How to
Make Money
from a Website
Web writers must be business-like.
Your Mantra?
Multiple
revenue sources!
Ah, the good old days of newspaper, magazine and book writing: you submit your work and get a check (well, you hope you'll get a check...before you die.)
That was then, this is now.
The change of the print revenue model from rich person's hobby to hard-nosed, bottom-line-driven business requires writers to be much more business-like as well. (More...)
How does a website make money for you?
Advertising
Banners, pay-per-click
ads by
Google AdSense and
other "context-sensitive" ad
services, sponsored pages (the Web equivalent of
"advertorials"), and ads included on print-outs
that you sell or give away.
Affiliate Programs
You put a link on your website to a business
that is related to your your site. If a visitor clicks
on the link, goes to the other website and buys a
product or service, you earn a commission. (For example,
your travel website may have links to online booking
services for flights, tours, car rentals and hotels.) More...
Photo/graphic sales
By putting your photos online with detailed
captions and ALT text, you are creating your own de facto stock photo
gallery easily searchable by
anyone in the world.
Writing & Photography Commissions
Your
expert or specialty website is also
an online brochure—with
plenty of examples—for
your accomplishments and services, publicizing
your expertise to editors worldwide.
Content Licensing
Because you retain copyright to
all content on your self-publshed website, the
text, photos, charts, diagrams and other content
on your site may be licensed to other publications
for a fee.
Content Sales
You may sell your text and photos as printable PDF
files, or as Podcasts (MP3
files playable on Apple iPods and
other portable music players), or
in formats to be read on handheld PDAs
(Personal Digital Assistants
such as Palm Pilots) or mobile phones.
Consultancy Services
Companies, government agencies and individuals
may come to you for consultation services
related to your field of expertise.
How much money will you make?
That depends on many things, including how good your site is, its subject matter, and worldwide economic conditions. I personally know of writers who earn anywhere from $75,000 to $200,000 per year from websites they have designed and built themselves. I know of more writers who earn $10,000 per year, or $5000, or $1000, or $98.32.
It's possible to make next to nothing. It's possible to make big bucks. It depends on how good your website is, how hard you work, how good you are at business, and— most important of all— how many people want to visit your site.
It's also important to change your thinking and consider long-term earnings.
