Make Money Online
Making money with websites is a topic most webmasters or blog owners will want to address. When you run a serious website, you will have expenses. So even if you are not out to create a commercial website or blog, you may very well find yourself searching for ways to cover your cost. And if you are creating a website to generate revenue, then you will want to maximize those revenues.
You want to use as many methods of making money with your website as possible. These methods may not be appropriate for every website, and not all methods should be used on 1 single website (necessarily). But if you are serious about making money, you need to know all the ways to do it. So let’s get started.
Best Ways to Make Money With a Website or Blog
Making Money with PPC & Google Adsense
Google Adsense is by far the most widely used Ad program in the industry. It is the one I would absolutely recommend using (as you can tell). Just like other PPC ad programs, you simply insert the code, and you get a small slice of the revenue each time an ad is clicked. To get started with Adsense, you have to first have an established website or blog. Don’t apply until you at least have a few pages of quality content. Then, you can log into your Adsense account once you are approved.
When you log into your account, you can create and customize an ad unit. At this time, Google allows you to use up to 3 ad units, an Adsense for search bar, and up to 3 link units. When you are creating each one, Google will generate a Javascript code for you. Then, you simply paste this code into a sidebar widget on wordpress, or directly into your wordpress theme. Adsense will then be displayed each time the page loads. If an ad is clicked, you get a small amount of revenue.
Adsense is my favorite because it updates in almost real time, it pays monthly so long as you cross the $100 threshold, and it is really easy to implement and manage. It is also my highest earning method of monetization.
To make money with Adsense, you really need to experiment. Look at the Google Heat Map for the best locations that get the most clicks. You can also take note of my website, which is optimized and maximized specifically for earning Adsense revenue. You want your ads to blend into your site so it looks natural, yet be interesting enough to click on. To do this, experiment with colors. Avoid borders, as these rarely perform well.
Aside from Adsense, there are lots of different PPC ad programs out there, such as Chitika, Adbright, Yahoo, and more. These are all fine and work similarly, but I do prefer Adsense myself.
The secret to making money with Adsense is simply. Pick a niche related to products (or with high advertising fees). Use the Google Keyword Tool to research this like I mentioned before. SEO your site and build lots of traffic. Optimize your Adsense ads to match your theme/color scheme. Write a lot of content. Do those things, and Adsense will make you money.
Affiliate Programs
Affiliate programs are also a great way to monetize your website. Affiliate programs work by tracking clicks from products you refer. When a person buys a product after clicking your link (either immediately, or later on), then you generally earn a commission. Some of the most popular affiliate programs are: Clickbank (for ebooks and digital products), Amazon.com (you can promote almost everything they sell), Commission Junction (they work with many companies such as Bestbuy and others), Share a Sale, The Google Affiliate Network, etc.
To work with these, you may need to have your website developed before you apply, as some programs may manually review your site before allowing you to join a program. Once approved, you can then look for products related to your website content. Most affiliate programs offer a special link you can insert into your post (make sure to enter a “no follow” tag on those links), allow you to create or install a widget, or post pictures or banners. Each affiliate program and/or product may have a different commission structure, and may track the link for a different time (ie, some may track for days while others may track for months). You can post affiliate links into your individual posts, and you can also post them as a banner in a sidebar or header file.
There is a secret to really succeeding with affiliate programs. Do you want to know those secrets? Here are my personal tips:
- Create niche websites–Affiliate products will convert into sales much better when you have a focused website. For example, if your site is only about digital cameras (as opposed to electronics in general), you will typically earn far more and have better conversion rates. So pick a theme/topic in a niche and stick with it as much as possible.
- Be honest–In the bible, the following proverb sums up how important your reputation is: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold (Proverbs 22:1). Your name and reputation are everything. If you lie or promote products of very poor quality, expect that your visitor will never ever trust you again, and you will lose sales in the long run. If, however, you give an HONEST review of a product, or recommend products you know are great quality with high ratings/approval, then your opinion and recommendations will convert well. I personally only recommend products I use myself, or that I know to be of very excellent quality. I don’t care if a bad product offers me $1,000 commission per sale. My reputation is more important to me than a short gain.
- Promote Quality Products–If you promote products with terrible reviews, bad quality, or scam eBooks, then it will make you appear dishonest. Furthermore, these products probably won’t convert well for you. So don’t look at commission rates, only look at the quality of a product. Some of my most consistent affiliate sales are products I earn very little, yet I sell so many it makes it worth my while. Also, by promoting shady products, the customer is likely to return them later, in which case you will lose your commission.
- Create a few “pitch” Pages–You can write some articles that specifically discuss a certain product. For example, I sometimes create a page such as “Best Software for Websites,” that recommend multiple products. I try to discuss the pros and cons of each one. These pages sometimes convert well. In fact, I would try to think of 1-5 articles that you can write a huge amount of information about, and put these pages as one of your links on your home page, in the sidebar, or in your header.
- Write an Article First, Add Product Links Last– I have a personal rule that I always write any articles I want to write first, and I never add a link until AFTER I have written it. Why? Because, this way I am forced to write naturally, give honest information, and I can write an article of value to the reader. I feel that this helps me to avoid going off topic, overly promoting something, etc. So I would recommend you write a great article first, and then re-read it and look at areas where you could maybe add an affiliate link or two.
- Minimize Affiliate Product Links–Unless I create a page where I pitch XX number of products (which I only usually create a handful), then I only like to insert 1 or 2 affiliate links at the most. Many of my articles have no affiliate links in the text at all. Why? Because information is always my main priority, and making sales is always number 2. If you have several links in your article body, then your site begins to look and read a little too “pitchy.” It may turn off some readers. So minimize links, and on some pages have none at all.
- Create a Newsletter or Email List–In websites where you can easily tie in affiliate products with it, then I would highly recommend you begin building an email list when your traffic begins to build. Then, you can send out a newsletter and either promote products directly in it, or refer them to your website to a page where they can buy it (for example, an Amazon aStore). This can be a great way to convert affiliate products.
- Give a Free eBook–Some people have had wonderful success giving away free eBooks with affiliate links in them, or with links leading back to their own website where they have affiliate links pushing products. This can be a great strategy for not only increasing affiliate income, but also increasing traffic.
Selling Advertising Directly on Your Blog or Website
In addition to Adsense and Affiliate programs, you can sell advertising blocks to individuals directly. Again, you can generally use PPC, Affiliate Programs, and Direct Ads all together on one site, although you may only want to use 2 of the 3 (or just 1) in some cases.
There are a lot of great programs such as BuySellAds.com, and others in which you can join and set your rate. You then post an ad block (usually javascript) into your website where you want the ads to appear. People can then pay for the ads directly. In this scenario, BuySellAds.com handles all of the money, ad expiration, and ad sales. All you need to do is set it up, set your rates, and keep your website going.
Some websites do well with this method, and charge a premium for the ad space. It definitely has its ups and downs, and some sites (especially newer ones) may have difficulty in attracting advertisers willing to pay a rate comparable to (or better than) Adsense. But it may be a good way to add extra revenue streams to your site or blog.
Put a Donate Button On Your Website
Websites like Paypal.com allow you to create “buy now” buttons or “donate” buttons for your website. If this is the case, you may be able to earn a small amount of revenue from generous web visitors. I typically don’t like to add “donate” buttons, simply because I feel I have enough ways to make money already.
But this can be a good arrangement or alternative to sites that don’t want to deal with ad programs. A lot of religious organizations use this, and even some bloggers. I think most don’t receive a huge payout, but it can add an extra revenue stream nonetheless.
Paid or Sponsored Posts
Signing up for sponsored or paid posting programs is another way to do this. Payperpost.com, socialspark.com, and others allow bloggers to sign up for their program. They are then listed in their directory, and advertisers may pay for a review of their product/service. You post your review, and then get paid when the review is approved.
Some people earn a good extra revenue stream doing this. I tried to use socialspark.com, however, I was very disappointed with it and eventually scrapped it. It felt unnatural posting paid reviews, and I found a hard time finding high paying posts that would make it worth my while. Plus, I feel that if you do too many of these, your website begins to become less worthwhile to read to visitors.
Selling Your Own Product or Services
Blogging or creating a website to sell your own product or service is also a fantastic idea. Whether you are creating and selling an eBook, retail products, services, or other items–this can be a great way to earn a part-time or full-time living online. Many bloggers mainly blog to push their own service. For example, I have seen countless bloggers who blog and give tips about SEO, who also do SEO services themselves. This is a great way to build your brand, attract potential buyers, and share your knowledge/authority on a topic or with a product.
Conclusion: Anyone Can Make SOME Money with Websites
There are ample programs and methods to make money with websites and blogs. The ones I have listed above are some of the most popular methods. My best methods are Adsense & Affiliate programs. Although I will always keep experimenting and trying new ways and new website ideas. I would highly recommend you also experiment and see which one works best for your niche/website.
How to Create a Website: A Brief Introduction to This Tutorial
Planning Your Website, Blog, or Forum: How to Plan Your Website Project
Niche Websites: How to Find a Niche Topic to Build Your Site Around
Website Business Plan: How to Develop a Business Plan for Your Website Project
Registering a Domain Name: Choosing a Domain Name for Your Website or Blog
Website Design Software | Best Software for Websites, Blogs, and Forums
Web Hosting: Finding Hosting Company for Websites and Blogs
How to Upload a Website or Blog on Godaddy | Prepare Your Hosting for Your Website
WordPress Setup | Preparing WordPress For Use in Websites or Blogging
Writing Articles for Your Website or Blog | How to Arrange Content for SEO
Creating Hyperlinks on a Website: How to Create Internal Links for Good SEO in WordPress
Make Money With Websites: How to Make Money With Your Blog or Website
Marketing Websites | How to Market Your Blog or Website Online & Offline
Website SEO | Search Engine Optimization Tips for Blogs & Websites Introduction
Internal On Site SEO Tips | How to SEO Your Website or Blog Internally
External Off Site SEO Tips | How to SEO & Build Links for Your Website or Blog Externally