the payout method. PayPal, Western Union and Payoneer Prepaid debit cards are the fastest options; payment through them appears within one business day.
Requirements
· Comply with any rules governing short-term or vacation rentals in your property, including city ordinances and rules issued by your landlord, condo board or homeowners association.
13. Rent out your car
A man makes money by driving for Uber or Lyft.City-dwellers often don’t use their cars for days or weeks at a time. That idle time can translate to extra money with services like Getaround and Turo, which let you rent out your car by the hour or day. You take home the majority of those earnings, while Getaround or Turo takes a cut for protecting your car while it’s being rented.
Total time: Medium
STARTUP: FAST
· You can create a listing on Turo or Getaround in under 30 minutes.
PAYMENT: MEDIUM TO SLOW
· Turo initiates payment within three hours of the end of the rental. (This is the case for all trips after the first one, which takes a few days for Turo to send.) Payment is issued via direct deposit and can take up to three business days to appear in your account. For rentals longer than one week, Turo issues partial payments every seven days.
· Getaround rental earnings accrue monthly and are paid out by the 15th of the following month. Payments are made via check or PayPal.
Requirements
· You must own your car. Or, if you lease your car, check the terms of your agreement and financing documents to make sure you’re allowed to share it.
· Your car must meet certain requirements (make/model/year/mileage) and satisfy maintenance and safety standards.
· You should have a current, valid driver's license.
· You must meet the site’s age requirement, which is commonly 21 years old.
14. Take surveys for money
You can make money from home by taking online surveys, but don’t expect to be rolling in the dough. Survey sites don’t typically offer a big payoff, and many sites are more useful for earning gift cards than cash. Some of the more popular survey sites include Swagbucks and Survey Junkie. Read our analysis of a dozen survey sites to find out which one is best suited for you.
Total time: Medium
SETUP: FAST
· You can register with a site and start taking surveys in a matter of minutes.
PAYMENT: MEDIUM
· The time it takes to get paid depends on the survey site and how much time you dedicate to taking surveys.
· Some sites let you cash out only after you hit a minimum earnings threshold. With InboxDollars, for example, the threshold is $30.
· Other survey sites issue points, which can be redeemed for cash (via PayPal) or gift cards.
Requirements
· Most survey sites have a minimum age requirement, which ranges from 13 to 18, depending on the site.
· Individual surveys may have specific requirements. Don't be surprised if you are disqualified from a survey without much explanation.
15. Sign up for TaskRabbit
If you actually enjoy putting together Ikea furniture or standing in long lines, you may be cut out for doing tasks for others. Websites like TaskRabbit can connect you with people who need help with a variety of things, such as moving, cleaning, delivery and handyman services. Read about how to get started on TaskRabbit.
Total time: Medium
SETUP: MEDIUM
· You can set up your profile and register in a matter of hours, but can't start accepting tasks until your profile is approved by TaskRabbit.
· The company processes registration on a rolling basis to avoid over saturation in a given market. How quickly your application is approved will depend on demand in your area.
· Note that once approved, you need to pay a $25 fee and attend an orientation. So you may first want to research your market and the value of your skills to determine if that fee is worth it to you.
PAYMENT: FAST
· You're paid after the task is completed through direct deposit. Payment typically takes a few days to appear in your account.
Requirements
· You need to be at least 18 to start working with TaskRabbit.
· Prospective Taskers must also pass a background check.
16. Sell your photography
Turn your photographs into cash via sites like Fine Art America, which lets you upload your images to sell as prints, T-shirts, phone cases and more. Other marketplaces for photographers include SmugMug, 500px and PhotoShelter. Some sites require a subscription but may provide features ranging from cloud storage to password-protected galleries and a customized website.
Total time: Medium
SETUP: FAST
· You can set up a profile with sites like SmugMug, PhotoShelter or Fine Art America in a few hours, assuming you have a body of original work.
PAYMENT: MEDIUM TO SLOW
· Payment varies widely depending on the site.
· Fine Art America: Payment issued after 30-day return window expires. Sent on 15th of each month.
· PhotoShelter: Payment issued at time of sale to your chosen payment method (PayPal, Stripe, etc.).
· SmugMug: You can request payment be issued the following month if you have a balance of at least $5.
Requirements
· Requirements vary by site, but you need to have all necessary rights to the images you sell.
17. Become a private tutor
Parlay your math, science, foreign-language or test-prep expertise into a lucrative side gig by becoming a private tutor. You can tutor people online or in-person. What you charge can depend on your experience, expertise and what’s in demand. To get started, see what types of tutors are needed on Craigslist or create a profile on sites like Tutor.com or Care.com. You can also advertise your services at local schools and community centers.
Total time: Medium
STARTUP TIME: FAST
· Startup time depends on demand in your area. It could take a while before you get your first student.
· If you haven't tutored before, you'll want to allow for time to prep so students feel like they're getting the most out of their time with you.
PAYMENT: FAST/MEDIUM
· How quickly you get paid depends on whether you tutor via a platform or in-person; either way, it likely won't take long.
Requirements
· You'll need deep knowledge in an area that people need help understanding, like mathematics, a foreign language or test prep.
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18. Make money from your blog as an affiliate
If you’re a blogger who gets decent traffic, you could make money by joining an affiliate network. Affiliates (that’s you) get paid when someone clicks through from the website to the partner site and buys something there. Some bloggers make a lot of money this way. Read more about affiliate marketing and other ways bloggers can make money.
Total time: Slow
SETUP: SLOW
· First, you need a blog, social media account or other online presence that draws a healthy number of visitors each month.
· Then, you need to apply for and be approved by an affiliate marketing network like CJ Affiliate, ShareASale, FlexOffers or Amazon Associates.
PAYMENT: SLOW
· Payment schedules and thresholds vary by affiliate network, but expect to wait at least a month or two for your first paycheck.
· Amazon Associates pays out earnings 60 days after the end of the calendar month in which they were earned. You must have a balance of at least $10 for earnings to be disbursed.
· ShareASale disburses earnings on the 20th of each month, if you earned $50 or more the previous month.
Requirements
· A blog, social media account or other online presence that attracts a steady stream of visitors.
19. Sell your wares on Etsy
Have a penchant for woodworking, jewelry-making, embroidery or pottery? Sell your goods on Etsy, the go-to
site for artisans selling home goods, art and knickknacks. Etsy boasts almost 48 million active buyers and grossed $5 billion in merchandise sales in 2019, according to the website. Learn more about how to make money on Etsy.
Total time: Slow
SETUP: MEDIUM
· Opening an Etsy shop is the easy part. It can be done in a few hours.
· The prep work before you open up shop is more time-consuming. You need merchandise to sell, photos and descriptions to post, a name for your shop and a business plan to help you succeed. Once that’s done, you’ll still need to find customers. Depending on what you’re selling, that could take weeks, which is why you should expect the overall time for this gig to be slow.
PAYMENT: MEDIUM
· Once you sell an item, payment is deposited into your Etsy Payments account.
· In your first 90 days as a seller: Funds are available to deposit seven days after a sale.
· After your first 90 days, funds are available for deposit the next business day.
Requirements
· If you’re over 13 years old but under age 18, you can sell on Etsy but would be considered a minor and must follow extra policies.
· You need to have all necessary rights to the merchandise sold in your shop.
20. Get advertising revenue from your blog or YouTube channel
Turn your cat videos into cash videos. If your YouTube videos or blog posts draw a big audience, you may be able to make money from advertising. With Google AdSense, businesses pay to advertise around your content. The service is free, but there are requirements you must meet. Read more about how to make money on YouTube and Google AdSense.
Total time: Slow
SETUP: FAST
· Signing up for Google AdSense is pretty easy, but it can take anywhere from a day to several weeks for your account to be activated.
PAYMENT: SLOW
· Allow at least two months for ad revenue to start trickling in.
· You need to earn at least $100 before you're eligible for a payout.
· Once you hit the $100 threshold, earnings are issued between the 21st and 26th of the following month. It can take four to 10 days to receive a payment via EFT and up to 15 days to receive payment as a wire transfer.
Requirements
· Your own website that has been active for at least six months.
· For YouTube, you need more than 1,000 subscribers.
· You must be at least 18.
21. Become an Instagram influencer
Companies are using Instagram influencers — people with large, dedicated followings on the platform — to rep their products. You can get in on the action by applying for opportunities via a marketing platform like Open Influence or FameBit, or by contacting the brands you want to work with. Read more about how to make money on Instagram.
Total time: Slow
SETUP: SLOW
· Creating an Instagram account is quick, but building a following takes time. Allow a few months to build a large enough following to attract advertisers.
· Once you have the numbers, you'll need to find paid opportunities. You can do this via affiliate networks or by pitching brands you want to work with.
PAYMENT: SLOW
· The time to receive your payment will depend on the terms of your agreement, but affiliate networks typically pay out earnings the month after a campaign is completed.
Requirements
· An Instagram account with a dedicated, engaged following.
· You'll also need to meet the requirements of any affiliate network.
22. Monetize your Twitch channel
Gaming could be a way to make money from home if you have a steady following on Twitch, the go-to site for gamers. Broadcasters can receive donations from viewers and even get a share of subscription and ad revenue if they reach Affiliate or Partner status. Learn more about how to make money on Twitch.
Total time: Slow
SETUP: SLOW
· You can launch a Twitch channel and start streaming in a day, but it will take weeks or even months to build a following.
PAYMENT: SLOW
· Donation revenue can be withdrawn rather quickly, depending on the payout method.
· Subscription and ad revenue earned as a Twitch Partner or Affiliate is paid out 15 days from the end of the month, and you must have a balance of at least $100 to request a payout.
Requirements
· You need to hit certain viewership and broadcast milestones to become a Twitch Affiliate or Partner and qualify for a share of game sales, ads and subscription revenue.
23. Sign up to be a mystery shopper
Businesses often want to know how they’re performing from a customer’s perspective. Sign up to be their eyes and ears. You can apply online via sites like IntelliShop, BestMark and Sinclair Customer Metrics. Just beware of scams and do thorough research before signing on.
Total time: Slow
SETUP: MEDIUM TO SLOW
· The application process is typically quick, but then it's in the company's hands. It can take days, or even months, to assess your application, depending on demand.
PAYMENT: MEDIUM
· Payout timing varies by company. BestMark, for example, sends checks twice a month and payment is typically received three to four weeks after the mystery shop is complete.
Requirements
· Most mystery shopping services have an age requirement. You have to be at least 18 to shop for BestMark.
· Depending on the service, you may need reliable transportation and internet access.
24. Find seasonal work
Need a gig for a few months? Try something seasonal, like being a lifeguard, shoveling snow or working at a retailer during the holidays. Employers typically staff up a month or two ahead of their busy season, so plan ahead to get on their payroll. Check storefront windows, Craigslist and local classifieds for seasonal opportunities.
Total time: Slow
SETUP: MEDIUM TO SLOW
· Allow time for interviews, which can take a few weeks.
· Companies start hiring for seasonal jobs a month or two in advance.
PAYMENT: SLOW
· Unlike other side gigs, seasonal jobs often operate on a traditional payroll system. That means it may take a month from your start date to earn your first full paycheck.
· But you can expect a regular paycheck, with payroll taxes already withheld, which is something other side gigs don't offer.
Requirements
· It depends on the specific job, which could include being a minimum age, having a driver’s license, etc.
25. Put your drone to work
The market for drones is expanding. Companies hire out work like aerial inspection, photography and land mapping. So if you’re already a drone enthusiast, why not make extra money with your aircraft? You first need to register it with the Federal Aviation Administration and obtain certification from them for commercial use. Then, you can apply for gigs as a drone pilot. Learn how to make money with drones.
Total time: Slow
SETUP: SLOW
· More than a month, in order to study, schedule and pass a written test.
· You also need to find clients.
PAYMENT: FAST TO MEDIUM
· Payment will depend on your client.
Requirements
· You’ll need a drone.
· To do this legitimately, you’ll need a certificate that involves passing an aeronautical knowledge test.
· A background check is also needed.
#make money 2021#make money as an affiliate#how to make money from home#make money#make money online#how to make money#how to make money 2021
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How To Make Money Online - 21 Ideas To Help You Start Earning More Money
Thanks to the internet, there is an endless number of ways to make money online. Here are just 21 ways you can make some extra money on the side.
Making more money could likely solve a lot of your problems. In the past, we’ve talked about how teens can make money, but for those of us who are a little older, we need something a little more sophisticated than the $10 that comes from mowing lawns.
Luckily, in the age of the internet, making extra money (or your whole paycheck) online is incredibly easy if you know where to look.
Here are 21 ways to make (and save money) online:
1. Take surveys online
While taking online surveys won’t make you rich by any means, a few minutes of your time can earn you a few extra dollars.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks allows you to earn points and then redeem them for gift cards or cash back. And the cash back option is available for over 1500 retailers including Amazon, Starbucks, Target etc. Lots of options!
Here’s how it works: you earn points by shopping through their portal, filling out surveys, watching videos, etc. The best part is it’s free to sign up! Plus they are currently giving a $10 sign up bonus.
2. Become a freelancer
If you have a talent, chances are, you can sell your skill. Whether you’re a writer, artist, graphic designer, photographer, etc., there’s a freelance gig for you. Let’s cover a few possible freelance angles for you to take.
Freelance writing
It’s easier than ever to become a freelance writer (all of our writers at Money Under 30 are freelancers). With that being said, if you’re just starting out it can be difficult to find a writing job that will pay you more than pennies.
We have advice here, on how to actually get hired for a freelance job. Also, a good place to start looking is Fiverr. It’s called Fiverr, because most people would charge just $5 for their services—some people still do that, others charge a lot more.
Teach online
If you like to teach and have some free time, consider teaching English as a second language. EF, an online teaching company where you could earn up to $2,000 a month, making it a pretty great side-hustle.
VIPkid is another excellent service that connects North American teachers and tutors with students in China for one-on-one English lessons.
The application process is rigorous, but you could make between $14 and $22 an hour—not necessarily the most competitive, but still decent.
Do small tasks
If you’re not prone to creativity, you can still make money online by offering your handyman (or woman) services on TaskRabbit.
Many of the tasks advertised on TaskRabbit involve tasks such as:
· Putting furniture together
· Moving
· Running errands
· Picking up groceries
Search the gigs section of Craigslist
Along with TaskRabbit, you can search the “gigs” section on Craigslist. Many of the gigs are hoaxes, but there are some that are legit. There are gigs that involve computer skills, writing skills, general labor, cleaning, etc.
3. Invest with a robo-advisor
Robo-advisors put your investments on auto-pilot. With many robo-advisors, all you have to do is choose your risk, your goals, and fund your account. The robo-advisor will take care of the rest. For those who are looking to invest, but may not understand the ins and outs of investing, robo-advisors can help.
Betterment
Betterment is a simple investing platform. You can easily open sub-accounts that use different portfolios for reaching multiple goals. It’s also surprisingly inexpensive! Betterment’s Digital plan charges 0.25% annually. You’ll have access to a full suite of services as well as mobile messaging to an advisor
M1 Finance
M1 Finance is a hybrid robo-advisor and traditional brokerage, meaning you have a little more control in picking your portfolio than you would with just a robo-advisor. M1 allows you to pick and choose “pie slices” (different investments), which make up your portfolio.
M1 Finance is completely free, so any beginner investor should check them out.
Wealthfront
Like Betterment, Wealthfront has a lot to offer investors. And what you’ll be excited to hear is that Wealthfront doesn’t charge management fees on balances under $10,000. They require a $500 minimum investment and its fee is 0.25% fixed a year on portfolios over $10,000—one of the more quite competitive fees.
4. Invest in real estate
Investing in real estate online is a great form of passive income if you’re open to a little risk.
Real estate crowdfunding involves many investors investing small amounts of money into real estate ventures.
There are a couple of companies that are the frontrunners in the real estate crowdfunding industry.
Roofstock is one. They focus on single-family homes that you can buy and use as rental properties. It’s a platform for investors and created by investors, which is why there are no fees to join and search their properties.
Another well-known name in the real estate crowdfunding world is Fundrise. They have a super low minimum investment of just $500 (which is almost unheard of in the real estate industry), and Fundrise states that their annual returns generally range from 8.7%-12.4%.
5. Invest with a broker
The stock market scares a lot of folks, but it’s getting easier and easier to invest your money in stocks, even if you don’t have a whole lot of know-how.
But no longer – that’s right, no need to be scared of the investing world with so many excellent options out there. Here are 4 good places to start digging in.
· If you invest through a company like E*TRADE, they offer tons of investing tools so you can invest on your own, and you can trade stocks, options, and ETFs for $0.
· For slightly more seasoned investors, Zacks Trade makes day-trading easy and cost-effective. You can buy stocks and bonds, ETFs, options, and more. Their pricing is simple and straightforward – stock and ETF trades can be made for $0.01 per share (with a $3 minimum).
· TD Ameritrade is attractive for young investors because it has no minimum investment and they offer tons of tools for every level of investing. You can also trade through their mobile app which makes it super convenient.
· Ally Invest is one that truly stands out on its own from the group because they have no commission fees AND no account minimum! For the self-directed trader, this is a dream come true. You can invest in stocks, ETFs, options, bonds, and mutual funds – so there’s a little something for everyone.
6. Become a virtual assistant
Virtual assistants can make up to $16 an hour. You can work part-time or full time, and your schedule can be relatively flexible, as long as it lines up with whomever you’re working for.
What you need to be a virtual assistant:
· Laptop
· Headset or cell phone
· Good communication skills
· Flexible schedule
7. Sell or rent your belongings
This could mean selling a few things here and there on Ebay, running a full-fledged online store, or renting out your home (okay, so that’s not entirely online, but it starts out there).
Ebay
Ebay may seem old school, what with Amazon and Etsy, but selling stuff you don’t need is a great way to make extra cash.
You can make a free account, but you’ll be limited to how much you can sell. If you want to sell more than 50 items a month online, you’ll need to sign-up for one of Ebay’s subscriptions.
· Starter: $4.95/ mo with an annual subscription
· Basic: $21.95/ mo with an annual subscription
· Premium: $59.95/ mo with an annual subscription
· Anchor: $299.95/ mo with an annual subscription
· Enterprise: $2,999.95/ mo with an annual subscription
Each comes with different selling caps, and the higher the subscription, the lower the fees.
Etsy
Etsy’s setup is a lot more satisfying than Ebay and even Amazon. But, just like Ebay and Amazon, Etsy does have some fees to consider if you’re planning on just casually selling. The fee schedule goes as follows:
· $0.20 USD for each item that you list for sale
· When you make a sale you’ll be charged a transaction fee of 3.5% of the price you display for each listing
Craigslist
If you want to go real old-school, you can sell your items on Craigslist. While there’s a lot that can go wrong on Craigslist, it’s still one of the most used sites—mostly because it’s free.
Sell your text books
Textbooks are expensive—too expensive for most. So, if you have old textbooks you’re never going to look at again—or never looked at in the first place—selling them can make you back some of the money you had to spend.
If you buy your books from Barnes and Noble, they make it easy to sell them back at the end of the year!
Rent your home on Airbnb
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Airbnb. If you have an extra room or even a whole house you’re willing to rent out, you could earn a hefty side income.
There’s a cost when it comes to listing on Airbnb, You’ll be charged 3% of the booking total. Since you can set prices, however, you’ll still have quite a bit of control over how much you can make as an Airbnb host.
8. Get a cash back credit card
Applying online for a cash back credit card is a great way to earn money on purchases you already plan on making.
Discover it® Cash Back
With the Discover it® Cash Back, you can earn 5% cashback on different categories each quarter when you activate, up to the quarterly limit. Previous categories have included gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, Amazon.com, and wholesale clubs.
You’ll receive 1% on all other purchases.
Discover will also match your cashback at the end of your first year as a card holder!
Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card
Disclaimer – The information about the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card has been collected independently by MoneyUnder30.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
With the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card, you’ll receive an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all your purchases. And you can get 1.8% cash rewards on qualified digital wallet purchases, like Apple Pay® or Google PayTM during the first year.
On the cash back front – new cardmembers can also earn a $150 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in the first three months.
Finally, with no annual fee, this card is a great deal for anyone looking for a straightforward cash back card.
Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card
IN A NUTSHELL
This is one of the best all-around credit cards on the market, and it’s especially attractive if you bank with Bank of America. A nice up front bonus, strong cash rewards program and no annual fee make for a terrific combination.
CREDIT SCORE REQUIREMENTS:
· Good/
· Excellent
Poor500-599
Fair600-699
Good700-749
Excellent750-850
WHAT WE LIKE:
· 3% cash back in your choice category. Choose from gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings
· $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days
· 25% – 75% rewards bonus on every purchase if you’re a Preferred Rewards member
Intro APR Purchases
0% Introductory APR on purchases
Intro Term Purchases
12 billing cycles
Intro APR Balance Transfers
0% Intro APR for 12 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
Intro Term Balance Transfers
12 billing cycles
Regular APR
13.99% - 23.99% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
Annual Fee
$0
The Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card gives 1% cash back on every purchase, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 3% on a choice category for the first $2,500 in combined grocery/wholesale club/choice category purchases each quarter.
It also has a $0 annual fee!
9. Download money-making apps
If you already shop online, downloading money-making apps can earn you cash every time you shop. Let’s take a look at some of the best apps.
MyPoints is one of my favorites. You can earn up to 40% back on all your purchases at 2,000 top retailers like Walmart, Home Depot, Best Buy, and Amazon. They also offer promo codes at tons of online stores. One of my favorite things about MyPoints is that you can redeem your points whenever you want. All you have to do is can cash out and get gift cards, or you can transfer the cash to your PayPal account. It’s actually very easy.
Dosh is an enticing cash back app because the bash back part is 100% automatic making your purchases even easier. Just link your credit or debit card in the app and you’ll automatically earn cash back whenever you make a purchase at a partner site. Partners include Walmart, ASOS, GNC, Instacart, and Sephora, plus over 15k local restaurants and retailers that offer up to 10% cash back. Best of all, you can move the cash you earn directly to your PayPal or Venmo account as soon as you earn at least $25.
For your grocery purchases, Fetch Rewards can help. In addition to scanning receipts for your brick-and-mortar purchases, you can also take advantage of Fetch’s eReceipts feature. Just tap on the icon and connect the app to your email. You can then search your email account for digital receipts. You’ll get points for any purchase you made from participating brands.
Another great option is Acorns and my experience is that Acorns can make anyone an investor. It helps you start saving by rounding up your purchases on the debit or credit card of your choice. Then, every time you hit $5 in savings, Acorns invests your money in ETFs. Mighty convenient. Acorns cost $1, $2, or $3 per month depending on the plan you choose – making it a cheap option for young investors.
Finally, Swagbuck, another cool option lets you earn gift cards and cash for shopping online, watching certain videos, and answering surveys. You can redeem points for cash through PayPal, or get gift cards from retailers like Amazon and Walmart.
10. Create a blog
To start earning money by blogging, you’ll need to use certain advertising tactics, the best for start-up blogs is:
Advertising and affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing makes it possible for small blogs to stay in business. Rather than getting paid per 1,000 page views or per click—which is the traditional middle—affiliate advertising involves an advertiser paying an affiliate publisher (your blog) when it refers a paying customer.
11. Open an online savings account
Opening an online savings and checking account can earn you a much higher interest rate than at traditional banks. Our favorite banks are below:
Barclays Online Savings Account
Barclays Online Savings is currently yielding a 0.40% APY which is better than 18x the national average.
There is no deposit required to open an account and there are no monthly maintenance fees to worry about. To receive the APY you must have at least $1 in your account (and if you don’t have $1 to put in your account, revisit the other items on this list ASAP!)
Discover Bank Online Savings Account
The Discover Bank Online Savings Account earns you a 0.40% APY—they also offer CD’s and money market accounts for your deposit needs. No minimum deposit required and no minimum balance to earn the APY.
12. Unsubscribe from some online services that you don’t use
Making money online is easy, but spending money online is even easier. It’s incredibly easy to sign-up for a service, put it on auto-pay, and forget about it.
Luckily, there’s a service that will go through all your old subscriptions and ask you which ones you want to cancel. This service is Trim.
Trim can even negotiate some of your bills for you! That makes it perfect for millennials who have an aversion to phone calls.
13. Start a podcast
Blogs and podcasts are two of the top side-hustles these days. You can make money doing a podcast similarly to how you make money running a blog. Find a niche topic. This makes it easier to narrow down your audience and affiliate market.
Once you have a dedicated audience (which could take a while), you can start reaching out to advertisers who’s products would make sense to mention. Here are a few other ways to monetize your podcast.
14. Become YouTube famous
If you’re good at talking in front of a camera and have an idea/product you want to discuss, YouTube could be the perfect platform for you. You can earn money on YouTube in a variety of ways:
Become a YouTube partner
The big money on YouTube is if you meet the requirements to become a partner. This year, YouTube changed the requirements to become a partner. You need to have a channel that has reached 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months and 1,000 subscribers.
When you’re a partner, you start earning by how many views you receive. Here’s how it works: “YouTube takes around a 45% slice of advertising revenue, although the CPM (cost per thousand) that advertisers are charged varies. Most partners earn anywhere between $0.30 to $2.50 CPM.”
Connect to Google AdSense
Once you become a Youtube partner, you can connect to Google AdSense, their advertising system. You’ll be paid based on the number of “impressions” your videos get. That’s when someone clicks on or watches an ad.
Product placement
If you can get companies to sponsor your videos, or place their products in their videos, you can generate even more income. But you’ll need to inform YouTube of these product placements, or they may pull your partnership.
15. Create online courses
If you have a specific area you’re especially knowledgeable in, creating an online course can make you some decent money. This could be a course in just about anything: Cooking skills, massage therapy, how to play the guitar, etc.
You’ll want to start by creating a course outline—show it to a couple people, have them tell you if they think they’ll actually learn whatever it is you’re trying to teach. Next, it’s time to make your course. Most of them are done through video, with worksheets included.
When it’s time to sell your course, you can sell to places like Zippy Courses.
16. Write an e-book
Writing an e-book and selling it is a lot like making courses online. Again, if you have a topic you want to write about—it could be as simple as the hobbies you like—writing about it should be easy, and if you can find a site willing to buy your book you can rake in a little extra cash.
You can go through Amazon Kindle Publishing—they’ll charge you a commission each time you get a sale, but their reach is huge, so you’re more likely to sell more copies.
17. Sell pictures that you’ve taken
If your hobby is photography, or you’re looking to become a professional photographer, there are a couple ways you can get started and make some money online.
First, you can sell your photos to stock photo companies. Some of those companies include:
· 123rf
· 500px
· Alamy
· Crestock
Or, if the only camera you have access to is your smartphone, you can sell your pictures you take with your phone. Apps and companies you can sell to include:
· Clashot
· EyeEm
· Foap
· Scoopshot
18. Shop online
Most people shop online these days—and for good reason. It can actually save you money.
If you use coupon sites, you can save money on things you’ll already spend on. Some of these sites include:
· Groupon
· Slickdeals
· Hip2Save
· ShopAtHome
19. Subscribe to a food delivery service
Using a food delivery service can’t necessarily earn you money, but it can help you save you money if you constantly find yourself throwing out half the food you buy. Food delivery services send a box of food every week with new, sometimes unique vegetables, meat, fruit, and so on. If you don’t have time to shop and want simple meal-prep that leads to a good meal, a food subscription service may be perfect for you.
Most of the services offer similar enough foods – it just depends on the price range you want. Our recommended food services are HelloFresh, Home Chef, Sunbasket, Purple Carrot, and Freshly.
Try Freshly -- Get $50 off your first 5 orders of Freshly ($10 off each week)!
And another great option I want to throw in is Blue Apron – especially if you don’t have a lot of experience with cooking or you want to take advantage that they have meal options for Weight Watchers as well as vegetarians.
20. File your taxes online
While filing your taxes online isn’t a constant source of income, it can help you get your tax return sooner. Here’s three of the best tax softwares that make filing easy!
TurboTax
TurboTax is likely the tax software you’ve heard the most about, and for good reason! If you file a 1040-EZ, 1040, or 1040A you could file your federal return for free, plus, the guided format explains the tax filing process clearly, so you can be done filing in a matter of minutes.
Plus, if you’re self-employed, TurboTax has a Self-Employed product that can save you from having to hire a costly tax expert. It costs $114.99 for the software.
H&R Block
H&R Block has evolved past its brick and mortar beginnings and offers online products that compete with the best of them. If you’ve used past tax software products, you can upload a PDF of last year’s return from any other tax prep service.
H&R Block works like many of the other softwares—H&R Block Online guides you through your tax return to make sure you haven’t missed anything. All along, the Refund Reveal feature shows your estimated refund or balance due in the upper left corner.
TaxAct
TaxAct is one of the cheapest tax software programs, but it still offers a lot. Like TurboTax, it offers a free filing for forms 1040EZ and 1040A. Their Premium services are also cheaper, starting at just $37 for more complicated tax situations.
While TaxAct might not look as fancy as the other tax softwares, it offers many of the same products for a lower cost.
21. Become a graphic designer
A graphic designer creates digital art for their clients. And it’s actually a lot easier to make money as a graphic designer than some might think—it just takes a little persistence.
First, you’ll need to create a portfolio. After that, you can find direct clients to work with by using sites like Fiverr, where you can sell your talents. You can also post videos of you teaching graphic design—with product placement—and get clients that way.
Summary
Making money online is becoming easier and easier. As long as you have some technological know-how, you can make a little extra cash on the side. We have just 21 ideas above, but there are an endless amount of things you can do to make money if you get creative.
#make money 2021#make money online#make money as an affiliate#how to make money from home#how to makemoney#how to make money 2021
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HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE: 28 REAL WAYS TO EARN MONEY ONLINE
From online poker to selling your collection of Beanie Babies, there are lots of popular get-rich-quick, money-making ideas that always pop up. Do they work? Not really. Will you make money doing it? Maaaybe. But you’d probably make more money from your 9 to 5 job. At least then it’s a guaranteed paycheck.
The truth is there are real ways to make money online – millions of people are doing it each day. From freelance digital nomads to savvy marketers to rising entrepreneurs, there are plenty of business ideas you can try at home using your laptop and a solid internet connection. So let’s break down how to make money online… the real way.
How to Make Money Online: 28 Real Ways
1. Start Dropshipping
Let’s start our list off with one of the most popular ways to make money online. According to Google Trends, dropshipping’s popularity is rapidly growing, highlighting its viability as a way to make money online. With success stories about how an entrepreneur made $6,667 in eight weeks or how a store owner made six figures selling just one product, there’s plenty of proof that dropshipping is a real way to make money online.
In case you don’t know what dropshipping is: dropshipping is a business model where you sell a product to a customer, but the supplier stores, packages, and ships the product to your customers on your behalf. With Oberlo dropshipping, you have access to millions of products that you can add to your store. Oberlo’s toolkit also allows you to hand-pick your product images, edit item descriptions, and give your business a personalized vibe, so people love shopping from you.
The best way to make money online dropshipping? Most entrepreneurs have been focusing on a few marketing strategies: running Facebook ads, having influencers promote your products, and sending Direct Messages (DMs) to potential customers on social media.
P.s. if you want to build your first dropshipping store, don't miss out on our Dropshipping 101 course.
2. Try Print on Demand
Print on demand is proving to be a popular option too. Graphic designers are turning to the business model to sell their designs on clothing and other products to monetize their art better. With their unique designs, they can create a consistent and established brand for their business.
Print on demand is similar to dropshipping in the sense that you don’t need to carry inventory or ship out products to customers yourself. There are two slight differences, though. First, you can add branded labels on packages. Second, shipping costs are excessive, making it difficult to create a sustainable business unless you charge higher prices or sell higher quantities.
The best way to make money with your print on demand business? Free marketing channels. Your best bet would be to promote your products for free on Instagram, Pinterest, or with Instagram influencers who convert their audiences well.
You can get a complete overview of print of demand vs dropshipping by watching us get into a healthy debate with Wholesale Ted about the pros and cons of each business model.
3. Make Money with Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular ways to make money online. Throughout the years, its popularity has gone up and down, but it continues to prove to be a stable way to make money online. The best part about affiliate marketing is that you can be an affiliate for nearly any company, from Shopify to Amazon to Uber to FabFitFun.
Affiliate marketing allows you to earn a living by promoting other brands. If you’re a savvy marketer, you can earn a commission from sales by promoting retail products, software, apps, and more. While earning a commission may seem small, keep in mind that you can be an affiliate for several brands and include several affiliate links on a single blog post.
If you really want to make money online doing affiliate marketing, your best bet is to focus on content marketing. By building out a blog with several pages of high-quality content, you essentially create an asset you can call your own. The best part about focusing on content marketing is that if an affiliate program shuts down, you can switch the affiliate link to a competitor without negatively impacting your side hustle income.
4. Start a YouTube Channel
If others can make money from YouTube, so can you. The highest-paid YouTuber is 7-year-old Ryan, who reviews toys on his YouTube channel, which made him $22 million in 2018. Another high earner is Jeffree Star, who’s made more than $18 million on YouTube and has a cosmetics brand that sells about $100 million in products annually. His YouTube (and Myspace) fame helped him use his influence to make money online beyond his YouTube earnings.
Your YouTube channel should focus on a single niche so you can build a strong, loyal audience. For example, you can create makeup tutorials, stream video games, review products, teach skills, create prank videos, or anything else you think there’d be an audience for.
The secret to making money on YouTube is to create content people want that either educates or entertains. You can use a headline that’s witty to entice people to watch, or you can use keywords that are optimized for YouTube search. Once you’ve reached the 1,000 subscriber milestone, you can officially monetize your channel with YouTube ads.
5. Become an Influencer
Building a personal brand can also help you make money online. Did you know in 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo earned $975,000 for every sponsored Instagram post, making him the highest-paid influencer? While it may seem like reality stars, singers, and athletes are the biggest influencers, keep in mind that even smaller-scale influencers can make more money today than they did a few years back
To become an influencer, you need to build a healthy following. The easiest platforms to do that: YouTube and Instagram. Some of the biggest non-celebrity influencers often gained their first taste of exposure on these platforms. You might want to check out how to get more Instagram followers if you want to build a big Instagram audience.
To make money as an influencer, you can charge for sponsored posts, speaking gigs, create your own online store and sell products, add affiliate links in your bio, sell your photos, sell ads on your own podcast, get paid as a brand ambassador, create a book, get paid to appear at events, and more.
6. Create an Online Course
Sharing knowledge is one of the best ways to make money online. If you’re an expert on a subject, you can monetize your knowledge by creating courses online. You can sell your course on Udemy or, if you already have your own audience, on your own website. Some entrepreneurs earn as much as $5,000 per month with online courses.
To create a popular and successful course, your best bet is to watch other courses on your topic. Then, look at the reviews. What are the aspects that people praise, and what are the things people hate? How can you create something better than what’s already been created? Focus on creating content that solves the biggest complaints while emulating the positive aspects people rave about.
The platform you sell your course on will determine how to best make money. If you sell your course on Udemy, you don’t have to do much to promote it. You can almost set it and forget it. Maybe promote it to some blogs or on your own website. However, if the course is hosted on your own website, you might want to run ads to promote the course. You can also build an email list so you can continue to promote future courses to that same audience.
7. Publish an Ebook
With Amazon KDP, it’s never been easier to publish an ebook. All you need to do is write the ebook, format it, create an ebook cover, publish, and promote it. Back in 2013, I created several ebooks on Amazon (took all but one down), and even though it didn’t make me rich, I still make some money from it.
You can choose to hire a writer for your ebook, a graphic designer to design the cover, or a freelancer to format the ebook for you to help minimize the work you need to put into it. It’s best if you focus on keywords based on popular searches on Amazon. I often use the Keyword Tool, which allows you to find the words people use while searching so you can craft your title around it.
To make money online selling ebooks, you can market it in a number of ways. You can give away your ebook for free for a few days. This helps you rank high in search results for some time and get some reviews, which helps you rank better for paid listings. Plus, I like to create custom graphics on Pinterest that match the “Pinterest style” rather than just placing the ebook cover as a pin. This has helped me get some clicks to my ebook from Pinterest.
8. Start a Blog
Blogging is one of the oldest methods for making money online. People who love writing tend to start blogs with a niche focus. For example, a blog about procrastination, cars, dropshipping, toys, etc., is often a narrow enough focus so you can build a loyal following, but big enough that you can cover a lot of ground.
You can start a blog on various platforms, from Shopify (remove the checkout feature, so you don’t have to pay a subscription as you build it out) to WordPress. When you start your blog, focus on very specific keywords with a tight focus and continue to expand into other but relevant categories as you grow and dominate new spaces. This will allow you to build a massive blog over time. Remember that design is also important for making a good first impression on visitors. Here are 20 blog design inspirations to help you launch your blog.
There are several ways to make money blogging. You can add affiliate links in your posts (don’t forget a disclaimer). You can monetize with AdSense by placing ads strategically on your website. Sponsored posts can help you make money from specific brands – this is popular among review bloggers. Bloggers can also sell digital or physical products on their website either (hint: you can add Oberlo products to your website). You can also use it to build authority so that you can eventually get speaking gigs, television deals, or big contracts from clients.
9. Consider Freelancing
The easiest way to make money online is to take your current job in your 9 to 5 role and do it online instead. For example, if you’re a writer, administrative assistant, graphic designer, teacher, developer, etc., you can market these skills and find clients online who are willing to pay you for them.
There’s a never-ending list of websites for each sector of freelance jobs too. For example, freelance writers can apply for jobs on specific online writing job boards, but also general freelance websites like Fiverr, Freelancer, Upwork, and all the others. If you find that your job doesn’t have direct online money-making streams of income, you can look for other transferable skills you may have.
To make money online as a freelancer, you need to start by building out a strong portfolio. That may mean doing some free work with some reputable mid-tier brands to start. Once you gain a strong portfolio, you can start reaching out to potential big clients to earn more money online. Remember, freelancing is a numbers game: the more personalized emails and applications you fill out, the more likely you will get a response back.
10. Create an App
If you’re not a developer, you’re probably looking at this money-making idea and feeling a bit stuck. Fortunately, there is a way to have an app made that doesn’t involve any programming skills.
These days, marketers are using freelance platforms to find affordable developers to create apps for them.
When it comes to making money on your app, your best bet will be to add it to Google Play and the App Store. And while it may seem counterintuitive, having a free app can help you make more than a paid app. With a free app, you can add ads or premium features to help you make money. Since the free app will attract a higher volume of people, it’ll be easier for you to upsell them.
11. Become a Writer
With a growing interest in content marketing, more brands are looking for great writers to create content. The secret to succeeding as a writer is to be an expert in a niche. A lot of writers try to be generalists, writing for a wide range of categories, from food to tech. However, having a niche focus as a writer allows you to write better content.
When you have experience in the niche, you can add a different perspective to a piece of content. That means you’re not just saying the same thing as every other article online. And that’s what brands really want to pay for — your thoughts, experiences, and inside information into their niche.
If someone asks for a marketing writing sample, send them marketing writing samples. Don’t send a finance article. Or a fitness one. It’s hard for a hiring manager to know how well you understand the niche’s industry if they can’t see a relevant writing sample. Apply to opportunities suited to your skills and experience. Also, if your pitch doesn’t have a list of links to writing samples, it’s going to get ignored.
12. Create Side Gigs
Side gigs can help you make money online while you keep your full-time job. If you’re looking to make an extra couple hundred dollars per month, this is a great idea. The work doesn’t always last long-term, but it can.
Use platforms like Fiverr to create gigs. When you’re new to Fiverr, you’ll want to focus on offering a low price so you could get your first review. I’d recommend getting a friend to buy your gig to leave your first review so you can get started faster. Treat the friend like a client and actually deliver a finished product that you can feature on the platform on your portfolio.
The thing with Fiverr is that it’s also a numbers game. If you look at top Fiverr users, you’ll see that they have multiple gigs available. The more gigs you have, the more likely you are to be found.
If you don’t want to get paid Fiverr prices, you can turn to platforms like FlexJobs to find side gigs. Under their jobs section, you can search for contract or telecommute opportunities. The great thing about the telecommute opportunities on FlexJobs is that you can apply for them in any city in the world.
FlexJobs has a variety of side gigs from writing, business, design, accounting, and more. So if your talents don’t match up with anything else on this list of money-making ideas, you might want to try a side gig from FlexJobs, and start making money online. Apply to multiple opportunities to land a few small side gigs.
13. Do Translation Work
If you need to make money now, translation work is a fairly underserved niche. You’ll need to be fluent in at least two languages to do this successfully. So if you’re bilingual or majored in a popular language in school, this may be a great money-making idea for you to try out.
You will need to show proof of your ability to translate. If you have a language degree or experience translating text, make sure to show samples of your portfolio. Most companies will require a translation test. Keep in mind that you need to be fluent in the languages you’re applying to be a translator for. So you can’t use translation tools.
14. Sell Your Stuff
When you’re desperate to make money now, sometimes the only option is to sell your stuff. If you’re unemployed and struggling to find a job, selling your possessions is a great way to make money fast. You can earn money online using the links below, or you can head to a pawn shop. Keep in mind the shipping costs associated with selling online. Be sure to charge the buyer for it if you’re shipping products internationally.
Most people immediately think of selling their junk like books, DVDs, and CDs. But most people don’t want to buy those things. It’s 2021 – are you really going to buy a CD? Probably not. So don’t waste your time trying to sell it. When you’re thinking about how to make money fast, focus on items of value like laptops, TVs, phones, furniture, designer handbags, or clothing. Try selling the same items on multiple platforms. For example, you might try selling your product in Facebook groups and Instagram instead of just one of them. If you sell your stuff everywhere, there’s a chance of someone finding it.
Be sure to take amazing photos and edit them. An online retailer doesn’t upload images as is. They hire a photographer to take great photos. Images are enhanced. The background is often removed. Approach your product post like an online retailer. Avoid taking pictures of products on tables. If a product is on a table, remove the background to make it white. If you don’t own high-end photography equipment, you can consider taking this product photography online course to learn how to take stunning product photos without the fancy gear.
After you’ve figured out stuff to sell online, start your own online store using Shopify. You’ve proven that you’ve got what it takes to be an online retailer. So, now you can start making money from home.
15. Become an Online Tutor
You can make a lot of money online and choose your own hours by being an online tutor. According to Studenomics, Bohdan made $2100 from tutoring. What’s interesting is that he built up his client base through word of mouth, visibility, and great group rates. While sciences and maths often have a high demand for tutoring positions, you’ll also find English popular among international audiences. If you’re an expert on a topic, tutoring may be the right platform for you to make money fast.
Having a degree or experience in a language is essential for this type of job, so showcase your degree, high grade average in a course, or other proof that you’re qualified to tutor that topic. If you have a teaching degree, you may be more likely to land a tutoring position. If you’ve spoken at a conference or event about the topic, you might also be considered for an online tutoring, teaching, or mentoring position. Focus on tutoring in your field of expertise. If you’re not the best, you probably shouldn’t be tutoring on that specific topic.
16. Drive Your Car
If you own a car, you can make some spare cash as an Uber driver or delivery person. If you don’t own a car, you can still be a delivery person using your bicycle or moped. Uber drivers looking to make even more money off their car can turn their car into an advertisement using Free Car Media. Your car will be wrapped with a removable vinyl decal. There have also been cases of Uber drivers selling products in their cars. As a driver, you’ll often start talking about what you and your passenger do for a living.
Want to know how to make money fast driving Uber? If you own your own side business, you can showcase your products to your passengers if they’re interested. Not all will be, though. However, if one expresses interest in your products, you can have products for sale under the driver’s seat for a passenger to sift through. If customers don’t have the cash, you can ask them to pay its cost with Uber’s tip function.
17. Become a Virtual Assistant
With so many entrepreneurs building businesses, the demand for virtual assistants is increasing almost daily. As a virtual assistant, you’ll do a variety of tasks. Writing, order processing, bookkeeping, social media, and customer support are just a few of the tasks you might be asked to do as a virtual assistant.
You can earn money online on websites like Virtual Assistant Jobs, Indeed, or Upwork. Many virtual assistants have also found ways to make money online by reaching out to brands and entrepreneurs, asking if they’re interested in hiring a virtual assistant. Using a combination of job posting applications and outreach, you’ll be more likely to make money fast. Build an active social media presence on Twitter and LinkedIn to help you find new clients.
18. Become a Twitch Streamer
Twitch streaming is becoming increasingly popular. While it started out as a gaming platform, it’s quickly evolving to include other types of content. To make money fast on Twitch, you’ll need to grow your following. If you’re consistent, streaming on Twitch can help you build a sizable audience fast.
You’ll need to find a popular game or channel that isn’t overly competitive so that people can easily find your content. In order to make money online from streaming, you’ll need to have a consistent style to your channel: is it going to be funny, educational, or entertaining? Engaging in the chat feature on Twitch is another way to grow your following. You’ll want to communicate in popular chats. However, you’ll also want to engage with those chatting on your streams as well.
There are five ways to monetize your Twitch channel: selling products, brand sponsorships, fan donations, subscriptions, and Twitch ads. As a Twitch streamer, you’ll want to focus on tapping into all five monetization methods to ensure the highest financial gains. You could make more on Twitch than YouTube, making it one of the best money making ideas for video creators.
19. Invest in Stocks
You can also make money fast by investing in stocks. If you aren’t an expert in picking stock, you might want to skip this money making idea. While it can have one of the highest rewards, it can also result in money loss if you’re inexperienced. If you currently hold a 9 to 5 job, look into your company’s financial programs.
Do they allow you to invest in company stocks? If so, sign up for it. At least with a company stock program, you have some influence in the company’s success as an employee. If your company has an RRSP matching program, you can also sign up for that if your goal is to save up for retirement or a down payment on your first home.
20. Sell Your Photography
Whether you’re a professional photographer or just love snapping great pictures, you can monetize your photography in several ways. You can make money fast by posting your photography services in local Facebook groups for your community.
If you’re looking for more exposure, you can use a site like Burst. However, if you’re looking to monetize your phone photography quickly, you can use Foap. Learn more product photography tips to help you start making money with photography.
21. Sell Your Clothes Online
You likely have clothes you haven’t worn in the past year. And you don’t have the intention of wearing them ever again. Rather than letting them take up space in your closet, why not make money off of them?
Whether you sell your clothes, handbags, or shoes, there are quite a few websites that allow you to sell your used fashion items. Poshmark, Refashioner, TheRealReal, ThredUp, and Tradesy are a few of the online sites where you can sell your used apparel.
You could make money online by selling on several different platforms. If you’re looking to sell items in person, you can use Facebook buy and sell groups in your community to find people online and sell the items in person. I’ve personally sold in these groups before and know they work.
22. Become an Extreme Couponer
When money is tight, using coupons can help save you a few bucks. However, with websites Coupon Chief, it can also help you make money online. Such websites offer a Pays to Share program where you’ll receive some percentage of sales from the coupons you share on their platform. You’ll need to add coupons that haven’t already been shared. In return, you’ll make a 2-3% commission.
It’s like affiliate marketing where you share referral links and get a commission when someone buys through your link. Coupon companies are known to pay their affiliates regularly, so it’s a legit way to earn money online. Coupon Chief has already paid out over $1.4 million in commissions.
23. Sell Domains
If you regularly buy domain names but fail to use them, you can always try to sell them for a profit. Selling domains is ultra competitive, though. If you own a one word .com domain, you’ll have a better chance of selling. Words that have high search volume sell well too.
Also, domains that are on trend at that moment have a better chance of selling. For example, a year ago, fidget spinner domains were an easier sell than they are now. You can search for available domain names and buy a custom domain through the Shopify domain registration platform.
You can sell your domains on GoDaddy’s Domain Auction. Look through the domains with the highest bids to see what type of domains sell well. It’ll help you know whether or not your domains are worth selling and how much money you can make selling them.
24. Sell Your Designs Online
Graphic design is an amazing skill that you can monetize in several ways. You can go the print on demand route and sell your designs on your own custom products. Alternatively, you can pitch your designs on a crowdsource platform like 99 Designs. You can create your own graphics, templates and more and sell them on marketplaces like GraphicRiver or Creative Market. Or you can pick up some clients and work as a freelance graphic artist.
25. Review Websites, Apps, and Software
If you’re passionate about user experience, User Testing pays reviewers $10 to give other entrepreneurs feedback on their websites and apps. That’s one fast way to make money online. You’ll be given a set of questions that you need to answer as you browse through their website.
Through a video, you’ll communicate your ideas and feedback to the entrepreneur while navigating their website or app. Your video is only 20 minutes in length, so if you do three videos per hour, you’ll make $30. It can be pretty competitive, so you have to act fast when a new website or app is added to be reviewed. Those who want to earn money online by reviewing software can use a tool called Software Judge.
26. Get a Part-Time Job
When you’ve done whatever it takes to make money fast but struggle to make an impact, sometimes you’re left with no choice but to get a part-time job. A lot of the money-making ideas on this list are great for building up to. They can be really successful over the long-term too. But if you’re struggling to make money fast enough, you might need to apply for a part-time job in your field. You can browse part-time jobs on job bank websites like Indeed, Monster, or a job website for your industry.
Whether you’re looking to make an extra couple hundred a month or grow a successful six-figure brand, I hope these money making ideas have inspired you to take action. Learning how to make money fast or how to make money from home is an important part of success, but the execution is what helps you make money now.
27. Become a TikTok Consultant
One of the trendiest new ways to make money online is to become a TikTok consultant. Brands will contact you for brainstorming video ideas, developing engaging bios, and more. It’s the perfect money-making opportunity for digital nomads – you can run the entire business from your smartphone. Compared to Instagram, TikTok is relatively new and untapped, so helping brands grow brand awareness on the app might turn fortunes.
However, you need to have a few talents before you begin offering TikTok consultancy to businesses. The most important is knowing how to create viral videos that get people to engage with brands. If you don’t have the expertise in this platform, you can still learn how to create killer contact by taking this TikTok course.
28. Sell Greeting Cards
If you have a knack for picking out the perfect greeting card for different occasions, this might be an easy way to make money online. However, I don’t recommend that you market your services to anyone and everyone – it’s not a smart way to do business. Instead, you can open a greeting cards brand geared towards a certain segment of the population.
For example, you can make greeting cards that cater to C-level executives wanting to thank their Senior Vice Presidents for making profitable decisions last year. Or you can target healthcare professionals wanting to thank their patients for choosing their clinic. For designing the cards, you can use an online graphic tool like Photoshop or Canva. These tools make it easy to put together nice-looking cards that will cheer anyone up.
Conclusion
Making money online can help you earn some extra side hustle money, but it can also help you escape your 9 to 5 job so you can become a full-time entrepreneur. By making more money, you gain more financial freedom, improve your financial security, and inch closer to living life on your terms. It really is possible to earn a living online if you work hard and stick with it.
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8 Effective Email Marketing Strategies, Backed by Science
The cutthroat inbox of your standard consumer roils with marketing messages, competitive subject lines, and scores of attention-seeking emails. With over 144 billion emails sent each and every day, email marketing remains one of the elite channels for business communication. So how does the signal separate itself from the noise?
To be sure, finding the key to a stand-out message is critical to your bottom line—whether that bottom line is cold, hard cash or community engagement or anything in between. What follows are eight inbox-tested email marketing strategies that successful senders have used to get their emails clicked.
1. Personalize your email without using the recipient’s name
No more “Dear [INSERT NAME HERE]”.
The practice of personalized email greetings is not nearly as effective as it may seem. In fact, research by Temple’s Fox School of Business suggests that this particular kind of personalization could be harmful.
Given the high level of cyber security concerns about phishing, identity theft, and credit card fraud, many consumers would be wary of emails, particularly those with personal greetings.
A significant element of email marketing is relationship. Does a recipient trust you? Does a recipient even know who you are? When an email jumps the gun by forcing familiarity too soon, the personalization comes across as skeevy. Intimacy is earned in real life, and it would appear to be the same way with email. Take this example from my inbox; no one has called me lowercase kevan l lee in years.
Faking familiarity with the subscriber turns many wary email readers off. But this isn’t to say that all forms of personalization are off-limits. In fact, a particular brand of personalization can pay off big time: Sending email that acknowledges a subscriber’s individuality (e.g., purchase history or demographic).
(The study) also found that product personalization, in which customers are directed to products that their past purchasing patterns suggest they will like, triggered positive responses in 98 percent of customers.
The takeaway here is that if you are to use personalization as an email strategy, do so in a meaningful way. It takes little knowledge or relationship to place someone’s name in your greeting. It shows far greater care to send personalized email that is specific to a recipient’s needs and history. Again, an example from my inbox, this email from Rdio dispenses with the formalities and simply provides an update on music I actually listen to.
2. The long and short of subject lines
When it comes to deciding how to craft that perfect subject line, there appears to be really only one area to avoid: the subject line of 60 to 70 characters. Marketers refer to this as the “dead zone” of subject length. According to research by Adestra, which tracked over 900 million emails for its report, there is no increase in either open rate or clickthroughs at this 60-to-70 character length of subject line.
Conversely, subject lines 70 characters and up tested to be most beneficial to engage readers in clicking through to the content, and subject lines 49 characters and below tested well with open rate.
In fact, Adestra found that subject lines fewer than 10 characters long had an open rate of 58%.
Short subjects came in vogue with the success of President Barack Obama’s email fundraising. He saw incredible engagement with subjects like “Hey” and “Wow.”
So the question becomes: Do you want to boost clicks (response) or opens (awareness)? Go long for clickthroughs; keep it short for opens.
Either way, a helpful email strategy is to squeeze out more words or cut back just a bit to avoid that 60 to 70 character dead zone.
3. 8:00 p.m. to midnight is the prime time to send your email
While many a quality email may be built during business hours, the ones with the best open rates aren’t being sent from 9 to 5. The top email strategy is to send at night.
In their quarterly email report for 2012’s fourth quarter, Experian Marketing Services found that the time of day that received the best open rate was 8:00 p.m. to midnight. This block not only performed better for open rate (a respectable 22 percent) but also for clickthrough and sales.
The chart above shows that the 8:00 to midnight window is also the least used—a key factor in helping those late night emails outperform the rest. From Experian:
Optimal mailing time often depends upon your customers’ behaviors, inbox crowding, and the deployment times of other marketers.
Inbox crowding and the deployment times of other marketers go hand-in-hand; if your email goes out when few others do, it stands a greater chance of getting noticed (so quick, start sending between 8:00 and midnight before everyone else catches on).
Optimal mailing for your customers’ needs will be up to you. Test, test, and test some more to find out how your customer ticks and when he/she opens email.
4. The best content is free content: Give something away
Consumers love a free lunch—or a free template.
In a study on their email list of 6,300 subscribers, Bluewire Media tested various types of content to see what led to the highest rates for opens and clicks. The winner was templates and tools, just the kind of freebies that email readers want.
Here is a freebie example from Help Scout:
Many a consumer will ask, “What’s in it for me?” When it comes to resources, Bluewire Media’s test results say that templates and tools outweigh ebooks, expert interviews, brain teasers, and even photo albums. You will want to test with your own list, but certainly use Bluewire’s research as a head start.
5. Mobile opens accounts for 47 percent of all email opens
Mobile opens accounted for 47 percent of all email opens in June, according to numbers provided by email marketing firm Litmus. If your email list accounts for $100,000 in sales each month, could you afford to wave bye-bye to $44,000 just because your email looks funky on a mobile phone?
Design responsively to ensure that your email looks great no matter where it’s read. Here are some quick mobile design tips:
Convert your email to a one column template for an easy mobile fix.
Bump up the font size for improved readability on smart phones.
Follow the iOS guideline of buttons at least 44 pixels wide by 44 pixels tall.
Make the call-to-action obvious and easy to tap. Above the fold is preferable.
Consider ergonomics. Many users tap and scroll with their thumb, so keep important tappable elements in the middle of the screen.
6. Email still reigns over Facebook and Twitter
Social media may be the young whippersnapper nipping at email’s heels, but the content king of the inbox still holds sway in social influence, according to a study by SocialTwist. Over an 18-month period, SocialTwist monitored 119 referral campaigns from leading brands and companies. The results showed a significant advantage to email’s ability to convert new customers compared to Facebook and Twitter.
Of the 300,000 referrals who became new customers, 50.8 percent were reached by email, compared to 26.8 percent for Twitter and 22 percent for Facebook.
Email ruled supreme, by almost double.
7. Send email on the weekends
While not as overwhelming a winner as the 8:00 p.m. to midnight time of day, Saturday and Sunday did outperform their weekday counterparts in Experian’s study of day-of-week performance.
Again, the volume of email sent on the weekends is low, just like the volume for evening emails, which could help those messages stand out more. The margins for clickthrough, open, and sales rates were not substantial, but in email marketing, every little bit counts.
8. Re-engage an inactive group of subscribers
Your list is huge. Great! The only problem is that two-thirds of it may be inactive.
Research has found that the average inactivity for a list is 63 percent, meaning that once someone joins they are less likely to ever follow-up with your follow-up emails. Email marketing firm Listrak goes so far as to identify the first 90 days as the window for turning a sign-up into a devotee (and they lay out a plan for doing so).
What’s to become of that inactive 63 percent? Re-engagement campaigns are an excellent place to start.
Recently, a re-engagement campaign from Digg wound up in my inbox. The subject was catchy (“This Is Not An Email From 2006”), and the content helpfully explained what the email was all about.
As with everything that we call science, it’s all about doing experiments. Very likely, if you are doing your own experiments, you might actually have found different results. What are your best email strategies and email marketing tips? Tell us in the comments below!
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What is Email Marketing & Why Does My Business Need It?
Email marketing — a powerful content marketing technique that many ecommerce businesses use today.
You may or may not receive those automated emails businesses send when you become a new subscriber to their email list. To some they may seem pesky, but truthfully, if you utilize effective email marketing techniques, you can actually increase your customer loyalty tremendously.
The key to successful email marketing is personalization. This among other things, which we’ll cover in this blog!
Email marketing is a term you may have heard before, but you may not know exactly what email marketing is.
What Is Email Marketing and How Does it Work?
No email marketing isn’t just sending emails to subscribers. There’s actually more to it.
Email marketing is the process of sending optimized commercial messages through email to targeted consumers. It includes the process of developing promotional emails, testing, and maintaining them as well.
Email marketing can be used to increase sales, improve brand loyalty, and deliver important information.
It is a kind of direct marketing and in the past, it was used to mass-target people. Current regulations now in place are stricter on how email marketing can be used as a communication channel.
It is a direct form of marketing, similar to marketing through snail mail, but email marketing is much more efficient for your wallet and for the environment since it’s totally paperless!
Email marketing is closely linked to email advertising.
What is email advertising?
Email advertising is a form of email marketing in which recipients consent to seeing advertisements or promotional material from certain brands. This form of advertising functions by providing consumers the opportunity to opt-in to receiving this content.
How do I advertise via email?
Here are a few effective tips for advertising on emails:
Always ask for email addresses, as you should not send unsolicited messages
Keep records of the registrations
Always give people an option to opt-out
Show your privacy policy
Keep your email list secure
Some people think email marketing is outdated, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Email marketing has been utilized since shortly after the birth of the Internet. It has evolved considerably since then and is still an incredibly useful marketing tool.
In fact, many entrepreneurs argue that email marketing is more important now than ever before. There’s a good reason 85% of U.S. retailers consider email marketing one of the most effective customer acquisition tactics!
And now is the time to include email marketing into your digital marketing strategy.
What is the Benefit of Email Marketing?
Email marketing is beneficial because it is fast, efficient, and cost-effective. Using this method of marketing provides you the means of reaching out to potential customers and retaining existing ones by encouraging repeat visits to a site.
In addition, emailing is the top method email marketers use to nurture leads to convert.
So what else is email marketing used for?
Email marketing can also be used to build trust with customers over time, in order to turn them into repeat customers. Any successful business knows repeat customers are how your business will achieve sustainable growth over time.
After all, repeat customers are happy customers. And happy customers recommend your business to others. It is also an effective way to keep your customers informed about new products, sales, or special offers you are running.
People want to stay informed about your brand in real-time, and email marketing is one of the best ways to stay engaged with that audience. In fact, 28% of US online shoppers report subscribing to store or product emails in order to stay informed on brands they care about.
If you need a way to keep in contact with your customers to help them stay up-to-date with your business, start with email marketing.
Now, let’s talk about email automation.
Email Marketing Automation
There are several tactics you can use to automate your emails to make them efficient.
You can use email templates to make your emails more cohesive or spice up a plain email design.
For small businesses, it’s always best to start with developing a simple welcome email to send as a first email to new customers.
This is a great place to start but there is a lot more you can do with email marketing. Especially, if you are using an email marketing platform or email marketing software.
What is email marketing software?
Email marketing software and automation tools make sending and monitoring email campaigns easier. For example, MailChimp and Constant Contact can be used to send out emails and monitor how your subscribers interact with your emails.
This is a great resource for any business owner that may have less time on their hands to keep track of every little detail of their email campaigns.
You can also use email marketing software to track analytics like click-through rates, deliverability, open rates, bounce rates, and conversion rates.
When it comes to email marketing, you don’t want to neglect your campaigns because essentially you want to ensure they are generating a return on investment for you.
Therefore, it’s great to have tools in place that help you track these important metrics.
So now that we’ve answered your question about what this marketing strategy really is, you might be asking “So does my business need email marketing?” Of course!
All businesses can benefit from email marketing, especially small businesses. Email marketing tends to be an inexpensive and easy to track marketing channel, especially in comparison to other forms of traditional marketing.
What is the benefit of email marketing over other methods of marketing?
94% of Internet users use email. Therefore, marketing through email allows you to reach a great deal of Internet users even if they are not on social media.
Furthermore, a survey found that an astounding 75% of adult online users say email marketing is actually their preferred marketing method!
If you’re not already utilizing email marketing, it is definitely something you should consider in order to reach a wider audience and strengthen your brand’s relationship with current customers.
Another benefit of email marketing is that it’s incredibly easy to track your ROI. Everything is trackable with the use of email marketing software so you can determine who is opening your emails, who is clicking onto your site through your emails, and more.
Plus, the ROI is usually very high because you don’t have to put ad money behind emails to get them to the correct audience like you do with most other forms of advertising.
They are already targeted towards the ideal consumer because you are only sending emails to people who have given you permission via providing you with their email address. This makes email marketing one of the cheapest possible marketing tactics.
One little-known fact is that 66% of all emails in the U.S. are opened on mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. If you’ve been considering using a text message or SMS campaign, email marketing might actually be a better choice for you.
Email marketing works pretty much the same way as SMS marketing, but you can reach desktop users as well, and most smartphone users find emails to be less bothersome than text messages from companies.
While email marketing is often used in conjunction with other forms of marketing like social media advertising and even TV and radio ads, it has its own unique set of advantages.
For example, let’s say you have an ecommerce store and you’re running a sale. When you post about the sale on social media, not all your followers will see it. Only about 1% of your followers will typically see a Facebook post unless you’ve boosted it using ad dollars.
If you send an email about your sale, it is guaranteed to be put in front of every single member of your email list.
Another big difference between email marketing and other forms of marketing is that people actually want to see your email promotions! Anyone on your email list purposefully provided you with their email address because they wanted more information on your brand.
This is quite different from ads on search engines, social media, TV, magazines, and radio. Someone who comes across your ad on Facebook, Google, or while watching the morning news did not request to learn more about your brand, so they are more likely to ignore your message or even be bothered by it.
When this happens, you’re probably wasting precious ad spend because those ad viewers aren’t interested.
This is where email marketing is different.
If a consumer directly provides you with their email address, it is because they specifically want to opt in to your email marketing. This means they WANT to see your ads and promotions.
They may have been tempted with a coupon or some other promotion, but it is still a much more consent-based marketing strategy.
This is part of what makes email marketing so unique and so successful!
How does email marketing work with other forms of marketing?
As we continue to further explain this form of marketing, we must also mention how it works best with other marketing efforts.
As mentioned previously, email marketing works extremely well alongside social media marketing. That’s why we highly recommend it.
You are able to cross-promote your company’s social media profiles on emails with buttons requesting that your email subscribers follow you. You can also use your social media profiles to gather an email list to use in your email marketing campaigns.
There are a few ways to do this, one of which is to run a giveaway on your social media accounts that requests people provide their email address in order to enter. This is a very effective way to get subscribers without seeming pushy.
You can also simply make posts asking your social media followers to subscribe to your email list and provide a link to a form they can sign up on.
Odds are, if they were interested enough to follow your brand on social media, they will want to learn more about your brand through email, as well.
You can even set up a lead generation campaign on Facebook geared towards collecting emails which you can then use in an email marketing campaign.
Email marketing also works in conjunction with a remarketing campaign!
Oftentimes, when your website visitors are shopping online they add items to their cart and forget to finish their purchase. To combat this, you can use email marketing.
You can use emails to send cart reminders to your remarketing audience to encourage a conversion and finish their purchase.
These emails can even be personalized to fit your brand and with specific products from your online store! See the image below for an example.
How do you do email marketing?
Here’s a simplified list of the steps for running email marketing:
You need to set your goals first
Start building a targeted email list
Know your audience and understand their pain points
Craft a convincing email content
Pick the right email marketing service tool
Plan your follow-ups
How do you start an email marketing campaign?
Before you even start developing an email marketing campaign, you’ll want to set your goals and identify your audience.
What is email marketing? — It’s incredibly versatile. Therefore, once you set the goals you want for your campaigns and identify who your audience is, you can start to customize.
With email marketing software, you can customize emails with subscribers’ names and can send out personalized emails for people’s birthdays.
You can even maintain separate email lists and send out different offers or promotions to different audience sets.
Not every message you come up with will resonate with every one of your subscribers, so it may be beneficial to segment your email lists and create different emails that correspond to different portions of your overall audience.
This will help with your open rates and CTR in the long run.
The first step to starting an email marketing campaign is to gather an email list. Before a potential subscriber provides you with their email address, there are a few questions they are likely to consider.
Will you spam them?
What do they have to gain from giving you their email address?
Will you send special discounts?
Will you make their email address public or sell it?
You’re going to want to make it clear to would-be subscribers that they will benefit from subscribing to your email list and you will not spam them or give anyone else their email address. Establishing this trust will ultimately help encourage individuals to join your mailing list.
There are countless ways to build your email list, but a good place to start is to embed an email registration form on your website. This way you can leverage your existing website visitors and offer them special information or discounts in exchange for their email address. This tactic is commonly used today with many retailers because people love coupons and they will be quick to provide their email information for a great deal.
You can also use your social media accounts to gather emails, as mentioned previously.
What should be the email content?
Once you have a solid email list, it’s time to start planning your emails. There is a vast range of content you can include in your emails and unique formatting options to choose from. Email marketing is much more customizable than other forms of advertising, so the sky’s the limit!
Remember to stick to your brand guide when developing content for your emails. By this we mean, don’t forget your brand voice, brand colors, any other elements that set your business apart.
Some examples of content you can include on your emails are links to articles on your website, loyalty rewards for subscribers, customer testimonials, information about new promotions or sales, and announcements about new items or services.
Emails can also be used to simply remind people who have expressed interest in your company that you exist!
When they finally join your email list, don’t forget to send them a compelling welcome message. Keep in mind that they are not just warm leads but a potential paying customer as well.
You don’t have to send them constant messages, but sending messages when they join and every now and then are important to keeping your subscribers engaged.
And if you do your job right, they will also turn into your brand ambassadors – for free. You just have to impress them and this welcome message is the first chance you’ll get. Make it count.
On the subject of loyalty rewards, 64% of U.S. Internet users have printed a coupon from an email! Email coupons can be used to drive both in-store and online sales, making them incredibly valuable tools that can easily be incorporated into your email marketing strategy.
The promise of email coupons is also an excellent way to get people to subscribe to your email list!
Like we mentioned before, people love coupons and deals, so take advantage of that.
From writing the perfect subject line to selecting the most eye-catching layout, crafting your emails can be overwhelming. Don’t worry! We’re here to help!
The content you include in your emails is important but it really depends on the type of business you are running. However, there are some techniques that work best for most businesses.
For example, a study by the Relevancy Group found that marketers who add video to their email campaigns see a rise in revenue of approximately 40%. Infographics, lists, and promotions/discounts also make for very appealing emails.
Just be careful not to make all your emails about selling products. Even though you do want your subscribers to make a purchase from you, your emails should also include valuable information your subscribers may be interested in reading.
Valuable information is what will keep your subscribers coming back and checking out your other emails in the future.
Some examples of content that can add value to your emails are answers to popular FAQs, snippets from blog posts on your website, and surveys or polls.
What should be the email layout?
As far as layout goes, congruence is key. Your emails should match the style of your website, ads, and social media accounts for consistent branding. Like we mentioned earlier, you want your emails to be cohesive. Templates help with that, but you also want your emails to be consistent with your brand as a whole.
Also, since about half of all emails are opened on mobile devices, you’re going to want to make sure your emails are mobile-friendly. Just like websites that are mobile-optimized get more conversions, emails that are mobile-friendly can too.
What is email optimization?
Email optimization is the process of improving your email campaigns so that they reach more of your recipients and lead to better brand-consumer relationships.
Optimization is just as important to your emails as it is to any of your other marketing campaigns.
Why?
Because optimized emails will help you enforce the methods that work the best and can even help you get the most out of your investment. So you need to make sure your emails are always optimized.
Another useful tip to keep in mind for your own email marketing campaigns is that there are optimal times you should be sending your emails out. Subscribers are more likely to open an email if they aren’t busy at the time they receive it. Otherwise, they may open it later, or they may also forget about it and let it sit in their inbox indefinitely.
Luckily, most email marketing software platforms will help you figure out which times are ideal for you to send out emails. Otherwise, a good rule of thumb is to send emails during hours when people in your target audience are likely to be free.
Early mornings before people go to work, popular lunch break times, and evenings, when people get off work, are typically the most successful times to send out out emails.
You can always use data gleaned from previous emails to make improvements on future emails. A/B split testing is the best way to determine which types of content resonate the best with your audience.
After all, the overarching goal of your emails should be to get the right message to the right person at the right time. It can be tricky to get all those things to line up perfectly, especially on the first try. That’s why A/B split testing is so important!
What is email etiquette? What is not?
Now that we’ve discussed what email marketing is, why it’s beneficial, and how to properly utilize emails in your marketing strategy, here are some things you should avoid in your email marketing ventures.
For starters, don’t send spam. Spamming your email subscribers is an ineffective email marketing strategy because it won’t lead to increased sales or favorable brand recognition and it can destroy your company’s reputation.
Not to mention, most email servers might separate your emails into the spam box if they sense that these are “spammy.” In this case, the chances your subscribers see your email messages will be low.
Consider someone providing you with their email address similar to them inviting you into their home. The last thing you want to do is inundate them with spam or misleading messages and disrespect them in their own home.
There is also a piece of legislation called the CAN-SPAM Act that includes a series of rules to curtail the transmission of spam.
These rules include having a non-deceptive subject line, a method subscribers can use to easily unsubscribe from your email list, and your name and address at the end of all emails. As long as you adhere to the requirements of the CAN-SPAM Act, your emails should be spam-free!
Another poor email marketing tactic you should never take advantage of is purchasing pre-made email lists. You should build up your email list with people who have a genuine interest in your company.
Purchasing a pre-existing email list is a bad idea for many reasons, but mostly because it can provide you with unqualified people who will be less likely to have a genuine interest in your brand and more likely to unsubscribe from your emails or even report them as spam. In turn, this will end up as more of a loss than a gain for your email efforts.
What is the definition of an email marketing strategy?
An email marketing strategy is a plan that covers all the aspects of your email marketing campaign. It should cover who your audience is, the content of the email, and the frequency. The strategy should be based on your email marketing goals.
What are the types of email marketing?
Yes, there are multiple buckets your email marketing can fall into.
There are three important types of email marketing: email newsletters, transactional emails, and behavioral emails. Email newsletters are used for important communications and promotions. Transactional emails are used to confirm transactions. Behavioral emails are those which are triggered by customer actions.
What is the best email marketing service?
There are many email platforms you can use and the one you choose will depend on what type of functionality you prefer. The following are some of the most commonly used email service providers:
Mailchimp
Drip
ConvertKit
AWeber
GetResponse
Constant Contact
SendinBlue
These email marketing service providers are the most commonly used and are all great choices for building and managing your campaigns.
What are the 4 types of marketing emails?
There are different types of email marketing content in use today. Those include:
Quizzes
Puzzles
Interactive videos
Polls
GIFs
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As you can see, contents with visuals and those that require interaction are the ones that work best.
What are email marketing services?
Email marketing services are professional strategies meant to help businesses manage and improve their email campaigns. These services can be part of an overall marketing strategy that may include elements of SEO, social media, and PPC marketing, or it can be handled as a separate entity.
What is the best free email marketing service?
The best free email marketing service tools that are available now are:
Mailchimp
Benchmark
OmniSend
Sendinblue
Just remember that the free email marketing tools would have limited features compared to the paid ones.
Depending on what your business needs will help you determine if you want to invest in the full paid package.
In summary, email marketing services are meant to help businesses handle their email marketing needs. It can be part of an overall internet marketing together with SEO, social media or PPC marketing or it can be on its own.
One of the only potential downsides to email marketing is that it can be time-consuming. That’s why you might want to consider hiring a digital marketing agency to take care of all your email marketing needs!
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13 Effective Email Marketing Tips
Have you ever sent an email to clients only to get no response? Did they even open it? Or open it just to delete it? Maybe you don’t even know where your campaigns are going wrong. Have no fear, our Email Marketing Tips are here.
We’ve all received an email we immediately deleted, marked as spam, or ignored altogether. If this is happening to your emails, you need to understand why. Maybe you aren’t effectively grabbing your audience’s attention. Or perhaps your subject lines don’t reach out and say “Open me!” or your calls to action don’t scream “Click me!”
As long as you aren’t heartlessly spamming your subscriber lists, email marketing is an incredibly powerful tool for getting messages directly to your clients and prospects. It strengthens client relationships and keeps reminding your prospects to reach out to you. So, let’s discuss how you can improve your efforts. First, let’s review the types of emails you might send:
Marketing emails
These are usually informational or promotional messages sent to people who asked you to keep them updated, such as prospects, clients, reporters, vendors, affiliates, etc. Marketing emails encompass a variety of content, but most are used to send newsletters, sales promotions, announcements, press releases, follow-ups, and surveys.
Transactional emails
This type of email is usually automated and triggered by your customers’ activities. Examples of transactional emails include welcome messages, order tracking, received payments, registration confirmations, etc.
Don’t underestimate the potential of these messages. If you’ve sent a customer a transactional email, they’ve completed at least one action that indicates they’re very likely to engage with you again. These are trusted emails, which means they have higher open rates and provide plenty of opportunities for engagement and cross-selling.
Operational emails
These are emails with important information about your business, such as holiday closures, maintenance plans, or changes to your service availability. It’s tempting to skip an operational email if you think it won’t impact your sales, but it’s important to be consistent for the sake of trust, engagement, and thoroughness.
Again, there’s also hidden value in these messages. Although they may seem strictly informative, they can be crafted to improve your sales and your image. For example, if your service will be down for maintenance, describing what kind of updates you’ll be performing is a great way to remind your clients of the value you provide.
Whatever emails you're sending, it’s critical that you consider what you’re trying to accomplish and structure your message and strategy accordingly. Here a few tips that guarantee success:
How To Send Marketing Emails Like A Pro
1. Build your subscriber list
2. Encourage readers to reply
3. Make it personal
4. Keep your emails out of spam folders
5. Make sure your emails look clean and crisp
6. Include interesting links and calls to action
7. Build your subscriber list
8. Encourage readers to reply
9. Make it easy to unsubscribe
10. Make emails mobile-friendly
11. Test, test, test
12. More testing!
13. Track your data
1. Build your subscriber list
Even if you’ve already got a long list of emails for clients and prospects, you should never stop adding to it. Especially since it’s not nearly as hard as it sounds. For example, make sure your list is always growing passively with a signup feature on your website. Subscription forms should be on your home page, blog page and everywhere else you can fit it without taking away from more important content.
Digital Fire does a great job of collecting email subscribers on their home page, which includes a sign-up box that hovers over the page and follows users as they scroll. It’s impossible to miss (without being annoying) and plainly explains the value of subscribing to their email list.
You can also build your list through more traditional means. If you have a booth at an industry conference, provide an option for people to sign up for your newsletter. Even if you don’t end up closing at sale directly at the conference, getting someone to sign up for your email list can turn into a business opportunity down the road.
2. Encourage readers to reply
Unlike direct mail, email marketing opens the door for meaningful conversations with real people interested in your business. Just throwing information to leads and clients is a waste of time, so make sure you always focus on these three variables:
1. Irresistible subject lines – Speak to readers directly and promise them something that stands out from the other emails in their inbox. The best way to go about this is with automated solutions that personalize your emails (which we’ve written about in depth).
2. An entertaining and distinctive voice – Just because readers open your email doesn’t mean they aren’t queued up to quickly delete it. Always make sure your message sounds like it came from a real person who cares, not some faceless marketing machine.
3. Targeted content – Segmenting your email lists by reader demographics makes it easier to create a message that really resonates with your readers' needs and interests, which makes them more likely to take up an offer, engage with you, or even to pass it onto other prospective clients.
The focus of these points is to encourage recipients to respond. Sometimes that means they click on a link in your message, but whenever possible, encourage them to actually respond to your emails. That's a surefire way to show you’re interested and responsive to what your subscribers have to say.
3. Make it personal
Whenever possible, add a personal element to your emails. Most email tools allow you to enter shortcodes that will be replaced with the recipient’s name when the email is sent out. Emails from Treehouse Co-Founder Ryan are always fun and personal. The subject lines are creative, messages are sent "from" Ryan's email address, and the content is personalized. If you reply to the mail, you'll even get a prompt response from Ryan himself!
On top of this, you can segment your messages to particular portions of your audience. If you have a business that works with multiple industries, consider sending out different versions of your email with each one providing information specific to each industry.
4. Keep your emails out of spam folders
If your carefully constructed emails are flagged as spam, they’ll never see the light of day. Start off by making sure your recipients have opted into your emails so you aren't running afoul of any regulations like the CAN-SPAM Act.
Beyond that, avoid using all caps, too many exclamation marks, and hyperbolic phrases ("ACT NOW BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT!!!!"). Poorly formatted HTML in your emails can also hurt how they’re handled. Every spam filter is different, so an email might pass through one filter but get flagged by another. For more comprehensive info on how spam filters work and how to avoid them, check out this guide by MailChimp.
5. Make sure your emails look clean and crisp
This sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people send emails that look like amateur websites from the ’90s. If someone has opened your mail because of an engaging heading, you want to keep their interest. This means:
· Using short paragraphs and ensuring that keywords and phrases relevant to your readers stand out.
· Including bullet points to help people skim the content and take in the vital points.
· Inserting pictures sparingly. Images should illustrate your message rather than replace your content. Some email providers block images or consider them an indicator of spam.
Here’s an example of what an email newsletter template might look like.
6. Include interesting links and calls to action
The aim of most email marketing campaigns is to increase traffic to a site, sometimes a specific landing page. No clicks means no customers -- it really is that simple. Always try to include visually striking buttons with text that give readers more than one opportunity to interact (e.g., Find out more! Download Now! etc.).
In general, calls to action should be written as just that -- actions. The more exciting the action you describe, the more enticing it will be to your audience.
7. Make it easy to unsubscribe
It may seem as though you are cutting off the "conversation" by giving clients the chance to opt out, but if a user wants to remove their name from your lists and can’t do so easily, they’ll flag emails as spam, which will cause you problems in the future.
8. Make emails mobile-friendly
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Many people reach for their phone. In fact, 66% of email opens occur on smartphones or tablets. If your emails aren’t optimized for viewing on these devices, you’re potentially missing out on a huge number of clicks.
9. Test, test, test
Never send anything without making sure it’s working properly. Double-check that your messages look the way you want them to be by sending them to employee accounts. Ideally, you will view them on Outlook.com, Gmail, and Yahoo, and on a variety of mobile devices before finalizing your drafts.
For more robust testing, check out Litmus, a tool that tests and provides screenshots of your email in dozens of different email tools.
Ensure that all your links work, and any personalization shortcodes aren’t failing. Sending mass emails without double-checking the content would be like turning up to a business meeting having chosen your outfit in the dark. If it goes wrong, you’ll look foolish and unprofessional.
10. More testing!
Beyond testing content on different platforms, you should also experiment with different subject lines, calls to action, and body text to see what is most engaging to your audience.
Some email tools have built-in A/B testing modules that allow you to compare the results of different versions of your emails, but even if you don’t have access to these, you can run tests on your own. Try sending your emails on different days of the week or different times of the day to see when you get the best response rate.
11. Track your data
Some results may have nothing to do with platforms and content. Keep a close eye on your data, like how many email addresses were undeliverable or what time of the day people opened your message. These tiny details will tell you a lot about your email’s performance.
If you’re using Google Analytics on your website, tagging your emails with custom campaign tracking can show you how they are driving traffic to your landing pages and how those visitors behave once they arrive on your site. Equipped with this powerful information, you can now really tailor your marketing message to people who will use it.
12. Don’t overwhelm your subscribers
Armed with all these tips, you might be eager to start sending out as many emails as you can. But beware of how often you send messages to your list. You don’t want to flood their inbox with marketing messages about everything you offer -- they might get annoyed and unsubscribe.
13. Above all else, provide value
Great email marketing ultimately comes down to giving your audience something that sticks with them - something that keeps your business on their mind, whether that’s educational information about your industry, operational messages about your service, or marketing messages about the products you offer.
Otherwise, that message is just going to end up in the trash.
This is just the beginning
Like most marketing efforts, becoming successful with email marketing is a process. It’s a combination of good planning and analyzing data to make improvements to your campaigns, but the only way to learn and improve is to get out there and apply these Email Marketing Tips. Start emailing!
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11 Free Email Marketing Tools to Save You Time and Money
Marketing trends and channels evolve over time. While some trends come and go quickly, one of the channels that has remained more or less the same is email. In fact, email continues to be the top channel for content marketing with both B2C and B2B marketers. 87% of B2B marketers and 77% of B2C marketers use it to nurture their audience.
It can even help you amplify your other marketing channels such as social. With that said, marketers still face a ton of challenges in their email marketing efforts. One of these key challenges is simply the amount of time it takes to create a great looking email from scratch. Without efficient tools, marketers may end up spending a lot of time creating and sending out emails that don’t exactly look stunning. This hinders productivity while dragging down your email marketing ROI.
A lot of companies settle for this situation because they’re not ready to invest in a tool to simplify the process. However, email marketing tools don’t necessarily have to be expensive. You can find plenty of free email marketing tools that can help you save time and money.
If you’re looking for a social management solution to complement your email marketing, test out a free 30-day trial of Sprout Social:
Read on for our list of the top free email marketing tools:
1. HubSpot Email Marketing
HubSpot, probably best known for their marketing automation platform, recently launched a free email marketing tool that can support a lot of a small business’ transactional email needs.
Whether you need to send kickback emails from lead offers, thank you emails after purchase, or just promote current campaigns, HubSpot Email Marketing’s free version can do that. One of the best parts of HubSpot’s free email tool is its ease of use. The tool features a handy drag-and-drop visual editor, and it also comes equipped with ready-made templates to get you up and running immediately.
What makes HubSpot Email Marketing stand out is, of course, its native integration with other HubSpot tools, such as the free-forever CRM. Once you start an account, you get access to both tools so you can create a centralized contacts database, organize it in lists, and manage and track email performance.
2. Sender
Sender is one of the best free email marketing tools in the market with features to ensure deliverability. It lets you create stunning newsletters without any HTML knowledge. Just choose from a template and customize it with elements like images, videos and text. You can even personalize your newsletters for each recipient to create an even bigger impact.
Sender’s robust analytics feature is one of the top reasons why it’s on our list. It lets you track who opened your emails and clicked on the links, when they were opened and more. It even helps you build accurate buyer profiles based on your subscriber actions, so you’ll be able to optimize your existing email strategy and craft compelling offers.
3. Sendinblue
Sendinblue is a marketing communication platform that features both email marketing tools and additional functions such as customer relationship management and landing page creation. With over 70 design templates, Sendinblue’s email design functions make it easy to create a great-looking email. Plus, all of these templates are responsive, and you can preview your results to can ensure your design looks the way you want on any screen format.
After you design your email, you can use features like A/B testing and segmented recipient lists to take the manual effort and guesswork out of optimizing your campaigns and targeting your ideal audiences.
4. Omnisend
Omnisend is a sophisticated ecommerce marketing platform that integrates all your communication platforms in one place. Its free plan includes only email, but it’s more than enough to support the email marketing efforts of small and medium businesses. It allows you to automate your email delivery using behavioral triggers and easily time your communications based on your customers’ convenience.
You can utilize its comprehensive audience insights to send out more relevant email marketing messages. Design attractive newsletters using time-saving features like the Product Picker, which lets you select all the products you want to include in your email. You can also include scratch cards, discount coupon codes and gift boxes to further optimize your email performance.
5. SendPulse
SendPulse advertises itself as a multi-channel marketing platform, but its email marketing feature is the most popular. It comes with a ton of professionally-designed email templates that you can easily customize using a drag-and-drop editor. You can then set up these customized emails to be automatically sent out at the right time based on user behavior, event trigger and other variables.
SendPulse’s subscriber rating feature is an excellent way to identify your most valuable subscribers. It lets you analyze the open and click rates as well as the read and unread rate of each subscriber. You can even set replaceable text fields to personalize your emails by name, gender, date of birth, age and job role.
6. Benchmark Email
Benchmark Email is a great option for an email marketing tool to design responsive emails that look great no matter which device they’re viewed on. If you need to add images to your email, you can even edit the image right on the platform. The email editor lets you add effects, stickers and text to effectively send across your message.
You have the option to choose from tons of pre-designed templates based on industry, type and occasion. For the more HTML savvy, you can even use the code editor to build emails from scratch. The dual view feature lets you see your email design as you’re editing it, which simplifies the whole email creation process.
7. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a leader in email marketing tools that you’ve probably heard of. Their free plan provides you with basic email marketing features such as email creation and scheduling. What makes this a great email marketing tool is its smart recommendations feature, which provides you with valuable audience insights to optimize your marketing efforts.
Designing emails on the platform is easy using the Content Manager, where you can store your images and files for easy access. Mailchimp lets you automate your emails at crucial steps of the buyer journey, so you can easily send out welcome emails, order confirmations, abandoned cart reminders and more.
8. MailerLite
Sophisticated features like the landing page builder and the pop-up customizer make MailerLite stand out among free email tools in the market. In addition to the basics like the drag-and-drop email builder, the tool comes with a rich text editor and a built-in photo editor to create stunning emails.
You can create responsive landing pages to match the emails that you send, which will improve your chances of driving conversions. You can run split tests on different variations of your email to see what works best to drive clicks and conversions. MailerLite also provides you with a comprehensive campaign report that contains important stats like click rate, unsubscribe rate, open rate and more.
9. Mailjet
Mailjet comes with intuitive and collaborative tools to help you build effective email marketing campaigns. Customize any of the pre-designed templates and create responsive emails to impress any recipient no matter which device they’re using. If you work with a team, you’ll love the platform’s real-time collaboration feature that allows for seamless collaboration.
This email marketing tool also lets you add dynamic content so you can create personalized and relevant emails for each recipient. This helps you get much better results out of your email marketing campaigns. You can also integrate the platform into your CRM and easily manage your mailing list through a single dashboard.
10. Moosend
Moosend is an excellent email marketing tool that lets you automate repetitive tasks and saves you time. You can design behavioral email campaigns based on your subscribers’ information and/or activities. You can use its advanced segmentation feature to send highly accurate emails to each recipient, increasing open rate and click-through rate as well as ROI.
This tool provides you with a detailed campaign performance report so you know exactly how to optimize your campaigns and get even better results. You can even integrate it with some of your favorite apps to seamlessly pass on vital information between different tools. It’s also one of the only free email marketing tools that won’t include its logo in your emails.
11. EmailOctopus
EmailOctopus is a simple email marketing tool that runs on the Amazon SES infrastructure. While the free plan doesn’t offer as many features as some of the other free email marketing tools on this list, it does allow a lot more emails per month than most of them.
You can send out unlimited emails from as many email addresses as you like. This makes it the perfect solution for a small agency or entrepreneur representing other brands. It also integrates with third-party apps like MailOptin, WordPress and Zapier so you can seamlessly exchange customer data between different tools.
Bottom line
Most of these free email marketing tools come with robust features even without the need to upgrade to a paid plan. Small businesses and marketers should be able to make the most of them while saving time and money. Even if you need to upgrade to accommodate your business needs, you’ll find that many of the paid plans are affordable and flexible enough to fit your budget.
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7 Best Email Marketing Services for Small Business (2021)
Is email marketing a priority for your business in 2021? Are you looking for the best email marketing software?
Choosing the right email marketing service can have a significant impact on the success of your marketing campaign.
In this article, we will review and compare the 7 best email marketing services for small businesses.
Why Choosing The Best Email Marketing Service is Important?
Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategy for small businesses. According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing on average sees a 4300 percent return on investment (ROI) for businesses in the United States.
This is because email marketing is easy to manage, gives you full control, and allows you to establish a direct contact with your customers.
Not convinced on email marketing? See these 6 reasons why building an email list is so important today.
It’s important to understand that a lot of your success with email marketing depends entirely on the email marketing software you choose because they are responsible for making sure that your emails actually get delivered.
If you aren’t careful, then you will end up paying a lot more money for fewer marketing features and terrible email deliverability rates (which causes you to lose even more money).
What to Look for in a Good Email Marketing Tool?
A good email marketing service should enable you to create highly engaging email newsletters with an easy user interface (ideally drag-and-drop editor).
You should be able to easily send bulk emails that are actually personalized and targeted without a lot of work. This is also known as marketing automation.
Aside from that, your email marketing service must make it easy to manage your contact list, segment users into groups, and track the performance of your email marketing campaigns.
Most importantly, a good email service provider ensures that your email campaigns do not end up in the spam folder.
Having said that, let’s take a look at some of the most popular email marketing service providers and how they stack up against each other.
1. Constant Contact
Constant Contact is one of the largest and fastest growing email marketing service in the world. It is also the most easy to use and beginner friendly email marketing service.
You can easily manage your email lists, contacts, email templates, marketing calendar, and more.
Each account gives you access to unlimited emails, easy tracking and reporting, built-in social media sharing tools, free image library, list segmentation, Facebook ads integration, and a powerful eCommerce integration for Shopify stores.
Their Email Plus accounts also come with powerful features like email automation, drip campaigns, surveys & polls, coupons, online donations, and subject line A/B testing which helps you send targeted emails to maximize your open rate.
Constant Contact offers unmatched customer support with live chat, phone calls, email, community support, and a vast library of helpful resources.
Aside from online training, they also offer in-person live seminars across the United States. This allow small business owners to quickly learn the basics of email marketing and start using it to grow their business like a pro.
For all the reasons above, we rate Constant Contact the best email marketing service for small businesses and startups.
Constant Contact has a 60-day free trial (no credit-card required). After that their pricing starts as low as $20/month.
WPBeginner users can use our Constant Contact coupon code to get an additional 20% off.
2. SendinBlue
SendinBlue is a complete SMS and email marketing software for businesses. They are one of the fastest growing email marketing platforms in Europe.
It is an extremely easy to use platform with excellent tools to create beautiful and highly engaging emails. Their simple drag and drop email editor is perfect for beginners with no experience in email marketing.
SendinBlue includes beginner-friendly marketing automation tools that allow you to send transactional emails, create workflows for automatic follow-up emails, and segment users. It can also select the best time to send bulk emails using their AI algorithms to ensure the best email deliverability.
SendinBlue offer a completely free email marketing plan that lets you send up to 300 emails per day, but all your emails will have their branding. Their paid plans start from $25 per month for Lite. You can also include SMS to your account, but the pricing will vary based on your sending requirements.
They have improved their premium plan to recently include more advanced features like landing page builder, live chat, sales CRM, and Facebook ads integration. This means users now get more value for the same price.
SendinBlue also offers a separate SMTP bulk email marketing service which you can use to power automated or transactional emails from your WordPress site. You do not need this for email marketing campaigns, but it’s a nice functionality to have if you have a large website, and you want automatic real-time content based emails.
3. Drip
Drip is a powerful enterprise email marketing platform for eCommerce, bloggers, and digital marketers. They offer a wide range of tools to make marketing automation, sales funnels, and personalization easy.
Their email software offer seamless integration for all popular website builders including WordPress and WooCommerce. This allows you to easily add pop-ups / opt-in sign up forms to your website and capture more leads.
What sets Drip apart from the competition like Campaign Monitor is their intelligent marketing automation tools, smarter email segmenting, split testing features, list groups, and a visual workflow builder. These features allow you to reach targeted customers in your email list to get more sales.
Support options at Drip include live chat support, webinars, automation training, detailed courses, free guides and excellent documentation.
We use Drip for several of our businesses because it allows us to send bulk emails while connecting and engaging with every customer on a personal level using their smart eCommerce marketing automation.
Their eCommerce revenue attribution feature shows us exactly how much revenue we generate from each email marketing campaign.
Even though it’s a bit pricey, we believe Drip is the best email marketing software for eCommerce websites and business owners who want more advanced features to maximize their marketing efforts.
Drip offers a free trial, and their plans starts from $49 / month which includes all their features.
Recently, they’ve added SMS notification as a feature to all plans which allows you to connect with your users on both email and SMS marketing channel.
4. ConvertKit
ConvertKit is a robust email marketing platform for professional bloggers, authors, and marketers. It is extremely easy to use and incredibly powerful.
ConvertKit’s unique feature is that allows you to easily offer content upgrades and incentives with email signup forms. It also comes with easy to manage auto-responders allowing you to send drip emails from their emailing service.
With ConvertKit, you can easily segment subscribers into those who are interested and those who have already purchased. This helps you increase conversions with automated emails that feel more personal. In marketing terms, this is called targeted email marketing.
They have all the powerful features you’d expect from a top-notch email marketing service such as a/b testing, beautiful email templates, landing page builder, smart workflows, and more.
ConvertKit offers email based support and have extensive knowledge base with great learning material.
A lot of ConvertKit features such as paid newsletters are specifically designed for creators and professional bloggers that’s why we rate them the best email marketing service for professional bloggers.
They even added the ability for you to sell digital products & subscriptions from the same platform.
ConvertKit offers a 14-day free trial, and their pricing starts from $29/month. They also offer a 30-day refund policy.
Their Creator Pro plan also includes advanced functionality like newsletter referral system, subscriber scoring, advanced reporting, and Facebook custom audiences.
5. AWeber
AWeber is one of oldest and most popular email marketing service providers in the world. They offer a wide-range of tools for small and medium sized businesses to manage their email marketing.
Getting started with AWeber is easy. It connects seamlessly to most platforms including WordPress. For detailed instructions, see our ultimate guide on how to connect AWeber to WordPress.
You get access to ready to use html email templates, list management, autoresponders, a/b testing, and email tracking with detailed insights.
AWeber also has other powerful email marketing features such as AMP emails, automatic RSS-to-email for bloggers, and tag based subscriber segmentation.
Support options include live chat, phone support, email support, live webinars, and a vast library of how-tos and tutorials.
AWeber offers a limited free plan for up to 500 subscribers. After that, their pricing starts from $19/month. You can also signup for quarterly or annual plans to save even more.
6. GetResponse
GetResponse is another very popular email marketing solution. It is extremely easy to use and simplifies email marketing for small businesses.
It comes with some amazing marketing automation tools which allow you to create smart automated campaigns.
With their drag and drop builder, you can create campaigns, segment contacts, and send any number of emails designed for specific groups. These tools help you create effective email campaigns to boost your profits.
GetResponse comes with beautiful responsive forms, landing pages, A/B testing, unsubscribe tracking, and autoresponders. It also integrates with third party lead generation software like OptinMonster, SalesForce, Google Docs, ZenDesk, etc.
Support is provided by phone, live chat, and email. Their help section is full of free learning material including videos, webinars, how-tos, guides, etc.
GetResponse offers a 30-day free trial. Their pricing starts at $15/month.
7. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is one of the most popular email marketing service providers in the world primarily because they offer a forever free email marketing service plan.
Mailchimp comes with an easy drag-and-drop email builder, autoresponders, segmenting contacts into groups, and simple tracking for analytics. It also allows you to setup delivery times based on user’s timezones, and you can setup segmenting based on geolocation.
You can easily integrate MailChimp with WordPress, Magento, Shopify, and many other platforms. If you are using WordPress, then see our ultimate guide to using Mailchimp and WordPress for detailed instructions.
When it comes to marketing automation features, Mailchimp platform is quite limited when compared to other providers in our list such as Drip or ConvertKit.
In the recent years, Mailchimp has attempted to add many of the “advanced” features, but having tested many of these, they’re not truly advanced.
Mailchimp support is offered by email, live chat, and a large tutorials knowledge-base. However their support is often slow and no match to the quality of service that you get from Constant Contact.
Mailchimp offers a forever free plan which allows you to send 12,000 emails for up to 2,000 subscribers. This plan is fairly limited because you don’t get features like send-time optimization, advanced segmentation, multi-variate testing, etc. You are also required to display their branding in your email. Last but not least, support is restricted to email only which is fine if you’re a hobbyist but as a serious business, you need reliable support that you can count on.
Their paid plans start from $10/month for up to 500 subscribers, and the pricing increases in the increment of 500 subscribers.
However if you want unlimited audiences, advanced audience segmentation, multivariate testing, and comparative reporting, then you’d have to move to their $299 per month plan.
Final Thoughts: The Best Email Marketing Service
There are dozens of email marketing services out there, and we want to make sure you choose the right one for your business needs. Below is our expert pick:
If you’re a small business, non-profit, or a new blogger, then we recommend using Constant Contact. Their pricing is great, and the support team is absolutely top-notch. Their onboarding team will help you find success with email marketing right away.
If you run an online store / ecommerce website, then we recommend using Drip because its the best eCommerce email marketing software. Their personalization and automation features are extremely powerful. A lot of our own business websites use Drip.
If you’re a professional blogger or content creator, then we recommend using ConvertKit. They offer an easy to use platform with advanced segmentation and funnels that will help you take your blogging business to the next level.
If you’re a business owner who wants a powerful marketing automation tool that combines email marketing, SMTP bulk emails, and SMS messages, then we recommend using SendinBlue. Their platform is easy to use, and they allow you to manage both email and SMS from a single interface. They also offer a fairly generous forever free plan which makes them the best free email marketing software.
Pro Tip: Get More Email Subscribers, Faster!
Once you have picked an email marketing service for your business, you’ll likely want to start getting more email subscribers.
We use and recommend OptinMonster. It is a powerful conversion optimization toolkit that helps you turn abandoning website visitors into email subscribers and customers.
OptinMonster seamlessly integrates with all the best email marketing service that we mentioned above and dozens more.
WPBeginner founder, Syed Balkhi, is also the co-founder of OptinMonster. He initially built OptinMonster to help grow our own email list. After the launch in 2013, it has grown tremendously with over 1 million active installs of the WordPress plugin.
Today OptinMonster is being used by some of the largest brands in the world including McAfee, Experian, TripAdvisor, Pinterest, Harvard University, Pateron, and more.
Aside from OptinMonster, you can also use the following tools to grow your email marketing list:
§ WPForms – #1 WordPress form builder that you can use to create contact forms, surveys, polls, and other type of forms. It comes with built-in integration with all popular email marketing services. Trusted by over 4 million website owners.
§ SeedProd – Want to create custom landing pages to boost conversions? SeedProd offers a far superior landing page builder experience. This is why smart website owners use SeedProd along with their preferred email marketing service since it integrates with all the popular email platforms.
§ LiveChat.com – One of the easiest ways to grow your email list is to connect your live chat software with your email marketing service. We use LiveChat on several of our sites.
§ ChatBot.com – Another smart way to grow your email list is to use chatbot software and connect it with your email marketing service.
§ RafflePress – this is the leading WordPress giveaway and contest platform. It lets you use viral marketing to grow your email list.
Bonus Tip: Improve Your Email Deliverability
All the email newsletter tools that we have shared in this article have great email deliverability rates.
However there are few things you can do to make sure that your marketing emails always get delivered.
1. Use a Professional Email Address
Email platforms like Gmail, Outlook, and others have algorithms that look for spammy behavior. One of them is the sender email address.
As a business, it’s important that you use a professional business email address (like [email protected]) and not a generic hotmail or gmail address.
This will help make sure that your email deliverability rate is higher than industry average.
2. Send Targeted Emails based on Interests
It’s very important that you personalize your emails based on user segments. Email marketing software like Constant Contact allows you to easily group your subscribers into segments such as most active, not-active, interested in specific topics, custom segments, etc.
This will help your email marketing campaigns have the highest open rate and click through rate which is a big factor in future email deliverability.
For more tips, see this ultimate step-by-step email marketing guide with examples to help you create a successful email marketing campaign.
Email Marketing Software FAQs
Having helped thousands of users pick the best email marketing software, we have answered quite a lot of questions. Below are some of the answers to the most frequently asked questions about email marketing platforms.
Can I do bulk email marketing from my Gmail or Outlook?
In theory, yes. But this will quickly get your email accounts suspended. G Suite and Outlook are not made for bulk email sending. They are great solution professional business emails.
Which is the best free email marketing service?
A lot of email marketing services will offer free tiers for limited use. The best free email marketing service is SendinBlue because their free plan doesn’t have a limit on the number of subscribers. MailerLite and MailChimp also offer free email marketing service plans.
How much does email marketing cost?
Your email marketing cost will entirely depend on the number of subscribers you have, the number of total emails you send per month, and the email platform you use. On average, a small business email marketing costs is around $20 – $300 per month on email marketing given that they manage their own campaign. If you use an email marketing agency, then your cost might be closer to $500 per month or higher.
Can email marketing help with SEO?
Email marketing has no direct impact on SEO. However it can help you get more traffic to your website which can lead to more shares and sometimes backlinks / mentions.
Google and other search engines use shares and mentions as social signals to rank websites. So indirectly, email marketing can help your website’s SEO rankings.
You may also want to use these best WordPress SEO plugins and tools to improve your rankings.
Are there other email marketing platforms that are not listed here?
Yes, there are literally hundreds of email marketing services out there, but we have not listed them all here. We believe that making a full email platforms list would create more confusion and cause choice paralysis for non-techy readers.
We have tried all the top major email marketing service including many that are not in our email platform lists above such as: MailerLite, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Ontraport, Mailjet, Campaign Monitor, InfusionSoft (now Keap), Klaviyo, Marketo, Eloqua, Pardot by Salesforce, Sendloop, iContact, Moosend, Emma, TotalSend, SharpSpring, MailPoet, and more.
The top email marketing services that we have chose to include in our list provide the best features for the best price.
Which are the best email marketing services in your opinion?
Our top 3 choices for the best email marketing services are:
1. Constant Contact – Best email marketing services for small business.
2. SendinBlue – Best Email and SMS marketing platform.
3. Drip – Best email marketing platform for eCommerce.
Along with email marketing, we also recommend adding web push notification on your website. This is another powerful way to connect with your visitors after they leave your website. We use PushEngage on WPBeginner, and it has become a top 5 traffic source on our site.
We hope this article gave you a good overview of the best email marketing services for your business. You may also want to see our list of 24 must have WordPress plugins for business websites, and our comparison of the best business phone services for small businesses.
#email marketing#Best Email Marketing Tool#best email marketing software#make money 2021#how to make money from home
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