If you’re already attracting traffic to your website but haven’t yet tapped into monetization, you’re missing out on a stream of passive income. Even a modest amount, like $5 a month, can add up over time – think of it as a free coffee, courtesy of your site.
I’m Oleg G., and I’ve been turning website traffic into passive income since 2014. In 2023, I reached a significant milestone, earning over a million dollars in passive income with my websites so I can share my expertise on how to monetize your website.
Let me share with you the most effective and current strategies to monetize your website in 2024.
1. Using Ad Networks
The simpliest way to earn money from your website is by showing ads through ad networks.
Google AdSense
The most well-known of these is Google AdSense. You’ve probably seen Google ads on many websites.
To start, you need to sign up for a Google AdSense account and then add a special code to your website. After Google checks and approves your site, ads will start to show up. These ads are tailored for each visitor to your site. You can adjust where and how often ads appear, and I can dive deeper into this in a future video if you’re interested – just let me know in the comments.
Your earnings will depend on your website’s content niche. For example, websites about personal finance might earn $20-30 for every thousand views, while sites about less profitable topics like religion might only earn $1-3 per thousand views.
You can raise these number with a few tricks or by using Ezoic, which is popular among website owners.
Ezoic
Ezoic is a tool that uses smart tech and AI to help you earn more from Google AdSense ads.
If you’ve got Google AdSense already, applying to Ezoic is easy, and it helps you make more money.
In my experience, Ezoic does increase earnings, sometimes even double them, but it has some pros and cons. If you want to know more, let me know, and I might make a video about it.
Mediavine & Raptive
If you want to earn even more from your website, consider premium ad networks like Raptive or Mediavine. They have special advertisers and work well for both the advertisers and website owners like you. This means you could earn more money from your ads.
But, getting into these networks isn’t easy.
They only accept websites with high-quality content and good traffic.
For example, Mediavine requires your site to have 50,000 sessions in the last 30 days and they might not take certain topics. If you do get accepted, your earnings can go up a lot.
For my site MyTrip2Ecuador.com, I’m using Google AdSense and making about $6 per thousand views. With Mediavine, it could rise to $20-25 per thousand views.
I’m working to get more traffic to meet these requirements and will share a video showing the change in earnings once I join.
2. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is my favorite method for earning money from a website. Done right, it can be very profitable.
In fact, my best websites were earning me $60,000 a month before I sold them.
The idea behind affiliate marketing is simple. If you recommend a product, service, or solution to your audience, you can include a special referral link.
When someone clicks on this link and makes a purchase, you get a commission.
There are many ways to add these affiliate links to your website.
Amazon Associates Program
A popular way to do affiliate marketing is by using Amazon. You can start by signing up for the Amazon Associates program.
It’s really easy to do. You just give them some details about your website and wait about 48 hours for them to review it. I’ve signed up over 60 different websites and never got turned down.
Once you’re in, you can create affiliate links for any product or category on Amazon. If there’s a product you want to recommend on your site, why not use an affiliate link? When someone buys through your link, you earn a commission. Also, Amazon has a 24-hour cookie period. This means if someone clicks your link and buys anything from Amazon within 24 hours – even if it’s not the product you linked to – you still get a commission for each item they buy.
Commissions usually range from 1% to 5% for most items on Amazon.com (aimed at US customers). But some categories offer up to 10% or even 20%. Each country has different commissions, the commission are the lowest in US and Canada since Amazon is wide popular. But markets like Germany or Spain still have decent commissions.
Recently, Amazon started letting you negotiate custom commissions with specific Amazon stores or products, so keep that in mind.
Custom Affiliate Partnerships
Affiliate marketing isn’t just about Amazon. There are many other products and services out there. In fact, when I sold two of my affiliate websites in 2023, 90% of the revenue came from various affiliate programs, not Amazon.
While Amazon is great for conversions, their commission rates are relatively low. To find different affiliate products, you’ll need to join several affiliate networks like CJ, ShareASale, Ascend, Rakuten, Impact, and Refersion – there are many to choose from. These networks connect advertisers with publishers like you.
The commission rates on these networks are often higher than Amazon, and there’s room for negotiation. I’ve earned commissions as high as 30% and even 105% on a product. This high rate was possible because the product owners were making good profits on subscription and shared a generous cut with me.
For specific niches, like SaaS (Software as a Service), you can get paid per lead, sometimes starting at $100 each.
Travel bloggers, for instance, can use networks like TravelPayouts, which includes programs from well-known travel companies like Expedia and VRBO.
So, when you’re thinking about monetizing your website, don’t overlook the vast opportunities in affiliate marketing.
3. Create Your Own E-Product
Many people overlook this method, but selling your own e-products can be very profitable. We’re in an era where people are willing to pay for specialized knowledge. Your e-product could be an e-book, an online course, or even a software solution – whatever suits your expertise.
For example, on my travel website about my journey to Ecuador, I made a simple, detailed travel guide about Ecuador and sell it for just $5. This alone brings in an extra $50, plus more from affiliate links within the guide.
To inspire you, look at SwimUniversity.com. It started as a blog about swimming pools and hot tubs maintenance and now the owner earns a six-figure income annually by selling online courses on pool and hot tub maintenance.
Don’t hesitate to turn your expertise into a digital product for your website. It’s a great way to monetize what you know.
4. Ask Your Audience for Donations
Another way to make money from your website is to ask your visitors for donations, especially if they like your content. You can set this up easily with PayPal, Stripe, or something even simpler like Buy Me a Coffee, which is what I use.
By the way, if you find this article useful, consider buying me a coffee as a thank-you! 😉
There are many ways to make money from your website in 2024. You can use ads, share affiliate links, sell your own digital products, or ask for donations. Choose the way that fits your site and your audience best. Even small steps can add up to good money over time. Give these ideas a try and see how your website can start earning for you.