Best way to monetize a site?

11 replies
Hi all,

I'm looking at starting a new project in the next few months. It's a social experiment that I've never seen before and it could be really great. I'm going to build a simple website that will track the progress of the experiment and channel traffic to it through Facebook/Twitter etc. It could bomb, of course, but I think it has the potential to go viral and get a lot of traffic to the site.

I've never had anything to do with Adsense or anything like that before so I have no idea how to best monetize a large amount of traffic.

Any suggestions?

Regards,

Jim
#monetize #site
  • Profile picture of the author iodalg
    We are talking hypothetical about the large amount of traffic, right? I mean you don't have that traffic yet?

    Adsense could work well for untargeted traffic, the bigger the traffic is the better your conversion will be.

    If you want to get a more specific answer, then you must ask more specific questions.
    Provide us a little more information on the experiment. If you aren't ready to share publicly more details on the experiment, share a little more on what traffic you expect to get.

    Will the experiment being targeted at a specific niche/problem?
    Could that problem being solved by a specific product?
    Could you make that product and sell it to them?
    They are hundreds of monetization methods, and if you could provide us more information maybe someone in that niche could share more insights.

    Cheers
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    • Profile picture of the author jimcroisdale
      Yes, it's hypothetical at the moment!

      The project is broadly based around music and musicians, but I'd say that the appeal will just be basic human interest. if it works it'll just be a cool story that anyone will find interesting.

      So i'd say that any targetted traffic will be music/musicians, if anything.

      There's no product on offer really, although the project is based around guitars, so ads for guitars might be an option?

      Hope that helps!

      Jim
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  • Profile picture of the author mrrightme
    Promote clickbank products and cpa offers.
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  • Profile picture of the author JRJWrites
    Originally Posted by jimcroisdale View Post

    Hi all,

    I'm looking at starting a new project in the next few months. It's a social experiment that I've never seen before and it could be really great. I'm going to build a simple website that will track the progress of the experiment and channel traffic to it through Facebook/Twitter etc. It could bomb, of course, but I think it has the potential to go viral and get a lot of traffic to the site.

    I've never had anything to do with Adsense or anything like that before so I have no idea how to best monetize a large amount of traffic.

    Any suggestions?

    Regards,

    Jim
    If you're using paid traffic from Facebook, then chances are that you'll get hot, laser-targeted people to drop by your page. If you're just using the customary SMM, you might get a good percentage of targeted traffic, but a bunch will still be 'aimless wanderers.'

    Using that targeted traffic (IF it's buying traffic hungry for a solution to one of their problems, and that's a big if), you can both A: Build a huge list (since you'll probably be getting a *large* amount of traffic and B: Market affiliate products, or your own product (which I recommend, because you can then also get free affiliate traffic). Depending on your niche, you could also possibly start a membership site. Since your audience is already involved in social media, they are MORE likely to join such a site than SEO or PPC traffic (usually).

    Using that untargeted traffic, Adsense. Probably the only way to go.

    All the best,
    JR John
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    • Profile picture of the author jimcroisdale
      Hi all,

      Done a bit more thinking. If I get loads of traffic, a lot of it will be relatively non targeted, but the general theme will be travel guitars.

      Could I do a mix of adsense AND affiliate ads?

      Jim
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      • Profile picture of the author KenJ
        You can mix your monetising methods but I think that you would do well to determine what YOU would want a visitor to do on arriving at YOUR site. Then build it and make money with that in mind.

        The action you are looking for could be a sign up form, adsense, facebook like, retweet, almost anything. You have to put your traffic where you want it.

        KenJ
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        • Profile picture of the author jimcroisdale
          Well, the website isn't really being built with adverts in mind. I'll be doing the project regardless. I realise this is probably a bit unusual around these parts!

          Say for instance I want to display a few ads for travel guitars - what's the best way to go? Amazon? eBay?

          If I did use Adsense, could the ads be set to show a particular category of advert such as travel guitars, or does it not work like that?

          Jim
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeffery
    Hi Jim,

    Hope your website is everything you want it to be. Honestly, I think you are missing some very important points that have already been posted.

    KenJ is right about building the site .. "what YOU would want a visitor to do on arriving at YOUR site."

    Anytime a webmaster creates a new website you may want to monetize at at a later date or even if you create a new site that will not be monetized it is very important to drive the visitor in the direction that your site was created for. Otherwise, your site and your visitors will have no organiztion which results in visitors going to a different site that does in fact have organization.

    Your target market are musicians which are people and people sometimes need pushed in a direction and then there are people that know what direction they want or need to go forward, so a site that provides "both" is often a popular site. Visitors tend to re-visit sites that give them the direction they want.

    People also like to talk to each other, so a website with a forum allows discussion.

    All of the above makes for a good site monetized or not. For example when a site with discussion allows for people to give their opinions about guitars you can easily review guitars based on their opinions which leads to more discussion and return visitors. You would then take the best recommendations, do your own research on the guitars, and monetize the site for the guitars. So instead of a site with only your reviews - you have a site with other people's reviews that substantiate your ads!

    Jeffery 100% :-)
    Signature
    In the minute it took me to write this post.. someone died of Covid 19. RIP.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bkelly301
    Just some suggestions:

    - You could get affiliate links for online music stores and either just link to the store as a whole or link to a specific product (the same way the Amazon affiliate program works).

    - You could also search Clickbank for music related products (instructional courses, etc...)

    - You could put Google adsense ads on the site

    - You could create your own eBook

    - You could add a donation button
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  • Profile picture of the author ronrule
    Start with Adsense until you understand your audience. Then upgrade to affiliate offers that match your audience's interests.
    Signature

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    Ron Rule
    http://ronrule.com

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    • Profile picture of the author fmolina2010
      There are some really sound advice in here. Indeed, start with Adsense while your traffic builds up. Once you have a sizable traffic, start offering products/services.
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