As long as Nika keeps commenting, I'll have something to write about :D This time she mentions how she's been experimenting with ads, but getting zero clicks.
Here's the dirty little secret: despite the fact that the vast majority of links available from affiliate networks are images (banner, buttons, etc.), they just don't convert very well. Nika, you're finding that out firsthand.
Now obviously I'm painting with a very broad brush here. Many (most?) of the things I'll ... Keep reading »
Last week, I urged you not to monetize your blog too early. In the comments, though, Nika made a great point: ads can often lend the impression of credibility to your site.
Here's an example. Let's say I'm starting a personal finance site.
Day 1, I can go over to Commission Junction and get me a big Wall Street Journal advertisement to put on my blog. If you then came to ... Keep reading »
Just happened to be on Indeed's blog today and noticed that they had linked to Job-Hunt.org -- not the best looking site in the world, but one with some sizable traffic.
Turns out, Job-Hunt.org had named Indeed the "Best Job Search Engine." That netted Job-Hunt a link back from two great pages at Indeed -- one a PR 7 page where Text-Link-Ads prices a link at more than $1,200.
And here's the even better part: Indeed rarely ever updates their ... Keep reading »
We'll get into all of these in much more detail over the next few months, but I wanted to go ahead and give you a quick run-down of the top 3 money-makers for your blog. Keep in mind, though, not to let monetization become your focus.
Advertisers
Dedicated advertisers are usually your best source of revenue. They pay a much better rate, they're a guaranteed revenue stream every month, and they tend to stick around. The only downside ... Keep reading »
One great way to increase the revenue from your blog is to add on related content that may be easier to monetize. Here's a great example of that.
Do you blog about something that has a job category associated with it? Well, Simply Hired's new product Job-a-matic gives you a super-easy way to add a job board to your site that can generate you some real cash. How easy? Try less than 10 minutes.
Definitely worth ... Keep reading »
Know what happens when you blog about Paris Hilton, and maybe put Paris Hilton in bold once or twice and maybe even Paris Hilton in italics? You find your blog actually ranking in a blog search for Paris Hilton.
I found this out when I posted my goofy Paris Hilton post last week. I must have gotten 25 visitors in just a few hours from people searching for Paris. Yeah, they probably weren't looking for exactly ... Keep reading »
As the owner of a website, you are instantly empowered with the ability to get cash back on virtually everything you buy -- sometimes very significant cash.
For instance, how about...
$55 just for getting a refinance quote from LendingTree
$30 for signing up for Vonage
20% off ink cartridges at CarrotInk
35% off a Wall Street Journal subscription
15% off the already great prices at Zappos.com
And the list goes on and on! Literally thousands of companies are virtually begging you to let them pay ... Keep reading »
Gosh, I hate to post this many posts in one day, but I just can't help it. David Hornik just posted about VentureBlog hitting 50,000 RSS subscribers (50,000!!!) and says that without RSS there would be no VentureBlog. His post is yet another example that someone else will always make my points more eloquently then me, so it's definitely worth a read.
(By the way, here are Part 1 and Part 2 of Promoting RSS.)
I have always loved this cartoon, but it didn't hit me until today that it's no longer true -- at least not entirely.
You hear all the time now about how the Internet is killing community and socialization. How kids never talk to each other anymore and that they just stay holed up in their rooms. Well that doesn't mean they're not socializing.
Something I realized at the ... Keep reading »
Two weeks ago, Paris Hilton joined my Unmatched Style community on MyBlogLog. I was very excited! I just knew it was only a matter of time before we were exchanging cellphone numbers, attending all the red carpet parties and getting our heads shaved just like Britney. Heck, I even went shopping for a little dog that weekend.
Alas, it wasn't to be. Turns out "Paris" was none other than online marketer Paul Wolbers ... Keep reading »
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