So you probably watched a video. Maybe on YouTube. Maybe you searched something like “how to make $10,000 a day” or “how to make $1 million in a month.” You saw someone with a nice car, cool house, and a laptop on a beach, telling you how easy it is. You got motivated, excited, and started having fantasies about your future rich life.
You tried what they told you. It didn’t work.
You watched another video. This time, someone says, “Buy my course, I’ll show you the secret.” So you believe them. You buy it. You do everything in the course. It still doesn’t work. Now you’re confused. You’re starting to wonder:
“Is making money online just one big scam?”
I’ll give you the short answer:
No, it’s not a scam. But it’s not easy either.
And that’s where most beginners, including myself back then, get it wrong. People just search “how to make $10,000 a month” or “how to make money online” and think it’s going to be fast. Then when it doesn’t work, they feel cheated, disappointed, and give up.
So in this blog, I’m going to be honest with you. I’ll tell you why you’re not making money online, and if the online world is for you or not. You don’t have to listen to me—it’s just my opinion. But I wish someone had told me this earlier.
1. You Have Unrealistic Expectations
Let’s be real. If you’re a total beginner, you can’t just search “how to make $10,000 a month,” watch a few videos, and expect magic. That kind of money is possible, but not if you don’t know anything. To make money, you need to either:
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Do something valuable (like a service or skill),
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Or sell something (like a product or digital file).
Simple, right? But… it’s not that simple. You still need to learn how to do those things properly.
2. You’re Searching for “Methods” Instead of Learning the Game
This one’s important. A lot of people keep looking for “how to make money online” videos and end up watching hundreds of them. Some say “$200 a day,” “$40 per hour,” or even “$100 in 10 minutes.”
Most of those videos waste your time.
Also—please avoid buying courses, especially if someone is too pushy about it. If they’re already rich, why would they be selling to you? Because you are the real customer. They’re making money off you, not from the method.
If you want to succeed, learn this now:
Making money online = Skills + Something to sell
That’s it. So focus on learning real stuff. Do your own research online. You’ll understand the market much better than any overpriced course.
3. You’re Chasing Trends
I remember the dropshipping hype on TikTok. People were flexing cars, showing fake Shopify dashboards, and everyone wanted in. The “link in bio” trap. People bought courses, copied the same stuff, and failed.
I’m not saying dropshipping doesn’t work. But maybe only 10% succeed.
Dropshipping is hard. You need:
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A good audience
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Trust from followers
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Strong ads
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And people willing to buy things at marked-up prices
Ask yourself: why would I pay $30 for something I can find for $20 on another site?
So if you’re a beginner, don’t start with dropshipping, affiliate marketing, print on demand, or anything that involves selling. Selling requires experience. If you mess it up, you’ll just waste time and energy.
4. You Don’t Have Skills (Yet)
Let’s be honest. If you don’t know how to design, code, write, talk to people, or promote something online, you’re not ready to make money yet.
You need skills first.
So what should you do?
Start by learning a skill.
Here’s a good blog to help you choose: [Best Skills to Learn to Make Money Online ]
Once you have a skill, start small. Do gigs. Play games for points. Watch videos for rewards. It sounds slow, but it builds experience and confidence. When you make that first real dollar online, it’ll feel so worth it.
5. You Don’t Know Why You Want to Do Online Jobs
Ask yourself: Why do I want to make money online?
If it’s because you hate working, or you just want fast money, then it’s going to disappoint you. Online jobs are not easier than physical ones. You just do them from home. That’s it.
You don’t need to make money online to earn passive income. You can still work a physical job and build your online stuff slowly on the side. That’s smarter. You’ll have money to invest and way less pressure.
But if you:
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Don’t have a job
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Can’t find a job
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Can’t work physically for any reason
Then yes, give the online world a real try. But do it smartly.
6. You Don’t Want to Start Small
A lot of people think small tasks are a waste of time. Things like:
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Watching ads
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Writing simple reviews
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Playing games
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Small freelancing gigs
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Sharing links
But guess what? These are the real beginner steps. They build experience, they show you how the internet works, and they give you your first taste of success.
Once you know how it feels to make even $1 online, your mindset shifts. That’s when you start growing.
7. You’re Not Patient
This is probably the biggest one.
Most people give up too early. They try something for a week, it doesn’t work, and boom—they call it a scam. But maybe it just needed a month. Or maybe they were missing one small thing. Maybe the pin wasn’t catchy enough, or they promoted to the wrong people.
You need to give yourself time.
If you’re not patient, this online game will eat you alive.
So What Should You Do Now?
Here’s what I recommend:
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Stop searching “how to make $1000 fast”
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Pick one real skill – graphic design, blogging, Pinterest marketing, whatever interests you
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Practice it. Learn it. Try small gigs.
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Make your first dollar online
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Then scale slowly.
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Only jump into selling (affiliate/dropshipping/etc.) once you know what you're doing
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Avoid scams. Read Trustpilot reviews first. Never pay for info you can Google.
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Focus on building something real, not chasing tricks.
Making money online is not fake. But it’s not a lottery.
It takes work, time, and strategy. The good thing is: if you do it right, it can change your life.
So don’t give up just yet.
Just start smarter.