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Making money on the stock market is everyone's dream job. Imagine - you pull up your brokerage platform on your web browser or mobile device, buy and sell stocks, and make money, all from within the comforts of your home. No more having to grind the 9-5 day job and sitting through traffic for hours. That being said, the stock market isn't your personal ATM, and it probably won't behave like it either. If pursued irresponsibly, you can end up losing money rather than making it while buying and selling stocks. Here are five easy and simple ways to navigate this financial market.

Buy Dividend-Paying Stocks

Dividends are, essentially, profits that a company pays to its shareholders. This is often a sign that the company is in good financial standing and has money to redistribute to its most loyal supporters. Dividend payouts are usually done every quarter, while others do it as often as every month or as occasional as every year. Some examples of companies that pay out dividends include Ford, Accenture, Allstate, and Lockheed Martin. Before you invest in any dividend-paying stocks, make sure you also look at the underlying company's financial health i.e. PE ratio, debt to equity ratio, and its respective market share.

Build a Long-Term Portfolio

Although day traders will tell you that their strategy is far more profitable over time than long-term investing is, the latter approach is regarded as a relatively safer and easier way of growing your capital. With day trading or any form of short-term investing, you have to constantly monitor multiple data points and readjust your position accordingly. In addition, your positions are subjected to daily price volatility, which in most cases will not reflect fundamental data. Buy stocks that you can hold for several years. Add to your existing positions anytime there is a short-term drawback of prices.

Limit Your Educational Resources

The information you subscribe to as an investor can make all the difference between consistently growing and quickly blowing your account. Not having the right data or having too many resources can make your stock-selection process a nightmare. This not only pertains to the stock market but any investing venture in general. For instance, if you are trying to make money by buying and selling gold coins or bullions, keep only a handful of websites and indicators to track the gold price rather than a whole collection of them.

Stay Invested

Not only should you build a portfolio of long-term stocks, but you should also keep your capital invested in the market at all times. It's difficult, if not impossible, to time when stock prices rally to new highs. Trying to predict short-term rallies can force you to take more trades, which means higher risk over time. Furthermore, according to Putnam Investments, in the 15 years of stock market movement spanning from 2002 to 2017, the average annual return of the stock market was close to 10% for those who were along for the entire ride compared to 2% for those who were not fully invested during the 20 best days of the stock market rally.

Consider a Robo Advisor

There are two main ways to get started with stock market investing - DIY or through a robo advisor. The DIY approach involves opening a brokerage account and picking the stocks yourself via a strategy or system you've decided on beforehand. Robo advisors, on the other hand, take out all of the guesswork and manual order placements. Robo advisors are managed by the investment bank that you opened a robo advisor account with. The drawback with a robo advisor is that you are charged with a management fee as well as a percentage of any profits your robo advisor makes for you.

Any attempts to make money on the stock market should revolve around the right mindset. For starters, never assume that your investments will pay off anytime soon. Depending on your strategy and timing, you may grow any capital that you put into the market. However, avoid the detrimental mindset of thinking that it could be your way out of debt. Think of stock market investing as a business that you build over time rather than overnight.