Twenty years ago, blogging was non-existent until its birth in 1994 when Justin Hall started writing an online journal. Now, there are over 150 million blogs in the World Wide Web and this figure continues to increase since blogging was discovered. Before, blogs were a product of a single individual however, multi-authored blogs had emerged in which, articles posted were written by various authors.
Some users started their personal websites for leisure purposes. On the other hand, other bloggers write for profit gains. Nevertheless, in general, people blog because they wanted to be heard. They wanted to share ideas about their hobbies or interests and other things that they are passionate about. In fact, a blog can be about health, medicine, fitness, food, photography, travel, celebrity news, tutorials, tutorial information, and so on.
To start, a blogger needs to own a website. There are free website hosting services available however, users are not allowed to place advertisement banners on their website. On the other hand, professional website hosting agencies offers a total access and control of the website content, a more reliable service, better web security, professional looking website with unrestricted web design options, and a personal domain name. These features are necessary to attain the maximum potential of your blog when it comes to money making.
The benefits of blogging are numerous that is why it is not only used personally but is also popular among small and big companies. Online visibility is one great way of promoting products and growing subscriptions. Also blogging promotes more exposure which allows entrepreneurs to connect with their customers. In short, a blog is an additional tool in the marketing success and growth of the company which could lead to a higher income generation.
Whether you have created a blog as a hobby or for business, it is no secret that making money is possible with blogging. Let’s dive in and explore various ways on how to make your website profitable through the use of website hosting agencies.
Affiliate Programs
Various companies have created affiliate programs to promote their products. If you are a member of an affiliate network, you promote the product on your blog and send the traffic to the company’s website where customers purchase products or services. If a person who visited your blog buys through the link you had provided, commission is at hand.
To become an affiliate marketer, a website is necessary where the links to the services or products that will be promoted will be placed. There are several website hosting firms like GoDaddy and Hostgator which offer inexpensive services to users. Once a blog is created and an appropriate number of articles were posted, a blogger can now join an affiliate program. It is necessary to decide which product or services are to be promoted. Better if you choose to recommend those that you are familiar with.
Text links or banners will be placed in your website to commence the referral process. A code will be given by the affiliate network which you can position anywhere in your blog or embed it in your posts. When a visitor purchases through those links you have provided, you can receive a commission as the referrer. Tracking of your performance is based on your affiliate ID.
Why become an affiliate marketer? Because you can make money in the comfort of your own home. There are no fees in joining affiliate programs. You can make a profit by doing what you love and at the same time, help customers in deciding which product to purchase through your recommendations and reviews.
Displaying Ads
Display ads promote advertisements to visitors on your website. It comes in different format such as text, images, audio or video and can be placed in the header, footer or sidebar of your blog. Sizes of the ads vary. According to Google, top performing ad sizes include 300×250 (medium rectangle), 336×280 (large rectangle), 728×90 (leaderboard), 300×600 (half page), and 320×100 (large mobile banner).
In a research conducted by Carnegie Mellon university’s Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC), they have found that the brain’s visual perception system automatically and unconsciously affects our preference. Thus, if visitors are more exposed to the product or services, the more familiar is the company to them. This leads to a higher possibility of having more paying customers.
In order for ads to be displayed, often times an ad network links the advertisers with the bloggers. Popular ad networks include Google AdSense, Blogads and Beacon Ads. However, some ad networks are selective and do not easily accept blogger’s request to join their team. It is important to have a website hosting agency to host your blog. Having inexpensive but reliable web hosting provider is necessary in monetizing your site through advertisements.
Private Ads
Private ads are just like display ads which can either be in the form of images, banners or links. The biggest difference between the two is that, in the former, there is no middle man (ad network) to negotiate connections. You can set your own rate for the advertisement.
In selling private ads, the blogger can contact advertisers. In some cases, when the blog has lots of traffic already, it is the advertisers who ask the blogger to place their ads on the website. Moreover, a blogger can write a sponsored review of a company’s product or create an underwritten post about various topics of interest which mentions the company as the guarantor.
It is vital that bloggers look for companies or services that offers the same market as their niche. For instance, if the website is about travel and photography, travel agencies or hotels can be contacted to inquire if they are would want their advertisements to be placed in your website. Check out other blogs which contents are relevant to yours and see what type of sponsors they are getting. Try sending these companies an e-mail and negotiate a partnership. One way to boost your website traffic to write articles of good quality and post regularly.
Sell Digital Products
Digital goods or electronic goods is a term used for goods that are “stored, delivered and used in its electronic format”. The customer can download the product or service in the internet or the merchant can send the goods through electronic mail. Items like eBooks, online trainings, videos, music, apps, themes or logos are some examples of digital products out in the online market.
Aside from advertising and affiliate marketing, bloggers can also earn by selling digital products. An article about marketing electronic goods revealed that a couple is making roughly $600,000 annually through selling doll clothing and patterns. They started vending on eBay store and it became a successful business. They started promoting digital products through their website Liberty Jane Patterns using a web hosting for business which was later re-launched as Pixie Faire.
Moreover, the couple also tried selling patterns as downloadable PDFs and uploaded videos about sewing. These techniques caused rapid expansion of their business and increased generation of income.
Digital products offer numerous benefits. First and foremost, it is easy to sell and the cost of its production are minimal. Furthermore, one of its edge over physical products is that it never runs out of stock. It can be sold and purchased without limit. Customers can have it in an instant without having the need to pay for courier fee or to wait for the delivery period. In addition to that, geographical barrier is not an issue. Digital goods can be accessed anytime and anywhere.
Referral Program
There are companies that pay when you spread the word. When you recommend products which satisfies you or services that you enjoy, you can earn bonuses. You will not only share information and experience because you will get something in return.
Some of the top website hosting agencies offer referral programs. When someone you refer had signed-up and decided to use that web hosting provider for his or her blog, dollars in credit can be received. Moreover, the same is true when a website using a free website hosting and domain shifted to the web host you are advertising. It is a must that your referrals enter your username or domain name while they are setting-up an account in a website hosting agency. It is interesting to note that referral is infinite and receiving credits is unlimited.
If referring a great product or a good service to others and earn money in the process is a piece of cake, why miss this chance? Explore reviews on web hosting agencies and find out which among these have referral programs.
Nowadays, people are spending more and more time online and some prefer to buy products at the security of their home. This makes the World Wide Web a very useful tool in making money. No wonder why the number of people who are into blogging is growing. Blogging is now considered as an online business that anyone of any age, profession, race or location can take part. With the right website hosting agency, hard work and perseverance, anyone can make a living through blogging.
Want to know the suitable web hosting for your blog? Check out unbiased client based website hosting agencies reviews on CrowdReviews.Com.
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