It’s hard to imagine that there is anyone between the ages of 13 and 45 who doesn’t have a personal webpage. The staggering growth in popularity of social networking sites like YouTube, MySpace, Twitter and Facebook seems to have stirred the publisher in all of us. Facebook alone now has over 200 million users, with over 100 million people logging on at least once a day. (By comparison, the total population of Japan is estimated at roughly 128 million people.) This phenomenal growth is evidence of the general public’s increasing comfort level with the internet and technology.
The premise of social networking is simple-provide people with a free and easy means of communicating with each other and they will embrace it. In the process, these users become “virtual volunteers” for the social networking site; working tirelessly around the clock to create new content and promote the service. What most users do not concern themselves with is the means by which the social networking sites earn revenue-by selling ad space to corporations eager to market products to steady streams of highly targeted web site traffic. These ads have translated into billions of dollars in commerce for the social networking sites and the advertisers. And exactly how much are the content publishers (i.e., you) paid for attracting all of that targeted web site traffic? In the vast majority of cases, absolutely nothing.
The Alternative
Personal web site hosting is quickly emerging as alternative to social networking. The concept is similar to social networking, in the sense that users are given free hosting for their web pages and tools for creating and managing content. However, there are key distinctions that make personal web hosting services a better means of publishing content. These differences include:
- A more powerful publishing platform that allows you to create, not just a web page, but an entire web site on the subdomain of your choice (yoursubdomain.domain.com)
- Potentially lucrative revenue sharing features that allow users to earn money online by displaying ads from any number of affiliate advertising programs.
- The freedom to openly sell products and services on their “personal” web sites, and assistance in doing so.
Rather than publishing a single personal webpage, users are free to create a blog or mini-site with an unlimited number of pages. Each page is new “real estate” on which to display ads from the affiliate advertising program of the user’s choice. Users can earn revenue each time a payable action occurs. Payable actions vary widely, and may include a purchase, subscription, or even a click on an advertiser’s link. Want to make more money? Create more content or spend more time promoting the content you’ve already created. The more targeted web site traffic you generate through your personal web site hosting account, the more you are likely to earn. It’s that simple. All the benefits of running your own site without the headache or expense. All that’s required of you is a willingness to share the advertising space on your free web pages.
How to Maximize Earnings from Your Personal Web Site Hosting Account
- Be sure the host that will allow you use your site for commercial purposes. All personal web site hosting services are not created equal. Make sure your host will permit you to monetize your site, as this is one of the most lucrative and easiest ways to earn money online.
- Use your existing social network to promote your site. This is an excellent means of generating web site traffic when in the beginning.
- Establish quality links to your new site quickly. Most forums and blogs allow commenting and many allow you to include a link to your site in your comments. These “back links” not only help siphon off traffic from other sites, they are used by major search engines to determine the order in which your page will be displayed in search results.
- Publish fresh, new content often. Google loves sites with a lot of content and so do internet users. Give the search engines and your readers a reason to come back every day.
- Be a big fish in a little pond. Instead of joining an overcrowded site with millions of users, try signing up with a site that is just starting out. You’ll get more attention from visitors and the site administrators.
- Study your craft. Learn as much as you can about content development, internet marketing, search engine promotions, and affiliate advertising. Becoming knowledgeable in one or more of these areas can be the difference between earning $50 per month from your site and earning $5,000 per month from your site.
- Become an advertising affiliate marketer. Once you’ve published a few articles, posts or pages of content, you’ll want to investigate the myriad of ways through which you can earn money from your site..