Freelance Writing: Do You Make Money From Your Websites?

This past April if you had asked me about online monetization I wouldn’t have had any idea what you were talking about. Outside my business website ways, you could make money online using your personal websites was a mystery. However being the entrepreneur I am I noticed an advertisement for reviews on one of my blog buddies website. Curious I went to the website and so began my journey into online monetization although I received a fair amount of money doing reviews (at least $125 per review the last several months) I stopped. Why? Outside of my personal reviews, I didn’t want any other type of reviews on my website. Advertisers still contact me directly to do reviews, but I don’t accept their offer. When solicitors contact me, I keep their email on file. Who knows? I feel that I might be able to work with them in a different capacity. In two instances, I have as a freelance writer. I picked up two clients from that list.

How Do I Make Money Online?

Purchasing My Own Domain

How am I making money just by having my own domain? There are some advertisers that won’t even look at your website if you are hosting your domain on a free service. I know when I start approaching bloggers to purchase ad space on their websites the only people I’ll be contacting are those using hosting a provider. Why? With free services, their websites can be taken down for any reason. I know a few people that faced this issue. You’re starting over at the beginning building up traffic.

Of course, you have your exceptions of people that are doing well using a free service but personally as a business owner I want to have full control in how I choose to run my business choosing to host my websites on a free domain doesn’t give me that option.

This past year I paid for all my domains hosting service with the money I’ve made online. I never understood why people who are in business for themselves would set up their virtual business home on a free website? I can understand money can be an option but after you start making money what’ the reasoning behind that?

What hosting provider do I use? I use Lunar Pages. I’ve been using their service for almost six years. Their service keeps getting better. Whenever I have questions I know I can email them (or call if I prefer) and I know my question(s) will be answered within a few hours. They also give me free updates at least twice yearly. My storage and bandwidth always increase. They are very impressive. I have three hosting packages with them. Two are the basic plan, and one is the enterprise plan. I use the enterprise plan for my business.

Passive Income

A great way to make money from your website currently is via passive income. However in the beginning there usually is noting passive about the process. Why? In most cases, you usually have to do a lot of work before the money starts to make an appearance. In the beginning, I had to work to get to where my websites have started making money for me on a daily basis. Was it worth it? Yes. I’m at the point where my websites pay for all my bills. That’s not bad for someone that started online monetization this past May. I see many people that try it but give up because they don’t think it works. The reason it’s not working is because they don’t sell the products well. One of my affiliates is Amazon on average that makes me at least one sale per day. I effectively sell the product. There is one product that I mention if I link to it within a post someone will purchase it. Although it’s a low ticket item it’s hot.

Affiliate Marketing: Create An Interest

In most cases, you cannot slap a link on your website and expect people to purchase the product. Although it might work for some (thinking people with a lot of authority in a certain area), you need to bring attention to the product and write about why it would be a good purchase. On one of my websites, I am at the point where I can just put a link in a post, and someone will purchase the product. However, I have built a reputation and I’m considered a “trusted source.” I don’t take that trust lightly. Do I make a point of doing that? No, whenever I add a link I give a reason for purchasing the item. Naturally it’s based on personal experience. You have to give your readers a reason to want to buy that product.

Jim Smoot gave me a good reason to purchase through his affiliate link. I read his post Study, Study, Study, I could identify with what he was saying. I wanted to know more about the book he mentioned. I researched it came back to his post and purchased using his link. He sold me on the book by tying it into what he was talking about he also gave me information about the book. Very important!

If you sell me I will purchase from you if slap a link on your website without giving me a reason forget about it. You haven’t given me a reason to buy it. I like details.
What’s my biggest Amazon sale? My biggest sale came from The Mac Diva my Mac technology website. It was only one person that ordered. That individual spent a few thousand dollars at Amazon. I received a nice commission. They not only bought products that I had recommended they also purchased additional items.

My First Affiliate Sale

My third day on Addicted To Writing I made my first sale linking to the book Query Letters That Rock by writing a post about query letters. Outside of the reviews, and the sample chapter I read I didn’t know too much about the book but what I had heard I enjoyed. I mentioned that in my post. Guess what, a few people purchased that book and others purchased other items through that link.

Virtual Gateway To Affiliate Sales

Every time you link to an article using an affiliate link you’re creating a virtual doorway for that particular company. If you keep adding links in time, you’ll have numerous links that point to an affiliate. Initially, you might not receive sales. It might take days, weeks, or months before you receive anything don’t get discouraged if you are marketing the product correctly in time the sales will roll in. I make money every day from my affiliate links. I’ll only promote products I know or am purchasing. If I’m purchasing something you better believe I’ve done my homework on that product.

Google Adsense

I started using Google Adsense in June 2006. My first month I made $40+ on Vegan Momma. Each month it kept increasing and now I’m making about $100 weekly. I know I can do better.

In a previous post, I mentioned that I had adsense blocks on this website, but then I decided to remove them. I thought about. I view freelance writing as a business why would I want other writers, that I don’t know, advertising their services on my website. Hmm…I removed them. This morning as I was visiting one of my new freelance writing buddies guess what I found an advertisement for another writer website. I clicked I love the website. Suppose I was a potential client who was interested in what you had to offer however an adsense block was so compelling that I decided to leave your virtual business to see what your competition had to offer? Of course, the adsense blocks won’t always give those types of ads but the potential is their besides I know there are other ways I can make money on this website without using Adsense. Those blocks got nixed, and I highly doubt they will be returning. If they do it would be on a page not my blog.

Technorati Tags: freelance writing, affiliate sales

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