If someone has a website, it is more than likely that they developed it with the idea of making money.
Of course, just because a website exists, it does not mean that you can simply turn it into a money-making machine.
No, there are certain steps one has to take to create income from a site. And this article will cover some of the key elements of how you can attract the right type of traffic to your site and increase the odds of making money.
The Right Business Idea
Let’s start with the right business idea. Unless you are running a specific website to express yourself, such as a personal blog, it needs to be built around a profitable niche. How profitable a niche is depends on multiple factors, but you should not jump at any random idea and go for it without doing proper market research.
For example, if you want to create a dropshipping store and sell custom merchandise, be mindful of the fact that there are other stores doing the same, and you need to offer something unique.
To test the waters, you can try out some of the free t shirt designs, as well as designs for other types of merchandise that are available. Not committing to pay professional designers and still doing some testing to see what your audience likes is valuable information moving forward.
Finding a target market is the most important aspect of any successful business and website, so make sure to take the time to research and find the right niche for your site. Make sure to run a Shopify RFM analysis so you can tailor your marketing efforts to reach your target audience effectively. Also, keep in mind that your business idea should align with your personal interests and skills so that you can stay motivated and engaged in the long run.
Different Marketing Channels
Do not expect that the traffic to your website will come by itself. No, you will have to work hard on promoting the site and attracting visitors.
Thankfully, there are multiple marketing channels that you can utilize. The first thing you should focus on is search engine optimization.
Long-term success of a website depends on organic traffic. Tailor-made content and specifically targeted keywords are valuable because they attract relevant traffic.
Social media is another big source of potential leads. As a website owner, you should have pages on every major social media platform. Presence on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook is valuable. Sharing the website’s content and directing social media users to the site will increase traffic.
You can also collaborate with influencers and strike a partnership that leads to influencers promoting your site to their audiences.
PPC marketing is another example of a method, though you might find it a bit too difficult to manage and not as valuable.
Finally, get in touch with various bloggers and ask if they would give you an opportunity to write an article and guest post it on their blog.
Mobile Optimization
According to Statista, roughly 50 percent of all internet traffic is on mobile devices.
Surfing the net on a smartphone or tablet is convenient, and you are not limited by your location so long as there is Wi-Fi or mobile internet available.
When developing your site, be sure to pick a theme that is mobile-friendly.
Most content management systems, including the likes of WordPress and Shopify, offer their users ready-to-use mobile-friendly themes, so there is no need to worry as much about mobile optimization.
However, it is still worth checking whether the site works properly on different mobile devices so you do not lose potential visitors because they cannot navigate through the website properly.
In the future, you might also want to consider developing a native Android or iOS app.
Most online stores have it to make shopping even more convenient for their customers, but even if you have a different type of site and not an online store, a mobile app is still something to think about long-term.
Hosting and Security
Do not expect to run a successful website without proper hosting. Your provider should ensure that the website is up basically 24/7.
In addition to the uptime, the speed also has to be fast enough.
Imagine someone visiting the site for the first time and clicking on a page only to experience a loading indicator that takes five or more seconds to finish.
How fast should a website be? Ideally, clicking a button should be responsive enough that it feels instant.
In other words, if a visitor wishes to visit a page on a site, they should be redirected to it the moment they click on a page’s name.
Unfortunately, not everyone can afford the hosting services that ensure such quality. Thus, it is necessary to find the best host you can find for the money you can spend.
Another aspect that affects a website’s performance is cybersecurity threats.
Even if you own a relatively small site with few visitors, you can still expect random DDoS attacks and other problems.
The rate at which you become a target increases together with the growth of the website because there will be competitors that want you gone, and they will use dirty tricks to get what they want.
Implementing proper security measures early on is a crucial step to ensure that your site is protected from potential threats.
To keep it short and simple, if the website is experiencing technical difficulties on a regular basis, making money with it is pretty much impossible.
Commonly Used Site Elements
By commonly used site elements, we mean the likes of the search bar and social media buttons to share content.
Again, it comes back to user experience.
If someone navigating the site wishes to search for a specific article or a product description but cannot find the search bar, the odds are that they will not bother and leave the site.
And what about online stores that do not have a live message button? Shoppers who have a question and cannot find an answer in an FAQ section (another thing that a site needs) are also unlikely to finish the transaction, which means another lost customer.
Consider every little bit of elements that should go into a website if you wish to monetize it.
Put yourself in the shoes of a new visitor and look at things from their point of view so you can pinpoint what is missing and rectify these shortcomings.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, website owners who wish to monetize their site need to put a lot of effort into ensuring that the website is running optimally.
Each little error adds up, and it decreases the overall number of people who stay on the website, which in turn means less money.
Be sure to make the most out of the information provided in this article, particularly if you are someone who does not have that much experience with website development and making money on the internet.