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Home > Making Money? |  Print Version |
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"Is your website bringing in leads,
and MAKING MONEY for you?" |
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| "If not... why not?" |
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Just about every website can make money—the product, service, subject matter, or intent almost doesn't matter. Even non-profit websites can generate income.
Visitors to your site will pay you directly and indirectly, if you follow the right process and work smart.
And I'm not talking about visitors who came to your site because you gave them your card, have your domain name on your signs and stationary, or you told them to check out your site—although you should certainly do all these things.
I'm talking about people surfing the web who come to your site because... you have something they're looking for. And what might that be?
More than pretty web pages
Businesses fail online because they just put up a site. Then, some months later the owner says, "What a crock... the Internet hasn't done anything for my business." Those owners have failed to recognize a fundamental truth that I'm sharing with you here.
People use the Internet to seek information, to look for solutions to their problems.
Online success begins with a shift in your mindset. "Location, location, location" is dirt-world reality, on the Internet you need...
Information, information, information
Off-line it's fairly easy to get consumers to a business. A high-traffic location in a mall or an attractive storefront on a busy street guarantees a constant flow of foot traffic... and sales.
But it's very different online. No one happens to walk by, see your business and come in. People surfing the web are not looking for you or your business.
People search for information and solutions to problems... whatever their issues may be.
Most website owners are operating with a mindset that's 6 to 8 years old. Back in 1998 you could slap up a website and get traffic almost overnight—because in 1998 there were only about 3 million domains registered and 14 million web pages online.
People could find your site fairly easily, because there really wasn't all that much out there.
Today Google alone claims to index over 11 billion web pages, and Google's index does not contain every web page out there.
You must generate your own traffic to be successful online... because there are now over 265 million registered domains.
This means your primary goal, before your site generates any income, is to provide information people are searching for.
The first thing I say to all of my clients, no matter what type of business they're in, "You must have..."
Content, content, and content
Information is what web surfers want. If you put information on your website, it will attract traffic. It's really that simple!
The next most important words I can share are...
Synergy and consistency
There are many ways to "monetize" traffic that your website pulls in. The first and most obvious way is of course, by selling your primary products or services.
But no matter how you plan to make money from your site, the methods must be synergistic with your site's goals and consistent with your site's content.
And what if you're a non-profit organization or another type of website that isn't directly selling anything—how can your website produce income?
Here's an example...
Let's say your non-profit organization focuses on early childhood development. Certainly your subjects will not be surfing the web looking for information... their parents will.
So now we know that parents of younger children are coming to your site. And of course your website is filled with lots of easy to read useful articles that help them with their parenting challenges.
An article about "toys for toddlers" on one of your web pages contains a few text links to recommended toys. Maybe the page also has one or two low key graphic ads for a children's toy store.
Because you've just solved their problem as to what kinds of toys to buy for their toddler, many of your visitors won't be able to stop themselves from clicking on those text links and ads.
When they arrive at the merchant's site, already convinced that this is the toy their child needs, many of your visitors will order it and a couple more... and your group gets a check for 4%, 7%, or maybe even 10% of the sale.
Which may not sound like much, until you consider that the average online purchase of toddler toys is just over $100.
If only one person a day buys a toy through one of your links, you'll earn $300 or more per month from just that one page. Suppose your website contained 50 or 100 similar pages?
Even if your pages only get one sale per week, 50 pages could potentially yield over $2,000 per month in income. And this is almost completely passive income, as you aren't directly involved with the sales process. The merchant handles everything: credit cards, shipping, customer service.
And how did all this income really come about?
Content, content, and content!
Your visitors probably won't know what got into them, but they will tell other parents about the great website that has loads of good information on toddler toys.
More visitors, more sales, more money for you.
Your website has just made money in a manner that's "synergistic" with your organization's goals and "consistent" with the website's subject matter.
Trust me, this method of "monetizing" a site works VERY well.
Keep this in mind always
No matter how you choose to monetize your website, please remember this one thing, your credibility is at stake.
Never recommend any product or service you don't truly believe in just to make money. And only re-direct your traffic to the most reliable online merchants—those with a clear refund policy and excellent customer service.
Ask yourself, "Would I feel safe, secure, and good about shopping at that site?" If you answer anything other than a definite YES, find another merchant.
There are many ways to monetize your site
Which method(s) you choose for your website will depend primarily on:
- whether you're directly selling products or services, or a have content site with the potential for indirect sales
- potential synergy with your overall business goals
- consistency with your website's content
- the financial goals of your business
Bottom line... almost every website can make money and strengthen your credibility—even if you are a non-proft or not directly selling anything.
Secret to closing more sales.
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