Once you get your Bluehost website running smoothly, the sky’s the limit when it comes to making money. If you need help setting it up, we’ve got a tutorial ready for you. Believe it or not, after a bit of time, many dedicated bloggers find themselves waving goodbye to their regular jobs. I’m one of them!
In this guide, I’ll walk you through some of the best ways to make your website work for you. I’ll throw in plenty of helpful tips and tools to get you started right away. But, take it from me, don’t try to do everything at once. It’s smarter to pick one or two methods that feel like a good fit for you and your site. Then, focus on those. Here are my top 13 ideas for turning your website into a money-maker, in no particular order:
Top strategies for making money out from a website:
1. Affiliate Marketing
This is where you recommend products or services on your site and get paid a commission if someone buys through your link.
A great place to start is by joining the Awin network. They connect you with thousands of affiliate programs from big names like Nike, Etsy, and Travelodge. Simply talk about products from your chosen partners and link to them using a unique affiliate link from Awin.
Check out our detailed guide to get started with affiliate marketing and begin earning. Remember, the key to success is picking the right strategies for your site and focusing on them. Good luck.
2. Make use of Skimlinks
Similar to Awin and other affiliate networks, Skimlinks enables you to receive commission on purchases made by users who click links on your website.
The main distinction is that Skimlinks may be added to your website to automatically monetize your content, in addition to enabling you to establish individual affiliate links whenever you’d like.
Skimlinks will automatically turn a link you include in your article that points to a participating retailer into an affiliate link. If a visitor uses your link to make a purchase, you will be compensated. Commissions range from 2% to 10%.
3. Include banner advertisements
Using Google Adsense or Media.net, you can quickly set up network ads on your website by copying and pasting code to display ads that are relevant to the visitor’s most recent search query. As your blog gains traction, you might explore additional premium ad networks. The finest ones can quickly become a significant source of revenue for your website, but they require a minimum amount of views each month to join.
You can check out Monumetric, which has over 10,000 views every month. Then there are even larger players, such as AdThrive and Mediavine, but to use them you need to have more than 100,000 or more views each month, respectively. Another platform that is getting more and more popular for bloggers to monetize their material is Taboola. Instead of showing ads from sponsors on its network, it shows pertinent articles.
These networks will pay you either per 1,000 impressions (cost per impression, or CPM) or each time a visitor clicks on an advertisement (cost per click, or CPC). Additionally, you can directly sell banner ads to businesses that offer pertinent goods or services. This approach has the potential to be far more profitable since, in addition to allowing you to choose the prices, the advertiser will (ideally) be aware that your audience is one that they would like to target.
4. Advertise with text links
Provide in-content advertising, which consists of simple text links to an advertiser’s website, for a set monthly fee. As an alternative, you may bill each click. You can list your offer on several marketplaces, including Backlinks and LinksPanel.
5. Market to email subscribers
Bloggers tell us that their greatest regret is not launching an email list sooner. Create an account with AWeber right away to start capturing leads and staying in touch with them after they leave your website.
After that, you can send them emails recommending things they might find interesting (affiliate promotion), and you’ll get paid in commissions if they join up or make a purchase.
6. Post sponsored content
Advertisements in the form of articles, and sponsored posts also referred to as advertorials typically include a link to the advertiser’s website.
You might receive an article from an advertiser, but if you can write the material as well, you’ll make a ton of money because you can bill for your time.
Depending on how well-liked your website is, a sponsored post might bring in anywhere. Advertisers are searching on Facebook, so join blogger network groups there and share your website.
7. Examine merchandise
This one is particularly relevant if your readership is a specialized one, such as active gamers or new parents. You can still profit handsomely from product testing, though, even if your readers don’t come from a certain demographic.
Companies will be more than happy to provide you with some freebies and may even pay you if you’re happy to write a review of the product after using it. As soon as you can, register with Toluna to get the most recent opportunities.
8. Market digital goods
Digital products such as eBooks, printables, images, templates, and podcasts can all help you generate steady passive revenue from your website.
An eBook with five thousand words might be sold. Although twenty eBook sales a month may not seem like much, they soon add up. Look through the Envato Marketplace for ideas and motivation.
9. Make sales of tangible goods
Make use of your website as a foundation for physical goods sales. With Zazzle, for instance, you may design t-shirts or mug designs. If you think people would buy them, you could even brand the item with the name of your website.
Making an internet store is one of the best ways to sell goods. We provide a ton of advice on how to launch a Shopify store to assist you in getting started.
Shopify is a fantastic platform, but it’s not the only one available. Seek additional inspiration with our guide to the top e-commerce website builders. Additionally, you can make homemade goods to sell on Etsy or eBay.
Regardless of the platform you’re selling on, you should always connect to the marketplace from your website. This will offer you an advantage over other vendors right away.
10. Add a listing of businesses
Create a business directory page where enterprises can list their businesses for a fixed cost. Depending on the volume of traffic to your website, you might charge for each year for a listing fee, either monthly or yearly.
Let’s take the case of a website that reviewed sound systems. Presuming that websites such as Amazon are presumably already quite well-known, you may charge independent businesses (online and off) to be listed on a page that lists locations that sell high-end speakers.
11. Disseminate articles of excellence
You can make money from content creation if you can make it helpful. Assume you run a gaming website and can write an article that shares some lesser-known tactics. By giving a few pointers and then connecting to a password-protected page (which is something WordPress allows), you may pique the interest of the visitor and provide the most important content.
Once the reader has paid you a price via PayPal, they will receive the password to unlock the premium content. You can charge anything you like for a premium article, but a realistic pricing range. This tactic has some value because major media sources like The Times and The Telegraph have been known to use it.
12. Include a forum for members
You can use free WordPress plugins like bbPress to build a “members only” forum for your website. Then, you can make money off of this by charging a one-time access price or a recurring subscription.
Most importantly, the amount of money you can make is determined by the value you can add to the forum community. You’ll succeed if you can get the people on your forum to interact as a true community, one that networks and exchanges advice.
13. Establish an online curriculum
As a website add-on, develop an online course. Here’s another example of premium material that visitors must pay to gain more details about. The course can be added on Udemy to reach a larger customer base, or it can be automatically sent via AWeber to individuals who have paid and subscribed using their email addresses.
If you need some ideas, have a look at our list of free online courses, or simply consider what your readers could find interesting. For instance, if your website focuses on arts and crafts, you may offer a crocheting lesson.
To succeed in making money online, it’s crucial to:
- Choose a method that matches your skills and interests.
- Be patient and persistent, as building a steady income stream takes time.
- Stay informed about the latest trends and tools in your chosen method.
- Be wary of scams and ensure you’re working through reputable platforms or companies.
Consider your goals and how much time you can commit to an online endeavor before getting started. Some options require upfront investment, either in time or money, while others might have a quicker turnaround but lower income potential.
