1. Advertising
    y u no do it?

    Advertising (learn more)

    Advertise virtually anything here, with CPM banner ads, CPM email ads and CPC contextual links. You can target relevant areas of the site and show ads based on geographical location of the user if you wish.

    Starts at just $1 per CPM or $0.10 per CPC.

Recently disabled, could use some tips for online business

Discussion in 'General Marketing' started by kettlecorn, Sep 25, 2011.

  1. #1
    The past few months have been pretty difficult and I'm currently at home and looking at the possibility of making an income online. I did dabble into learning things for the past few months and have taken tutorials on HTML, CSS, and some java and things like that but while that's important, I don't really understand yet how people are monetizing or making money online, especially through "internet marketing". There are so many scams out there and "courses" or "programs" you have to pay for upfront to get "secrets".

    I get the general concept of certain things, like PPC is when a user clicks on your ad, you get a small amount of $. Which means lots of traffic = more money. Affiliate marketing would be like getting paid a certain percent of a sale like through Amazon or ebay. But that's all I really know.
    I always thought your blog has to be super professional and look good with good content to even to start some money at all, which was why I was learning HTML and CSS, javascript and wordpress but it sounds like the best way to monetize is to make a ton of websites or to sell websites or something.


    If anyone who wants to help out, wants to just tip me in on the various different ways or models of making an income online, that would help a lot. At this point, I know there are things like writing articles for others for $10/hour or something, which I can definitely do and will consider, but I think it would be much nicer to work hard in building something that will generate income automatically with basic website upkeep.

    I dabbed my feet into this MANY times before I just got overwhelmed and lost with all this stuff, and discouraged because there's no way I can make a blog that competes with the MILLIONS of blogs out there. I thought about a health blog or a fitness blog, or electronics, and then realized there are sites that aren't even big as Engadget but super small that are barely operating. How can I compete with something like that and get traffic??


    ANY HELP appreciated, my ego is checked out.
     
    kettlecorn, Sep 25, 2011 IP
  2. telboy

    telboy Active Member

    Messages:
    65
    Likes Received:
    4
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    98
    #2
    First things first, Good post, and purely because of the reason you took the time to write it, I'll help partially although you have to put the work in.....

    Now this isn't my main forum and IMO this isn't the best site to gain information from - there are some very knowledgeable posters and this site does have its uses, but IMO the knowledgeable posters are few and far between and in most cases it appears to be the blind leading the blind, However saying that, read EVERYTHING you can (my main peeve here is the standard of English is atrocious) but find the better posters, search their posts in the appropriate sections and soak up every detail.

    Now that’s done, find more information (perhaps another site/blog) and soak that up too, EVERYTHING you need to know can be found online and the more you soak in now the less mistakes you'll make when you start your project, might even be an idea to write stuff down.

    Regarding sites themselves, FUCK what your sites look like, a lot of High earning AdSense sites look fugly anyway - Your first sites going to be on wordpress, and you’re going to use a template anyway

    Concerning the competition, you’re NOT competing with millions of sites after you've read more this will become a lot more apparent but marketers don't really compete, we find untapped gold mines, and hit them first.

    Feel Free to post any questions and I’ll try to answer when i see it/ PM me but again i expect you to be reading a lot in the near future....

    Some Search terms for now though...

    Niche finding
    Keyword Research
    Competition

    Read Everything you can find on the above, and anything that comes up when reading them.
     
    telboy, Sep 25, 2011 IP
  3. awcguy

    awcguy Active Member

    Messages:
    638
    Likes Received:
    15
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    85
    #3
    I think how you make money online is determined by what your skills say

    1. You could provide a service ( For instance - commenting, article writing ) fiverr.com shows a good array of items
    2. You could be a affiliate ( make a website and promote products )
    3. You could Make websites for other people ( prebuilt affiliate websites )
    4. You could work with local business in creating an online website

    Let me know what venture you think you would like to go down and I will give you more information.

    Digital point is a good forum for certain things, you have to look beyond the "reason" people use DP to see the beauty
     
    awcguy, Sep 25, 2011 IP
  4. ndereef

    ndereef Peon

    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #4
    I feel like I'm in the same boat as you. I've learned that you must create many blogs or sites to make a substantial income. Doing so is quite time consuming, but you have to put your best foot forward and make things happen. The attraction to your site is going to be your content, and people are attracted to content based on what they are looking for. So try google trends and see what's trending currently and try to focus your blogs around the top niches. Hope this helps.
     
    ndereef, Sep 25, 2011 IP
  5. Johnny Optimo

    Johnny Optimo Peon

    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #5
    Building valuable backlinks to your blog and its internal content is the quickest way to start getting a stream of free, highly targeted search engine traffic. Also, don't ignore the anchor text of the links, it's almost as important as the link itself.

    PPC can work but if you're new you're going to need to do a lot of testing to identify a profitable campaign, and testing itself can be expensive and it's rarely profitable. Don't enter PPC unless you have enough cash to get at least a few thousand clicks, and make sure you do a ton of split testing.
     
    Johnny Optimo, Sep 26, 2011 IP
  6. kettlecorn

    kettlecorn Peon

    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #6
    Regarding PPC, are you talking about buying PPC service? I was talking about using PPC advertisements like GoogleAdsense on my page for revenue.



    Thanks all, I took your advice and starting to just read like crazy. I get into really obsessive phases where if I want to get into something, I just read for hours and hours. I learned how to get a 40 gallon saltwater reef tank going in 2 weeks cause I was obsessed with it lol.


    I have a question. When you are trying to make a content based blog and monetize through ads, how many uniques a month (or day) do you need? It seems that every topic that gets GOOD search volume, already has big players in the content field. (After all, it's the internet.. ) So is the only way to join the high search volume niche topics, just to rely on backlinks and hoping that in the long run, quality content will prevail?

    So many different models.. so confusing. mini/junk sites, domain buying/squatting, freelancing, authority blogs, etc.
     
    kettlecorn, Sep 26, 2011 IP
  7. YuchiRO

    YuchiRO Peon

    Messages:
    8
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #7
    Do you try on fiverr ? 5$ for each article is not bad. Or you can do something else and earn 5$ (4$ only.)
     
    YuchiRO, Oct 3, 2011 IP
  8. kylelawrence

    kylelawrence Peon

    Messages:
    254
    Likes Received:
    1
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #8
    Quite true. There are lots of services that you can try in Fiverr that will help you promote your site.
     
    kylelawrence, Oct 3, 2011 IP
  9. Internet Marketing IQ

    Internet Marketing IQ Guest

    Messages:
    359
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    35
    #9
    Honestly the "programs" will take you nowhere but will drain your bank account.

    The easiest way to get started is to create REAL content based on something you are an expert at.

    For example: If you have a hobby say Bass Fishing you could write a local guide for your area, you could review boats, you could write about techniques, etc.

    If you want to make money you have to offer VALUE!!!

    Why else would people buy from you. What is OFTEN... okay nearly ALWAYS missed is this: Internet Marketing is about THE CUSTOMER. As soon as they hit your website they had better know IMMEDIATELY what your site is about and how it will HELP THEM solve some kind of problem. If they do not then it's goodbye.

    My suggestion to you would be to start with Squidoo and/or Hubpages. Write a few articles. See how people respond. Build a little bit of a following. See how you like it.

    Then if you do like it you can apply to Google Adsense. No point in applying before you have built something or you will just get rejected.

    Adsense pays you a percentage of the clicks on the ads which display on your site. After you get comfortable doing that you can start to find affiliate programs in your area of expertise. You can review products that the affiliate sells. You get a commission when people buy.

    What you need is persistence, patience, and an area of expertise or passion. The website itself is the least important factor.

    If you want a TurnKey solution that will teach you step by step what do do then you want a product called SBI. It's about $30 a month but that includes everything - the website builder, the keyword research tools, the templates everything. You are not ready for that yet, but you may be soon.

    An alternative is to find your own Webhost and install WordPress and then go out and try to figure everything out on your own.

    But for now if you truly want to learn, get started on Hubpages or Squidoo.

    No point in investing in something until you know for sure that you have the capacity and drive to make it happen. And saying is not the same as doing.

    Good luck.

    And yes it's certainly possible to earn a full time living online... I've been doing it for a decade now.
     
    Internet Marketing IQ, Oct 3, 2011 IP
    freelistfool likes this.
  10. Icecube_media

    Icecube_media Peon

    Messages:
    656
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #10
    First, You need a website with useful and valuable content. If you have good content then work on promotion. After you get good amount of traffic then you can use affiliate marketing and earn good amount of money. Its all about selling.
     
    Icecube_media, Oct 4, 2011 IP
  11. MissieWriter

    MissieWriter Peon

    Messages:
    81
    Likes Received:
    4
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #11
    Hi Kettlecorn, firstly I am sorry to hear about your current situation but it is nice to hear that you are looking past this and want to make an honest living online.

    it is true, there are so many scams out there and you need to be careful and properly do your research before working on many of them. The good thing is there are plenty of places that you can now research, including this and other forums and places such as YouTube.

    Okay what I will suggest first is that you have a think about what things interest you online and what things you are good at. If you decide to work on building websites for adsense just because you've heard you can make good money from it but it doesn't interest you, you will soon stop working on it. Believe me I've dipped my toe into so many areas of work.

    After you have created a list of things that you would be interested in working on, pick one and start to do the research on it (you can work on others later but you need to look at 1 income stream at a time). Once you feel you know enough about what you are going to work on, create an action plan and be realistic with the time you will spend working on this each day.

    If you are currently struggling for money then I would suggest working in the services area first as that is how you can make money quickly and easily. You can put some money aside each time you earn something to then spend on another area you want to work on as so many of these require money upfront and it feels so much better spending money that you have just made instead of your savings on things like these.

    Try not to procrastinate and jump from one thing to another, the thing that makes money in the end is - YOU TAKING ACTION!

    Wishing you all the best.
     
    MissieWriter, Oct 4, 2011 IP
  12. jolinaroxas36

    jolinaroxas36 Peon

    Messages:
    17
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #12
    Buy a website and generate traffic and then place ads of Google Adsense and some others
     
    jolinaroxas36, Oct 6, 2011 IP
  13. shuvo

    shuvo Active Member

    Messages:
    751
    Likes Received:
    2
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    53
    #13
    Join a freelancing marketplaces like odesk abd there ytou will get lots of opportunies available.Get some jobs and start earning money.Although getting your first job can be diffcult as you need to win a bid.But therefore If you hang there,build a good profile and make your prospective employer belief that you can do the job really then you will get a job for sure..thats guaranteed.
     
    shuvo, Oct 6, 2011 IP
  14. anup.mahajan

    anup.mahajan Peon

    Messages:
    213
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #14
    Well people will give advice but you should identify what YOU can do and do well. If you can provide services, head to Fiverr.com and see what kind of services are in demand. Check each and every section and make a note of the most popular gigs and see if you can provide a better service.

    If you want to take affiliate route then you can create sites around a niche and include Adsense ads, Clickbank, Amazon links in your site and make money. Of course you need to build backlinks and promote your site and here you can take help from fiverr like sites so that you can focus on managing your site and building your business.

    You can also buy existing online businesses/sites that are already making money. Head to Flippa and check out sites that are making money for the last few months and buy them. This will set you back by few hundred dollars but also lay a foundation of your income for months/years to come.

    If you have good contacts, then you can call local businesses and offer them services like site building, facebook fan pages, online promotion. You can also act like a middleman and get business from your local businesses and outsource them to fiverr like sites and pocket the difference.

    As you can see there are many ways to make money. But you need to decide which route you want to take. Choose a method and stick to it till it starts making you money.

    Good luck,
    Anup
     
    anup.mahajan, Oct 6, 2011 IP
  15. kale434

    kale434 Peon

    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #15
    i will say write a content about the topic you know might be sports and in your website coding install wordpress. that will generate you nice amount of adsense money.
     
    kale434, Oct 7, 2011 IP
  16. golfpro1

    golfpro1 Peon

    Messages:
    3,058
    Likes Received:
    8
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #16
    Your blog doesn't have to be super professional, there are plenty of templates out there that can make your site look professional, it would help if your blog/site was something you had an interest in, as the marketers that succeed in the long run usually have a penchant for the niche, getting affiliate commissions is an added bonus
     
    golfpro1, Oct 8, 2011 IP
  17. soleran

    soleran Greenhorn

    Messages:
    24
    Likes Received:
    1
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    13
    #17
    When you first look at making money online aside from what everyone else has said make sure you give yourself certain goals and pick one strategy to start with.

    The biggest hurdle most people have with making money online is that they become overwhelmed with options and choices.

    Pick a specific method and learn it, make some money with it then branch out from there.
     
    soleran, Oct 8, 2011 IP
  18. DominiquePrentiss

    DominiquePrentiss Peon

    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    2
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #18
    When first starting out, it's a good idea to take the "bum marketing"
    approach and learn about copywriting because no matter what you
    do online, your success will depend on the ads you write and your
    sales copy.

    If you can't afford to hire someone to do it for you, you've got to
    take time to learn how to make your copy convert.

    Start with niches where people are desperate for solutions.

    The biggest mistake I made when I first started out was trying to
    make money online was focusing all my efforts on a in a niche that I
    was passionate about...that's what all the guru's told us to do.

    But...there was NO money in that niche for a small fish like me.

    After about 6 months of disappointments, I realized, I need to
    make a change fast!

    Find a great PLR product or create one yourself that provides a
    solution. A simple 5 page report sold for less than $7 can do wonders
    for your bank account.

    There are also several instant commission products you can promote.

    You get paid directly into your Paypal account. Commissions vary
    from 50% to 100%. One of the best places for instant commission
    products is Warrior Plus.

    Get traffic to your offers for free using article marketing, video
    videos and social media marketing.

    Good luck to you.:)
     
    DominiquePrentiss, Oct 8, 2011 IP
  19. freelistfool

    freelistfool Peon

    Messages:
    1,801
    Likes Received:
    101
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #19
    This is great advice. Start with a topic that you love, then decide how you can monetize the subject (selling things, showing ads, etc.). After that build a marketing plan to make sure you can market in the niche effectively. If you can bring what you love together with marketing that makes money you'll be successful.
     
    freelistfool, Oct 10, 2011 IP
  20. ryback888

    ryback888 Member

    Messages:
    23
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    #20
    try and stick to one method to start with
     
    ryback888, Oct 10, 2011 IP