The address is http://improveme.blogspot.com The main purpose for this blog is to keep me motivated, but I would also like to make some money from it. I have read countless threads on the internet saying making big money online is easy blah blah blah! I know that this isn't true, but I'm sure I can make some money. What are the chances judging by the state of my blog? Any comments or critism are welcome as long as it is constructive, lol. A side question, how do I promote my blog and how do I optimise it for search engines? I have started to research this, but are there any golden rules etc? Many thanks in advance.
Alright, here's my short review: The blog, despite being hosted on the blogger platform (I never support blogspot... just saying), has a nice design. I like the colorful bubbles on the background, however I would have avoided placing ads right away. They are a bit distracting. Plus, I am sure you are not minting good chuck of money as you are just starting out. So, if I was you, I'd have closely tracked my daily traffic. After I could stack up around 500 visitors per day, I'd happily place the advertisements. What's key in this whole game is to write compelling yet readable content. Personally, I find your article very good. Few more content pages and your blog will mint you moolahs. For now, I clearly don't see anything wrong with your blog. Keep it up, mate. Good luck!
Thanks Italented! I will definately take your advise on board. How often should I be posting? I have seen some people saying 2-3 times a day and others saying no more than 3 times a week? Surely the more you post the better?
@natkay2603 - Totally up to you. I've seen folks who just post for the heck of it, whilst some rely on quality posting and publish around 2-3 articles per week. For now, I'd personally prefer going with at least 1 post in every two days. And if you have a lot of time in your hand, 2-3 post "quality" posts every day can do wonders. Remember one rule: Have patience. Avoid having high hopes of making good money initially; focus on content and social media (if you can) -- heaps of money should roll in as you gain traffic, mate. No secret formula here, you will always keep learning once you take "action."
To be honest, I'd say the chances of it making you anything more than enough to buy a beer or two is slim. It's not a horrible blog but there is nothing special about it over any other plain "I want to make some money" blogger blogs. There are a million blogs out there that look just like this that are about the exact same thing. Yes you have a blog, but it is not in anyway a business, or engaging website that offers people something original, attracts them, and would make them want to come back. Just merely placing ads around is not a plan. You need 1000's of daily visitors to make money like that and it's still a crap shoot. You need to study more. You can't throw up a free hosted blog and expect to make any money with out any experience, or knowledge, anymore than I can bid on a Government contract to build military planes. If you want to make money in the business, you have to learn the business and it takes time. A lot of time. That's a big question. It's like asking "I want to be a successful NASCAR driver, what do I need to do?" Start from the beginning: Learn Design Learn SEO Learn how to write compelling content Learn Marketing Learn Social Media Learn about the different kinds of ad and affiliate programs (adsense is the worst for a new blog) Lean Promotions There is no secret formula here just like anywhere else. Learn the business and what makes a website successful. Fill a need. There is no need for another weight loss blog. It takes knowledge and hard work just like everything else. Nothing about this is easy.
I don't think I can add anything else to what hmansfield just stated, except maybe "don't quit your day job" while pursuing making money on the web. @hmansfield - while we cannot get a government contract to build fighter planes, once upon a time you could get one with enough Pepsi pop tops (or so we thought).
Thanks for the comments guys. I know there is nothing new about a weight loss blog, but as I said the main reason for the blog is to keep me motivated on losing the weight. I'm not expecting to make much money, but thought as blogging as more of a potential hobby! My main interests and skills are in IT, but again there a million blogs in that field!
Definitely more money in doing it, than writing about it. And doing it gives your writing more credibility.
Give time to blogging and be patient. Don't read all the blogs related to blogging. www.shoutmeloud.com is a good blog to read. stay focused.