| #1 - Blogging (Seopher.com) - A good place to | | | | you think. It's not a massive step from *here* to |
| start considering I have a detailed understanding | | | | being paid to speak at events. You can make a |
| of how this site generates money. started as an | | | | *fortune* because of your online representation |
| idle platform for me to express the more | | | | (as a person) so that's always another angle to |
| coherant of my thoughts, but around October I | | | | take. |
| started spending more and more time on it and it | | | | #5 - Be an expert in your field and offer |
| started to blossom. Funnily enough, the website | | | | consultancy. As the title says really (and overlaps |
| has started to generate money.Google Adsense is | | | | with #4); if people really care what you think |
| the biggest winner for me because it's really the | | | | they may well offer to pay you for your opinion. |
| only avenue I use to monetize the site. | | | | #6 - Write a book.While some of you may raise |
| I don't like/want overly invasive adverts so I don't | | | | an eyebrow to "write a book" as a piece of |
| tweak my Adsense much. However, through is | | | | advice for "making money online" do bare with |
| avenue I've managed in excess of $100 a month | | | | me. The site Lulu allows you to write a book and |
| before which isn't bad considering money isn't my | | | | send it to them for printing. You write a book, |
| primary objective. However, if you do wish to | | | | save it as a PDF (along with artwork) and submit |
| make money online - I cannot recommend | | | | it to them: they do on-demand book printing. You |
| JohnChow's blog enough. He's a self proclaimed | | | | get your own ISBN number and they then stock |
| dot-com mogul and he is able to bring in a full-time | | | | your book in the shop should anyone else want to |
| income with his blog.There is sufficient on his site | | | | buy it (also offering a "download only" version). |
| to motivate and advise you into making small bits | | | | You set your own pricing and there are no |
| of money. | | | | start-up costs. You could even just write one |
| Smart and effective manipulation of social | | | | book, get it printed and put it on your shelf. |
| bookmarking/news sites like Reddit and | | | | However, why not write a book, get it published |
| StumbleUpon can bring high levels of traffic; this | | | | and then try and sell more copies? Nice and easy |
| can result in higher advert clicks, better traffic | | | | with Lulu. |
| rankings (on sites like Alexa) and someone may | | | | #7 - Get friendly with Affiliate schemes. A time |
| wish to pay you to reprint your content - all of | | | | honored strategy; have a site for "the best deals |
| these aspects help improve your online | | | | on the Internet", put up "bargains" that refer |
| profitability. Really, it is possible to make | | | | visitors to a site using your affiliate code. If they |
| acceptable levels of money purely from your blog. | | | | buy a product or service then you get a |
| Use Google AdSense and any other number of | | | | percentage cut. Many affiliate schemes now use |
| advertising solutions (just see John Chow's site for | | | | 30-day tracking codes meaning if the user came |
| more info). It can be done and it's not *that* hard | | | | to their site with your code in the URL; a cookie |
| to make small amounts of money on the side. | | | | gets saved on their machine. If they make a |
| #2 - A fad that goes viralSilly little ideas that are | | | | purchase from that vendor within 30 days and |
| good for a giggle are another way to make | | | | the cookie is still present - you get a cut. Make a |
| money online. Something that's quite cool but has | | | | popular site and you'll send hundreds and |
| no practical application just needs one major | | | | thousands of people away with your tracking |
| resource - an idea. If you can develop something | | | | codes in place. Big sites such as Amazon have |
| quite cool that people will enjoy once or twice and | | | | affiliate schemes so they really are an excellent |
| pass on to others then you're on to a winner | | | | way of making money. |
| (provided it's monetized). A slightly daft but cute | | | | #8 - Make something and sell it. In the original |
| idea that you can turn-around quite quickly (in | | | | article I pondered whether it's possible to make a |
| terms of development) could bring in enough | | | | product and sell it given the landscape of the |
| money to make you smile; nothing life changing | | | | Internet in 2007. I'm not 100% certain whether |
| though. | | | | it's as viable as it once was but you can set up an |
| #3 - A proper web 2.0 startup that gets bought | | | | online shop very easily these days (using any |
| by Google. I hate using the term "web 2.0" but I | | | | number of pre-built packages) but implementing |
| have to for this category. was bought by Google | | | | PayPal merchant tools isn't too difficult either. If |
| for $1.65 billion obviously made the creators smile. | | | | you have a good idea - the climate of the |
| Feedburner was recently bought for $100 million. | | | | Internet today is still allowing you to sell it online |
| Google also bought Writely for a sum that I'm | | | | (marketing is your biggest problem).That's all I can |
| uncertain of too... So if you develop a good | | | | think of at this moment in time, 8 good ways to |
| product, get an excellent user base then you're in | | | | make money online in a relatively short timescale. |
| a nice position for Google to write you a cheque. | | | | If you can think of any more and have good |
| #4 - Be an expert in your field, get recognized | | | | examples please do let me know and I'll make |
| and make appearances. If you have a blog within | | | | updates. Most of these ideas can be done quite |
| a field that you're an expert in, raising awareness | | | | quickly; this site has only been done on a regular |
| of yourself (with some shameless self promotion) | | | | basis since October and already it's self funding. |
| might mean that people start to care about what | | | | |