Making a Profit with your Own Website
You want to start a website, but you don't know where to begin? HTML code is for geniuses and you have no idea how to do anything more than basic Internet operations. Does this sound like you? Stop thinking that way! Building your own website is becoming easier than ever, and with more and more people online, now is the time to get started. Here is a simple overview of how to start your own website.
Select a Topic
Choose a niche and be sure to try to select something that has some kind of demand. Do some Internet research and see what people are searching for. If you are going to sell something, make sure the items you are selling go well with the theme of your site.
You must also decide if you want your site to be informative or if you want to utilize it for the sale of items. If you chose an informative site, get relevant information and be sure to keep your site up to date. Make a list of things you are interested in or know a lot about. It seems to be easier and a lot more fun when you are knowledgeable and interested in your work.
Select a Domain Name and a Web Hosting Company
Be aware that your first selection of a website name may already be taken, so have a few in mind. Think of something that is catchy and memorable that accurately describes your site. Your domain should be no more than $10 per year, so if you are asked to pay more, run!
There are also a bunch of web hosting companies on the web that offer many different packages and programs. I use GoDaddy for their ease of use and variety of options they offer. They are extremely beginner friendly and their 24 hour customer service is awesome! They have a step by step click-n-build website program for those who do not know how to build webpages. If you have a little extra money, you can have them build one for you. They always have a sale going and you can add and remove products and services at any time.
Decide what you will do with the site and how you will generate income
1. Affiliate Marketing- Affiliate Marketing is an online marketing practice which a business pays for its affiliates to display their ads on a given website, driving visitors and potential customers to theirs. There are many different types of affiliate networks out there. Sometimes you must refer a sale and get paid a specific percentage of commission, and others are as simple as getting paid for referring people to sign up for a newsletter or even a free membership to a certain site. You can also be paid per click when someone simply clicks through your site.
Choose the affiliate products that best coincide with the topic of your website. For instance, if you choose to tell the world about you dog training expertise on your website, it would not make much sense to put links and banners from an automotive site. The unique visitors you pull to your website are there because they are interested in your dog training techniques and will probably not click on an auto parts banner. I am partial to Linkshare. This company has a collection of advertisers that you can choose from to advertise on your site. Choose your affiliate programs wisely and integrate them into your site in a friendly and unsubmissive way. Try to make it non-advertisment looking.
If you are interested in going the Affiliate Marketing route, the Super Affiliate Handbook is a must have. Start Your Own Home-Based Affiliate Marketing Business With Super Affiliate Rosalind Gardners Expert Guidance! Topics Include Blogging, Market Research, Affiliate Programs, Web Design, Problem Avoidance and so much more! She tells you everything you need to know about getting started in the Affiliate Marketing business, as well as its positive aspects and its pitfalls. It takes the pain of precious hours of research away! Check out her story...
2. Sell a Product-Generate revenue from you website by selling a product. There are tons of products out there, you have to find them! Here are a few ideas:
-You can decide to order bulk/wholesale items and sell them for profit (see Worldwide Brands to get a legit list of wholesale companies)
-Make Items to Sell (arts/crafts, clothing, home decor, food, toys)
-Sell Stuff for other Companies (Dropshippers, Ebay, Other Corporate Stores like Target and Walmart)
Marketing your Site-You must must must effectively market your site and drive those consumers in! What is the use of having a website if nobody sees it? Marketing is an ongoing task and generating a steady traffic flow is required to make sales and commissions. When marketing your site, consider the following:
-Focus on your sites content and code. Be sure everything is current and working properly, and update your site daily if possible. People want fresh information and will look elsewhere to get it.
-Network all over the internet. Choose other sites that match the genre of your site and build off of eachother. Ask related sites to link to your site and vice versa. Also, utilize some kind of online referral service so that people can forward your site to others.
-Submit your site to the biggest search engines so they know you exist. Google, Yahoo, and MSN are the largest and are good for starters. Syncing up with search engines and other online tools will help maximize your page views. Choose keywords that will make your site soar to the top of the search engine pages!
-Write articles about information related to your sites content and post them on your site. You can also submit your articles to different online article directories.
-If you have a budget set for advertising, you can pay other big name sites in your genre to promote yours. This option costs the most money and is entirely up to you.
