Introduction
The biggest mistake people make when starting out on the path to a profitable web presence is to write about subjects that nobody is looking for. Sure, you can start a blog on a topic dear to your heart (and why not? Just go do it) and if you’re very lucky you may find an audience quite quickly. There are many examples out there – Bad Science, Girl With a One-Track Mind, the Policeman’s Blog, Blogging the Underground, Scary Duck to name but a few. These blogs are all successful, informative and have attracted a high level of traffic. All are at least potentially profitable, although not necessarily run for profit.
However, these are the lucky ones. Right place, right time. And all are labours of love – profitability was not a concern in their creation.
As you’re reading this, I’m assuming that profitability IS something you are thinking about. How do I create a website which will bring in a few extra dollars each month? Well, there are tried and tested techniques that can work for you if you’re prepared to put in a bit of effort.
This series of articles will show you how to find a profitable topic, set up a website, promote it and monetize it. Can it be done for free? Well, yes and no. It is, of course, possible to set up a blog hosted on Blogger or WordPress, for example, at no cost – but if you’re serious about this you’ll want to invest a small amount in some kind of coaching course. There are people out there who can help you – they’ve been through it themselves, they make a lot of money and now they make part of their income from teaching what they know to others. The problem is, who to trust? Obviously, there are scam merchants trying to make a quick buck by selling some thinly-researched ebook promising to tell you the secret of How To Make a Bundle Online. I will be recommending people I know you can trust based on my own experience. I will also be recommending free and paid-for products that I use and like – I will never recommend anything I haven’t bought myself. So if you like the idea of bringing in some extra money through your own website, this is the series for you!
Step 2 – Buy a domain, set up a hosting account and set up your site
Step 3 – Write content and decide how to monetize
Step 4 – Promote your site by creating backlinks
Step 5 – Ongoing promotion
