You’re here because you want to learn how to make money online!

I’m here to tell you that it is possible and I’m going to show you how.

Yes, you can make money online but the first thing you have to do is to forget all those sites you’ve seen that promise to show you how to make a fortune online. When coming across these sites just ask yourself one simple question. Does it sound too good to be true? If it does then it probably is and you should be looking elsewhere. Truth be told you can make money online! I’m currently making several thousands of dollars a year! I could be making more but I’m not working as hard at it as I should be doing! There is no reason why you shouldn’t leave me behind if you’re willing to put the time and hard work into your future online career by following the steps outlined in this post. Take note, regardless of what you’ve read it is not an easy road and will take both time, hard work and dedication if you are to succeed.

Static website or Blog? This is the first question most people ask and I believe that for the majority of new online entrepreneurs the answer is definitely a blog. The two main reasons for this are firstly a blog is easier to update secondly, unless you have the design experience to construct a professional looking website, using a professional theme you can have a professional looking blog up and running in minutes. There are many professional themes out there but my favourite is the FlexSqueeze theme. I’ve done several posts on why I believe this to be so, the latest being How Good Is The FlexSqueeze Theme, Really? Consider this, it’s only because of this theme that I can get this post looking the way it does.

Hosted or Free Blog Site? You should definitely host your own blog. If there were two people claiming to show you how to make money and one was on a free blog site and the other had a self hosted professional blog who are you more likely to believe? The self hosted one right? Heck, if the Blogger blog was actually making money he’d be hosting his own blog for sure.

I’ve used several hosts in my time and my favourite are Hostgator and Bluehost. These are great when you first start out as costs are minimal, under $7 per month! Where else can you start a business for such a small outlay? Oh, did you like the way the arrows highlights the comparing Blogger with self hosted WordPress blogs image? I just threw that in to show you one of the many features of this theme which just happens to be great for affiliate marketers! Anyway, as I was saying, these host are great for when you’re just starting up. Once your online business starts taking off you may need to move to a VPS (Virtual Private Server) host because most shared hosting sites can’t handle the traffic. I’m currently using InMotion Hosting and I am more than satisfied.

To Niche Or Not To Niche!: While there is more money to be made with a niche blog they’re also harder to maintain if you’re not knowledgeable about the core subject matter of your niche. Those who tend to succeed with niche blogs are passionate about their subject and it usually shows in their writing. My first blogs were all general blogs because I found them easier to update. If you’re considering the niche route you should take the time to research them, check out the competition and see how you can improve on their content. Great niches include weight loss, pets, photography and one that I’m currently in, online lottery sites. Which ever niche you choose make sure you know enough about it to write confidently so that your readers can learn to trust in your experience  Once you gain their trust they’re more likely to buy from you and recommend you to others.

Have an About page: Tell people who you are, what your background is and what they can expect from your site. You’d be surprised how many people won’t bother with a site if they can’t find out who’s behind it. It’s best to include your real name as this will make people more comfortable when commenting or contacting you via your contact page. Yep, you should have one of those too.

Using your real name also helps when people want to share your content with their social media friends. Your about page would also be a great place to put your photo. Doing this helps others to associate with who you really are. Which reminds me, this is something I should do but keep putting off.  Don’t make your about page a sales page. Be yourself and speak in a natural voice.

Coming soon!