Can I make a living from websites?

[essexboy]

I'm wondering if I should devote more time to websites and thought i'd do a poll to see if i'm inspired to devote more time. I currently only make a small amount each month from websites and previously only dealt in domains.
Please use the poll to indicate how much you make a month on websites and NOT domain names.
votes are anonymous

Thanks

 

[julian]

if you need to ask that question they you probably can't.

Can I make a living from websites?

 

[newguy]

Devote more time, in line with your intention, and see what happens .

 

[accelerator]

Is it possible to make a decent living from websites? Yes. Can you make a decent living from websites? That depends. The income potential is there as the advertising industry is a high revenue industry with much of TV ad revenue moving to the internet, but how much you can make is very much dependent on your skills and determination. I think many successful affiliates had to put a lot of effort in to get somewhere, and only a small percentage of those who want to "make it" ever do. It comes down to ability, effort and determination.

Rgds

 

[lebowski]

You could ask this question about making a living from anything and my answer would be the same. You can if you have the skills, the determination and if you're willing to make sacrifices. Just do it! ... I may have stolen that line. I have no talent for tag lines so no chance of making a living there.

P.S. i wrote this before I saw accelerator's post. Sounds like I'm copying. Apologies accelerator.

 

[accelerator]

P.S. i wrote this before I saw accelerator's post. Sounds like I'm copying. Apologies accelerator.

Hey, don't worry about it, it just goes to show we both talk sense!

The other thing I would say is an important skill is having a sense of what might be worth trying and what wouldn't be worth it. This is common sense or business judgement or whatever, but really it's a skill in itself. Many times when I see a "What do you think of my first site thread?", I think that's not going to work out, but it's the one's that stick through their bad initial idea to try new things and refine their techniques that eventually make it.

Watching domain sale prices at domainprices.co.uk can also help a lot

Rgds

 

[stender]

That poll isn't going to tell you a lot. Someone might have 1 site making £2k or 200 sites making £10pm. Also not helping you to know if they are proper sites or mini sites, affiliate or adsense etc... you'd be better of doing a questionaire on a site as long as anonymous.

 

[digitalquill]

1. Find something you are interested in
2. Find something you know about
3. Don't expect instant results
4. Don' give up the day job until you are sure about what you are doing and where you are going
5. Even with a small site/income make sure you keey good records there are still tax implications

 

[accelerator]

1. Find something you are interested in
2. Find something you know about
3. Don't expect instant results
4. Don' give up the day job until you are sure about what you are doing and where you are going
5. Even with a small site/income make sure you keey good records there are still tax implications

I would add:
1.5 Check that it has the potential to make you enough money.

Rgds

 

[springer]

you'd be better of doing a questionaire on a site as long as anonymous.

Agreed. In fact such an anonymous questionnaire could be very insightful - giving some indications into the effort required to generate some good money and what affiliates approaches are, such as one big site, a few medium sites or many 'mini-sites'.

 

[digitalquill]

Agreed. In fact such an anonymous questionnaire could be very insightful - giving some indications into the effort required to generate some good money and what affiliates approaches are, such as one big site, a few medium sites or many 'mini-sites'.

Yes rewards are directly linked to effort. I have been out of the game for a while due to wedding and birth of daughter and affiliate/Internet business suffered, now really starting again with most of it.

Up to now I have had rather a scatter gun approach with many small sites, my first aim has always been to cover the cost of the domain and hosting and then anything more is a bonus, up to now that has been great and brought in some good pocket money, however, I think it would better to focus energy in one place and get that off the ground in order to make the big success.

Still, it depends on what you are doing, if you are a domainer then getting mini-sites up and running quickly that cover your costs and then making money on selling them on also has its rewards.

 

[domainseller200]

No disrespect, but this is a stupid question as only you can answer it.

It is possible to make £100k a week from websites

Is it possible for YOU to do that ? I don't know as I don't know your skills, your financial position, your drive, your ideas etc.

This is similar to me asking "Can I win the lottery if I buy some tickets" - the answer is obviously yes but is not the full equation.

This isn't meant in an offensive way at all, but more of a realistic one which only you can answer yourself.

 

[stender]

Im sure I mentioned a questionaire in the past.
Who would be willing to complete a questionaire if it were anonymous? i.e complete a form online or email to an address?
i could whip one up if enough interest. would be quite interesting reading imho and inspiring to others.

 

[springer]

Would be great if you could compile a questionnaire - perhaps we could compose some questions here and get members of this forum and others such as A4U to provide anonymous answers. May provide some good content for the proposed domaining/AM magazine?

Some questions:
1. How long do you spend a day on average doing AM?
2. What are your average earnings per month?
3. How many sites do you have?
4. Do you do PPC? Is this your main source of traffic/revenue?
5. Do you do AM full-time? How much of your annual income is from AM?
...

 

[Edwin]

That kind of questionnaire is meaningless. It sets unrealistic metrics/benchmarks because so much of the success/failure equation depends on knowledge. I can spend an hour setting up a site with a few pages, and it will automatically tick 99% of the "on page SEO" boxes because I know from experience what I need to do. Somebody starting from scratch will need to read up for hundreds of hours and even then won't necessarily have the practical experience necessary to get everything right up front.

Likewise, I know all the main affiliate networks and how to find appropriate ads for most situations, whereas it might take somebody new to affiliate marketing a long time to find them - if they find them at all.

Similarly, if I'm launching a new site I can give it some link love from my existing sites and kick it off to the kind of start that somebody working on their first couple of sites can never do.

None of this is meant to deter newcomers, I'm just trying to emphasize that there's no point in stressing about what others know/spend/make/do - the time would be FAR FAR better spent learning by reading and then learning by doing.

 

[crabfoot]

Nankidesko Edwin,

O famous domain name guru.

But please, give hints - I've spent too much time reading rubbish, trying to find the good bits, and the legal bits. Pointers are good, wasted time is BAD.

Aregato, Edwin

 

[accelerator]

But please, give hints - I've spent too much time reading rubbish, trying to find the good bits, and the legal bits. Pointers are good, wasted time is BAD.

I expect Edwin will have something to say, but in the meantime, try these affiliate marketing and SEO blogs.

Rgds

 

[stender]

I don't think it's meaningless at all. It would be an interesting read and an inspiration to many imho.

 

[Edwin]

Pointers to what, exactly? I've never found a single site or ebook, either paid or free, that lays EVERYTHING out in one place that you need to do in order to set up, promote and monetise a site. It's an almost impossible "ask" if you have to start from scratch, like having to explain how to make a car from first principles.

But with specific questions it's possible to at least try to find specific answers.

BTW, if you're looking to optimise a local small business website (i.e. a site for a business that has a physical presence in an area) then my guide may be of some help...
http://www.memorabledomains.co.uk/localseo.pdf

 

[mojoco]

Nankidesko Edwin,

O famous domain name guru.

But please, give hints - I've spent too much time reading rubbish, trying to find the good bits, and the legal bits. Pointers are good, wasted time is BAD.

Aregato, Edwin

OK, I wonder what Nankidesko means........??

Nankidesko - Google Search