Hi dear, I’m skipping the complex stuff like how to pick the right market and getting traffic in the first place, but I wanted to show a few different monetization methods that can be used for almost any type of site. It’s also important to show the end result of all the research and promotion and that there is a path to cash down the line, after all the goal as my site implies is to create an income online that’s both legitimate and passive. So before I list the different “schemes” I have to point out that how much you can earn will greatly depend on the topic of your website and the amount of traffic you’re getting. Often people will understand amount of traffic concept but completely forget the topic part and wonder why their 1000 visitors aren’t generating any profits.
Google adsense
Probably the biggest advertising platform online and the one most people have heard of. Adsense is mostly suited to sites with big traffic and also a wide range of topics as it seems to adapt really well to different visitors and content. Essentially Google tries to show the most relevant advertisement to that visitor so in theory they are more likely to click on it if it’s what they are looking for.
Advantages: No problems with getting paid (its Google after all) and easy setup, it’s just one piece of code. As mentioned it can be really good for large sites with lots of different types of content.
Disadvantages: Google take a pretty big percentage cut of your earnings, around 40%. Prices per click can vary wildly, everywhere between 5p and £5 that I have seen, so it can be hard to judge how much you’re going to make.
Company affiliate programs
Essentially these are just affiliate programs setup by online retailers and businesses to provide you with a commission on whatever sales you generate. For example if you had a weightlifting site you might sign up to a fitness stores affiliate program and integrate their banners and links onto your site. Nearly all will be on a pay per sale basis, i.e. you won’t get paid per clicks but it will always be free to sign up and try them out. You can either find them in a network link commission junction, tradedoubler or just go to their site and see if they have a program.
Advantages: Commissions can be pretty high depending on the store and if you do generate good sales most likely they will give you a bump in your commission. If you can find a company that provides exactly the product/service your visitors are looking for then conversion rates and sales can be really high.
Disadvantages: Payments can on occasion be a problem since you may be dealing with a small company. The most important thing is to build up a relationship with them over time so you know what to expect from them and vice versa. Also it can be pretty time consuming finding the ideal company to work with, a lot depends on their site and how well it converts customers into sales, if there’s a flaw here then it won’t matter what traffic you send them.
Sell advertising on your site
This method of making money from your blog can take many forms but mostly it’s about advertisers coming to you because you have a popular site and they know you have the traffic, I’ve never seen it work when you go out hunting for advertisers. It can range from selling banners on your site to ordinary links but the main principle is that they pay for the advert on a fix cost basis, i.e. you don’t get less or more money depending on how much business you deliver for them.
Advantages: You’re not required to deliver a certain amount of clicks or sales to the advertisers so it’s pretty worry free. Also as mentioned in most cases the advertisers are going to come to you (if you have a big site) so there’s not much work in that respect either, it’s as close to easy money as it gets with internet marketing.
Disadvantages: Who wants to wait around for people to make offers on your site? I’d rather be out there making my own deals. Prices for adverts vary greatly and you’re going to have to negotiate for the best deal. Also bear in mind Google has a policy against selling links for seo purposes on your site so you have to take that into consideration.
Sell your site
This is the only one I haven’t done I have to admit because I see it as a bit of a catch 22. IE if a sites making money every month why would you want to sell it? Similarly if your site doesn’t earn money why would anyone want to buy it? I do know people who have sold their sites for good money though, and often it’s to a company who can monetise the traffic much better, i.e. they can now sell their products directly on the site instead of just banner ads/links. You will need to use some kind of broker to negotiate the transfer of both the money and the domain name and they are going to take a cut. Sites like Flippa will allow you to list your site for sale and they also help negotiate the transfer (I think)
Advantages: Can be big money if you get the right company who really wants the site. Leaves you free to work on new sites after you sell.
Disadvantages: Working out a price can be difficult, some people use 15 – 18 months of revenue as a marker for final value but there’s no definite rule. You lose your monthly pay check. Broker is going to take a cut. Also by listing your site on places like flippa or eBay you’re going to get a lot of fake bidders, much easier if the seller comes to you first and you work from there.
So those are the main ways to make money from your site that I know of. Again as I said at the start so much depends on the site you have and the market you’re in. However I have to say that if you have a site that ranks and gets targeted traffic then you’re going to earn money with it some way or another, i.e. even if you do nothing people are going to mail you offering deals. I suppose this is why I spend most of my time building up my sites in the first place and worrying about the money aspect of it later.
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