A lot of people have been asking about getting into the website game. Here are a few steps to get you started on the path. To create a successful website, find a niche and be the definitive resource on that niche.
- Find the right domain name. I use BustAName.com
- Register that domain and get hosting. I recommend 1and1 because it’s free for 6 months and you get two domain names included
- Install WordPress
- Create content! Make sure that content passes the who-gives-a-shit test.
- Sign up for and install Google Adsense
- Tell everyone you know and meet about your new project
Of course, each of those steps includes a lot of little steps, but the bones are all there.
Most people have no idea how to make money from websites. Google ads gives you all you need to get started. Google pays you every time someone clicks an ad. They also pay you based on how many people see the ads, but much less. Clicks are what count.
Here’s the simple idea for how to do it. Let’s say you make a site that finds orchids in Chicago. Let’s call it chicago.findorchids.com. You begin by listing all the places in Chicago that sell orchids. Do your research, learn how to beat the competition in search engine ranking, and become number one at what you do. Let’s say you make it to the #1 spot on Google for your particular niche, in this case orchids, and are now making about $10 a month in passive income.
Once you’ve got your formula down, take a look at Indianapolis and make up a list of all the orchid dealers there. Bring to life indianapolis.findorchids.com Repeat for as many places as you can. The idea here is:
($10 a site) x (100 cities) = $1000 a month in passive income
Now to be sure, this is an oversimplification, but if you’ve got a good enough idea and execution, you can make something that is paying your rent this time next year. And of course this is just one way to go about it. I’ll be following this plan with this site and the new ones I’m working on right now. My projects involve trying to make going out in Chicago simpler, easier and more fun for everyone.
Have you got any ideas for a website? Need help getting started? Let me know in the comments.
O'Hare Arpt., IL
This is a wonderful post! I just started a beauty blogging website and I had no idea I could get paid for the google ads! Is there a specific number of ads I should put on my site in order to generate revenue? I see some blogs with ads on the top bottom and sides and some with only one bar of ads. I range from 200-400 unique visitors a day according to my statcounter. Thank you so much for this!
There’s no set formula. It all depends on your readers and their proclivities. if you’re talking 2-400 a month, you’re not really going to make much money. Industry standard is around a 2% clickthrough rate. sign up for an adsense account and experiment with placing different ads at different locations.
I will tell you that the top banner we use here is slightly more effective than the side box, but your results may vary. Also, remember google is very smart. Don’t click your own ads.