We are currently in a digital world, and everything is going digital, making money online is also digital.
In this jet age of ours – the internet seems to be the only key that has unlocked the most mysteries.
Over the years, we have seen all sorts of web applications emerged, and most of them are still standing the taste of time.
People who were able to predict today’s internet usage have far back taken advantage of it by developing fantastic web application ideas. They are now reaping the profitable fruit they sowed.
Most of us witnessed the growth of the Facebook app; they thought no social app could compete with it.
A few years after, Instagram grows from nothing to what it is today. Though the owner of Facebook also owns Instagram, This means that there is something he is seeing that most people are not. Likewise, lots of other web-based applications have grown stronger.
The rise of Instagram ignited the fact that the market is still very much open to everyone. People can again embrace the internet by developing web apps and start making money from it.
As long as the number of internet users increases geometrically, there is no limit to what one can achieve in a short while.
Following the Google trend, you will get to know that so many people are searching for new app ideas. But the truth remains that almost all apps you can think of had been developed.
Even if you are looking for million-dollar app ideas, game app ideas, or app idea submissions, they all are already in existence, although you can add more features and make them better.
There are lots of mobile app business opportunities. But you must understand that making money from web apps is not a difficult task as many see it.
Instead, it’s guided by various principles which must be adhered to before one can make big bucks from it.
In this article, we shall a good look at different types of web app ideas from which we can make an unlimited income.
Soon, you will keep smiling at the bank, regardless of the economic condition.
Web Apps Ideas to Make Money Online
1. Blogging App Idea
Are you a student who is searching for how to make money online? Blogging will give you all the time you need to face your education and make money per time.
A blog is a place (website) where people, group of people, institutions, or organizations express their opinions.
It is also be a place where people post information for their blog readers and other web users to see.
Some blogs also are in the form of discussions, where the admin drop information about an issue and grants “comments” permissions.
The comments are to allow other people to share their views.
A standard blog should always focus on a particular niche.
In other words, there should be a specialization on the type of information to drop on the blog.
Lucrative Blog Niches
- News and entertainment niche,
- Technology niche,
- Fashion and Lifestyle niche
- Reality and Relationships.
- Sports and football niche.
Can I Create a Blog App?
Of course, you can create a 100% free blog.
Regardless of that, you will still be making money online in Nigeria without paying any money to start.
Blogger.com and WordPress.com are the top free blogging platform; there, you will have a default URL extension like “mysite.blogspot.com” or “mysite.wordpress.com.”
You can also host your blog to get your preferred URL, with more customization and authorization.
Since this is about making money, I will advise you to host your blog to gain more flexibility.
Moreover, you can also start with a free blog and migrate with time.
How Can I Design a Blog App?
So many blogging scripts and apps, both free and paid are available.
With the WordPress framework, all you need is to get reliable hosting.
About 60% of active blogs in the world today run on the WordPress platform, and about 19% runs on Blogger.
The remaining percentage is either customized or runs on web applications like Open Blog, EggBlog, FlatPress, Dotclear, etc.
How Can I Make Money From Blogging?
There are several ways of making money from online blogging. Before you think of monetizing, you must have to grow your traffic first.
The money you can make will depend on the number of people that visits your blog.
The list below is the various source of income to bloggers.
- Google AdSense and its alternatives,
- Direct Advertising,
- Sponsored Post,
- Affiliate Marketing,
- Direct Sales
2. Forum App Idea
The discussion forum or message board is an online discussion web application.
It is a place where people can hold conversations in the form of posting messages and replies.
The members’ contributions to discussions highly determine success in this kind of web app.
Hence, if your site users are well engaged in discussions on the forum, it will make the forum interesting enough.
Furthermore, it will even attract more members who will like to get involved in the discussion.
On a discussion forum, the admin (owner) maps out strategies on the dynamics of the forum.
In addition to that, he creates categories and sub-categories on the site.
The users (members) will be responsible for posts on different categories and sub-categories as a form of discussion.
Apart from creating categories, the admin can also assign moderating roles to some members.
These members will be managing each category discussion as moderators.
Building traffic on a discussion forum can be quite tricky and frustrating at first.
The reason for this is that no one wants to join a discussion forum that has small members.
If you succeed with it, count yourself lucky. You will only have a little job to do, while your members will do the best jobs.
To drive massive traffic to your forum, you will have to make use of social media to invite people to your site.
It will be easy for those who already have lots of followers and are active on different social media platforms.
The leading discussion forum in Nigeria is Nairaland.
How to Develop a Discussion Forum Application
There are several open-source web applications that can be used to develop a discussion forum web app.
Applications like; phpBB, Simple Machine Forum (used by Nairaland), bbPress, and Vanilla are perfect for a secured development of a discussion forum.
With these applications, you don’t need any programming or coding knowledge.
Make money from a forum app via; AdSense, Direct Advertising, Affiliate Marketing, and Sponsored Discussion.
3. Social Network App Ideas
A Social Network web-based app is an online platform used by people to build a kind of network or social relationship with other people who share similar or personal interests or even real-life connections with them.
Just like Facebook mobile and web apps, Twitter, Naijapals, and other social interaction sites, you can also be a proud owner of a social network web-based app.
Every social network is members oriented.
Just figure out a way to attract members, then your social network site will be the talk of the town.
You can pay a web developer to develop your social network web app on your customization.
On the other hand, you can save more by using web scripts like; Dolphin, pH7CMS, Oxwall, or Elgg.
4. Classified App Ideas
A classified app can be said to be a business marketplace where users sell or advertise their products and services.
On the other way round, users who are looking for the same products or services will be alerted.
All product advertisements are in the form of posts and should require approval to avoid spamming.
A big challenge you will have owning a classified site is spam issues from members and fraudsters.
As a result of this, you may have to approve each post individually with full scrutiny.
It may give you a big job to do. Although, you will also consider employing people to assist you once your classified business starts growing more prominent.
This type of site is still rocking very high in several parts of the world and still has lots of potential in it.
Web apps like OSClass and Y-class are perfect for the remarkable development of a classified website.
Most admired classified sites in Nigeria are OLX and Efritin.com.
Make good money from a classified app on different avenues ranging from; Featured posts, AdSense, Direct Advertising, and Member’s Permission.
5. Online Store or eCommerce App Ideas
This kind of web application allows the buying of goods online.
This web platform allows users to purchase online payment or delivery payment.
You mustn’t own a warehouse of goods to own an online store. All you need to do is to advertise for individual producers or marketers and get a commission on sales.
Alternatively, buy goods in wholesale and sell in units on your online store.
You must not sell lots of products the way the big online stores do.
Focus on a particular product such as; Wines, Underwear, Cosmetics, etc. Then with time, you may expand your store with more products.
What matters most in an online store is trust. Your customers must trust you, especially in the pricing and quality of goods you sell to them.
Build the trust to make them keep patronizing you.
How to Build an Online Store
Magento other web applications like AbanteCart, OpenCart, and PrestaShop are used to develop Nigerian based online stores.
To build your online store, all you need to do is to get a hosting plan that has the Softaculous app installer.
Once that is done, log in to your control panel and select the app you want to install, everything will be done automatically for you, including the database.
Although, some of these open-source eCommerce apps have premium versions – which you can migrate to with time depending on your budget.
By the way, it is not advisable to put AdSense script or use any other type of monetization on your online store.
Your income should come from sales you made on your online store or via Dropshipping.
Most regular online stores in Nigeria are Jumia and Konga (built with Magento). They make good money online.
6. Directory App Ideas
An online directory is a kind of application that lists the contact information of various types of businesses.
This type of web application is easy to start up, although it can be so tedious and monotonous while filling the site with information.
To get successful in an online directory business, you must have good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques.
The reason for this is that online directory sites are so dull that people don’t care to memorize the URL.
95% of traffic to this type of site is via the search engine which directs people seeking information.
One good thing about the online directory is that people don’t like investing in it. It means you will have fewer competitors
The most rocking directory website in Nigeria is finelib.com.
Owners a directory site and make money mainly from AdSense and Direct Advertising.
7. Job Search App Ideas
I got an email from a friend last week, he asked – what can I do to make money online in Nigeria, and I suggested creating a job site.
Do you know that an average of about 4.3 million Nigerians searches for jobs daily?
If you can attract just 1% of 4.3 million online job seekers to your site, this means you will be smiling to the bank – having a whopping 430,000 daily visitors.
Why not help a good number of unemployed youths by creating this type of web application, and make good money in return.
You don’t have to be an employer to own this type of website.
An excellent job website has an option where employers can register and post the jobs they have.
On the other hand, you can make research on available jobs which you will post on your site.
To build trust from job seekers, you will have to do your possible best to make sure that only good jobs are on your website.
Job seekers who don’t want to fall victim to fraudsters will be scared away if your site contains fake or misleading jobs.
Pending on your requirements, you can develop a platform where employers can register and post available jobs.
Besides, employers can also have the ability to view details and CVs of applicants who applied for the jobs they posted. Something similar to scouting.
As the admin, your job will be to moderate listed positions, making sure that they are genuine.
Also, try to get information about the reputations of those who registered as employers, etc.
If you are good with WordPress, you can customize a job site easily to your taste.
You can make serious cash owning a job site also through AdSense, Direct Advertising, and Sponsored Job Post.
With your job site be ready to get famous just like Jobberman, Hotnigerianjob, Myjobmag, and many others.
8. Bulk SMS App Ideas
A Bulk SMS application is a kind of website where users will register and make payments or purchase credit from the site.
The credit the purchase will enable them to send bulk SMS to as many recipients as they wish to at a cheap rate.
If you succeed in developing this kind of online business, count yourself lucky.
This type of site can be designed to run by itself. All you do is monitor it once in a while to see how things are going.
Just like the online store, AdSense, or any other type of advertising is not advisable on the bulk SMS website. Else, direct advertising which will not link to another URL.
Make your profit from payments your users made.
XWireless.net, Bulksmsnigeria.net, and SMSlive247.com are some of the leading bulk SMS websites in Nigeria.
9. Dating App Ideas
Similar to a Social Network app, a Dating app has some unique features.
The primary app’s mission is to connect people for relationship purposes by all means.
When people see who they will love to date on your site, they will register.
It is essential to realize that what attracts most men to a dating site are beautiful ladies.
On the other hand, what attracts ladies are rich and handsome guys.
If you wish to start your dating site, I will advise you to buy a fantastic dating script here.
Most of their script comes with thousands of already registered members (more of women) with their real details.
It will trigger people to register on your dating site quickly.
A membership Upgrade is the best way to make money from owning a dating site.
Develop in such a way members will have to pay to upgrade their membership to get specific permission like; viewing other members’ full profiles, sending unlimited messages to members, creating a profile gallery, and so on.
10. Listing App Ideas
The online listing app is similar to an online directory and classified application.
In an online listing the admin and permitted users post-physical products such as, landed properties, real estate, cars, accommodation, and so on- which are available for sale or lease.
By so doing they link sellers and buyers and get a commission from sales made.
They also get paid from the featured listing.
Now imagine 10% commission for the sale of a property worth 50 million!!!
Amazing right? You can also make a reasonable sum of money from a premium listing.
Check out Property24.com.ng, Lamudi.com.ng, and Privateproperty.com.ng.
You may buy a developed Online Listing website script or grow it with WordPress.
You can also customize a Classified or Online Directory script if you already have one to suit the development of an online listing site.
11. Music and Video Download App Ideas
Owning a music web app is one of my favorites on the list of web app-based online businesses.
To own this kind of app; you can develop it in minutes with WordPress quickly.
By the way, the major problem you may encounter owning this type of site is copyright infringement.
Besides, if you know your way around copyright then get ready to smile at the bank.
A dedicated server or a virtual private server (VPS) may be best for a music upload and download site in the long run.
Although, you may start with a cheap shared hosting server with unlimited disk size and bandwidth – as your server will contain a bank of music and videos.
Alternatively, you may register with a trusted cloud service where you will upload your music and videos and generate a URL.
Place the URL on your website for direct streaming and download, though the latter option is not so good for search engine optimization.
Most interestingly, you can make your money here from Paid Download, AdSense, Direct Advertising, and Paid Upload.
12. Booking and Ticketing App Ideas
An online booking application is a web-based platform that enables people to make online bookings for hotels, flights, cinemas, trains, football matches, events, rentals, and so on.
This kind of website may cost much to develop as it requires lots of integration into other different businesses while developing.
You can make money online by owning an online booking mainly via Commission and Premium offers.
Wakanow.com is the most significant player operating online booking in Nigeria.
13. Search Engine App
Owning a search engine web application can fetch you good money.
If you choose to go for this option, you will have lots of work ahead of you to promote your search engine.
Indeed you will have to give people reasons why they should use your search engine instead of great players like Google Search, Microsoft Bing, Yahoo Search, and Ask.com.
You will be limited on customization if you create your search engine with Google Custom Search.
Crawler Script is the most common script for building a search engine.
If you already own an active AdSense account, you can place the code on your search engine.
Direct advertising and “preferential search links” in addition to AdSense are also sources of income here.
14. Digital Download App
Last but not the least, is the digital download app.
This kind of application is similar to an online store, but while an online store sells physical goods, a digital download site sells a digital products such as Software, Scripts, Projects, and so on.
In reality, most people who get involved in this type of website in Nigeria usually sell an academic project, thesis, and seminar.
If you have access to such digital goods, you may decide to sell them online, or you may research other digital products you feel will sell well.
If you decide to sell software, you may face copyright infringement.
Selling website scripts is also a great digital good to sell online if you are a web developer.
Owning a digital download site won’t cost much with the help of WordPress.
You can develop this website with WordPress and integrate payment methods such as PayPal or Quickteller to enable the site to run by itself while you get busy with other things.
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