A Quick Guide To Monetising Your Website

October 14, 2015

The internet has always promised financial freedom. It has always boasted new opportunities and avenues to make money. Some of the smartest pioneers realised that they could extract fantastic amounts of money by starting a website. Some of those people are now millionaires. New bloggers are cracking the six-figure ceiling every day. It really is possible to make decent money from your website, you just have to know how. Here are some of the tried and tested methods.
Adverts
One of the easiest and quickest ways to monetise your site is by hosting adverts. Almost every website you visit on the website has banner adverts, pop-ups, or ‘skyscrapers’ down the side. It’s become an accepted part of internet life. You can get started by using Google AdSense. Simply register your website, and Google will start sending adverts to your website. You get paid when someone clicks on that advert. It’s simple, but it’s not a huge revenue generator. At least, not until you’re getting a lot of traffic.
Affiliate sales
If you’re looking to rack up bigger figures, then affiliate sales is one of your best options. Simply put, you’ll provide links to third-party sellers. You then get a cut of every sale you send their way. By partnering with the right sellers, you can target the right audience, and tap into a niche. Amazon has one of the best and easiest affiliate programs, and it’s a good place to start.
Sell your own products
Of course, you stand to make a lot more money if you sell your own products. The only tricky part is making sure you have something to sell! If you need some interesting ideas, click here, and follow some of the product sales tricks. Some popular ideas include selling an eBook or tutorial series. You could create your own clothing or products, and set up an online store to process orders.
Content sponsorship
This has quickly become the most common method for media sites to monetise their content. Rather than running too many intrusive adverts, they have opted for a more subtle advertising technique. Sponsorship involves forming a partnership with a brand or product. You would then create content that supports or promotes that product. This technique is used by The New York Times, The Guardian, and Buzzfeed.
Coaching, consultancy and speaking
A lot of people start a blog, and become an expert in their industry. If you’ve achieved this level of recognition, why not sell your skills? You’ve already proved you’re an expert. Now, you can pass on this knowledge for a fee.
Membership and freemium models
We’re seeing paid membership becoming a much more common initiative across the internet. It works by allowing users to access a free version of the website or program. Then, you charge for the upgrade or additional access.
The smartest digital entrepreneurs use a combination of these methods. Which one works for you?

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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