In the past, if you wanted to make a little more money online, you were limited to eCommerce because you didn’t know how to monetize a website.
And they used to be expensive to set up and manage on the side. Do you want to know the costs of a web page ?
Fortunately, today there are several ways to earn money online and most of them revolve around normal websites .
This article is for you if:
- You have a website that has a lot of monthly traffic.
- You run a blog and have a dedicated following.
- You have a presence on social media and want to build your brand.
- You want to know how to monetize a website.
- How to get a free domain name .
- You want to obtain models of web pages .
We’ll explain how to monetize a website and share our favorite strategies to get you on the right track.
If you’re ready to start making money from your website, read on. Monetizing a website is one of the best ways to earn money.
Why you should monetize a website
The reason is simple: if you already have a website, monetizing it allows you to earn additional income with little effort.
Most of the time, you only need to invest a little time and effort at first.
For example, once display ads are in the right places on your website or you’ve agreed to the terms of new sponsored content, your site and the traffic it receives will do most of the work.
Mind you, why would you go through the hard work of setting up a website, marketing it online, and then not reap some of the cash benefits?
You should monetize a website because:
- It is a way to earn extra money . As the saying goes, you shouldn’t keep all your eggs in one basket, that goes for your finances too.
- Strengthen your brand and business . Being able to say that you’ve worked with the bigwigs in your industry is all the social proof you need.
- It helps you better understand your audience . Believe it or not, monetizing your website traffic is a surefire way to get anyone interested in all things website analytics and statistics.
But you might think that is easier said than done.
How to monetize a website is really the question you are asking yourself, right?
Fortunately for you, we’ve done the heavy lifting and figured out the top monetization strategies to help you get started.
How to monetize a website: the practical checklist
There are many ways to monetize a website and the best one for you depends mainly on your niche, personal interests and available resources.
Ideally, you should aim to monetize a website without sacrificing user experience.
With that in mind, don’t go selling left, right, and center ad space to advertisers who would look out of place on your site.
Instead, learn how to monetize a website in a way that is sustainable and really boosts your brand image among your readers.
Here are our favorite ways to get started.
1. Try affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a foolproof way to monetize your website or blog.
Why?
Because when done right, affiliate marketing helps readers make informed decisions and compare various products or services.
Affiliate marketing is an easy way to make money on your website – you typically earn a commission every time your readers and visitors make a purchase through your website.
Place affiliate links strategically within your website content and get people to click on them.
Basically, you’re talking nice about products and services that fit into the general content of your website.
For an affiliate marketing campaign to be successful, you must remember to consider your audience and the products you want to promote.
Basically, that means sticking to campaigns that are related to your niche, fit organically into the content of your site, and feel natural to your readers.
For a gardening blog, for example, you’d be creating content about plants, not lists of the best running shoes for marathons.
You should also strategically place your affiliate links on the pages that actually get traffic; otherwise, you’ll be out of luck converting your website traffic into orders.
Ideal for : hobby websites, blogs.
2.Make Google AdSense your best friend
Using pay per click advertising to monetize your website may seem counterintuitive at first.
But this is one website monetization strategy that all site owners should know about.
If your website doesn’t rank high in search engines, running pay-per-click advertising campaigns with Google AdSense can help you get more traffic to your website and increase your results.
Since paid advertising is at the top of the search results page, it will be easier for you to make your site stand out, especially if you have a little money to spend up front.
Google paid ads operate on a cost-per-click model, which means that you pay for each click your ad receives.
That’s why it’s important to familiarize yourself with the Google AdSense bidding system and target the keywords that are most likely to convert your traffic into actual customers.
The more traffic your website gets, the better your SEO will look and before you know it, you’ll be organically ranking for all important keywords.
Ideal for: corporate websites.
3. Start selling ad space
Do you get a lot of traffic on your website?
You should be selling ad space directly to interested parties and making money without lifting a finger.
Being in charge of your own ad space has its advantages over using an ad network: you have full control over the types of advertisers you work with, and can usually negotiate better deals as well .
Choosing who advertises on your website is especially important if you’re building an audience with whom you share a close relationship.
So, remember to keep the user experience in mind: no one wants to read a website that is full of ads.
You will quickly lose the trust of your audience if your website is filled with flashy, unrelated ads overnight.
Approach companies and brands that fit your website’s overall mission and values: If you have a lifestyle blog, advertising for furniture companies is a natural fit, sports car ads not so much.
While selling ad space is one of the most popular ways to make money from your website, pay attention to ad formats as well.
Ads based on large image or video files can have a negative impact on the overall speed of your website. That, in turn, can wreak havoc on your SEO, so set strict guidelines for the best ad formats for your site.
Best for : All websites (as long as the ads don’t mess up the web design).
4. Sell a digital product or service
An eBook visible in an electronic book reader on a wooden table with flowers.
This one is easy: if you are wondering how to monetize a website, you can create an online store and start selling digital content.
Are you an expert in something?
You can launch an eBook that covers the ins and outs of your business niche or create a video series for a sports routine.
You’d be surprised how many people are willing to pay for an online yoga course or personalized meal plan from a certified nutritionist.
If you are a food blogger, you can create a digital cookbook or create a series of videos for different cooking techniques.
You could also be available for people to hire you as a digital speaker at virtual events or if you like video games, help other players level up their characters for a fee.
Chances are you can monetize your knowledge or a hobby, so be creative and go big; chances are there is a way to create digital content based on your niche.
Ideal for : Consulting and hobby websites.
5. Be part of advertising networks
Ad networks like AdCash and Adservice are some of the safest and easiest ways to monetize your website .
All you need to do is register as a publisher and dedicate space on your site for display ads.
As a publisher, you can choose the ad campaigns you want to include on your website and simply grab the assets and tracking links from the platform.
Depending on the network, you get paid based on the total number of sales generated by the traffic you send to the advertiser.
That is why it is important that you know the people who visit your website and the readers of your blog. It is also important that you select the content of the ad that interests you the most.
You usually have an account manager who can help you find the right kind of sponsored content and display ads to display on your site.
Since the network takes a portion of your commission, most of the time you can get started for free, without having to worry about a fixed monthly payment.
As long as you’re closely analyzing the performance of your chosen campaigns, you can easily adjust, optimize, and promote the best-performing campaigns across top channels.
For example, you may notice that banner ads promoting hair accessories rack up a lot of clicks and conversions on landing pages X and Y, but hardly any traction in your newsletter.
In this case, it might make more sense to switch to another campaign in your newsletter, but keep your landing page ads running as usual.
Ideal for: all websites.
6. Create a membership website
If you don’t like display ads that compromise the user experience of your website, creating a membership website could be the perfect way to monetize your website.
Especially if you have a niche target audience that is willing to pay to view your content, a membership site is one of the best ways to make money online.
Start by offering a few free samples of your content (think of a digital product like an eBook, study, or course, for example) and collect lots of testimonials from repeat website visitors.
You will generate trust and credibility in the eyes of your audience.
If you’re not sure how to create a password-protected section for your site, consider using a platform like Patreon to engage with members of your community.
Ideal for: influencers, opinion leaders, bloggers.
7. Be open to sponsored posts
Do you have a blog? Or perhaps you frequently publish articles and other content on your site?
Sponsored content could be a great way to monetize a website with a blog or other content platform because:
- Association with industry experts and other thought leaders strengthens your own status as an expert in your field.
- Your site and brand get better exposure.
- Your content is introduced to new readers.
Sponsored posts are especially popular on social media and if you have the right traffic and niche audience, you can expect them to make quite a bit of money.
However, make sure you are transparent about sponsored content. There have been many social media influencers who have lost their popularity due to undisclosed endorsement deals.
Research your background and think about whether you would actually use the products or services you are thinking of promoting through sponsorships.
A good way to incorporate sponsorships into your content is by focusing on creating quality content around sponsored posts.
Are you partnering with a beverage company? Think about sharing your favorite holiday foods that go perfectly with the drinks you want to promote.
Or if you accept sponsorship from a clothing company, think about how the company’s values fit into your website. If you’re a big proponent of all things organic, a business that commits to using only local organic materials won’t look out of place on your website or blog.
Ideal for: blogs and content-driven websites.
When it comes to website monetization strategies, paywalls have become commonplace in recent years.
Media outlets often offer premium news content to readers with a subscription, and there’s no reason you can’t do the same.
If you’re already thinking about creating digital content (think eBooks, webinars, and courses), offering a few samples for free could be a lucrative strategy for monetizing a website.
Let’s say your site focuses on all things purebred cats.
In addition to your blog covering the ins and outs of cat ownership and your fun Instagram accounts for your own cats, you can offer premium content like live streams and downloadable how-to guides for people for a one-time flat fee, or a subscription.
Or if you run a cake and pastry site, you might consider having basic cake recipes available for all to see, but keep more elaborate decorating techniques and seasonal dessert recipes behind a paywall.
Pay attention to your prices and consider what added value your premium content offers to readers.
If you can, use a competitor’s prices as a benchmark for yours and conduct surveys with your current readers.
In this way, you can find out the limit that people are willing to pay to access your content.
Ideal for: blogs, commercial websites.
9. Create an email list
Did you know that you can make money with a strong email list?
If you’re good with words or have a great idea for a niche newsletter, this could be the best way to monetize your blog.
Building an email list is a great way to get readers and people who are still on the fence when it comes to buying your products or services.
And most marketers are also confident in the profitability of email marketing: you can expect to earn more than $40 at best for every dollar you spend.
If your business caters to different audiences or locations, there’s nothing stopping you from building multiple email lists with a different focus and messaging.
Some ways to make money from your list could be:
- Place advertisements in your emails.
- Include sponsored posts or sections in your newsletter.
- Strategically place affiliate links in your content.
- Offer your email list to other brands in your field.
A word of warning: make sure you’ve opted-in from your readers to receive third-party email and communications if you decide to rent or run third-party newsletter campaigns on your email lists.
Without permission, you are likely to annoy a lot of people and get into legal trouble.
Start small, with one or two ads per month, and see how your audience responds.
Ideal for: blogs, hobby websites.
10. Collect and accept donations from site visitors
It’s not just charities and non-profits that are actively seeking donations from people.
Creative people and freelancers have been seeking sponsorship and support in the form of individual donations and grants since ancient times.
Whether you’re creating content for the hell of it or raising awareness for a particular cause, pay attention to a simple donation button and painless checkout flow.
Heatmap tools can be helpful in determining the perfect position for your donation buttons, but feel free to run A/B tests to get to the bottom of visitor behavior.
Also consider hosting regular digital events like live streams to encourage donations and regular engagement with your audience.
This website monetization strategy can be easily combined with exclusive or VIP content that is only available to donors or monthly backers.
If you’re building a personal brand, you can host members-only events for regular users, or create members-only forums or chat rooms, where only members can have a direct line of communication with you.
Online stores and business websites, on the other hand, can remind their followers with birthday or holiday gifts, discounts, or exclusive products.
Ideal for: charity websites, influencers, blogs.
11. Try Website Conversion
Do you have a good eye for web design?
If you consider yourself good at building websites, why not sell some of your creations to the highest bidder?
Today, you don’t even need to know how to code if you’re using a website builder, which means a process that used to take hours can now be done in moments.
You can start by creating websites for a few friends or family members and use them as pieces of your portfolio.
After that, you can set up profiles on freelance websites like Fiverr or Upwork and start looking for other clients.
The best website builder like digitaltechupdates makes the job quick and simple, meaning you won’t have to dilute your profits by paying outside contractors for coding and design tasks.
While website flipping is a shorter-term monetization strategy, if you enjoy the process of building a website in the first place, you’re essentially monetizing a hobby.
And we can’t think of a better sideline than that.
Ideal for: designers, portfolio websites.
12. Add a paid job board or directory to your site
Still not sure how to monetize a website?
If you can’t place display ads on your website for legal or visual reasons, consider starting a job board.
This approach is ideal for commercial and community sites with high traffic or targeted readership.
All you need to do is create a landing page and start collecting job ads that are relevant to your site and of course, set a price tag on each ad.
Be sure to do your research before approaching HR representatives in your industry; you don’t want to ask for a sum much above the industry average.
The price you can ask for job ads can be influenced by many factors, including:
- your traffic . Even if you don’t get tons and tons of traffic to your site, quality wins over quantity. If you can reach the right people, your website could be a goldmine for a hiring manager.
- Your experience in the field . Be sure to create a job board around a field you’re an expert in; otherwise, you’ll have a hard time convincing people to pay to have their job ads posted on your site.
- How long can the ad run ? Are you thinking of showing your ads only for a fixed period of time or until they have been positioned?
Ideal for: business websites, community websites.
Become an expert in making money with your website
There are almost as many ways to monetize a website as there are websites on the Internet.
But it doesn’t have to be all hard work and no fun: in fact, you can make money without doing much, if you’ve done your legwork well, remember you also have to build your brand.
Now that you know how to monetize a website, and whether you decide to try affiliate links on your blog or launch your own eBook series, do your research, understand your audience, and you’ll soon be reaping the rewards.
