So far, 2020 has been a roller-coaster of challenges and surprises no one could have ever imagined or anticipated and we can only hope the series of unfortunate events has ended. But just because this year has exceeded all our expectations in the worst way possible, should we all hide under a rock and let our plans and dreams slowly fade away? Absolutely not.     

There's always hope in the midst of adversity and if there's anything we've learned from what happened recently is that change and challenge also bring opportunities. If your plans for the future involve taking the entrepreneurship route and starting your own business, now's as good a time as ever to get started. However, when searching for business ideas, you definitely have to consider the current context. Think about what kind of businesses have higher chances of thriving in the present climate.  

A quick look at the business environment today will make one thing perfectly clear: online businesses are the future. But the online offers countless business possibilities, so which path should you follow? If the abundance of online business opportunities overwhelms you, you might find inspiration in this article. Here are some of the most profitable online business ideas for 2020 that you could put into practice right now. 

App development

In a time when we click and swipe on our smartphones all day long, we've become accustomed to having an app for everything. And even though there's no shortage of apps on the market, there's always the need for more. Companies and organizations realize that if they want to remain relevant, they have to get with the times and meet the public's expectations, and the public seems to be very keen on apps. That's where app development businesses step in. Coding and programming are highly valued skills today and since not everyone is an expert in the field, businesses are willing to pay what it takes to hire someone that can build apps for them. That someone could be you, if you happen to have these skills and you want to build your own business.

Web design and development

On a similar note, if you're a professional web designer or developer, fortune smiles upon you (at least businesswise). Did you know that many small business owners are still stuck in the old ways when it comes to running their companies? This might come as a surprise, but it seems like not all entrepreneurs got the memo that we live in a digital era and building a professional website is an absolute must, so they navigate the business world without having an online presence. Don't even get us started on those businesses that do have websites but they're completely inefficient and just exist in the online realm. But where there's a lack of something there's also a business opportunity. You might want to take advantage of this situation and build a web development company that can bring these businesses into the present.

SEO services 

One thing leads to another, and if we've talked about apps and websites, we must also cover search engine optimization. Having an online presence is just one part of the equation, but for a business to thrive in the online environment they also need to optimize their websites for search engines. A lot of entrepreneurs are completely clueless about what SEO really entails. Others who have a vague idea about it and might try to implement some sort of SEO strategy, but as soon as they realize the complexity of this discipline they give up. That's why so many businesses would be happy to work with someone who specializes in SEO and can provide them with everything they need to succeed online, from SEO audit to writing services and on-page optimization.

Affiliate marketing

If you don't want to develop and sell your own products and services, that's alright. You can always sell someone else's. If you have a social media account with a lot of followers and people love to hear your opinion on every possible topic, then you've got the stage set for affiliate marketing. It's a simple and effective way to make money online and you don't have to do much about it, apart from sharing your views on a specific product or service with your audience and including an affiliate link somewhere in there. Every time someone purchases that product or service using your link, you earn a commission. You don't have to praise brands and companies or hide the fact that you're an affiliate. Honesty is the best policy and affiliate marketing works exactly because it relies on transparency and authenticity.

Niche ecommerce business

As you probably already know, the ecommerce industry is growing at an unprecedented rate and a lot of entrepreneurs are rushing to get a piece of the pie. This doesn't mean you have to swell their ranks and open any type of ecommerce business tomorrow. In an overcrowded market, there's a high risk of getting outranked by the competition, so how can you make this ecommerce boom work in your favor? By finding a niche market where there's enough room for newcomers. If you are able to find a niche where demand is greater than supply, you have more chances to stand out from the crowd and build a successful business.

Online courses

In the past few months, we've been forced to run most of our daily activities from home, including learning. And even before the pandemic, online learning was slowly but surely becoming a thing. The internet gives us the possibility to access a wealth of information and educate ourselves on any number of subjects, so why not turn this into a profitable business? If you've got any particular skill or knowledge that you can share with the rest of the world, you can create online courses. Your expertise can become your most valuable asset and creating online courses is a business idea that will bring you profit in the long run.