How to Maximize your Income: The Digital Economy

“Turn on that electric blanket and it’s like taking a tranquilizer, it’s like being lobotomized by watching television. I think you enter the dream world again. I mean, what does it do to us, Wally, living in an environment where something as massive as the seasons or winter or cold don’t in any way affect us? I mean, we’re animals after all. I mean, what does that mean? I think that means that instead of living under the sun and the moon and the sky and the stars we’re living in a fantasy world of our own making.” My Dinner with André

Just how big is the Internet?

Harvard’s Jonathan Zittrain’s “The Future of the Internet, and How to Stop It” found that there are now 2.3 billion Internet users worldwide, which is nearly a third of the world’s population and that number is growing by 8% per year. Google have predicted that this number will in fact increase to 3 billion by 2016, 50% of the world’s population. There are also now 1.1 billion 3G mobile subscribers and that is increasing by 37% per year.

These figures show that a significant proportion of the world’s population are accessing the internet via mobile devices rather than a fixed line connection and reinstates the dominance of internet based companies such as Google and Apple that…Not only do these figures showcase the popularity of the Internet but also outlines the rise of a digital economy.

“There is a strong likelihood that virtual reality will become less virtual and more reality for many. However, I see this as an addiction phenomenon that will likely inspire us to understand unexplored dimensions of being human.” – Barry Chudakov, principal, The Chudakov Company

The Internet Economy

Research at Boston Consulting Group conveys this epic web based economy fuelled by ‘netizens’ and the sacrifices they would make to maintain their Internet connection. Their findings reveal:

• The Internet contributes 85% of the UK’s economy, which is higher than any of the other major G20 countries.
• 13.5% of all purchases in 2010 were carried out over the internet and by 2016 this number is set to rise to 23%
• 76% of those surveyed would give up chocolate for a year to maintain an Internet connection, a further 65% would give up alcohol and 25% would give up sex.

How can you make money online?

If the Internet were a separate sector it would be the fifth largest in the UK even performing higher than construction, healthcare, and education. It is no wonder then that web based companies are booming, yet as the demand and supply increases, as does the competition. One of the most popular ways that companies are surviving the competition is through affiliate programs that allow them to branch out to their customers via other websites.

One of biggest contenders in the affiliate marketing world, due to the rise in demand of short-term financial help, are payday loan affiliate programs. These are particularly successful because of their speed, from application through to payout. They offer high commission rates and the level of conversion is routinely second to none. A payday loan affiliate program can generate a high primary income for anyone and are quick, easy and free to partner with.

Google’s Chief Financial Officer, Patrick Pichette stated that “understanding the economical potential of the web should be an urgent priority for leaders…[with] a powerful case for countries and companies to get online and reap the rewards of an age of data.”