As of late, video games have incorporated an ever-growing market of microtransactions. These are transactions that cost either no money or very little money but can be expensive depending on how much you purchase.
A popular example of this is in online multiplayer modes where it is possible to spend lots of money on extra weapons and gear. This isn’t only limited to just video game consoles, you can find yourself spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars buying various items through PlayStation Plus, Xbox Live, and Nintendo Network.
These services charge monthly fees per player which may not seem like a lot at first, but when multiplied by the number of players simultaneously using the service, it can add up quickly.
Luckily for gamers, there are ways to avoid these types of microtransactions if you don’t want to pay them.
Find your niche
Finding your niche is one of the most important things you can do as a gamer. There are so many games in the market, with different genres and settings. You can pick any one of them and be creative in how you use it!
The gaming industry is a lot like the real estate industry. Just like real estate brokers have their specialties, game developers also have theirs. A popular genre of video games may not be enough to keep yourself busy, so what about designing an interactive story? Or maybe action games appeal more to some people than other types.
By being aware of which games are popular and which ones need developing, you will know what areas to focus on for career development. Plus, once you find your speciality, you can start earning under “the brand”, making it easier to pay bills!
There are several ways to identify your gaming specialty. What are your favorite games? Are there certain elements or storylines that appeal to you? Can you tell who the good characters are at a glance? If so, could they be adapted into another medium such as a movie or book?
If you already have skills in graphic design or writing, you can turn those into creating gameplay graphics or narratives, respectively.
Create your website
Now that you have picked an app, device or platform, what next? You will now need to create an online storefront for your business!
Most apps offer you the option to start creating an account with them by having you pick a username and password as well as adding a profile picture and header image. Some even ask you to choose a social media channel where they can advertise your business.
This is all very helpful in promoting your business but it is not enough! They also give you the ability to add and design your own page so that people can look at and explore your services and products!
These pages are called websites and they are totally free to edit and manage! Most good web hosting sites allow you to create multiple domains so do not worry about cost!
Google and other search engines use this information to determine how relevant and trustworthy your site is! If there are no pictures or nothing special about your business, then people will perceive your site as less professional and likely to be fake.
That would be bad if you were trying to make money off of it! So, make sure to update your website and put some effort into it.
Buy or build your home
As mentioned before, being able to afford a house is one of the biggest barriers that can prevent people from owning their dream home. Luckily, you do not need to be rich to buy a house! There are many ways to get your own piece of property whether it’s buying an existing home or building your own from the ground up.
You can also choose to invest in real estate instead of purchasing a residential unit directly. This article will talk about some easy ways to get into real estate investing.
So what is real estate investing? The simple definition is someone who makes money by selling or renting a homes. It is typically done through a broker but there are individuals that purchase single homes and renovate them themselves as well.
Real estate investors make big profits off of small changes they make to a house. These changes include improving the value of a house (by adding windows, new roofs, etc.), getting rid of things that add to the cost of a house (such as old furniture), and creating a lower maintenance lifestyle for the homeowner.
There are several types of real estate investing. Some focus more on acquiring properties while others concentrate more on holding onto the houses they have successfully sold. No matter which type of investor you want to be, here are some tips for becoming a successful realtor.
Know your market
As with any investment, knowing your market is important. The more you know about the real estate market that you’re investing in, the better! This includes looking at comparable properties, figuring out how much money you have and what types of investments make sense for you, and determining whether this property is moving quickly or if it will hold its value well.
It also means making sure there are not too many people seeking access to the property, as this could create competition that would cost you sales. And finally, you should be clear on your expectations – how long you want to own the house, for example.
By being aware of the market, you can start building your portfolio effectively. When investing in real estate, keep an eye on your budget and plan ahead. You want to invest in a property that fits into your budget and that will still meet your goals (such as having a kid one day).
Offer unique services
As mentioned before, you will need to offer your users something of value if they are going to spend money online. You can do this by offering and creating content people want to read or watch, posting pictures and advertisements for products and services that help their lifestyle or business, sharing tips and tricks for improving their daily life, etc.
Some other ways to make money via the web is to start an Etsy shop, create a YouTube channel, start a blog, publish some articles, develop your photography skills, and so on.
By adding these into your repertoire, you’ll be able to reap the benefits more and more as time goes on!
If you’re already providing such service, then great! Keep doing what you’re doing because it’s working well for you. But if not, try thinking about things you would like to see done and give yourself deadlines to produce the goods and launch them!
You may also wish to look at how others have made money in order to get inspiration and learn from their mistakes and successes.
Distribute marketing materials
While creating an account with any real estate website is usually the first step, distributing their material and gathering that information is what really sets the process into motion.
Most websites offer free accounts where you can create a profile, add assets, and connect to social media. By having these ready, you will save time in the future!
Many sites also have a drag-and-drop tool where you can design your house quickly. Then you just upload those pictures and floor plans and you’re good to go!
There are many ways to gather this info. You can do it manually or use some quick online tools. Some of the most common things people miss is linking their facebook, email, phone numbers, and/or addresses.
This takes away from doing something else while waiting for responses so be sure to check all of those boxes before submitting.
Be consistent
Consistency is one of the biggest factors in investing. When you invest your money, things can get expensive quickly! Just because someone else was able to make a good investment does not mean that you should start doing the same thing unless you are sure that you will be successful every time.
Just like with buying a house, real estate investing requires you to have enough cash to buy a property, and know how to manage it.
There may come a day when you do not want to invest anymore or cannot due to lack of funds. If this happens while you have invested in a few properties, then you lost all your investments. It would be best to be prepared next time by learning how to invest online.
Connect with your clients
As mentioned earlier, being able to connect with your client is one of the most important things you can do as an online seller. Your potential client will look at your listings more frequently if you treat them like friends and talk to them about what they want and why it’s important to them.
Interacting with your customers also helps promote trust in you as well as the product or service you are offering. When people feel confident in a seller, they will purchase from them more often!
Running an online business means there will be times when you will not see each other, so establishing strong relationships before hand is very important.
By talking to your clients, you will know how to respond to questions, what issues they may be facing, and what solutions may work for them.
