Making Money Online: PTC, AdSense, and Surveys Fail to Provide Income

Troubled times invariably mean people will be desperate for money. Unable to find a job, people will turn to the one thing they are familiar with- the Internet. Spam emails, advertisements, commercials, and various other forms of media promise instant wealth for simple tasks. Do these options offer the secret to wealth? Short answer: no.

PTCSites
The average person knows that advertising is a large money maker these days, especially since Google. Each time a person clicks on an advertisement, money is exchanged to pay for the engaged reader. PTC, also known as Paid to Click, offers a way for people to get paid for their engagement in advertisements. An example of such a site is Neobux.com, which offers a penny for each ad click. Sounds relatively easy and a quick way to make cash, right? Sadly, PTC sites limit ad views per day and suggest 'investing' to become a ranked member and 'earn even more.' The PTC sites expect you to eventually lose interest and deduct penalties for missing a day. Also, when the math is actually calculated, one would be happy to eventually break even on their investments. A few cents a day is not going to help people, it will just fill the pockets of advertisers even more.

AdSense and Surveys
The next category involves content creation, but most people try to put in minimal effort. Google ads blanket the Internet and most people don't even notice them on sites anymore. The mentality is- if a small percent click the ad, there is still profit to be made. A simple question to ask yourself is: how often do you click on Google ads, and are they usually even relevant to you? The answer is probably no. Even prolific bloggers claim that they make almost nothing from putting ads on the site and rely on the generosity of sponsors and contributors to fund their activities. Similar to Google ads, some people attach surveys to their content before it can be viewed/downloaded. Typically, however, the content after the survey is overwhelmingly not original, illegal, or infected. If a person hosts copyrighted content, they will probably end up owing more money in legal fees and fines than what would have been made from people taking surveys.

So, what can I do in this economy?
Times like these call for originality. There is no such thing as a 'get rich quick scheme,' otherwise everybody online would be rich. There are people who are successful online- people with original ideas. Everybody has a unique trait, hobby or skill. If you want to experiment online, do things that you are passionate about and want to share. Have fun with the community of people who share your ideals and do not expect instant profits. If times are extremely tough, volunteer and create a network of contacts. If you are a hard worker and have good working ethics, it will be recognized and people will think of you when it comes to paid tasks. One is more likely to find a dollar on the ground than generating a dollar online clicking ads.