How to Make Money with a Website - 2012 Edition
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is essentially the website version of the buddy-system. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. One site sends traffic to another via backlinks in return for financial compensation.
eCommerce
Do you offer products or services that can be sold online? According to eMarketer.com, 73.9% of internet users will make online purchases in 2012. What does that mean? It is highly advantageous to present your products in a high traffic online venue. Many start-ups that are selling limited quantities use services like Etsy to present their goods online. The advantage here is that the upfront costs are low. However, the fees charged per sale make up a large enough percentage to be cumbersome in the long run. As a business grows, it often makes financial sense to build and host a proprietary eCommerce website that has lower per-transaction cost. (An extra tip in this area for businesses selling a tangible product is to make sure you use a fulfillment service for shipping your goods. The cost of shipping materials is exponentially more for your business than it is for the fulfillment company and you do not need to be spending all of your valuable time packing goods and dealing with FedEx).
Google AdSense
AdSense allows users to display advertisements within the content of their websites, mobile sites, videos, site search results or web-based games. So how does this help you earn money? When your users click an AdSense ad within your site, Google pays you a portion of what the advertiser paid for that particular click. The ads themselves are based on the content within your site and visitor data.
Proprietary Tools or Resources
Have you created a one-of-a-kind online tool or written a “how-to” resource that your audience will love? Bury it behind a login page and put a price on it. If it’s truly a resource that your audience needs they will be willing to pay a fee for access. The key is finding the right price and getting the online user community to share your service with others.
Newsletter
Become an authority on your subject matter. If you know the ins and outs of your industry and are able to produce a weekly or monthly newsletter, charge a fixed monthly fee for access to your knowledge. This works especially well for people in the financial services industry that are experts in their field. Perhaps more valuable, though, is to utilize your newsletter service to keep your brand fresh in the minds of past customers. It is generally much easier to sell to a customer that you have converted previously.
Schedule Now!
This strategy is great for service-based businesses. If you’re a restaurant owner, add a Schedule Your Reservation Now button within your online menu. If you’re a dentist, chiropractor or clinician, add a Schedule Your Next Visit Now button throughout your site. This will require daily management, but it will definitely boost your sales.
Sponsors
If your site receives a large amount of traffic, you may want to approach niche, site sponsors. Present them with an overview of your historical and current analytics, offer one or two options for logo placement and charge them a fixed monthly advertising fee.
Flattr.com
Flatter.com is an excellent website that’s out to help the up-and-comers. Flattr users place a small button on their personal website or blog allowing their audience to click and financially support their efforts.
Donate
This is probably one of the most overlooked, underrated ways to make money online. Listen, don’t be shy. If you have an audience that frequents your site for information that you provide, don’t be afraid to add a donate button that allows them to pay you to keep bringing the goods. You will probably be surprised by the number of willing participants.
By: Andrew Jenkins, February 6, 2012
