"I am trying to figure out where to start with internet marketing. I just read your post about lifestyle and I know the kind I want for my family, I just don't know where to start..."
-Lynn Woolums Smith
http://life-inbloom.blogspot.com
"I am trying to figure out where to start with internet marketing. I just read your post about Hi Lynn! I actually hear this question a lot, so you're not alone. In fact there are 161 searches every day for "how to make money online for beginners" and more than 700/day for "how to make money online"...
There are a number of ways to make money online. Options range from creating your own product to sell online, making money as a professional blogger, managing an online community, developing a content site on a hot topic - just to name a few.
All of these are just various ways to deliver content online. Your first step will be choosing a niche, which is the market or topic you are going to focus on.
Speaking of focus, with so many options to make money online - focus is key. You want to choose a niche and a business model, and work on that one project all the way from start to profit. Don't let all the other options distract or derail you. 😉
Once you decide on a topic or niche, you should sit down and map out a plan for your internet business model. What market are you targeting, and how can you best serve that market? This is the angle you want to work from, vs the more common: how can I make the most money from this market? (Most people get it backwards and then get frustrated when that doesn't work out for them)
See: How to Become a Market Leader in Your Niche
So you choose a niche, create a blog or website, set up social media profiles to interact with your target market on the topic, and you create and share useful content that will build your reputation and readership in that niche.
I can hear what you're saying...
"That all sounds great, but how do I make money from it?"
How to Make Money Online (For Beginners)
The absolute easiest way to make money online is with Affiliate Marketing. You don't have to create a product, set up a shopping cart and merchant account, do customer service, work with clients, etc. It's very much like a traditional commission-based sales job where you earn commission on any sales you refer. Just as one example, you can promote a web hosting affiliate program and earn commission on every new account sign-up.
The difference is that you're doing it online, and you can do it from home without ever doing in-person or phone sales. You simply recommend products and/or refer people to specific merchants through the content on your website.
The method I prefer is creating SEO Content, or content that is optimized to rank well in the major search engines. People find it when they are searching for that, click through, and buy what they need or want. This works really well because you write the content once, and it continues to rank well and earn you money for years to come. As long as you maintain your search engine rankings.
"How can I make 3-4k a month or more?
What steps will it take to get there?"
I know this is stating the obvious, but it should be said:
It takes time, work, and being both persistent and consistent. An online business is the same as any other business in that it requires an investment on your part to get it up and running. The positive side of online business is that it takes a lot less time and money than most traditional offline business models.
- Choose Your Niche.
- Register a Domain Name.
- Set up a Website or Blog with WordPress.
- Set up your Social Media accounts.
- Download and read SEO Fast Start (free).
- Create SEO Content. Also read: Keyword Strategy.
- Sign up for Affiliate Programs in your niche.
- Write Product Reviews for those products.
- Get links pointing to your pages or blog posts.
- Continue creating content, getting links & interacting via Social Media.
Once you get all this set up and you're making money as an Affiliate, you can look at other ways to monetize your site. You might create short reports on your topic to sell, test contextual advertising, or look into even more methods to make money.
Yes it's work. And yes - it's worth it! 😀
If you do these steps, and continue to learn & tweak as you go, you'll start earning money. You can increase your traffic (number of visitors) and your income as you continue to grow and market your website.
It takes time to get to a consistent $3-5K per month in revenue, but you could easily do that within the first year.
If you need ANY help at all with the steps above, come by the ClickNewz Forum and simply ask. We'd be happy to help you get started! 😉
Best,
p.s. Lynn was referring to my Lifestyle & Income of a Super Affiliate post. Give that a read if you haven't already as it will give you a sneak peek into my life and success doing the exact things I outlined here.
Also See: Online Jobs - Work From Home
About Lynn Terry
Really nice post...worth something for beginners like me...
Very concise advice. Starting a business must be well planned. Just like constructing a house you must have a floor plan, electrical, and plumbing plan. Same also in business you must have a plan on how to market and how to deliver your products to the consumer. All those must be well planned and executed with precision.
great post Lynn! I really appreciate you putting all this great info out there for us newbies in the blogging world!
$5k a month first year, is that realistic?
yes it's very realistic....all you need is dedication and focus
Great post Lynn. So often people try to make earning money online more complex than it has to be. There was a time when I learned from a 'guru' exactly what I had to do to make money, and I couldn't help thinking it was exactly the same thing that I had been told so many years earlier (and exactly what you have listed here). I'd just thought that it wasn't complex enough to work, and how wrong I was. Simplicity and consistency is the key.
This post is loaded with rich information! Thanks. I'm getting much more.
I like you you broke it down step by step. I think choosing a niche is probably the most important thing because once you've got a website established, you have to start over again from scratch if you change your mind. Make it about something you love to write about, so you don't get bored and want to quit.
You have made it look so easy.
I will try some of your ideas
thank you
magan bhadresa
I personally believe that for a beginner who is absolutely new to making money online will find that earning 3 to 4k each month and unobtainable target and they will quickly give up.
I am not saying that is isn't achievable but I would suggest for someone new to set more realisitc goals, first goal is to earn $100, then try to increase that to $500 per month, $1000 per month and so on, there numerous ways to make $100 per month and with alittle bit of work and some patience everyone can be making that and in the mean time they are learning some valuable lessons.
It's really not hard to get started and Lynn has given a pretty much a play by play list on how to go about setting yourself up and getting started with making money online.
There is no need to buy expensive ebooks, for under $100 you can have a domain and hosting, install wordpress on your site which is free, install a theme that coincides with your chosen niche and you on your way, it just takes work and some patience after that and soon you will see the friuts of your labour.
Hi Lynn
I think the biggest problem for me when starting out, was indeed distractions. There's so many fun things to do on the internet to waste hours and hours of valuable time. Focus is definitely the key, as is writing down what you want to achieve at the beginning of the day and making sure you complete each task.
When I first started making a few bucks a day on adsense, I found myself logging into my account every 20mins, to see if I had gained anymore clicks!
For beginners, who are writing all their own content and creating their own backlinks etc, undergoing one or two projects at a time, is also very important. To much going on and you will get snowed under, unable to complete anything properly.
Just my experience, I made lots and lots of mistakes and had many failed attempts. I kept going, and was always keen to learn more.
Thanks
James.
I think affiliate marketing is an excellent suggestion to getting started! There are many free affiliate sites out there that will teach people what it takes to make money online, while showing them how much work is involved.
I like to think of affiliate marketing as doorway to success in the online world. It certainly gave me the motive to stick with it and be persistent.
The 10 steps you gave are great! It sure does narrow everything down and make it less overwhelming for people too.
Hello Lynn.. I was reading your information about how to start a website and I found useful information, but I still have a question that need help with.. I sat down and wrote down my idea and developed a plan for every single area for the website... I wrote down my domain name.. Every thing is structured and planned on papers.. Now my question is: How do I get the website running?- For example: How to get your domain name registered? Where do I need to go? Do I need to do any trademarks? What kind of licence do I need? If I get a licence, do I still need to do the trademark? Is it better to do that with an attorney? Would I need an online business insurance? I've been trying to start the formal process to start my website, but, i always have these questions in my mind. I'll appreciate very very much any help/ recommendation you can provide me.. Im very motivated to do this because its one of my dreams too.. Thank you so much and I hope to hear from you soon! ~Erick
Hi Erick,
To set up the domain, hosting & site, see: http://www.clicknewz.com/1872/how-to-start-a-wordpress-blog/ It's a step by step checklist.
Get the website/blog set up first, and get things rolling, then speak to a local attorney that specializes in these things that can answer your questions about trademark, license, insurance, liability policy, etc. 😉
i am extremely happy after reading these useful steps for making money online .however i do not have my own website.is it possible to earn without that,if yes then how.please provide me detailed information
Lynn,
And as usual where money is concerned dishonesty, trickery and straight out robbery soon follows. I'm just starting out with paid to click (PTC) options and have been staggered by the number that are out there. You have to be so careful. I'm inspired by good people like yourself in wanting to share experiences and hopefully save people from very big mistakes. Keep up the great work and support you give to people.
Regards
The Dentist
Hi Lynn,
I also owned a website but I am still on the process of generating my site's traffic. I have one question to ask Lynn. Can you give me an idea on when do I have to start my affiliate marketing to generate an income? Does my site need first to get a high page rank before I work on the affiliate? Thanks!
Great article Lynn.... affiliate marketing is definitely a great place for a beginner to start online.
I'm trying this approach in the dental field - focused on practice management, so there aren't any affiliate marketers established and although I'm increasing my unique visitors, I'm just making a few sales of my info products. These 10 steps seem easier for a non-professional niche market rather than the one I'm pursuing.
Suggestions for this situation?
Hi Jill,
All of those points are important for getting set up and reaching your target market - including the SEO, Social Media, Content Marketing, etc. If your sales are low it's one of two issues: traffic or conversions.
If you'd like feedback, or want to brainstorm, join us over at the forum: http://www.clicknewz.com/members/ It's a great place to get help specific to your business and your model! 🙂
Hey Lynn, you always put together such comprehensive material in your posts. This is excellent for beginners. It's been awhile since I've been at your forum. Will have to make some time to get over there again. 🙂
Great article Lynn, this article is so helpful for me.Its really a great post to read, I found your post so interesting.Thanks a lot for sharing a great stuff.
Thanks for this post Lynn! I really like how you outlined this post for beginners. The way you have links to other posts you have made was very helpful. This post inspired me to write a post on my blog called "10 Steps Every Online Marketer Needs, To Make A Six Figure Income From Home." Thanks for the great information in all of your posts!
I have just started blogging, this post will help me lot.Thanks for the info.
Excellent advice for us newbies, I think I've had my fill of survey filling for one lifetime lol 🙂 I'm off to check out the forum!
hi lynn, i am looking to build a website which is based on electronic gadgets like mobile tablet tv etc, in truly im not a professional web designer , i just know basic html and css . i know building such a big websites is so difficult for me . is any easy way to build websites if their is no way then please tell me where can I learn (how to build a entire website).....sorry if I ask wrongly - please give me your valuable advise im truly need your help lynn truly.
Hi Nathin,
WordPress is the easiest platform to use. There is a 10-step checklist at the end of this post that should prove helpful to you in getting started:
http://www.clicknewz.com/2343/how-to-make-money-online-for-beginners/
Hope that helps. 😀 *cheers*
Hi Lynn,
I have been reading a lot of your articles lately, and I must say, you know your stuff. I am learning a lot from professional internet marketers such as yourself. Thanks for all that you do.
Great post! What you said about consistency is so true. Perseverance is essental to making money online. And of course, one of the main things for making money online is simply that you start learning as much as you can from those who have gone before you, and have had success of their own. At least, that was my experience when I was first getting started!
Hello lyn, can we still make money online just by using blogger.com alone, which is a free blogging service? coz I can't affording yet using hosting sites
Thanks Lynn Woolums Smith for this valuable article post. I am a beginners money making online. I read this article carefully and i gather enough knowledge about money making online for beginner. Best information for me this site.
Hey Lynn, pretty good site you have here. Thanks for share. Tell me, what kind of things would be a good choice to sell online? Things that people really need.
Great question! I answered it in detail here: http://www.clicknewz.com/7012/products-to-sell-online/ 😀
I am reading as a beginner, however, there are so many links to go to get an understanding of what I am to do. Can you guide me accordingly?
I would like to create a website to promote natural products.
Hi Lorene,
The links at the end of the post above will guide you. The first thing you want to do is choose your niche, and your specific angle on the niche. See the link below as well. I am doing a "cross blog conversation" to help Vera set up her website as well.
Let me know which step you are on specifically, and what you need help with exactly, and I can point you in the right direction. 🙂
This post was very good. and good asvise. I know when I started out I didn't know which way to turn or how to even stay focused
I am trying to run a domain name and website business after being made redundant. I have tried to get adsense three times but they say 'insufficient content'. So now I am trying to get affiliation to non adsense vendors. One company actually came to me to advertise their service on a site that I did no SEO on. There is a lot to learn.
I start with a keyword tool to find a good niche with potential, then buy the domain name, then park it to start with. I then try to build a simple site, I like concrete5. WordPress is ok but the code is not perfect html. I then try to promote the site and get affiliate advertising on it. Writing original articles for my sites is hard for me as it isn't what I usually do but it does not cost me anything to try it, other than time.
The plan is to improve each site as the traffic builds up naturally, perhaps I could outsource the work later if the costs are justified.
Hi Lu,
How is this working out for you so far??
You'll do much better to focus on a niche or topic you're really into or passionate about - like a hobby or dream life or even something you're already proficient at & enjoy. These days almost everyone will tell you to create one business or site, and go ALL in with it.
A lot has changed over the years. 😉
A great article. There are so many ways to make money online, it can be
Confusing as two what to work with first. you have given some really good tips. And all the while as you are looking for your niche. The greatest thing I have ever done was to find a mentor. Someone you can trust, and feel comfortable with.
Then you just have to block out all the other people and distractions. Then you are able to start making ground.
Cheers Lynn. Great to have those 10 steps set out. I think to many people try and make that quick buck online without laying those proper foundations. Getting a blog up and running provides a great traffic source if you update it regularly. If you don't set up a blog you will kick yourself 6 months down the line.
Nice tutorial Lynn. I think your covered almost all the necessary things and the best thing I liked about your article was that it was linked to relevant resources which would be very helpful for beginner who just stepped into the world of internet marketing. Choosing a niche and keywords selection are very important. And if you could do a better SEO you could surely make that much of income easily.
Best of luck!!
With havin so much content and articles do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright infringement?
My site has a lot of completely unique content
I've either written myself or outsourced but
it looks like a lot of it is popping it up all over
the internet without my authorization. Do you know any solutions to help stop content from being stolen? I'd really appreciate it.
WOW! You have got everything down to a T.
I truly love reading your articles because they explain everything in more detail, or everything is understandable where a kid can understand it. Most bloggers talk to broad or technical and you can get lost in the noise of it all. You just what to say and you have everything in order. I will definitely be taking more advantage of your advice and articles thank you...
Great post indeed! Nowadays using internet creates vast opportunities in making passive income online and one of them is blogging. Thanks for sharing such a very informative post!
I just started my blog not a year ago because i was inspired by a story of people who make their living online and most of them quit their 9-5 job and make full income online using internet and laptop.
For us beginners, what can you advice so we will not be overwhelm by so many information?