How to monetize a website: 3 simple things anyone can do
Matthew James Oxlade
Earning money from websites isn’t a tall tale told by slimy online businessmen. It’s achievable by almost anyone willing to give it time and energy. Here’s how to monetize a website easily.
In fact, turning your website or blog into a money-making machine is possible for anyone, you just need to know how. Before you realise it, you’ll be covering your domain expenses and maybe even end up creating some extra income for yourself and your household. That is, if you use one of the many methods for how to monetize a website, regardless of what your niche is.
When it comes to creating income from your site, different strategies will work for different people depending on a range of things, from lifestyle, to the level of time and energy that you’re willing to put into it. To help clear things up a bit I’ve put together a number of ways you can monetise your site. Each one varies in its difficulty/commitment needed but all are very doable.
How to monetize a website
1. Adsense (Google)
Adsense allows publishers (that’s you!) to get involved with Google’s sizeable advertising network. This is a great way to produce some passive income, however the cash flow is highly dependent on your visitor base. The more people you have flocking to your site, the more likely you are to make considerable income through Google Adsense. Just don’t go overboard and harm your website rankings.
How it works
Once you apply and have been approved, you will receive a code that identifies the content of your site, so that the ads are somewhat relevant to your site. So for an example, if you are a foodie website or blog, ads will target the related audience and will show ads that relate to that content. Each time someone clicks on one of these ads you will get paid. It’s really as simple as that! When it comes to Google Adsense, it’s all about the traffic, traffic, traffic!
2. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a type of marketing that produces rewards by promoting other people’s products. This type of marketing is great if you have a good subscriber and visitor base! It is also a great way to produce some passive income through your site, since it only takes a few steps. Affiliate marketing is one of the top ways to make money from your site, as it is simple and allows you to choose the content you promote on your site.
How it works
Affiliate marketing works by allowing businesses to affiliate themselves with online publishers and websites. The more affiliates they have, the more likely they are to make a sale, or drive people to their business. This is where you come in. You can advertise these products on your site, and with each sale, you receive a cut. This cut really depends on the product and the company the product is from.
This is also where the design of your site becomes important. It’s important to know where to place these products on your page so that they receive the most attention. If you’re having trouble with this, I can help. Get in touch with me and we can figure out the best way to monetise your website.
3. Accept donations for your hard work (yes, this counts as monetizing your website)
Have you ever found something online that was so well detailed and of interest that you thought to yourself “I would actually pay someone for this”? Well, that could be you that people say that about! When you produce content that is well written, detailed and interesting, you have a great base point to ask for donations from the public.
How it works
Basically, it’s as simple as it sounds! Once you have a steady stream of good quality, interesting content and a strong subscriber base, you can ad a link to your Paypal account and ask for donations. Feeling like it’s a little gift grabby? You would be surprised how willing people are to pay for good content! People want you to continue to produce this content for them so they will often donate a few dollars to keep it going.
A great way to do this is to keep it super casual and relaxed. Take something you use daily or purchase frequently (for example, coffee) and ask for a donation for that specifically. This is a fun way to ask and people are more often than not happy to contribute in this small way.
No right or wrong to monetizing your website
When it comes to making money from your website or blog, there is no right or wrong. What works for one person, might simply not be the best for the next! That’s why it’s important to look at your individual situation and choose the best strategy to suit your lifestyle.
Whether it’s making money through Google Adsense, or asking for a small coffee donation, anyone can make money online if they are willing to put in the work. If you are unsure about any of the above, I can help clear things up further and work out something that would suit you and your website! At the very least, now you have some ideas for how to monetize a website – so good luck!