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How do I grow and make money off of my website?
I have a website (thesmartcalorie) that is free to the users but I am not sure how to capitalize on how to make money?
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5 Answers
Hi William. I guess it makes sense to first define how "make money off of my website. There are some people who work to "monetize" their sites, meaning that they want traffic to the site click through a link to purchase a product or subscribe to a service.
I'm going to guess that your question is geared to drawing traffic to convert into leads. In order for this to happen, you need to make sure that you have several components in place. Here are just a few of many things to think about:
You're off to a good start with the free personal profile. What do you have planned to draw visitors back and consider you an expert resource? You'll need to keep adding fresh and valuable content, tips, links to other resources, and so forth.
Do you have on-page SEO? In other words, does your content contains keywords or phrases that your potential customers will search for (and find you in the top 10 listings on Google).
Do you plan to have calls to action? In other words, ask your visitors to download an educational resource that you create, or a whitepaper. This goes back to creating compelling content that keeps your visitors and engaged and coming back for more. Your newsletters should contain these as well. I wrote a blog recently that focuses on ideas for inbound marketing, which will tie into your website and calls to action.You can check it out at bit.ly/9fZ3d2.
These are just a few ideas to get you going. You can find a treasure trove of information about how to maximize the impact of your website at hubspot.com. There's a lot involved in doing this "right", but don't worry, you don't have to do it all in the first week!
It takes time to get the pieces in place; you have an appealing site what could grow into a significant resource over time.
Lindsay Garrison
On the verge incorporated
William,
After taking a look at your site, here are some ideas you could consider/try re: having your site make money:
1. I think that if you're interested in making money, and your site is free -- you could try some advertising - like Adsense, for example, as a way to test the waters.
2. You could also become an affiliate and promote other people's nutrition related products, and receive affiliate commissions.
3. Offer advertising space/banners of some sort to vendors in the nutrition space -- the only way this will work well is if you have a large user/member population, so you can garner interest in the potential that the advertising will produce results for the advertisers.
4. Provide "premium" content for a membership fee. The ideas presented by Lindsay above are good for generating leads, but really, you're doing that by providing a membership site that's free -- you could consider whether there's a "free" membership that provides information that is valuable, but then a "premium" membership that provides content and things that costs a subscription amount, maybe $19.95 per month to get access - but you've got to be committed to continuing to create great content -- either interviews with leading nutrition folks, or reports about different aspects of nutrition that are seen as relevant and valuable by your audience.
5. As a supplement of your membership, you might want to send regular emails, and then follow-up emails to folks who show interest in specific subjects, and then be sure to include specific calls to action for offers (affiliate or advertisers, or your own premium content) -- so you "nurture" your membership and keep adding value to their experience with your site and it's content.
Hope this helps -- just some thoughts off the top of my head.
Kim Albee
Genoo.com
www.genoo.com
www.internetmarketingcompete.com
Hope this helps!
William,
Here are some random thoughts ...
To the wonderful suggestions you've received, I'd consider a 3 tier membership site, 2 with different price points. And stop providing much more for free other than what you're offering.
OR you can start an organization or association and have the two other tiers.
You might consider (for the paying members) having monthly speakers talk on subjects of interest to your ideal clients. Non paid members would pay $27 or $39 per month.
Use your free members as part of your R and D Team... to design the two tiers. OR maybe you don't want to use free members to conduct your research.
Before creating a membership site, create an ideal client profile; and some sort of business plan for your uplevel adventure.
Create products and your own affiliate program.
Use Amazon and B/N affiliate program to publicize some books you know well, that are geared to your ideal clients. Write book reviews to include in your ezine.
Take a look at other membership sites for additional ideas on how to create yours.
Upwards and onwards,
Maria Marsala
Strategic Business Coach
http://www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com
Take what you like and leave the rest!
Making money from your site starts, as does everything with your goals. As Lindsay states, you must first define what "making money" means. A few dollars, a few hundred, thousands?
Once you set your goals, determine what you might be able to offer that is not being offered in the marketplace. What can you offer that your current and potential customers cannot find elsewhere? What might you do better? What might you do to offer a truly value added experience for those who come to your site?
Be careful that you don't start placing things on your site that are totally irrelevant to the core and central reasons why you created the site. If you begin offering irrelevant products/services, your visitors will soon realize that you are there just to sell anything, your site then becomes an annoyance and visitors will lose interest and go elsewhere.
Specific ways of monetizing your site will naturally flow from your goals and your plan.
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