Making Money Archives – Katherine McLee https://katherinemclee.com/tag/making-money/ Digital Marketing, Affiliate Marketing & Blogging Tips! Thu, 31 Oct 2024 21:51:06 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://i0.wp.com/katherinemclee.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/cropped-sdffdg.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Making Money Archives – Katherine McLee https://katherinemclee.com/tag/making-money/ 32 32 148049789 How To Make Money With Affiliate Marketing https://katherinemclee.com/how-to-make-money-with-affiliate-marketing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-make-money-with-affiliate-marketing https://katherinemclee.com/how-to-make-money-with-affiliate-marketing/#comments Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:37:36 +0000 http://katherinemclee.com/?p=614 There are many ways to make money with Affiliate Marketing. Blogs and YouTube are two of the most popular ways. The most important thing - if you are wanting to make an income as opposed to a little cash here and there - is having a large audience who trust what you say.

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This post is going to break down exactly what Affiliate Marketing is and how to make money from it.

Affiliate marketing has quickly become one of the most popular ways to generate passive income online. With good reason!

The beauty of affiliate marketing is that you can make money whether you are looking to start a side hustle, or wanting to start a full-time online business, affiliate marketing can fit in and generate income for you!

The beauty of affiliate marketing is that you don’t need to create your own products or manage stock/inventory. Instead, you promote other people’s products/services and you then earn a commission for every sale made through your unique referral links.

You recommend products you already love, to people who you know are interested in the sorts of products you’re talking about. If they choose to buy them through your link, you get paid – Affiliate Marketing.

Let’s get into how to make money with affiliate marketing!

how to make money with affiliate marketing katherine mclee blog

Before we get into how to make money with affiliate marketing, we first need to go over what affiliate marketing actually is!

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is often made out to sound complicated but the process is actually very simple.

Affiliate Marketing is when you promote someone else’s product, and when someone buys that product through your unique link, you earn a commission. That’s it. 

You may initially be wondering why brands would choose to pay you to promote their products. Fair question! 

If you think about how much money brands spend on advertising or any other potentially expensive way of promoting or marketing their products, paying someone a commission on a product that has already been sold, makes a lot of sense.

This is why so many companies offer an affiliate program now. It’s a win-win for all involved!

Being able to make money with Affiliate Marketing is one of the most amazing aspects of having an online business or just making some money online.

It doesn’t matter your niche, your platform, audience size or how you promote it, if you have a way to reach people who trust you, you can make money.

Because most companies have affiliate programs, you can find something you love and want to promote, no matter if it feels a little obscure to you.

Where Can You Promote Affiliate Links?

You can promote your affiliate links pretty much anywhere!

Some companies do have rules of where you aren’t allowed to post. For example, Amazon affiliate links are not allowed to be promoted in private Facebook groups. So it’s important to check out your links to confirm you are following the rules of the brand, but the whole point of being an affiliate is to promote your links (and in turn, the brand’s products), so anywhere public you are generally safe with!

Be aware where you can and can’t link to your affiliate links directly. Often platforms such as Pinterest don’t let you link straight to affiliate links. Your pins need to link to a website such as your blog or a landing page which can then have further information on, before linking to your specific affiliate link.

The plus side of having a blog or landing page for your links is that you can share more information, explain more plus points and in some situations you can also collect email addresses too to be able to send out more information on that particular product or service. 

Remember to always have a visible disclaimer advising of affiliate links. 

*Important note* – you must ALWAYS disclose when links are affiliate links. 

Each country is different so please do your own research and find out how is best to do this, but often you need a note on each post there is affiliate links in, advising of this.

There are many ways to promote your links to make money with Affiliate Marketing. Blogs and YouTube are two of the most popular ways. The most important thing – if you are wanting to make an income as opposed to a little cash here and there – is having an audience who trust in you and your knowledge. 

Links that link out to specific products or services that are relevant to whichever topic you are speaking about will usually perform the best.

One example would be if you had a cooking blog/YouTube channel, you may link to the exact stand mixer or cookware set you use/that you love.

Another example would be if you take an online course you loved and truly feel others can get value from, you can share it with your audience. 

A third example would be if you were a YouTuber, you can link to the camera, microphone and lighting set up that you use.

The nice thing about examples like the above examples is that it’s easy to naturally promote, as you are using and loving the products/digital products anyway! 

What Sorts of Products Can You Promote?

Anything! Everything! Whatever your heart desires!

Okay maybe not literally anything… but close!

Of course it’s dependent on if the product/brand you are looking at even has an affiliate program that’s suitable for you and your audience. 

You can choose from a huge range of products and brands, and can of course promote multiple products. Some products will work a lot better than others for you. It will depend on how big your audience is, how well they know and trust you, what your content is about and your overall niche.

For example, if you have a blog about tropical fish and you’re trying to promote binoculars – no matter how much you love them – it will be hard going.

On the other hand if your blog was about garden birds and you happen to have a pair of binoculars you absolutely love and they are from Amazon or a website that offers an affiliate program – bingo! 

Nearly all companies have an affiliate program now, no matter the type of product. If you want to make money with Affiliate Marketing, there will be products and programs out there for you.

There are also websites such as Impact and Clickbank which have a marketplace for a large range of products and companies you can have unique affiliate links with.

Examples of the types of products you could promote:

  • Physical products
  • E-Books
  • Online Courses
  • Services (online or in person service like tutoring)
  • Subscription websites
  • The list goes on…

The important thing is to find things you use/love, that are relevant and useful to your readers! 

Do You Need a Blog or YouTube channel?

Not necessarily! What you do need is an audience of some form.

Blogs (especially if you have an email list), and YouTube are often the most popular ways to promote your affiliate links as you can explain all the good (and bad) points about that certain product. You don’t NEED to have either of these if you don’t want to, though of course, you can promote via any other social media that you prefer.

It’s important to check the rules of whichever platform you choose to promote on as some don’t allow direct affiliate links, such as Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.

In these situations you will need to place your links on a middle website, be it a blog, a Stan Store, Link Tree or anything else along those lines! You then link that website to your Socials, and your affiliate links can then be found from there.

This is why having a website with blog posts relating back to those affiliate products can be so beneficial. Not only can you post a lot more information and photos about the products you are promoting, but from your own website you can also place your affiliate links in directly! 

If you aren’t sure which platform to start on or want a place to promote your blog posts, Pinterest is an amazing place to start. Pinterest itself is a search engine as opposed to a social media, meaning people are often on Pinterest to search for things.

Linking your Pinterest pins back to blog posts containing your affiliate links can bring in money for a long time to come!

How to Make Money Through Your Email List

Email lists are so underrated!

It’s something I would recommend anyone with a blog, or who wants to get into affiliate marketing, should have.

I won’t go into landing pages and funnels in this post, but more just explain how your email list can work so well in terms of affiliate marketing.

To answer the first question…

What Is An Email List? 

An email list is a list of email addresses that you’ve collected by people entering their email address in exchange for goods or services (often for free).

You build your email list by having something to offer your readers for free.

This could be a checklist, an e-book, a planner, a few pages of a book etc and people who are interested in your offer will give you their email address in return for your specific freebie.

The key is to offer something of true value. 

When people see there is something of value being offered for free, on a topic that is of interest to them, they are likely to pop their email address in to get that freebie. They get their freebie and you then have their email address added to your email list.

They get their freebie, you get their email – win win!

All the email addresses you get from people are held on your list.

This is how you can get in touch with people who are interested in whichever niche that initial freebie was in. As a blogger, your email list helps you stay connected with your readers by sending them newsletters, updates, or blog post notifications. It enables direct and simple communication, and helps to build trust over time, ensuring that your audience doesn’t miss out on any valuable content or key information!

There are many different tools for capturing email addresses and sending out emails to your list.

The one I currently use and really enjoy using is Mailerlite.

Mailerlite currently has an offer on too where if you sign up through my link you will get a $20 credit too!

While I have upgraded to a paid plan, the free plan lets you do everything you need initially, and you can then upgrade as your list grows!

In affiliate marketing, an email list becomes an even more valuable asset.

Building and nurturing your email list is essential to creating an engaged audience that enjoys hearing from you. You want your readers to trust that you are always coming at them with trustworthy information. This way they are more likely to listen to your recommendations, leading to potential sales and income.

One of the best things about having an email list is that you own it.

You may have a large Instagram following but if Instagram disappeared or your account got banned for whatever reason, all those followers are gone. 

The email list is something you own yourself so will always have.

Email is such a good way to keep in touch with your readers. Not only have they trusted you enough to give you their email, but by doing so (to get that amazing freebie you created), you already know that they are interested in the kinds of things you have to say and the information you have to offer. 

This makes your email readers your target audience. Not in the sense that you will push sales onto them of course – no one likes a spammer!

But if you think about the types of products your readers will be interested in if they already enjoy and are interested in the content you are producing… they may very well benefit from the amazing products you have found and are using! 

 

Do You Need a Large Following To Make Money With Affiliate Marketing?

This is a tricky question to answer.

How long is a piece of string?

From experience, it’s absolutely possible to make money with a small following as we all start off with a small number of readers/viewers. As your following grows, it does become easier (numbers wise).

The only thing to keep in mind with a small audience especially is that sometimes brands do have an application process for you to become an affiliate with them and they then can ask how many followers/pageviews etc you get. This is also for the brand to confirm that your content is a good fit for their products, and vice versa.

If you get rejected or told you don’t have enough followers at this moment, don’t worry, there are so many more brands out there!

Making money with affiliate marketing is doable with even a small audience though.

Another scenario to consider is that you may have a smaller following but with readers more likely to buy the sorts of products you are promoting. This is more likely in a slightly more obscure or less common niche.

For example if you have a blog about Cooking. In theory nearly everyone could be interested and sign up to your email list so you may have a huge number of people on your list which is amazing! Your conversion rate may be a lot lower though, but with a huge following it shouldn’t matter much.

On the flip side, if  you had a blog about Lawnmowers, you will have a much smaller group of people interested in getting on your email list for more info. The plus side is that you can be sure that most (if not all) of those people are truly interested in Lawnmowers and so would be more likely to grab any deals or recommendations you were offering!

You may have 1000 people in your email list (Lawnmower related for example), and find that an average of 10% clicks your links = 100 people.

On the flip side you may have 10,000 people in your list (Cooking related) but only 1% click through – again, 100 people.

This is exactly the same amount of people clicking but with a following ten times smaller! 

Obviously the larger the following you have the higher the chance that people will click on those links and buy the things you are promoting.

As a general rule for audience size, the larger the better, BUT it also comes down to quality over quantity. What I mean by quality in terms of your audience is purely in the sense that 100 people who are truly interested in the things you are talking about is so much better than 1,000 people that have just given you their email address/followed you just for the numbers. 

This is often why you will find that you sometimes get emails through from people checking who is reading their emails.

Professional bloggers and affiliate marketers will often remove email addresses of people who don’t read/open their emails, as this then narrows their list down to the people who are truly interested and keen to stay following that blog/person/brand.

How Much Money Can You Make from Affiliate Marketing?

Another piece of string question! 

To keep it real, the answer here is literally… as much as you want.

The sky’s the limit!

 

When it comes to wanting to make money with affiliate marketing, you should put no limits on yourself or your earning potential. At all!

Each affiliate program is different, some offer as low as 1% commission, some offer up to 80% and all the ranges in between. 

Some offer one off affiliate payments, others offer it on a monthly basis if your readers sign up to a subscription service and each month they stay subscribed, you get a commission. 

Examples of these that I am an affiliate for are:

One Off Payments

Amazon Associates

Perfecting Blogging Blogging Course 

Recurring Payments

KeySearch Keyword Research Tool

ElevenLabs AI Voice Over Tool

As mentioned earlier, some affiliate marketing programs require you to have a certain amount of followers/page views a month to be considered. Others (like Amazon), let you sign up straight away!

Amazon itself requires you to make 3 affiliate sales in 180 days for your account to stay active. If you go past this and haven’t made the 3 sales your affiliate account will be deactivated but you can always reapply when you are ready!

If you have your eye on one that you need a certain number of monthly pageviews for, use this as a goal to work towards and you’ll be signing up with them in no time.

You aren’t limited to just one (or 3 or 10) affiliate marketing companies/programs. You can sign up for as many as you want.

If there is another product you find you are loving and using a lot, why not share it too? 

Never put all your eggs in one basket! If you want to really make money with Affiliate Marketing, definitely have a few different channels of income in terms of different programs.

Of course don’t go overboard with the promotion of products! Mix it up with recommendations of things you aren’t an affiliate of, but in the grand scheme of things, you can promote anything you like.

Whether you choose to promote 99p notebooks, £400 cameras or £3,000 online courses – there is a commission to be made.

You choose what’s right for you and your readers and what you’re comfortable with. You can always work up as you go on!

 

Other Ways To Make Money Online Through Your Blog

Affiliate Marketing is without a doubt one of the best ways to make money from your blog (or whichever platform you choose). 

There are other ways to make money online though if you are looking for more income streams, don’t feel affiliate marketing is quite right for you or just to see some other options of avenues you can go down to make money.

If you would like to have a look into some other ways, have a read of this post here:

7 Ways to Make Money From Your Blog

Affiliate Marketing is single handedly one of the best ways to make an income online – use it to your advantage and everyone wins!

Speak soon!

Katherine

📌 Pin for later 📌

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E-commerce SEO Essentials: The Only Guide You Need https://katherinemclee.com/e-commerce-seo-essentials/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=e-commerce-seo-essentials https://katherinemclee.com/e-commerce-seo-essentials/#comments Thu, 05 Sep 2024 15:08:06 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=11221 This is a guest post written and submitted by Daniel Abbott. Depending on foot traffic, the number of digital storefronts and online brands surpasses that of physical stores in our modern world. Ecommerce SEO is now a highly sought-after ability. Online businesses use it as a compass to steer them toward the coveted shores of increased visibility, improved rankings, and higher sales. But to successfully navigate this complex terrain, one needs to know more about SEO than just the basics. This thorough guide is your go-to resource for understanding the complexities of ecommerce SEO and providing you with the knowledge and tactics you need to succeed in the cutthroat world of online retail. Unlock the full potential of your e-commerce endeavour by joining us on this journey to master the ever-evolving algorithms and optimise product listings. Keyword Research and Analysis Here’s where it all starts. Keyword research is important for better ranking and higher traffic conversions. It should be done in a way that fulfils the necessities of Google white hat techniques. Do consider your efforts for quality content including metadata and proper keyword placement. Finding the exact terms and phrases that prospective clients use when looking for goods or services is part of this process. Start by generating a list of possible keywords associated with your niche or line of business. Then, use keyword research tools to grow your list and find keywords that have substantial search volumes and high conversion rates. Search for longer, more focused phrases known as “long-tail keywords,” which frequently denote a strong desire to buy. When choosing keywords, take into account phases like search volume, competition, and contingency to your offerings. Choose keywords that will help you effectively compete in your market by striking a balance between search volume and competition. Make sure your e-commerce site stays in line with current search trends by periodically reviewing your keyword strategy in light of shifting consumer behaviour and evolving trends. Optimising Product Listings It’s likely that more people visit your product pages for luxury crystal wall art than the homepage. Every one of your advertising campaigns also directs viewers to a product or landing page. You should make optimising the content on these pages your top priority. Start with product descriptions that are both informative and compelling. Make sure your descriptions emphasise the special qualities, advantages, and applications of your products. Improve SEO by organically incorporating pertinent keywords into the content. To appropriately exhibit your products, you must use high-quality images and multimedia components. Make sure the pictures are clear, well-lit, and show the product from innumerable angles. To enhance user experience and load times, reduce the size of images. Technical SEO for Ecommerce When you think about typical websites, technical SEO is pretty mundane stuff. With a ton of product listings, tags, categories, collections, and everything in between, dynamic e-commerce sites have completely different needs. Because most businesses are focused on long-term performance rather than short-term sales, it is not uncommon to find SEO packages that heavily emphasise technical SEO. The foundation of any well-optimised e-commerce website is technical SEO. It guarantees that your pages can be efficiently accessed, indexed, and ranked by search engine crawlers. ⦁ Make sure that your website loads rapidly on mobile and desktop platforms. User experience and SEO both benefit greatly from mobile friendliness. ⦁ Ecommerce sites often have duplicate product descriptions or similar content. If you can’t write original and detailed descriptions, then make sure you implement canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page to search engines. ⦁ To give search engines comprehensive information about your products, use schema markup and structured data. Improved search results and rich snippets may result from this. Link Building Strategies The most effective SEO tool you have in your toolbox is link building. However, for smaller stores, obtaining links from high-authority sources in an ethical manner is nearly impossible. The authority and search rankings of your website can both be enhanced by these high-quality backlinks from reputable sources. ⦁ Produce outstanding content that gets backlinks from respectable websites in your field on its own. Reach out to influencers and cultivate connections with them so they can promote your content. ⦁ To connect related product pages, blog posts, and other content on your website, use internal links. This distributes link equity and enhances navigation. ⦁ Customers should be encouraged to share their stories, write reviews, and produce user-generated content that points back to your product pages. ⦁ Produce content that addresses problems and can be appropriately seeded on forums, social media, discussion boards, and local directories. User Experience (UX) You may not presently prioritise UX, but once you appreciate how it helps with sales and conversions, you will speedily change your mind. Pricing for SEO agencies that consider user experience (UX) is typically higher, and for good reason. A business’s user experience has the power to succeed or fail. A user-friendly website enhances customer satisfaction and promotions with search engine rankings. This ultimately boosts conversions and enhances your online presence.  Ascertain your website is mobile-friendly and accommodates seamlessly to different devices. Google allows preference to mobile-friendly websites in its search results, and a huge percentage of online shoppers use mobile devices. Make pages that are fascinating, educational, and ingenious to navigate so that visitors will want to discover your website more. Rankings can be positively impacted by decreasing bounce rates and raising dwell time. Make it easier for people to find information and products on websites by streamlining the navigation. Positive user experiences are enhanced by categories that are clearly arranged and have a clear hierarchy. Conclusion Having said that, SEO for e-commerce platforms can get quite laborious. The issue of improving performance locally also exists. For the best local results, for example, you can contact a top Sacramento digital marketing agency at a reasonable price. Before you start, decide on the path. Will you work with an internal team or on your own? Would you rather outsource your e-commerce SEO requirements in order to achieve better outcomes and meet your sales targets more quickly? About Author & Bio Daniel Abbott Daniel Abbott is editor in chief & research analyst at The Next Tech. He is deeply interested in the moral ramifications of new technologies and believes in leveraging the data scientist, research and content enhancement to help build a better world for everyone.

The post E-commerce SEO Essentials: The Only Guide You Need appeared first on Katherine McLee.

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This is a guest post written and submitted by Daniel Abbott.

Depending on foot traffic, the number of digital storefronts and online brands surpasses that of physical stores in our modern world. Ecommerce SEO is now a highly sought-after ability. Online businesses use it as a compass to steer them toward the coveted shores of increased visibility, improved rankings, and higher sales.

But to successfully navigate this complex terrain, one needs to know more about SEO than just the basics. This thorough guide is your go-to resource for understanding the complexities of ecommerce SEO and providing you with the knowledge and tactics you need to succeed in the cutthroat world of online retail.

Unlock the full potential of your e-commerce endeavour by joining us on this journey to master the ever-evolving algorithms and optimise product listings.

Keyword Research and Analysis

Here’s where it all starts. Keyword research is important for better ranking and higher traffic conversions. It should be done in a way that fulfils the necessities of Google white hat techniques. Do consider your efforts for quality content including metadata and proper keyword placement.

Finding the exact terms and phrases that prospective clients use when looking for goods or services is part of this process.

Start by generating a list of possible keywords associated with your niche or line of business. Then, use keyword research tools to grow your list and find keywords that have substantial search volumes and high conversion rates. Search for longer, more focused phrases known as “long-tail keywords,” which frequently denote a strong desire to buy.

When choosing keywords, take into account phases like search volume, competition, and contingency to your offerings. Choose keywords that will help you effectively compete in your market by striking a balance between search volume and competition.

Make sure your e-commerce site stays in line with current search trends by periodically reviewing your keyword strategy in light of shifting consumer behaviour and evolving trends.

Optimising Product Listings

It’s likely that more people visit your product pages for luxury crystal wall art than the homepage. Every one of your advertising campaigns also directs viewers to a product or landing page. You should make optimising the content on these pages your top priority.

Start with product descriptions that are both informative and compelling. Make sure your descriptions emphasise the special qualities, advantages, and applications of your products. Improve SEO by organically incorporating pertinent keywords into the content. To appropriately exhibit your products, you must use high-quality images and multimedia components. Make sure the pictures are clear, well-lit, and show the product from innumerable angles. To enhance user experience and load times, reduce the size of images.

Technical SEO for Ecommerce

When you think about typical websites, technical SEO is pretty mundane stuff. With a ton of product listings, tags, categories, collections, and everything in between, dynamic e-commerce sites have completely different needs.

Because most businesses are focused on long-term performance rather than short-term sales, it is not uncommon to find SEO packages that heavily emphasise technical SEO.

The foundation of any well-optimised e-commerce website is technical SEO. It guarantees that your pages can be efficiently accessed, indexed, and ranked by search engine crawlers.

⦁ Make sure that your website loads rapidly on mobile and desktop platforms. User experience and SEO both benefit greatly from mobile friendliness.

⦁ Ecommerce sites often have duplicate product descriptions or similar content. If you can’t write original and detailed descriptions, then make sure you implement canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page to search engines.

⦁ To give search engines comprehensive information about your products, use schema markup and structured data. Improved search results and rich snippets may result from this.

Link Building Strategies

The most effective SEO tool you have in your toolbox is link building. However, for smaller stores, obtaining links from high-authority sources in an ethical manner is nearly impossible.

The authority and search rankings of your website can both be enhanced by these high-quality backlinks from reputable sources.

⦁ Produce outstanding content that gets backlinks from respectable websites in your field on its own. Reach out to influencers and cultivate connections with them so they can promote your content.

⦁ To connect related product pages, blog posts, and other content on your website, use internal links. This distributes link equity and enhances navigation.

⦁ Customers should be encouraged to share their stories, write reviews, and produce user-generated content that points back to your product pages.

⦁ Produce content that addresses problems and can be appropriately seeded on forums, social media, discussion boards, and local directories.

User Experience (UX)

You may not presently prioritise UX, but once you appreciate how it helps with sales and conversions, you will speedily change your mind. Pricing for SEO agencies that consider user experience (UX) is typically higher, and for good reason. A business’s user experience has the power to succeed or fail.

A user-friendly website enhances customer satisfaction and promotions with search engine rankings. This ultimately boosts conversions and enhances your online presence. 

Ascertain your website is mobile-friendly and accommodates seamlessly to different devices. Google allows preference to mobile-friendly websites in its search results, and a huge percentage of online shoppers use mobile devices.

Make pages that are fascinating, educational, and ingenious to navigate so that visitors will want to discover your website more. Rankings can be positively impacted by decreasing bounce rates and raising dwell time.

Make it easier for people to find information and products on websites by streamlining the navigation. Positive user experiences are enhanced by categories that are clearly arranged and have a clear hierarchy.

Conclusion

Having said that, SEO for e-commerce platforms can get quite laborious. The issue of improving performance locally also exists. For the best local results, for example, you can contact a top Sacramento digital marketing agency at a reasonable price.

Before you start, decide on the path. Will you work with an internal team or on your own? Would you rather outsource your e-commerce SEO requirements in order to achieve better outcomes and meet your sales targets more quickly?

About Author & Bio

Daniel Abbott

Daniel Abbott is editor in chief & research analyst at The Next Tech. He is deeply interested in the moral ramifications of new technologies and believes in leveraging the data scientist, research and content enhancement to help build a better world for everyone.

The post E-commerce SEO Essentials: The Only Guide You Need appeared first on Katherine McLee.

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7 Ways You Can Make Money From Your Blog https://katherinemclee.com/7-ways-you-can-make-money-from-your-blog/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=7-ways-you-can-make-money-from-your-blog https://katherinemclee.com/7-ways-you-can-make-money-from-your-blog/#comments Fri, 14 Jun 2024 20:13:13 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=1295 In this post we are going to go over the top 7 ways to make money blogging! Making money from your very own website is so exciting, especially knowing the earning potential is completely limitless. But what are the popular ways to be able to actually make money? The niche you are in will of course have some sway over which monetisation options are best for you. The good thing is that there are multiple ways to monetise your blog so there’s definitely something for everyone! While there are of course no income guarantees, you should be able to find at least a few options from the list below that suit you and the way you want to make money from your blog.  Let’s get into the top 7 ways to make money blogging. There’s such a range in the ways you can truly make money from your blog. The beauty in having your own blog is that you can choose whichever strategy and whichever monetisation strategy that suits you. Do you only have to pick one of the options below to make money from your blog? Nope! You can absolutely choose one, a few, or even all the ways listed below. Choose the combination that’s right for you and your blog, and that suits you as to how you want to make an income. Remember there are many more ways not listed also! This post is just to touch on the top 7 ways, but there are many more! The first two on the list I truly believe anyone can implement for you to make money from your blog.  They are also (in my opinion) the easiest to get started with. These are Advertising and Affiliate Marketing. Advertising This is probably the most widely known way to make money blogging.  Adding adverts to your blog can help you to make money passively from your blog. Where Do You Find Adverts For A New Blog? As a new blog you are best signing up for Google Adsense where you can place Google Adverts on your blog.  Google Adsense has a very low threshold as to what’s required to get into their program, so it’s perfect for newbies and people with lower pageviews. You can absolutely stay with Adsense if it suits you so it isn’t only for new bloggers! It’s just the one I would recommend for newer bloggers. With Adsense Google provides the adverts for you. You can choose where the adverts are placed on your site or you can even let Google choose. Google will automatically place them where they feel they will perform the best so you don’t have to do anything, but they don’t always end up where you may have placed them yourself.  Experiment and see which performs the best and which is better aesthetically for your blog and your readers. How Much Can You Get Paid With Adverts? The amount you get paid from advertising can vary dramatically.  It depends on which adverts are showing, where they are placed on your website, how many views your site gets and how many people click onto them. The amount you will get from adverts will go up and down with the seasons too!  Adding adverts to your website is probably one of the simplest of these 7 ways to make money from your blog mentioned here. Personally I would never purely rely on advertising as an income due to the fluctuations mentioned above so I would always choose at least another one from the other options to compliment it. Once you grow a larger following and have more pageviews/sessions you can request to join other advertising companies. With a larger amount of monthly pageviews, you will be able to apply for higher paying advertising. So that’s always something to look forward to as your blog grows! Some people don’t like the look of having adverts on their blog which is personal preference. I’m happy to have adverts on mine as I’m happy seeing adverts on other people’s! Affiliate Marketing This is, hands down, one of my favourite ways you can make money from a blog. The earning potential is limitless, and is more based on your own efforts, rather than the advertising rates set by an external company. It is a term used all over the Internet, but is often portrayed as more complicated than it actually is. It’s one of the ways you can potentially make a lot of money in a short amount of time… BUT Be aware that as with everything, seeing real results will most likely take time and effort. The bigger the audience and the more they trust and respect your opinions and recommendations, the more you will make.  I have a full post explaining Affiliate Marketing in more detail here! As a quick run down though… What Is Affiliate Marketing?  Affiliate Marketing is when you get a commission from selling someone else’s products or services.  How does it work? To start with affiliate marketing, you start by joining an affiliate program with a company or a network that offers these programs. This could be directly with the company such as Amazon, or through an affiliate marketplace such as Clickbank. The company then provides you with your own unique link that tracks any clicks through and any sales. You can then share this link on your blog, social media, or other platforms, recommending the product or service to your readers. Whenever someone clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission, which is a percentage of the sale! This percentage will vary company to company and even product to product. Essentially, you’re getting paid for helping a company sell its products by using your platform to reach more people. It’s basically a win-win! Be careful not to promote any bad products though as the last thing  you want as an affiliate marketer is a bad reputation! Promoting products you use and love is the ideal here as you can openly talk about how much you enjoy them and how they can also benefit others. Most companies have affiliate programs now! If there’s a product or service you already love and want to share with your readers, you can check directly with that company’s website and see if they have an affiliate program you can join. Here’s an example and one anyone with a self hosted blog can do – Share Your Hosting! If you love your hosting company, see if they have an affiliate pgrogram (nearly all of them do), and then talk about them and why you like them! This means no matter what niche your blog – there will absolutely be affiliate programs you can join. If you love your hosting provider – recommend them!  You already use and love them, so share them with your readers.  How Much Can You Make With Affiliate Marketing? The amount you make depends on the company’s commission rate, how big your audience is, and how much your audience trusts you. One of the best parts of affiliate marketing is that you can sign up to as many affiliate programs as you like.  Imagine how much money you can make just by sharing products you already love with your audience. Sponsored Posts Sponsored Posts are an awesome way to get some extra income from your blog. This involves working with brands, where they will pay you to talk about a product/service, sometimes as part of a post, sometimes as the main focus of your post. The brand will pay you to talk about/advertise their product and will most likely then give you an affiliate link to get a commission from all sales made through that blog post also.  When agreeing to do a sponsored post/paid review, make sure the company has not said you HAVE to say only positive things about their product. All reviews should always be completely honest! The larger your audience, the more you will get paid by the company, as the more people the post will reach. Getting asked to do a sponsored post is not something to expect straight away. Give it time, build up your own brand, website and audience and the sponsored posts should start to follow! Do your research to work out how much you should be charging per sponsored post too!  Don’t let yourself be undercharged due to worrying you aren’t good enough. You are. That’s why they asked you. Selling Your Own Digital Products If you are a new blogger, this one will most likely sound scarier than the rest. It doesn’t have to! There are loads of ways to create and sell digital products so if you are interested in going down this route then absolutely do. If you’re unsure just now, have a read and maybe keep this in mind as a potential for the future if you don’t feel ready just yet. This money making option has a few parts to it, but as an overview, you create your own digital products and sell these through your blog or through a site linked to your blog. This could be through sites such as Shopify or Etsy. For a more indepth look at Shopify and who it can benfit the most, check out this post here! There are many different types when it comes to digital products. The types of digital products you can create and sell are things like: One of the great things about digital products is that you only have to create them once but can sell them over and over! Once they are created, your job is then just to promote and share with your audience why they will benefit from your products. If you’ve made a high quality product, this should be fairly simple! Obviously if they need updated/refreshed then do this, but on the whole once created, you can then profit from them over and over again. The overheads for these sorts of products are also very low, which means the profit margin here is very high. This is because as much as you have spent your time creating a product, an unlimited amount of people can then purchase it from you. If you are a newer blogger or new to your niche and don’t feel you could create a full online course yet, you could try for printables!  The beauty in selling digital products is that there really is something for everyone, and they will all be unique to you. Selling Physical Products For some niches, this option can work amazingly well. Say for example your blog was about crochet or healthy dog treats. You could absolutely sell physical products relating to either of those topics. The overheads and time needed can be a lot higher, but that’s not to say it’s a bad option at all. If you love to crochet and are crocheting all the time anyway, why not sell it too!  Making products to order can save you ending up with a large amount of inventory, but puts a little more pressure on you to get the products out in the timescale advertised. You can set up your own online store again through platforms such as Shopify or Etsy. This income stream won’t suit all website niches.  But that’s the beauty in choosing the best ways for you to make money from your blog. It’s all personalised to you. Selling Your Own Services Selling online services is an amazing option if you can offer a service to a person or group of people. This could be one-on-one phone calls (for example a coaching call in your specific niche), personalised video tutorials, online consultations or VA services. You don’t have to talk on the phone to sell a service online either as there are so many options so you can do it as a purely online service if this is what suits you better! If you are knowledgeable about a specific topic but don’t have a large audience to...

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In this post we are going to go over the top 7 ways to make money blogging!

Making money from your very own website is so exciting, especially knowing the earning potential is completely limitless. But what are the popular ways to be able to actually make money?

The niche you are in will of course have some sway over which monetisation options are best for you. The good thing is that there are multiple ways to monetise your blog so there’s definitely something for everyone!

While there are of course no income guarantees, you should be able to find at least a few options from the list below that suit you and the way you want to make money from your blog. 

Let’s get into the top 7 ways to make money blogging.

There’s such a range in the ways you can truly make money from your blog.

The beauty in having your own blog is that you can choose whichever strategy and whichever monetisation strategy that suits you.

Do you only have to pick one of the options below to make money from your blog? Nope! You can absolutely choose one, a few, or even all the ways listed below.

Choose the combination that’s right for you and your blog, and that suits you as to how you want to make an income.

Remember there are many more ways not listed also! This post is just to touch on the top 7 ways, but there are many more!

The first two on the list I truly believe anyone can implement for you to make money from your blog. 

They are also (in my opinion) the easiest to get started with.

These are Advertising and Affiliate Marketing.

Advertising

This is probably the most widely known way to make money blogging. 

Adding adverts to your blog can help you to make money passively from your blog.

Where Do You Find Adverts For A New Blog?

As a new blog you are best signing up for Google Adsense where you can place Google Adverts on your blog. 

Google Adsense has a very low threshold as to what’s required to get into their program, so it’s perfect for newbies and people with lower pageviews.

You can absolutely stay with Adsense if it suits you so it isn’t only for new bloggers! It’s just the one I would recommend for newer bloggers.

With Adsense Google provides the adverts for you. You can choose where the adverts are placed on your site or you can even let Google choose. Google will automatically place them where they feel they will perform the best so you don’t have to do anything, but they don’t always end up where you may have placed them yourself. 

Experiment and see which performs the best and which is better aesthetically for your blog and your readers.

How Much Can You Get Paid With Adverts?

The amount you get paid from advertising can vary dramatically. 

It depends on which adverts are showing, where they are placed on your website, how many views your site gets and how many people click onto them.

The amount you will get from adverts will go up and down with the seasons too! 

Adding adverts to your website is probably one of the simplest of these 7 ways to make money from your blog mentioned here. Personally I would never purely rely on advertising as an income due to the fluctuations mentioned above so I would always choose at least another one from the other options to compliment it.

Once you grow a larger following and have more pageviews/sessions you can request to join other advertising companies.

With a larger amount of monthly pageviews, you will be able to apply for higher paying advertising. So that’s always something to look forward to as your blog grows!

Some people don’t like the look of having adverts on their blog which is personal preference. I’m happy to have adverts on mine as I’m happy seeing adverts on other people’s!

Affiliate Marketing

This is, hands down, one of my favourite ways you can make money from a blog.

The earning potential is limitless, and is more based on your own efforts, rather than the advertising rates set by an external company.

It is a term used all over the Internet, but is often portrayed as more complicated than it actually is.

It’s one of the ways you can potentially make a lot of money in a short amount of time…

BUT

Be aware that as with everything, seeing real results will most likely take time and effort.

The bigger the audience and the more they trust and respect your opinions and recommendations, the more you will make. 

I have a full post explaining Affiliate Marketing in more detail here!

As a quick run down though…

What Is Affiliate Marketing? 

Affiliate Marketing is when you get a commission from selling someone else’s products or services. 

How does it work?

To start with affiliate marketing, you start by joining an affiliate program with a company or a network that offers these programs. This could be directly with the company such as Amazon, or through an affiliate marketplace such as Clickbank.

The company then provides you with your own unique link that tracks any clicks through and any sales.

You can then share this link on your blog, social media, or other platforms, recommending the product or service to your readers.

Whenever someone clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission, which is a percentage of the sale!

This percentage will vary company to company and even product to product.

Essentially, you’re getting paid for helping a company sell its products by using your platform to reach more people.

It’s basically a win-win!

Be careful not to promote any bad products though as the last thing  you want as an affiliate marketer is a bad reputation!

Promoting products you use and love is the ideal here as you can openly talk about how much you enjoy them and how they can also benefit others.

Most companies have affiliate programs now!

If there’s a product or service you already love and want to share with your readers, you can check directly with that company’s website and see if they have an affiliate program you can join.

Here’s an example and one anyone with a self hosted blog can do – Share Your Hosting!

If you love your hosting company, see if they have an affiliate pgrogram (nearly all of them do), and then talk about them and why you like them!

This means no matter what niche your blog – there will absolutely be affiliate programs you can join.

If you love your hosting provider – recommend them! 

You already use and love them, so share them with your readers.

 How Much Can You Make With Affiliate Marketing?

The amount you make depends on the company’s commission rate, how big your audience is, and how much your audience trusts you.

One of the best parts of affiliate marketing is that you can sign up to as many affiliate programs as you like. 

Imagine how much money you can make just by sharing products you already love with your audience.

Sponsored Posts

Sponsored Posts are an awesome way to get some extra income from your blog.

This involves working with brands, where they will pay you to talk about a product/service, sometimes as part of a post, sometimes as the main focus of your post.

The brand will pay you to talk about/advertise their product and will most likely then give you an affiliate link to get a commission from all sales made through that blog post also. 

When agreeing to do a sponsored post/paid review, make sure the company has not said you HAVE to say only positive things about their product. All reviews should always be completely honest!

The larger your audience, the more you will get paid by the company, as the more people the post will reach.

Getting asked to do a sponsored post is not something to expect straight away.

Give it time, build up your own brand, website and audience and the sponsored posts should start to follow!

Do your research to work out how much you should be charging per sponsored post too! 

Don’t let yourself be undercharged due to worrying you aren’t good enough.

You are. That’s why they asked you.

Selling Your Own Digital Products

If you are a new blogger, this one will most likely sound scarier than the rest. It doesn’t have to!

There are loads of ways to create and sell digital products so if you are interested in going down this route then absolutely do.

If you’re unsure just now, have a read and maybe keep this in mind as a potential for the future if you don’t feel ready just yet.

This money making option has a few parts to it, but as an overview, you create your own digital products and sell these through your blog or through a site linked to your blog.

This could be through sites such as Shopify or Etsy.

For a more indepth look at Shopify and who it can benfit the most, check out this post here!

There are many different types when it comes to digital products. The types of digital products you can create and sell are things like:

  • E-Books
  • Courses
  • Planners
  • Subscription Websites
  • Worksheets
  • Checklists
  • Other Printables

One of the great things about digital products is that you only have to create them once but can sell them over and over!

Once they are created, your job is then just to promote and share with your audience why they will benefit from your products. If you’ve made a high quality product, this should be fairly simple!

Obviously if they need updated/refreshed then do this, but on the whole once created, you can then profit from them over and over again.

The overheads for these sorts of products are also very low, which means the profit margin here is very high.

This is because as much as you have spent your time creating a product, an unlimited amount of people can then purchase it from you.

If you are a newer blogger or new to your niche and don’t feel you could create a full online course yet, you could try for printables! 

The beauty in selling digital products is that there really is something for everyone, and they will all be unique to you.

Selling Physical Products

For some niches, this option can work amazingly well.

Say for example your blog was about crochet or healthy dog treats. You could absolutely sell physical products relating to either of those topics.

The overheads and time needed can be a lot higher, but that’s not to say it’s a bad option at all.

If you love to crochet and are crocheting all the time anyway, why not sell it too! 

Making products to order can save you ending up with a large amount of inventory, but puts a little more pressure on you to get the products out in the timescale advertised.

You can set up your own online store again through platforms such as Shopify or Etsy.

This income stream won’t suit all website niches. 

But that’s the beauty in choosing the best ways for you to make money from your blog. It’s all personalised to you.

Selling Your Own Services

Selling online services is an amazing option if you can offer a service to a person or group of people.

This could be one-on-one phone calls (for example a coaching call in your specific niche), personalised video tutorials, online consultations or VA services.

You don’t have to talk on the phone to sell a service online either as there are so many options so you can do it as a purely online service if this is what suits you better!

If you are knowledgeable about a specific topic but don’t have a large audience to be able to fully utilise the above other money making options, this is a great way to make money.

You can promote your services on your blog, on social media or on platforms such as Fiverr.

As with the above points, some niches will do better with this than others. 

If you are knowledgeable on a certain topic, you can absolutely consider sharing your knowledge and advice in the form of a paid service.

This is also one of the “quicker” ways to make actual money from your blog – along with selling digital products – as you will get paid for your services there and then. This is unlike money from adverts or affiliate links where you have to hit payout thresholds and then often only get paid the month after again. 

I wrote a whole post explaining what to expect from making money from your blog if you are looking for more information on the topic!

Click here to check that post out!

The last of the 7 ways to make money from your blog is…

Freelance Writing

Like above, if you love writing about a specific topic or topics and don’t have a large audience of your own yet, you can offer your services as a Freelance Writer.

This is where people hire you to write a specific blog post but for THEIR website, not yours.

Freelance writing is different to offering a guest post for another blog.

With a guest post you will still write content for another blog but will include your own information/links back to your own blog.

The bonus about this is that often you can link that post back to yourself/your own website which will also get your blog more exposure, growing your own audience.

With freelance writing/content creation, you provide a blog post you have been paid for, but purely for the other’s site.

If you have a lot of knowledge in a certain area, or if you are amazing at research/understanding and can learn and then craft a helpful and understandable post for different topics, you may want to look into this!

There is also no limit as to how many people you can write for, so time is your only limitation.

With freelance writing it’s often a good idea to reach out to blogs/companies you would like to write for. Unless you offer your writing services on a platform such as Fiverr, bloggers may never know you offer this as a service.

So that’s it!

Those are my top 7 ways to make money from your blog. 

There are many other ways but those are the most popular and simplest – especially when first starting out.

Some are trickier to learn/implement than others, but all can be very profitable. Whether used alone or combining a few options and having multiple streams of income (always recommended!).

One last thing to note is to not undervalue your time and services!!! 

When starting out it can be very tempting to agree to any amount people offer you. And there’s nothing wrong with this in the early days while you’re building up your blog and experience. As you grow, take some time to really figure out your cost and go with this number. Your time is valuable, and only you can decide how much you want to charge. No matter if it’ a coaching call, written content, personalised placed adverts or selling digital products. Work out what numbers suit you and go with these!

I really hope you enjoyed this explanation of the top 7 ways to make money blogging.

Which of these are jumping out at you as the best options for you and your blog?

Have you already started implementing some of the options above?

Which are your favourites? 

Let me know in the comments!

Speak soon!

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19 Must-Know Questions About Blogging Answered: Your Ultimate Guide to Blogging in 2024! https://katherinemclee.com/questions-about-blogging/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=questions-about-blogging https://katherinemclee.com/questions-about-blogging/#comments Tue, 07 May 2024 14:51:33 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=10528 In this post we will be answering the top 19 questions about blogging in 2024! Whether you are a newer blogger or have not started your own blog yet, these answers should help answer some common concerns you may have! As with any new business or hobby, there are always things to learn. Some people prefer to research and learn as much as they can beforehand, whereas others prefer to dive in and learn as they go. No matter which your learning preference is, you may well have had one, two or any number of questions in relation to starting a blog in 2024. While some of the questions below may seem obvious from the outside, often there’s more to the answer than you may initially realise! Let’s get into the answers to the top 19 questions about blogging in 2024. 1 – How Do I Choose A Niche? This is one of the first things you may think about when you first decide you want to start a blog.  For some, this will be a fast decision and you’ll know instantly what topics you want to blog about. Others may have no clue what they want their niche to be, or they may have a few options. It can be tricky to pick the niche you want to blog about but there are some guidelines you can follow which can help you choose the best niche for you. The trick is to choose a niche that is something you’re passionate about, but also something that has an audience and good potential for growth and monetisation. One common misconception is thinking that you need to be an expert in a topic to have a blog on it. While having some background knowledge in your chosen niche is advised, it’s certainly not essential to be an expert. Being open to learning, researching and enhancing your own skills and knowledge as you go in a certain niche is also a good reason to choose it. Picking a niche that has an audience is important. Nearly every topic in the world will have an audience, but not all topics will be easily monetised if this is the route you are wanting to go down.  If you aren’t sure there is an audience for your chosen topic, have a quick Google and see how many other websites pop up. This will show you if there’s a need for your information!  Unless you have chosen a very specific micro niche, Keyword Research will help you never run out of ideas of things to write about. 2 – Do I Need Technical Skills? This is a completely valid concern and my honest answer is no, but, it will be a lot simpler for you if you did have some. Blogging isn’t just putting text up on a website, there’s the technical aspects of blogging, such as setting up your website, managing hosting, dealing with domain names, adding in lines of code etc.  A lot of the aspects of blogging can be learned as you go, and often there are plugins and tutorials to help simplify or walk you through the steps you need. Your hosting company will help you with anything hosting related. This includes website errors and anything to do with the setup of your website. Choosing a hosting company with good customer service is so important for this very reason. While some technical knowledge can be helpful, it’s not always necessary to have advanced technical skills to start a blog. Many blogging platforms, such as WordPress, offer user-friendly interfaces and guides to help beginners set up their blogs without much technical know-how. Additionally, there are plenty of online resources, tutorials, and communities where you can seek assistance if you encounter technical challenges. 3 – Can I Make Money From Blogging? One of the most common questions about blogging is whether it’s possible to make money from blogging and if so, how. People often wonder about different monetisation strategies. These can be things like advertising, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, and selling products or services. Yes, it’s absolutely possible to make money from blogging! You just need to be aware that it takes time, effort, and some strategic planning. Some of the more common monetisation strategies include things like advertising, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, selling digital or physical products, offering services, and membership or subscription models. It’s important to build a solid audience and provide valuable content before focusing on monetisation, as readers are more likely to engage with ads or purchase products from a trusted source. I have a full post here explaining making money with a blog and how soon you will see the money! 4 – How Do I Drive Traffic To My Blog? Building an audience is crucial for the success of any blog. Another of the most common questions about blogging that new bloggers especially have is how to attract readers to their blog.  This can include concerns about SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), social media promotion, email marketing, and other strategies for increasing traffic. When it comes to driving traffic to your blog, ideally you want to aim for a combination of strategies. This includes optimising your content for search engines (SEO), promoting your blog on social media platforms, engaging with other bloggers and communities in your niche, guest posting on relevant websites, and building an email list.  Consistently creating high-quality content that resonates with your target audience is key to attracting and retaining readers. 5 – What should I Write About? This of course will depend on your specific niche, but the worry of whether you’ll find enough things to create blog content about long term is often a question people have when they are looking into starting a blog in 2024.. Keyword Research is such an important topic but can feel a bit confusing. This post here should help explain exactly what keyword research is, and how to use it for your own blog! Finding inspiration for blog topics can come from various sources, such as your personal experiences, interests, industry trends, reader feedback, keyword research, and competitor analysis. Brainstorm ideas regularly and keep a running list of potential topics.  A content calendar can work wonders here as you are then never out of ideas for what to write about and always know what’s coming up next.  Aim to provide valuable information, solve problems, answer questions, entertain, or inspire your audience with your content! 6 – How To Deal With Criticism and Negative Feedback? Fear of criticism and negative feedback can hold people back from starting a blog or sharing their writing online. Understandably so! Many worry about how to handle criticism in a constructive way and develop a thick skin. It’s natural to feel apprehensive about receiving criticism, but it’s important to remember that feedback, whether positive or negative, can help you grow and improve as a blogger.  Remember, there is a huge difference between someone leaving feedback, questions or suggestions, and someone who has left a nasty comment just for the sake of being nasty. You can develop resilience by focusing on constructive criticism, learning from mistakes, and staying true to your voice and values! People enjoy your blog because it’s you – remember that. You can consider establishing clear guidelines for yourself for moderating comments on your blog to maintain a positive and respectful community. For example, if it’s a question, opinion, feedback or constructive criticism, you can keep it and respond/answer their comment. If it’s nasty/rude you can just delete it and move on! 7 – Is It Too Late To Start A Blog? With so many blogs already out there, some people worry that the blogging world is oversaturated and that it’s too late to start a successful blog.  You may wonder if there’s still room for new voices and perspectives. The answer is that it’s never too late! People are always searching for information.  While the blogging world is competitive by nature, there is still room for new voices and perspectives. The key is to find your unique angle or niche, create high-quality content, and consistently engage with your audience. Keep in mind that building a successful blog takes time and persistence, so focus on providing value and building genuine connections with your readers.  Enjoy it and find your voice as you go! 8 – How Much Time Does Blogging Take? People often worry about the time involved in starting and maintaining a blog. Understandably so! Especially if you have other responsibilities like a full-time job or family obligations. You may be wondering if you can realistically fit blogging into their busy life. The answer is, of course you can, but I would encourage you to be realistic with how much time you can put into it.  Your time commitment for blogging will vary depending on factors such as how frequently you publish new blog posts, keyword research and research of topics, and how much time you are wanting to spend on social media/promotion of your content.  It’s so important to set realistic goals and expectations based on your available time and resources. Consistency is way more important than frequency. So prioritise quality over quantity when it comes to creating content , come up with a schedule that suits you and don’t stress about not being able to work on your blog for 6 hours a day! 9 – Will Anyone Read My Blog? There’s often a fear of putting in so much time and effort to start your own blog, only to have no one read it. People worry about whether they’ll be able to attract an audience and whether their writing will be liked or be “good enough” for their readers. The beauty of blog posts as opposed to professional news articles is that people know there’s a person behind your posts. They will enjoy the way you write, the way you put information across, and any other unique qualities you have to offer. Don’t worry if things aren’t perfect, blogs are loved for their realness as much as quality information. Building an audience for your blog takes time and effort. Knowing it will take time can help as you won’t be expecting a huge amount of readers straight away, but with dedication, learning and a good strategy, you can attract readers who truly want to read your content. Focus on creating valuable, relevant, and engaging content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience. Use SEO techniques, social media promotion, and networking within your niche to increase your blogs visibility and attract an audience to your blog. Putting out high quality content that helps your reader solve a problem or answer a question is one of the best  ways to gain the attention of your target audience. 10 – What Blogging Platform Should I Use? With so many blogging platforms available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. You may worry about whether to use a free platform like WordPress.com or Blogger, or whether to invest in a self-hosted WordPress.org blog. When choosing a blogging platform, consider factors such as ease of use, customisation options, scalability, cost, and ownership of your content. Popular options include WordPress (both the self-hosted WordPress.org and the hosted WordPress.com), Blogger, Wix, Squarespace, and Medium.  Research and read into the features and limitations of each platform to determine which best aligns with your needs and goals for your blog. From a personal perspective, I would always recommend a WordPress.org blog with your chosen hosting.  Free blogs are great for those with no extra money, for someone just starting out and unsure if they will like blogging, or for those wanting to blog as a hobby or not wanting to make an income from their blog. The free blogging platforms are often a little simpler, but this comes down to having less features and less customisation options. You do not own your blog if you have it on a free platform. The platform does. If...

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In this post we will be answering the top 19 questions about blogging in 2024!

Whether you are a newer blogger or have not started your own blog yet, these answers should help answer some common concerns you may have!

As with any new business or hobby, there are always things to learn. Some people prefer to research and learn as much as they can beforehand, whereas others prefer to dive in and learn as they go.

No matter which your learning preference is, you may well have had one, two or any number of questions in relation to starting a blog in 2024.

While some of the questions below may seem obvious from the outside, often there’s more to the answer than you may initially realise!

Let’s get into the answers to the top 19 questions about blogging in 2024.

19 Must-Know Questions About Blogging Answered: Your Ultimate Guide to Blogging in 2024!

1 – How Do I Choose A Niche?

This is one of the first things you may think about when you first decide you want to start a blog. 

For some, this will be a fast decision and you’ll know instantly what topics you want to blog about.

Others may have no clue what they want their niche to be, or they may have a few options.

It can be tricky to pick the niche you want to blog about but there are some guidelines you can follow which can help you choose the best niche for you.

The trick is to choose a niche that is something you’re passionate about, but also something that has an audience and good potential for growth and monetisation.

One common misconception is thinking that you need to be an expert in a topic to have a blog on it.

While having some background knowledge in your chosen niche is advised, it’s certainly not essential to be an expert. Being open to learning, researching and enhancing your own skills and knowledge as you go in a certain niche is also a good reason to choose it.

Picking a niche that has an audience is important. Nearly every topic in the world will have an audience, but not all topics will be easily monetised if this is the route you are wanting to go down. 

If you aren’t sure there is an audience for your chosen topic, have a quick Google and see how many other websites pop up. This will show you if there’s a need for your information! 

Unless you have chosen a very specific micro niche, Keyword Research will help you never run out of ideas of things to write about.

2 – Do I Need Technical Skills?

This is a completely valid concern and my honest answer is no, but, it will be a lot simpler for you if you did have some.

Blogging isn’t just putting text up on a website, there’s the technical aspects of blogging, such as setting up your website, managing hosting, dealing with domain names, adding in lines of code etc. 

A lot of the aspects of blogging can be learned as you go, and often there are plugins and tutorials to help simplify or walk you through the steps you need.

Your hosting company will help you with anything hosting related. This includes website errors and anything to do with the setup of your website.

Choosing a hosting company with good customer service is so important for this very reason.

While some technical knowledge can be helpful, it’s not always necessary to have advanced technical skills to start a blog. Many blogging platforms, such as WordPress, offer user-friendly interfaces and guides to help beginners set up their blogs without much technical know-how. Additionally, there are plenty of online resources, tutorials, and communities where you can seek assistance if you encounter technical challenges.

3 – Can I Make Money From Blogging?

One of the most common questions about blogging is whether it’s possible to make money from blogging and if so, how.

People often wonder about different monetisation strategies. These can be things like advertising, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, and selling products or services.

Yes, it’s absolutely possible to make money from blogging! You just need to be aware that it takes time, effort, and some strategic planning.

Some of the more common monetisation strategies include things like advertising, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, selling digital or physical products, offering services, and membership or subscription models.

It’s important to build a solid audience and provide valuable content before focusing on monetisation, as readers are more likely to engage with ads or purchase products from a trusted source.

I have a full post here explaining making money with a blog and how soon you will see the money!

4 – How Do I Drive Traffic To My Blog?

Building an audience is crucial for the success of any blog.

Another of the most common questions about blogging that new bloggers especially have is how to attract readers to their blog. 

This can include concerns about SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), social media promotion, email marketing, and other strategies for increasing traffic.

When it comes to driving traffic to your blog, ideally you want to aim for a combination of strategies. This includes optimising your content for search engines (SEO), promoting your blog on social media platforms, engaging with other bloggers and communities in your niche, guest posting on relevant websites, and building an email list. 

Consistently creating high-quality content that resonates with your target audience is key to attracting and retaining readers.

5 – What should I Write About?

This of course will depend on your specific niche, but the worry of whether you’ll find enough things to create blog content about long term is often a question people have when they are looking into starting a blog in 2024..

Keyword Research is such an important topic but can feel a bit confusing. This post here should help explain exactly what keyword research is, and how to use it for your own blog!

Finding inspiration for blog topics can come from various sources, such as your personal experiences, interests, industry trends, reader feedback, keyword research, and competitor analysis.

Brainstorm ideas regularly and keep a running list of potential topics. 

A content calendar can work wonders here as you are then never out of ideas for what to write about and always know what’s coming up next. 

Aim to provide valuable information, solve problems, answer questions, entertain, or inspire your audience with your content!

6 – How To Deal With Criticism and Negative Feedback?

Fear of criticism and negative feedback can hold people back from starting a blog or sharing their writing online. Understandably so!

Many worry about how to handle criticism in a constructive way and develop a thick skin.

It’s natural to feel apprehensive about receiving criticism, but it’s important to remember that feedback, whether positive or negative, can help you grow and improve as a blogger. 

Remember, there is a huge difference between someone leaving feedback, questions or suggestions, and someone who has left a nasty comment just for the sake of being nasty.

You can develop resilience by focusing on constructive criticism, learning from mistakes, and staying true to your voice and values! People enjoy your blog because it’s you – remember that.

You can consider establishing clear guidelines for yourself for moderating comments on your blog to maintain a positive and respectful community.

For example, if it’s a question, opinion, feedback or constructive criticism, you can keep it and respond/answer their comment. If it’s nasty/rude you can just delete it and move on!

7 – Is It Too Late To Start A Blog?

With so many blogs already out there, some people worry that the blogging world is oversaturated and that it’s too late to start a successful blog. 

You may wonder if there’s still room for new voices and perspectives.

The answer is that it’s never too late! People are always searching for information. 

While the blogging world is competitive by nature, there is still room for new voices and perspectives.

The key is to find your unique angle or niche, create high-quality content, and consistently engage with your audience.

Keep in mind that building a successful blog takes time and persistence, so focus on providing value and building genuine connections with your readers. 

Enjoy it and find your voice as you go!

8 – How Much Time Does Blogging Take?

People often worry about the time involved in starting and maintaining a blog. Understandably so! Especially if you have other responsibilities like a full-time job or family obligations. You may be wondering if you can realistically fit blogging into their busy life.

The answer is, of course you can, but I would encourage you to be realistic with how much time you can put into it. 

Your time commitment for blogging will vary depending on factors such as how frequently you publish new blog posts, keyword research and research of topics, and how much time you are wanting to spend on social media/promotion of your content. 

It’s so important to set realistic goals and expectations based on your available time and resources. Consistency is way more important than frequency. So prioritise quality over quantity when it comes to creating content , come up with a schedule that suits you and don’t stress about not being able to work on your blog for 6 hours a day!

9 – Will Anyone Read My Blog?

There’s often a fear of putting in so much time and effort to start your own blog, only to have no one read it.

People worry about whether they’ll be able to attract an audience and whether their writing will be liked or be “good enough” for their readers.

The beauty of blog posts as opposed to professional news articles is that people know there’s a person behind your posts. They will enjoy the way you write, the way you put information across, and any other unique qualities you have to offer. Don’t worry if things aren’t perfect, blogs are loved for their realness as much as quality information.

Building an audience for your blog takes time and effort.

Knowing it will take time can help as you won’t be expecting a huge amount of readers straight away, but with dedication, learning and a good strategy, you can attract readers who truly want to read your content.

Focus on creating valuable, relevant, and engaging content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience. Use SEO techniques, social media promotion, and networking within your niche to increase your blogs visibility and attract an audience to your blog.

Putting out high quality content that helps your reader solve a problem or answer a question is one of the best  ways to gain the attention of your target audience.

10 – What Blogging Platform Should I Use?

With so many blogging platforms available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. You may worry about whether to use a free platform like WordPress.com or Blogger, or whether to invest in a self-hosted WordPress.org blog.

When choosing a blogging platform, consider factors such as ease of use, customisation options, scalability, cost, and ownership of your content.

Popular options include WordPress (both the self-hosted WordPress.org and the hosted WordPress.com), Blogger, Wix, Squarespace, and Medium. 

Research and read into the features and limitations of each platform to determine which best aligns with your needs and goals for your blog.

From a personal perspective, I would always recommend a WordPress.org blog with your chosen hosting. 

Free blogs are great for those with no extra money, for someone just starting out and unsure if they will like blogging, or for those wanting to blog as a hobby or not wanting to make an income from their blog.

The free blogging platforms are often a little simpler, but this comes down to having less features and less customisation options.

You do not own your blog if you have it on a free platform. The platform does.

If you want the security of owning your website, want to be able to get an income from your blog, want to be able to have freedom to customise your blog as much as you like and already know you enjoy blogging, absolutely go for a self hosted blog on a platform such as WordPress.org.

Keep in mind that you can always migrate your blog to a different platform in the future if needed. It isn’t always simple but it’s absolutely doable.

11 – Where Can I Find Resources To Learn Proper Blogging Techniques?

This is a very common question as there is so much information everywhere you look, but the tricky part can be finding the RIGHT information that will actually be useful for you and your blog. 

You can learn the skills you need to learn about blogging through online courses, tutorials, blogs, and books dedicated to blogging.

When it comes to online courses you have a range to choose from. Please remember that not all courses are created equally, so word of mouth from someone you trust and reviews can help a lot here. 

You can buy courses directly, use paid platforms such as Skillshare or get information for free from places like YouTube.

YouTube is such an amazing way to get lots of information about blogging. Not only that but it’s one of my favourite places to troubleshoot when things don’t always go to plan!

That being said, to find the exact information you need while filtering through all the less-great information can take so much time and energy.

Investing in a decent blogging course will save you a lot of time and energy in the long run. Plus an added bonus is that often courses will provide free updates too so  you’ll always have the most up to date information!

On top of all things mentioned above, you can also join some blogging communities. Talking and networking with other bloggers and more experienced bloggers can provide valuable insights, support and guidance.

12 – What Are The Best Practices For Writing Engaging Blog Posts?

Writing engaging blog posts involves a mix of grabbing your readers’ attention with strong blog post titles, clear formatting for readability (using subheadings, bullet points where needed, and images), incorporating visuals, and ending with a clear conclusion.

It’s important to make sure you are solving a problem or being entertaining for your readers. Keeping your blog content reader-focused is key.

There are a few steps you can follow to create the best content for your specific audience.

Know your audience: Understand who your target audience is and create your content to suit and meet their interests, needs, and issues they may be having.

Start with a captivating blog post title: Grab your readers’ attention right from the start with an intriguing headline that promises value or solves a problem they may be having/experiencing.

Break up your text: Use shorter paragraphs, bullet points, and subheadings to make your content easy to read and digest. Frequent spaces and images can help with this too. You can of course also add video if this suits your content.

Provide value: High quality blog posts offer actionable tips, insights, or solutions to your readers’ problems. Make sure your content is informative, useful, and relevant to your audience. Don’t make your posts too short but don’t waffle just to fill space! The more relevant and helpful information you can provide, the better.

Encourage engagement: Invite your readers to leave comments, ask questions, or share their opinions at the end of your posts. Make sure to engage back by responding to comments which will help your audience to know you better and know that you’re a real person where they can ask questions and will get an answer.

Edit and proofread: Before hitting that publish button, have a read over your post for spelling and grammar errors, clarity, and coherence. A well-edited post reflects positively on your credibility as a blogger.

Blog posts do not have to be perfect, and can be in a more conversational tone, but making sure they make sense and flow well is important.

For a full list of epic and eye-catching words you can add into your blog post titles, click through to that post here!

13 – How Often Should I Publish New Blog Posts?

How often you publish new blog posts depends on your time, goals and resources.

Consistency is key, so aim for a publishing schedule that you can realistically maintain over the long term. Some bloggers publish twice weekly, once weekly, some are once a fortnight and some are even daily. Experiment with different posting schedules to find what works best for you, your audience and your content creation process.

For more information on the exact number of blog posts you should be aiming for, check out this in depth post!

14 – Do I Need To Be An Expert In My Niche To Start A Blog?

While having knowledge in your chosen niche is a plus point, it’s certainly not necessary to be an expert in your niche to start a blog. 

(This doesn’t include topics such as finance or anything medical etc.)

Passion, a genuine love for your chosen topic, and a willingness to learn and share your journey is also an amazing way to connect and share information with your readers.

If you do have experience or are qualified in certain topics then you can of course use this to share your knowledge to enhance your blog content.

15 – How Can I Build An Email List For My Blog?

Building an email list is one of the best decisions you can make while blogging.

It’s not only an amazing way to engage with your audience, nurture relationships, and drive traffic to your blog but long term can help with an online income too!

Your email list is something you own, and is a way for you to engage directly with those who have indicated (by signing up) that they are really interested in what you have to say.

To get readers to join your list, you can offer incentives such as free downloadable pages/products, exclusive content, extra tips and information or special promotions (niche dependant) in exchange for their email address.

Use opt-in forms strategically throughout your blog (you can experiment to see what works best here for you and your readers), promote your newsletter on social media, and you can even run paid ads to encourage sign-ups if you feel this would be of benefit to you.

16 – What Are Some Effective Ways To Monetise My Blog?

Luckily there is a range of different ways to monetise your blog.

This means you can choose whichever monetisation strategies suit you and your niche the best!

In addition to the more “traditional” monetisation methods like advertising and affiliate marketing, there are various other ways you can monetise your blog.

These include sponsored content, offering consulting or coaching services, selling digital products (ebooks, courses, templates etc), creating and selling physical products, and providing subscription-based content.

To dive deeper into the world of blog monetisation, have a look at this post here for more information on blog monetisation strategies.

17 – Should I Focus On Building My Blog’s SEO or Promoting On Social Media?

When it comes to getting your blog seen, both SEO and social media play important roles in driving traffic to your blog and growing your target audience.

Up until recently I would have said SEO (talking Google) was the best thing to focus on, but due to various updates, this may not be the best strategy for all bloggers now.

Social Media is more of an active way to grow your blog as it requires more hands-on marketing (unless opting for paid ads etc) but can be really effective in terms of getting your blog seen.

Focus on creating high-quality, SEO-friendly content that answers questions your audience may have and incorporates relevant keywords

Alongside SEO practices, actively engage with your audience on social media platforms! Share your blog posts, participate in relevant blogging/business communities, and leverage social media advertising to increase your blog’s visibility and engagement.

18 – How Do I Stay Motivated And Overcome Writer’s Block?

Staying motivated and overcoming writer’s block can be challenging for bloggers. Every blogger you speak to will have had this at some stage though so you are not alone if this has happened to you!

The biggest tip to overcome writer’s block is pre-planning out content. 

Do your keyword research and from this, create a content plan so you have your upcoming posts all planned out.

Other things that can help are things such as establishing a consistent writing routine, setting realistic goals, breaking tasks into smaller manageable chunks, and seeking inspiration from other bloggers!

For more information on overcoming writer’s block as a blogger, check out this post!

19 – How Can I Measure The Success Of My Blog?

What success means for your blog will vary depending on your goals and personal/business objectives.

The most common metrics to track include website traffic (unique visitors, sessions and pageviews), engagement (comments, social shares), conversion rates (email sign-ups, sales), and revenue (from advertising, affiliate marketing, product sales etc).

The easiest way to track most of these metrics is to use web analytics tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. You can also use plugins on your WordPress website to help show a snapshot of these numbers.

When it comes to monitoring numbers such as affiliate sales, often the best place to check these is through your affiliate homepage for that specific company.

This may be a dashboard if you use a website such as Clickbank, or on the website directly for direct links from Amazon for example.

It’s important to monitor these metrics and make informed decisions to optimise your blog’s performance.

Don’t get caught up in checking all of your metrics all of the time, but keeping an eye every so often can help you see what’s working and what can be altered for better performance.

These are just a few of the common worries and questions about blogging that people have when considering starting a blog.

Each individual may have their own unique concerns based on their specific goals, interests, and circumstances!

If you have any other questions about blogging, please feel free to leave them in the comments below and I’ll answer them as best I can!

For a full post on how to start your own blog, check out this post here!

How To Start A Blog in 2024!

Speak soon!

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What Is Digital Marketing? A Simplified Guide For Beginners https://katherinemclee.com/what-is-digital-marketing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-is-digital-marketing https://katherinemclee.com/what-is-digital-marketing/#comments Thu, 16 Nov 2023 23:12:13 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=8678 In this post we are going to answer one of the most commonly asked questions on the internet today: What Is Digital Marketing? We’re going to unravel the magic of digital marketing for the online world today. We’ll explore how businesses use websites, social media, emails, and other online tactics and strategies to catch your attention! In an era where the digital realm is the central hub of modern communication, understanding digital marketing has become so important for individuals and businesses alike. Digital marketing uses different ways to catch your eye online. It includes things like using social media to get your attention and making websites/blogs show up in online searches. This helps companies and bloggers connect with an audience and build relationships in the online world. Whether you’re new to starting a business online or already know a bit about digital marketing, this post will help you understand digital marketing that bit better! We will go over what Digital Marketing is and how to use digital marketing in today’s online world. This post is going to answer the common question: What Is Digital Marketing? And how can it benefit you! So to start off, let’s answer the main question first: What Is Digital Marketing? The technical answer is: “Digital marketing refers to the use of digital channels, such as the internet, social media, email, search engines, websites, and various online platforms, to promote products, services, or brands. It involves leveraging digital technologies to reach and engage with a targeted audience, attract potential customers, build brand awareness, and drive sales or desired actions.” In more simple terms, digital marketing involves using the internet and online tools to advertise and connect with people who might be interested in what a business or website offers. It includes things like creating websites, posting on social media, sending emails, and showing up in online searches to get people’s attention and encourage them to learn more about a business or its products/services. In very simple terms, Digital marketing is like telling the world about something, using the internet to do so! Digital marketing is like spreading the word about something you love, but instead of using traditional methods like newspapers, you do it online.  Imagine you have an idea, product, or anything else you want to share. Instead of shouting it out on the street, you use the internet to spread the word. This involves things like making a website, posting on social media, sending emails, and showing up in online searches! Digital marketing is just the fancy way of saying, “Hey, check this out!” in the online world.  Imagine you have a favourite pizza place. If that business wants more people to know about their amazing pizzas, they may use digital marketing. They could create ads on social media or send out emails with special offers. On top of this they could also make their website show up first when someone searches for “best pizza near me.” (This would be done using a high-quality Keyword Research Tool.) Basically, digital marketing is all about using the internet’s superpowers to reach and connect with people! It includes a range of things like social media marketing, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and more. It’s an umbrella term for any marketing done online – i.e, digitally! What Are Some Popular Options For Digital Marketing? When you look into the centre of digital marketing, it is the science of promoting products, services, or brands using digital channels. It’s the modern way businesses connect with their audience through the wonder that is the internet. Digital marketing happens in various online spaces, each with its own strategy and set of opportunities: Search Engines (SEO) I would assume you have searched for something on Google at some point! That’s where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes into play. It’s all about improving your website’s visibility in search results, so more people can easily discover what you offer. It’s about making your website rank higher in search results, ensuring more people find you effortlessly. Using a Keyword Research tool can dramatically help with this marketing strategy. Social Media Marketing As soon as you scroll through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, or LinkedIn, you’ll witness SO many examples of social media marketing. It’s about building communities, engaging followers, and telling your brand story. It could be mixed between text, videos, and even paid ads. Anyone sharing/promoting anything on social media falls into this category! Content Creation Whether it be blogs, videos or infographics, content is king in the digital realm. Creating valuable, informative, or entertaining content is the heartbeat of digital marketing. Blogs serve as an invaluable platform for sharing information, insights, opinions, and stories. (A personal favourite!) They cater to various interests/niches, providing your readers with in-depth knowledge, how-to guides, updates, and engaging articles. A well-crafted blog not only informs but also establishes a brand’s authority and credibility in its field. Videos are an amazing visual medium that captivates audiences through visual storytelling. From product demonstrations and tutorials to vlogs and brand stories, videos bring content to life, engaging viewers with compelling narratives, visuals, and emotions. They often result in high engagement and better retention of information! Infographics often present complex or more complicated information in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format. Combining graphics, images, and text, they convey data, statistics, lists, or step-by-step guides in an easily understandable manner. Infographics are highly shareable, making information accessible and engaging across different platforms. Email Marketing Email marketing is a vital component of digital marketing, focusing on sending targeted, personalised emails to subscribers or potential customers. It includes: Businesses use email marketing to connect with subscribers, drive sales, and build lasting relationships. Paid Advertising We have all seen those sponsored ads on Google or in social feeds! They are everywhere nowadays! That’s the pull of paid advertising. Businesses/Content Creators pay to showcase their products or service to a targeted audience. How Does Digital Marketing Work? Digital marketing operates on the principles of understanding your audience, creating compelling content, and strategically placing it where your audience hangs out online. It’s about building relationships, not just selling.  Digital marketing works by utilising various different online channels and strategies to reach and engage with a targeted audience. Here’s an overview of how digital marketing works: Understanding Your Audience It starts with understanding your target audience. This means knowing their demographics, interests, behaviour, and preferences!  Utilising Multiple Online Channels Digital marketing uses various online platforms and channels such as websites, social media, search engines, email, content marketing, paid advertising, and more. Creating Engaging Content The key is to create valuable, informative, or entertaining content tailored to your audience’s needs and preferences. This content can include blog posts, videos, infographics, social media posts, emails, and more! Strategic Placement Your content is then placed on different online platforms to reach your target audience where they spend their time online. For instance, using SEO tactics to appear in search engine results or running targeted ads on social media. An example of this would be, if you are trying to reach an audience interested in recipes, Pinterest would be a more strategic platform to focus on than somewhere like Twitter/X! Engaging and Converting Once your audience interacts with your content, as a digital marketer you would then aim to engage them one step further and guide them towards desired actions, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or visiting a different link/website. Analysing and Optimising Using data analytics to track the performance of your campaigns, keeping an eye on metrics such as website traffic, engagement rates, conversions, and more, is super important. This data helps you to understand what works and what doesn’t, allowing for optimisation and improvement of your marketing strategies. What Is Affiliate Marketing? Affiliate marketing is like being a matchmaker between people who have great products or services and those who might be interested in them! Here’s a simplified example of how it works: Affiliate marketing is like being a friendly middle-person, connecting people with products they might like and earning a little something in return. It’s a win-win situation for everyone! Is Digital Marketing The Same As Affiliate Marketing? Yes and no. Digital marketing and affiliate marketing are not the same thing but affiliate marketing is under the umbrella of digital marketing. So while affiliate marketing is a form of digital marketing, not all digital marketing is affiliate marketing!  Let’s break down the differences: Digital Marketing: Affiliate Marketing: Basically, Digital marketing uses various online strategies to promote products or services while Affiliate marketing is a part of digital marketing where individuals earn commissions by promoting others’ products or services through unique links. I hope that helps explain the difference as I know often the terms get thrown around as if they are interchangeable which makes things confusing! Why Is Digital Marketing a Good Way to Make Money For Bloggers? Digital marketing is an amazing way for bloggers to make money because it opens up so many options in terms of revenue streams and allows bloggers to monetise their online presence (and all that hard work!). Here are some reasons why digital marketing is a good idea for bloggers: Affiliate Marketing Sponsored Content Advertising Revenue Digital Product Sales Email Marketing Selling Merchandise Consulting or Coaching Services Membership or Subscriptions Collaborations and Partnerships Digital marketing provides bloggers with a diversified set of tools and strategies to generate income. By utilising these opportunities, bloggers can turn their passion and expertise into a sustainable source of revenue. Of course the more the merrier in terms of income streams, so you can absolutely apply many of these strategies, not just one or two! How To Get Started With Digital Marketing Getting started with digital marketing isn’t as daunting as it may initially sound! It can be fun and exciting, and there are several ways to get started. Here’s a quick digital marketing guide for beginners: Educate Yourself Define Your Goals Identify Your Target Audience Create a Website or Blog Optimise for Search Engines (SEO) Start Email Marketing Engage on Social Media Create High-Quality Content Understand Paid Advertising Monitor Your Analytics Network and Connect Don’t feel like you have to jump straight in at the deep end! Getting yourself started with digital marketing is a gradual process. Take it one step at a time, experiment, and adapt your strategies based on what works best for you, your goals and your specific audience. Can Anyone Become a Digital Marketer? Absolutely! One of the best aspects of digital marketing is its inclusivity and flexibility for anyone who wants to do it. If you are eager to learn, patient and curious about trying different digital marketing strategies, you absolutely have the potential to become a digital marketer! There’s no specific experience or qualifications required to get started, as long as there’s a passion for your chosen topic and a willingness to learn and adapt, you can absolutely get into digital marketing!  There are a few reasons why anyone can become a Digital Marketer: There Is An Abundance of Learning Resources Accessibility of Tools The Flexibility Opportunity for Creativity Constantly Evolving Freelance Opportunities Community Support Overall, digital marketing can be an invaluable tool in growing your brand and presence online. Along with that it can be an amazing way to create one (or a few!) income streams, across various channels. Digital marketing stands as the main strategy of most modern business strategies. It really helps individuals and companies to connect, engage, and thrive. It helps businesses gain exposure, and helps readers and potential customers to discover new people, blogs and brands! No matter whether you’re just starting your digital marketing journey, or looking to refine your marketing strategies, the power of digital marketing can open doors to endless opportunities! Hopefully this guide has helped you understand more about what digital marketing is, how to use and utilise it, and how to get started! Anyone can get started with digital marketing, as there’s so many options and variables that...

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In this post we are going to answer one of the most commonly asked questions on the internet today: What Is Digital Marketing?

We’re going to unravel the magic of digital marketing for the online world today. We’ll explore how businesses use websites, social media, emails, and other online tactics and strategies to catch your attention!

In an era where the digital realm is the central hub of modern communication, understanding digital marketing has become so important for individuals and businesses alike.

Digital marketing uses different ways to catch your eye online. It includes things like using social media to get your attention and making websites/blogs show up in online searches. This helps companies and bloggers connect with an audience and build relationships in the online world.

Whether you’re new to starting a business online or already know a bit about digital marketing, this post will help you understand digital marketing that bit better!

We will go over what Digital Marketing is and how to use digital marketing in today’s online world.

This post is going to answer the common question: What Is Digital Marketing? And how can it benefit you!

So to start off, let’s answer the main question first: What Is Digital Marketing?

The technical answer is: “Digital marketing refers to the use of digital channels, such as the internet, social media, email, search engines, websites, and various online platforms, to promote products, services, or brands. It involves leveraging digital technologies to reach and engage with a targeted audience, attract potential customers, build brand awareness, and drive sales or desired actions.”

In more simple terms, digital marketing involves using the internet and online tools to advertise and connect with people who might be interested in what a business or website offers.

It includes things like creating websites, posting on social media, sending emails, and showing up in online searches to get people’s attention and encourage them to learn more about a business or its products/services.

In very simple terms, Digital marketing is like telling the world about something, using the internet to do so!

Digital marketing is like spreading the word about something you love, but instead of using traditional methods like newspapers, you do it online. 

Imagine you have an idea, product, or anything else you want to share. Instead of shouting it out on the street, you use the internet to spread the word.

This involves things like making a website, posting on social media, sending emails, and showing up in online searches!

Digital marketing is just the fancy way of saying, “Hey, check this out!” in the online world. 

Imagine you have a favourite pizza place. If that business wants more people to know about their amazing pizzas, they may use digital marketing. They could create ads on social media or send out emails with special offers. On top of this they could also make their website show up first when someone searches for “best pizza near me.” (This would be done using a high-quality Keyword Research Tool.)

Basically, digital marketing is all about using the internet’s superpowers to reach and connect with people! It includes a range of things like social media marketing, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and more. It’s an umbrella term for any marketing done online – i.e, digitally!

What Are Some Popular Options For Digital Marketing?

When you look into the centre of digital marketing, it is the science of promoting products, services, or brands using digital channels.

It’s the modern way businesses connect with their audience through the wonder that is the internet.

Digital marketing happens in various online spaces, each with its own strategy and set of opportunities:

Search Engines (SEO)

I would assume you have searched for something on Google at some point! That’s where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes into play. It’s all about improving your website’s visibility in search results, so more people can easily discover what you offer. It’s about making your website rank higher in search results, ensuring more people find you effortlessly. Using a Keyword Research tool can dramatically help with this marketing strategy.

Social Media Marketing

As soon as you scroll through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, or LinkedIn, you’ll witness SO many examples of social media marketing. It’s about building communities, engaging followers, and telling your brand story. It could be mixed between text, videos, and even paid ads. Anyone sharing/promoting anything on social media falls into this category!

Content Creation

Whether it be blogs, videos or infographics, content is king in the digital realm. Creating valuable, informative, or entertaining content is the heartbeat of digital marketing.

Blogs serve as an invaluable platform for sharing information, insights, opinions, and stories. (A personal favourite!) They cater to various interests/niches, providing your readers with in-depth knowledge, how-to guides, updates, and engaging articles. A well-crafted blog not only informs but also establishes a brand’s authority and credibility in its field.

Videos are an amazing visual medium that captivates audiences through visual storytelling. From product demonstrations and tutorials to vlogs and brand stories, videos bring content to life, engaging viewers with compelling narratives, visuals, and emotions. They often result in high engagement and better retention of information!

Infographics often present complex or more complicated information in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format. Combining graphics, images, and text, they convey data, statistics, lists, or step-by-step guides in an easily understandable manner. Infographics are highly shareable, making information accessible and engaging across different platforms.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is a vital component of digital marketing, focusing on sending targeted, personalised emails to subscribers or potential customers.

It includes:

  • Building an email list through blog/website sign-up forms and things like landing pages.
  • Tailoring your content to subscribers’ preferences.
  • Sending engaging emails with clear calls-to-action.
  • Analysing metrics for continual improvement!

Businesses use email marketing to connect with subscribers, drive sales, and build lasting relationships.

Paid Advertising

We have all seen those sponsored ads on Google or in social feeds! They are everywhere nowadays! That’s the pull of paid advertising. Businesses/Content Creators pay to showcase their products or service to a targeted audience.

How Does Digital Marketing Work?

Digital marketing operates on the principles of understanding your audience, creating compelling content, and strategically placing it where your audience hangs out online. It’s about building relationships, not just selling. 

Digital marketing works by utilising various different online channels and strategies to reach and engage with a targeted audience.

Here’s an overview of how digital marketing works:

Understanding Your Audience

It starts with understanding your target audience. This means knowing their demographics, interests, behaviour, and preferences! 

Utilising Multiple Online Channels

Digital marketing uses various online platforms and channels such as websites, social media, search engines, email, content marketing, paid advertising, and more.

Creating Engaging Content

The key is to create valuable, informative, or entertaining content tailored to your audience’s needs and preferences. This content can include blog posts, videos, infographics, social media posts, emails, and more!

Strategic Placement

Your content is then placed on different online platforms to reach your target audience where they spend their time online. For instance, using SEO tactics to appear in search engine results or running targeted ads on social media.

An example of this would be, if you are trying to reach an audience interested in recipes, Pinterest would be a more strategic platform to focus on than somewhere like Twitter/X!

Engaging and Converting

Once your audience interacts with your content, as a digital marketer you would then aim to engage them one step further and guide them towards desired actions, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or visiting a different link/website.

Analysing and Optimising

Using data analytics to track the performance of your campaigns, keeping an eye on metrics such as website traffic, engagement rates, conversions, and more, is super important. This data helps you to understand what works and what doesn’t, allowing for optimisation and improvement of your marketing strategies.

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is like being a matchmaker between people who have great products or services and those who might be interested in them!

Here’s a simplified example of how it works:

  • You love a particular brand of running shoes, and you want to tell your friends about them.
  • The company that makes those running shoes has an affiliate program. 
  • They say, “Hey, if you bring new customers to us, we’ll give you a small reward.”
  • You tell your friends about these amazing running shoes and give them a special link provided to you by the company.
  • When your friends use the link to buy the running shoes, the company knows it’s because of you. As a thanks for bringing in new customers, they give you a commission or reward.

Affiliate marketing is like being a friendly middle-person, connecting people with products they might like and earning a little something in return. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!

Is Digital Marketing The Same As Affiliate Marketing?

Yes and no.

Digital marketing and affiliate marketing are not the same thing but affiliate marketing is under the umbrella of digital marketing. So while affiliate marketing is a form of digital marketing, not all digital marketing is affiliate marketing! 

Let’s break down the differences:

Digital Marketing:

  • Definition: Digital marketing is a broad term that encompasses all marketing efforts carried out through digital channels, such as the internet.
  • Components: It includes various strategies like social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), paid advertising (PPC), and more.
  • Goal: The goal of digital marketing is to promote products, services, or brands online, increase brand awareness, and connect with a target audience.

Affiliate Marketing:

  • Definition: Affiliate marketing is a specific type of performance-based marketing within the broader scope of the digital marketing umbrella.
  • People Involved: It involves three main parties: the merchant (seller or product creator), the affiliate (the promoter or marketer), and the customer.
  • Mechanism: Affiliates earn a commission for every customer they bring to the merchant’s business through their marketing strategies and efforts, usually using personalised affiliate links!
  • Goal: The primary goal of affiliate marketing is to drive sales and leads for the merchant while allowing affiliates to earn a commission.

Basically, Digital marketing uses various online strategies to promote products or services while Affiliate marketing is a part of digital marketing where individuals earn commissions by promoting others’ products or services through unique links.

I hope that helps explain the difference as I know often the terms get thrown around as if they are interchangeable which makes things confusing!

Why Is Digital Marketing a Good Way to Make Money For Bloggers?

Digital marketing is an amazing way for bloggers to make money because it opens up so many options in terms of revenue streams and allows bloggers to monetise their online presence (and all that hard work!).

Here are some reasons why digital marketing is a good idea for bloggers:

Affiliate Marketing

  • Bloggers can join affiliate programs and promote products or services they like/enjoy within their blog posts. When their audience makes a purchase through the affiliate links, that blogger earns a commission.

Sponsored Content

  • Brands may pay bloggers to create content that features or promotes their products or services. This sponsored content can take the form of blog posts, reviews, or mentions, providing bloggers with a source of income. As with affiliate marketing, make sure your sponsorships are for products or services you genuinely like or enjoy, as your readers are smart and will absolutely see straight through any falseness!

Advertising Revenue

  • Bloggers can also earn money through advertising, either by displaying ads on their blog or participating in ad networks. 

Digital Product Sales

  • Bloggers can create and sell their own digital products, such as e-books, online courses, or downloadable/printable resources. Digital marketing helps reach a wider audience and promote these products effectively!

Email Marketing

  • As a blogger you can build an email list and engage with your audience through newsletters, informative or promotional emails. This direct communication channel allows bloggers to promote products, affiliate offers, or their own services!

Selling Merchandise

  • If you are a blogger who has established a brand or niche, you can sell merchandise related to your blog. Digital marketing strategies help promote and sell these items to your audience.

Consulting or Coaching Services

  • Bloggers with expertise in a particular field can offer consulting or coaching services. Digital marketing helps to showcase that knowledge, attract clients, and promote their services to a larger audience.

Membership or Subscriptions

  • Bloggers can create exclusive content or resources for a premium audience and monetise it through membership or subscription models. Digital marketing helps attract and retain subscribers.

Collaborations and Partnerships

  • Digital marketing enables bloggers to connect with other influencers, brands, or businesses for collaborations and partnerships. These collaborations can involve joint promotions, co-created content, or sponsored campaigns.

Digital marketing provides bloggers with a diversified set of tools and strategies to generate income. By utilising these opportunities, bloggers can turn their passion and expertise into a sustainable source of revenue.

Of course the more the merrier in terms of income streams, so you can absolutely apply many of these strategies, not just one or two!

How To Get Started With Digital Marketing

Getting started with digital marketing isn’t as daunting as it may initially sound! It can be fun and exciting, and there are several ways to get started.

Here’s a quick digital marketing guide for beginners:

Educate Yourself

  • Take advantage of online resources, courses, and tutorials to learn the basics of digital marketing. YouTube can be an amazing platform for this type of initial research! Learn about key concepts such as SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and content creation.

Define Your Goals

  • Clearly define your goals and why you are starting. Whether it’s to increase your website/blog traffic, building up an email list, or boosting sales, having specific goals will help your digital marketing strategy stay on track.

Identify Your Target Audience

  • This part is super important! Understand who your target audience really is. Knowing their preferences, behaviours, and interests will help you tailor your digital marketing efforts to effectively reach and engage them.

Create a Website or Blog

  • Establish yourself with an online presence with a user-friendly website or blog. Platforms like WordPress especially make it easy to set up your own blog and give yourself that space on the internet!

Optimise for Search Engines (SEO)

  • Learn the basics of SEO to improve your website’s visibility on search engines. The aim is to rank as high as possible, no matter what search engines you choose. Focus on keyword research, optimised images, meta tags, and creating high-quality, relevant content that your readers will love and find helpful.

Start Email Marketing

  • It’s never too early to start building up your email list. Use lead magnets, such as free resources, printables or newsletters, to encourage your visitors to subscribe to your list. There are many free platforms for lists under 1000 emails in size so I would recommend starting as soon as you can.

Engage on Social Media

  • Choose social media platforms that align with your audience and goals. This ties back in with what I mentioned earlier about if you are aiming to share your content with people looking for recipes, Pinterest will most likely be a better option for you than Twitter/X! Going to where your potential readers are is one of the best ways to promote your content.

Create High-Quality Content

  • Content is key for digital marketing. Create valuable, high-quality and relevant content that helps or entertains your readers. This can include blog posts, videos, infographics, and more.

Understand Paid Advertising

  • If you are choosing to go down the paid advertising route, I would recommend familiarising yourself with paid advertising platforms like Google Ads or social media ads. Start small, set a budget, and experiment with different ad formats to see what works for you. Setting your ads to show for those in your target audience will give you the best results over just showing the ads to anyone and everyone!

Monitor Your Analytics

  • Use analytics tools like Google Analytics to track the performance of your digital marketing efforts. Analysing data will help you understand what’s working and where you can adjust your strategy to make any improvements.

Network and Connect

  • Connecting with other bloggers and website owners in your niche is an important step. You can join online groups and forums, reach out directly via the other’s website or blog, or you can even attend virtual events to build relationships with others with the same goals or interests as you.

Don’t feel like you have to jump straight in at the deep end! Getting yourself started with digital marketing is a gradual process. Take it one step at a time, experiment, and adapt your strategies based on what works best for you, your goals and your specific audience.

Can Anyone Become a Digital Marketer?

Absolutely! One of the best aspects of digital marketing is its inclusivity and flexibility for anyone who wants to do it.

If you are eager to learn, patient and curious about trying different digital marketing strategies, you absolutely have the potential to become a digital marketer!

There’s no specific experience or qualifications required to get started, as long as there’s a passion for your chosen topic and a willingness to learn and adapt, you can absolutely get into digital marketing! 

There are a few reasons why anyone can become a Digital Marketer:

There Is An Abundance of Learning Resources

  • The internet is full of various learning resources, from blogs and articles to online courses and tutorials. YouTube and online courses are both amazing places to look. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to enhance your skills, there’s a wealth of information at your fingertips!

Accessibility of Tools

  • Many digital marketing tools and platforms are user-friendly and accessible. A lot are also free or low-cost too! You don’t need a background in technology to get started as often there are walk-throughs or user guides on getting started. All else fails – Google it!  

The Flexibility

  • As digital marketing can be done using various strategies such as SEO, social media marketing, content creation, email marketing, and more. This means you can choose the area that best aligns with your interests or strengths. You can adapt your marketing strategies to fit you and your niche!

Opportunity for Creativity

  • Digital marketing allows for creativity and a personal touch. No matter whether you’re a blogger, writer, designer, seller or any other title, there’s a role for you. Standing out is important so don’t feel worried about adding a personal touch and using your own unique voice!

Constantly Evolving

  • Digital marketing is always evolving. Literally always! This constant change means that there’s room for fresh perspectives and ideas. Being adaptable and willing to stay updated on industry trends is more important than a specific educational background.

Freelance Opportunities

  • Digital marketing offers many freelancing opportunities. If you’re looking to get into freelancing or start your own business, digital marketing is the perfect way to bring in new opportunities, to show others your skills/experience in your niche, and find clients.

Community Support

  • Online communities, forums, and social media groups (especially Facebook groups) provide a supportive environment for learning more and networking with others. Engaging with other digital marketers can be an invaluable part of your learning journey! Sharing the journey makes things more enjoyable, feel less alone, and is an amazing place to share tips and tricks with others in the digital marketing space!

Overall, digital marketing can be an invaluable tool in growing your brand and presence online. Along with that it can be an amazing way to create one (or a few!) income streams, across various channels.

Digital marketing stands as the main strategy of most modern business strategies. It really helps individuals and companies to connect, engage, and thrive. It helps businesses gain exposure, and helps readers and potential customers to discover new people, blogs and brands!

No matter whether you’re just starting your digital marketing journey, or looking to refine your marketing strategies, the power of digital marketing can open doors to endless opportunities!

Hopefully this guide has helped you understand more about what digital marketing is, how to use and utilise it, and how to get started!

Anyone can get started with digital marketing, as there’s so many options and variables that can be modified to suit you and your own personal brand and business!

If you have any questions on the topic “what is digital marketing?”, or any other digital marketing related questions, let me know below!

Speak soon!

Katherine McLee signature black and white

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From Clicks to Cash: Leveraging Digital Tech for E-Commerce Success https://katherinemclee.com/digital-tech-for-e-commerce-success/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=digital-tech-for-e-commerce-success https://katherinemclee.com/digital-tech-for-e-commerce-success/#comments Sat, 04 Nov 2023 19:15:21 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=8322 Image via Pexels Article written by Sara Bell from educatorlabs.org From Clicks to Cash: Leveraging Digital Tech for E-Commerce Success The world we live in has witnessed a tremendous shift in the way companies conduct their business operations. In this digital era, various industries have embraced technological advancements to enhance their business models, and the e-commerce sector is no exception. With the rise of smartphones and the internet, digital technology has become an essential tool that enables companies to reach out to their target audience and streamline their operations. Today, Katherine McLee takes a closer look at how businesses can revolutionize their e-commerce operations through digital technology. From Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) to optimizing supply chains and offering an enhanced mobile experience, here are some of the ways you can leverage technology and transform your e-commerce operations. Improve Internal Communication Technology can enhance internal communication through the use of project management tools such as Asana or Trello. These tools enable employees to work collaboratively by assigning tasks, setting deadlines, and tracking progress. Another method is the implementation of video conferencing software like Zoom or Skype, making it easier to conduct meetings no matter where team members are located. As technology continues to evolve, businesses can use it to improve their internal communication practices resulting in better collaboration and productivity. Implement Cybersecurity Practices Implementing cybersecurity practices for your e-commerce business is crucial to protect not only your company’s sensitive information, but also the personal data of your customers. With the rise of online shopping, cyber threats have become more sophisticated, making it imperative to secure your website, payment gateways, and databases. By taking proactive measures to enhance the security of your e-commerce business, you can prevent cyber attacks, safeguard your reputation and build trust among your customers.  Cybersecurity best practices are fundamental for safeguarding digital assets and sensitive information. These practices include using strong, unique passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication for added security. Regularly updating and patching software, using reputable security software, and encrypting data are crucial steps in mitigating vulnerabilities. Employee training is essential for creating a culture of cybersecurity awareness, and regular data backups help recover lost information in case of cyber incidents. Adhering to these best practices is paramount in defending against an ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) AI is an emerging technology that has the potential to revolutionize e-commerce operations. One of the ways that e-commerce companies can leverage AI is through chatbots, which can handle customer queries and support requests 24/7. This ensures that customers get the response they need, even during odd hours. Another use of AI is personalizing the customer experience.  When you implement automation with AI tools, the algorithms analyze a customer’s purchase history and browsing habits to provide personalized recommendations, increasing customer engagement and driving sales. AI also enhances fraud prevention since it can handle immense amounts of data and detect fraudulent activities. Integrating Augmented Reality (AR) In the past, customers had to visit stores to try out products and experience them. With augmented reality, customers can experience products from the comfort of their homes. They can use their smartphones to project the AR image of the product and see how it looks in their room or on their body. This creates an immersive experience for customers and saves them time, increasing the likelihood of making a purchase. B2B2C E-commerce Implementing a successful B2B2C (Business to Business to Consumer) strategy involves a set of best practices that bridge the gap between suppliers, intermediaries, and end consumers to create a seamless and mutually beneficial ecosystem. One key best practice is to establish clear communication and collaboration between all stakeholders, ensuring transparency and information flow. This helps in understanding consumer needs and preferences while optimizing the supply chain. Moreover, focusing on customer experience and personalization is crucial, tailoring products and services to meet end consumers’ expectations. B2B2C models should also emphasize data security and privacy, especially when dealing with customer data. Regular audits and compliance checks are essential to maintain trust and regulatory adherence. Finally, maintaining flexibility and adaptability in the face of market changes and technological advancements is vital for long-term success, as B2B2C environments are dynamic and require ongoing adjustment to meet evolving demands and trends. Enhanced Mobile Experience With the rise of smartphones and tablets, mobile commerce has become a must-have channel for e-commerce. Companies should aim to deliver a seamless mobile experience to their customers by investing in mobile-optimized interfaces and payment processes. Customers should be able to quickly browse through product categories, add products to their carts, and make purchases without jarring experiences. Optimizing Supply Chain E-commerce companies can optimize their supply chains by leveraging technology. Optimized supply chains allow companies to reduce inventory costs, lower operating expenses, and improve customer satisfaction. Some ways to optimize supply chains include predictive analytics, blockchain technology, and IoT (Internet of Things) tracking systems. Integrating Chatbots for Better Customer Service Chatbots could be personalized, empathetic, and highly trained to cater to customers’ needs ‘round the clock. Customers could efficiently resolve routine issues without human intervention, freeing up employees to tackle another vital issue. Moreover, chatbots can be trained to handle every touchpoint of the customer journey, creating a seamless experience for customers. Invest in Blockchain Technology Blockchain technology has the potential to create transparent, tamper-proof, and secure transaction platforms. E-commerce companies can leverage blockchain to build transparency in supply chains by enabling customers to track the products’ journey from the manufacturer to their doorstep. See What Digital Tech Can Do for Your Business With the rapid growth of technology, it is time for e-commerce businesses to leverage digital technology to revolutionize their operations. They can integrate AI and AR technologies to improve customer experience, optimize supply chains, and partner with other businesses to reach their target audience. They should also focus on an efficient mobile experience, outstanding customer service, and invest in blockchain technology. By embracing digital technologies, e-commerce businesses can streamline their operations, create the perfect customer experience, and stay ahead in the competition. Katherine McLee is a blogger and digital marketer who’d be happy to work with you. 📌 Pin for later 📌

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Image via Pexels

Article written by Sara Bell from educatorlabs.org

From Clicks to Cash: Leveraging Digital Tech for E-Commerce Success

The world we live in has witnessed a tremendous shift in the way companies conduct their business operations. In this digital era, various industries have embraced technological advancements to enhance their business models, and the e-commerce sector is no exception. With the rise of smartphones and the internet, digital technology has become an essential tool that enables companies to reach out to their target audience and streamline their operations.

Today, Katherine McLee takes a closer look at how businesses can revolutionize their e-commerce operations through digital technology. From Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) to optimizing supply chains and offering an enhanced mobile experience, here are some of the ways you can leverage technology and transform your e-commerce operations.

Improve Internal Communication

Technology can enhance internal communication through the use of project management tools such as Asana or Trello. These tools enable employees to work collaboratively by assigning tasks, setting deadlines, and tracking progress. Another method is the implementation of video conferencing software like Zoom or Skype, making it easier to conduct meetings no matter where team members are located. As technology continues to evolve, businesses can use it to improve their internal communication practices resulting in better collaboration and productivity.

Implement Cybersecurity Practices

Implementing cybersecurity practices for your e-commerce business is crucial to protect not only your company’s sensitive information, but also the personal data of your customers. With the rise of online shopping, cyber threats have become more sophisticated, making it imperative to secure your website, payment gateways, and databases. By taking proactive measures to enhance the security of your e-commerce business, you can prevent cyber attacks, safeguard your reputation and build trust among your customers. 

Cybersecurity best practices are fundamental for safeguarding digital assets and sensitive information. These practices include using strong, unique passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication for added security. Regularly updating and patching software, using reputable security software, and encrypting data are crucial steps in mitigating vulnerabilities. Employee training is essential for creating a culture of cybersecurity awareness, and regular data backups help recover lost information in case of cyber incidents. Adhering to these best practices is paramount in defending against an ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI is an emerging technology that has the potential to revolutionize e-commerce operations. One of the ways that e-commerce companies can leverage AI is through chatbots, which can handle customer queries and support requests 24/7. This ensures that customers get the response they need, even during odd hours. Another use of AI is personalizing the customer experience. 

When you implement automation with AI tools, the algorithms analyze a customer’s purchase history and browsing habits to provide personalized recommendations, increasing customer engagement and driving sales. AI also enhances fraud prevention since it can handle immense amounts of data and detect fraudulent activities.

Integrating Augmented Reality (AR)

In the past, customers had to visit stores to try out products and experience them. With augmented reality, customers can experience products from the comfort of their homes. They can use their smartphones to project the AR image of the product and see how it looks in their room or on their body. This creates an immersive experience for customers and saves them time, increasing the likelihood of making a purchase.

B2B2C E-commerce

Implementing a successful B2B2C (Business to Business to Consumer) strategy involves a set of best practices that bridge the gap between suppliers, intermediaries, and end consumers to create a seamless and mutually beneficial ecosystem. One key best practice is to establish clear communication and collaboration between all stakeholders, ensuring transparency and information flow. This helps in understanding consumer needs and preferences while optimizing the supply chain. Moreover, focusing on customer experience and personalization is crucial, tailoring products and services to meet end consumers’ expectations. B2B2C models should also emphasize data security and privacy, especially when dealing with customer data. Regular audits and compliance checks are essential to maintain trust and regulatory adherence. Finally, maintaining flexibility and adaptability in the face of market changes and technological advancements is vital for long-term success, as B2B2C environments are dynamic and require ongoing adjustment to meet evolving demands and trends.

Enhanced Mobile Experience

With the rise of smartphones and tablets, mobile commerce has become a must-have channel for e-commerce. Companies should aim to deliver a seamless mobile experience to their customers by investing in mobile-optimized interfaces and payment processes. Customers should be able to quickly browse through product categories, add products to their carts, and make purchases without jarring experiences.

Optimizing Supply Chain

E-commerce companies can optimize their supply chains by leveraging technology. Optimized supply chains allow companies to reduce inventory costs, lower operating expenses, and improve customer satisfaction. Some ways to optimize supply chains include predictive analytics, blockchain technology, and IoT (Internet of Things) tracking systems.

Integrating Chatbots for Better Customer Service

Chatbots could be personalized, empathetic, and highly trained to cater to customers’ needs ‘round the clock. Customers could efficiently resolve routine issues without human intervention, freeing up employees to tackle another vital issue. Moreover, chatbots can be trained to handle every touchpoint of the customer journey, creating a seamless experience for customers.

Invest in Blockchain Technology

Blockchain technology has the potential to create transparent, tamper-proof, and secure transaction platforms. E-commerce companies can leverage blockchain to build transparency in supply chains by enabling customers to track the products’ journey from the manufacturer to their doorstep.

See What Digital Tech Can Do for Your Business

With the rapid growth of technology, it is time for e-commerce businesses to leverage digital technology to revolutionize their operations. They can integrate AI and AR technologies to improve customer experience, optimize supply chains, and partner with other businesses to reach their target audience. They should also focus on an efficient mobile experience, outstanding customer service, and invest in blockchain technology. By embracing digital technologies, e-commerce businesses can streamline their operations, create the perfect customer experience, and stay ahead in the competition.

Katherine McLee is a blogger and digital marketer who’d be happy to work with you.

📌 Pin for later 📌

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How To Make Money With Shopify In 2024 https://katherinemclee.com/make-money-with-shopify/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=make-money-with-shopify https://katherinemclee.com/make-money-with-shopify/#comments Fri, 07 Jul 2023 11:34:12 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=7277 This post is all about how to make money with Shopify in 2024. In this blog post, we’ll explore what Shopify is, how you can make money with Shopify, and how it can kickstart (or enhance) your online journey. These days, starting an online business has become more accessible than ever before.   Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or an established retailer looking to grow your online presence, Shopify is an amazing platform that can help you achieve your e-commerce dreams. Shopify empowers entrepreneurs and businesses to establish and operate their own online stores efficiently, making it a top choice for individuals and organisations looking to sell products or services online! Let’s get into how to make money with Shopify in 2024! Shopify have just extended their $1 trial length from one month to THREE months! This means if you use my Shopify link you will get your first 3 days for FREE and then the following THREE months for just $1 a month! What is Shopify? At its core, Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform that allows websites and businesses to create and manage their online stores. With its user-friendly interface and a huge amount of features, Shopify eliminates the technical barriers that often come with building and running an online business. (It gets rid of the bits we don’t like!) It provides a range of services and tools that help entrepreneurs and companies build and operate their online businesses, including website hosting, domain registration, payment processing, inventory management, and marketing solutions. When it comes to the process of knowing how to make money with Shopify, Shopify really simplifies the process of setting up an online store. This allows users to customise the design of their websites using pre-designed templates. There is also the choice to code your own themes if you are wanting to. It offers a user-friendly interface that doesn’t require much technical knowledge, making it accessible to individuals without web development experience. With Shopify, you can manage product listings, track inventory, process orders, and handle customer payments through various payment options. It also integrates with numerous third-party applications and services, allowing you to expand the functionality of your store and customise it to your own store’s needs. What Are The Main Benefits Of Shopify? Shopify has lots of amazing features and benefits, these include: Easy Setup and Customisation One of the best features of Shopify is its simplicity. Setting up an online store has never been easier, even if you have little to no technical experience. Shopify offers a wide range of professionally designed templates that you can customise to match your own branding!  You can also go a step further and code your own theme for a completely unique design if you feel confident enough to go down that road! SEO Friendly and Mobile Friendly We all know that these days it’s essential to have a responsive website. Shopify automatically optimises your online store for mobile devices, ensuring that your customers can browse and purchase products effortlessly on their smartphones or tablets. Shopify also has built-in search engine optimisation (SEO) features. This will help your store to rank higher in search engine results and attract more organic traffic. Powerful Inventory Management Managing your inventory is so simple with Shopify. You can easily add, update, and organise your products using the user friendly interface.  Whether you have a handful of items or an extensive range, Shopify provides all the tools you need to keep track of your inventory levels, variations, and pricing! Expand Your Store’s Functionality Shopify understands that every business has different requirements.  That’s why it’s important that it integrates seamlessly with a vast selection of apps and plugins – which it does! Whether you need advanced analytics, email marketing, or customer support tools, Shopify’s App Store has all you need. These integrations allow you to extend the functionality of your store and provide a better shopping experience for your customers. Secure Payment Processing Security is paramount when it comes to online transactions, for online stores and customers alike! Shopify offers a secure and seamless payment processing system. It supports a large array of payment gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, and Shopify Payments. This ensures that your customers can make purchases with confidence, while you receive payments hassle-free. Win-Win! You Can Scale Your Business As your online business grows, Shopify scales with you. Whether you’re processing hundreds or thousands of orders, Shopify can handle the increased traffic and volume without compromising performance. Plus, you can easily add additional features and functionality as your needs evolve. How Can You Make Money With Shopify Via Your Blog? There are so many potential Shopify business ideas to consider. When it comes to choosing how to best make money with Shopify for you, therer are many options. Here are some of the best ones: Digital Products and Courses If you have expertise/knowledge in a particular area, you can create and sell digital products such as ebooks, online courses, templates, or tutorials. Shopify’s digital product features allow you to securely deliver these products to your customers after purchase, while also handling payment processing for you. Membership or Subscriptions Offer exclusive content or premium resources to your readers through a membership or subscription business model. You can use Shopify’s membership apps or plugins to create a section on your blog where subscribers pay a recurring fee to access valuable content, tutorials, or community forums. Subscription-based businesses can also include subscription boxes for beauty, wellness or snacks as an example. Dropshipping Shopify allows you to set up an online store without handling inventory. You can promote products from suppliers as you handle the marketing and customer service, while the suppliers handle inventory and shipping. The difference between the supplier’s price and your selling price becomes your profit! This allows you to offer a wide range of products without holding inventory. Niche-specific online stores Focus on a particular niche or industry and curate products that cater to the specific interests and needs of that audience. Examples could include eco-friendly products, pet supplies, or specialised hobby items. Print-on-Demand (POD) Products The print-on-demand model allows you to offer customised products such as t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and more. Customers can personalise their purchases, making them attractive for gifts or self-expression. Handmade Or Artisanal Products Showcase and sell unique handmade or artisanal goods such as handmade jewellery, ceramics, artwork, or crafted home decor items.  Specialty Food Or Wellness Products Offer specialty food items like organic, gluten-free, or vegan products. You could also focus on specific beverages such as specialty coffee, tea blends, or craft beer. You could also tap into the growing health and wellness market by selling fitness equipment, workout apparel, supplements, or self-care products. Home Organisation And Decor You can provide trending or innovative solutions for home organisation, storage, or interior decor. This could include products like closet organisers, decorative wall art, or space-saving furniture! Unique Accessories And/Or Fashion If fashion is your passion you can opt for an online boutique offering unique fashion accessories like handbags, sunglasses, watches, or statement jewellery. Remember, choosing a business idea that aligns with your passion and expertise can greatly increase your chances of success. Additionally, conducting market research and validating the demand for your chosen niche is crucial before diving into any Shopify business venture. Does Having A Blog Benefit Your Shopify Store? Yes, having a blog can be highly beneficial when it comes to making money with Shopify. There are many reasons as to why a blog can help enhance a Shopify store: Increased Traffic Having a blog allows you to create valuable, informative, and engaging content that attracts visitors and readers to your website. By optimising your blog posts for search engines (SEO), you can drive organic traffic to your Shopify store. This increased traffic provides more opportunities for potential customers to discover your products or services! Sharing Your Expertise and Authority Your blog is a perfect place for you to share your knowledge, insights, and expertise in your niche. By consistently providing valuable content, you can establish yourself as an authority in your field. This helps to build trust with your audience and readers. This trust can really help positively impact your Shopify store’s reputation and increase your customer’s confidence in you and your products. Building Relationships and Engagement We all know that a blog creates an amazing online space for interacting with your audience. Your visitors can leave you comments, ask questions, and share their thoughts on your blog posts. This is part of the beauty of blogging!  Engaging with your readers through comments and responding to their questions helps to build relationships and creates a sense of community.  This engagement can translate into increased customer loyalty and ultimately drive sales. Product Promotion A blog not only lets you show yourself as an authority in your chosen niche, it also allows you to showcase your products or services in a more personalised format. You can write product reviews, share customer success stories, or provide behind-the-scenes insights. By connecting with your audience on a deeper level and highlighting the value of your products and services, you can drive interest and conversions for your Shopify store. Content Marketing and Social Sharing Your blog content can be repurposed for other content marketing strategies. This could be things like social media sharing and email campaigns. Sharing your blog posts on social media platforms, in newsletters, or other social channels can help drive traffic back to your Shopify store. It can also help to create brand awareness and encourage social sharing. This in turn can lengthen the reach of your content and store! Long-Term Value and Evergreen Content Blog posts can have long-lasting value. Unlike social media posts that quickly disappear, high quality blog content stays searchable and accessible over time. By creating evergreen content (content that stays relevant and useful for an extended period of time) you can attract visitors to your Shopify store consistently. This could even be months or years after you publish that particular blog post! SEO Benefits Blogging provides you the opportunity to create and publish high quality content around relevant keywords and topics related to your industry. By consistently publishing well-optimised blog posts, you can improve your store’s visibility in search engine results. This post on Keywords has more information on how to best use keywords on your blog. This can lead to higher organic rankings, increased organic traffic, and more potential customers discovering your Shopify store! Let’s answer some FAQs about Shopify! Is Shopify Only Suitable For Larger Businesses? Not at all! Shopify is an amazing asset for businesses of all sizes. Whether your business is a small startup or a larger scale enterprise, the Shopify platform allows your business to grow with you. It allows businesses to start small and expand as they go. Can You Use Your Own Domain Name With A Shopify Store? Yes, you can use your own domain name with a Shopify store. Shopify allows you to register a new domain or connect an existing one to your store. This gives you all the personalisation you may want for your store. Can You Customise The Design Of My Shopify Store? Yep! You can definitely customise the design of your Shopify store. Shopify offers a large range of professionally designed themes that you can choose from and customise to match your brand’s aesthetics and overall brand vibes. If you are more technically minded, you can code your own custom themes using Shopify’s templating language, Liquid. Does Shopify Support Multiple Currencies And International Sales? Yes! Shopify supports multiple currencies, allowing you to sell in different currencies based on your customers’ locations. This is an amazing feature that helps facilitate international sales and provides a localised shopping experience for your customers. Does Shopify Provide Support for SEO? Yes, Shopify provides built-in SEO features and tools to help optimise your store for search engines! You can edit meta tags, customise URLs, and create search engine-friendly content. Shopify also generates sitemaps automatically...

The post How To Make Money With Shopify In 2024 appeared first on Katherine McLee.

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This post is all about how to make money with Shopify in 2024.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what Shopify is, how you can make money with Shopify, and how it can kickstart (or enhance) your online journey.

These days, starting an online business has become more accessible than ever before.  

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or an established retailer looking to grow your online presence, Shopify is an amazing platform that can help you achieve your e-commerce dreams.

Shopify empowers entrepreneurs and businesses to establish and operate their own online stores efficiently, making it a top choice for individuals and organisations looking to sell products or services online!

Let’s get into how to make money with Shopify in 2024!

Shopify have just extended their $1 trial length from one month to THREE months!

This means if you use my Shopify link you will get your first 3 days for FREE

and then the following THREE months for just $1 a month!

What is Shopify?

At its core, Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform that allows websites and businesses to create and manage their online stores.

With its user-friendly interface and a huge amount of features, Shopify eliminates the technical barriers that often come with building and running an online business. (It gets rid of the bits we don’t like!)

It provides a range of services and tools that help entrepreneurs and companies build and operate their online businesses, including website hosting, domain registration, payment processing, inventory management, and marketing solutions.

When it comes to the process of knowing how to make money with Shopify, Shopify really simplifies the process of setting up an online store. This allows users to customise the design of their websites using pre-designed templates. There is also the choice to code your own themes if you are wanting to.

It offers a user-friendly interface that doesn’t require much technical knowledge, making it accessible to individuals without web development experience.

With Shopify, you can manage product listings, track inventory, process orders, and handle customer payments through various payment options.

It also integrates with numerous third-party applications and services, allowing you to expand the functionality of your store and customise it to your own store’s needs.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Shopify?

Shopify has lots of amazing features and benefits, these include:

Easy Setup and Customisation

One of the best features of Shopify is its simplicity.

Setting up an online store has never been easier, even if you have little to no technical experience. Shopify offers a wide range of professionally designed templates that you can customise to match your own branding! 

You can also go a step further and code your own theme for a completely unique design if you feel confident enough to go down that road!

SEO Friendly and Mobile Friendly

We all know that these days it’s essential to have a responsive website. Shopify automatically optimises your online store for mobile devices, ensuring that your customers can browse and purchase products effortlessly on their smartphones or tablets.

Shopify also has built-in search engine optimisation (SEO) features. This will help your store to rank higher in search engine results and attract more organic traffic.

Powerful Inventory Management

Managing your inventory is so simple with Shopify. You can easily add, update, and organise your products using the user friendly interface. 

Whether you have a handful of items or an extensive range, Shopify provides all the tools you need to keep track of your inventory levels, variations, and pricing!

Expand Your Store’s Functionality

Shopify understands that every business has different requirements. 

That’s why it’s important that it integrates seamlessly with a vast selection of apps and plugins – which it does!

Whether you need advanced analytics, email marketing, or customer support tools, Shopify’s App Store has all you need.

These integrations allow you to extend the functionality of your store and provide a better shopping experience for your customers.

Secure Payment Processing

Security is paramount when it comes to online transactions, for online stores and customers alike!

Shopify offers a secure and seamless payment processing system. It supports a large array of payment gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, and Shopify Payments. This ensures that your customers can make purchases with confidence, while you receive payments hassle-free. Win-Win!

You Can Scale Your Business

As your online business grows, Shopify scales with you. Whether you’re processing hundreds or thousands of orders, Shopify can handle the increased traffic and volume without compromising performance. Plus, you can easily add additional features and functionality as your needs evolve.

How Can You Make Money With Shopify Via Your Blog?

There are so many potential Shopify business ideas to consider. When it comes to choosing how to best make money with Shopify for you, therer are many options.

Here are some of the best ones:

Digital Products and Courses

If you have expertise/knowledge in a particular area, you can create and sell digital products such as ebooks, online courses, templates, or tutorials. Shopify’s digital product features allow you to securely deliver these products to your customers after purchase, while also handling payment processing for you.

Membership or Subscriptions

Offer exclusive content or premium resources to your readers through a membership or subscription business model. You can use Shopify’s membership apps or plugins to create a section on your blog where subscribers pay a recurring fee to access valuable content, tutorials, or community forums. Subscription-based businesses can also include subscription boxes for beauty, wellness or snacks as an example.

Dropshipping

Shopify allows you to set up an online store without handling inventory. You can promote products from suppliers as you handle the marketing and customer service, while the suppliers handle inventory and shipping. The difference between the supplier’s price and your selling price becomes your profit! This allows you to offer a wide range of products without holding inventory.

Niche-specific online stores

Focus on a particular niche or industry and curate products that cater to the specific interests and needs of that audience. Examples could include eco-friendly products, pet supplies, or specialised hobby items.

Print-on-Demand (POD) Products

The print-on-demand model allows you to offer customised products such as t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and more. Customers can personalise their purchases, making them attractive for gifts or self-expression.

Handmade Or Artisanal Products

Showcase and sell unique handmade or artisanal goods such as handmade jewellery, ceramics, artwork, or crafted home decor items. 

Specialty Food Or Wellness Products

Offer specialty food items like organic, gluten-free, or vegan products. You could also focus on specific beverages such as specialty coffee, tea blends, or craft beer. You could also tap into the growing health and wellness market by selling fitness equipment, workout apparel, supplements, or self-care products.

Home Organisation And Decor

You can provide trending or innovative solutions for home organisation, storage, or interior decor. This could include products like closet organisers, decorative wall art, or space-saving furniture!

Unique Accessories And/Or Fashion

If fashion is your passion you can opt for an online boutique offering unique fashion accessories like handbags, sunglasses, watches, or statement jewellery.

Remember, choosing a business idea that aligns with your passion and expertise can greatly increase your chances of success. Additionally, conducting market research and validating the demand for your chosen niche is crucial before diving into any Shopify business venture.

Does Having A Blog Benefit Your Shopify Store?

Yes, having a blog can be highly beneficial when it comes to making money with Shopify.

There are many reasons as to why a blog can help enhance a Shopify store:

Increased Traffic

Having a blog allows you to create valuable, informative, and engaging content that attracts visitors and readers to your website. By optimising your blog posts for search engines (SEO), you can drive organic traffic to your Shopify store. This increased traffic provides more opportunities for potential customers to discover your products or services!

Sharing Your Expertise and Authority

Your blog is a perfect place for you to share your knowledge, insights, and expertise in your niche. By consistently providing valuable content, you can establish yourself as an authority in your field. This helps to build trust with your audience and readers. This trust can really help positively impact your Shopify store’s reputation and increase your customer’s confidence in you and your products.

Building Relationships and Engagement

We all know that a blog creates an amazing online space for interacting with your audience. Your visitors can leave you comments, ask questions, and share their thoughts on your blog posts. This is part of the beauty of blogging! 

Engaging with your readers through comments and responding to their questions helps to build relationships and creates a sense of community. 

This engagement can translate into increased customer loyalty and ultimately drive sales.

Product Promotion

A blog not only lets you show yourself as an authority in your chosen niche, it also allows you to showcase your products or services in a more personalised format.

You can write product reviews, share customer success stories, or provide behind-the-scenes insights. By connecting with your audience on a deeper level and highlighting the value of your products and services, you can drive interest and conversions for your Shopify store.

Content Marketing and Social Sharing

Your blog content can be repurposed for other content marketing strategies. This could be things like social media sharing and email campaigns. Sharing your blog posts on social media platforms, in newsletters, or other social channels can help drive traffic back to your Shopify store. It can also help to create brand awareness and encourage social sharing. This in turn can lengthen the reach of your content and store!

Long-Term Value and Evergreen Content

Blog posts can have long-lasting value. Unlike social media posts that quickly disappear, high quality blog content stays searchable and accessible over time.

By creating evergreen content (content that stays relevant and useful for an extended period of time) you can attract visitors to your Shopify store consistently. This could even be months or years after you publish that particular blog post!

SEO Benefits

Blogging provides you the opportunity to create and publish high quality content around relevant keywords and topics related to your industry. By consistently publishing well-optimised blog posts, you can improve your store’s visibility in search engine results.

This post on Keywords has more information on how to best use keywords on your blog.

This can lead to higher organic rankings, increased organic traffic, and more potential customers discovering your Shopify store!

Let’s answer some FAQs about Shopify!

Is Shopify Only Suitable For Larger Businesses?

Not at all!

Shopify is an amazing asset for businesses of all sizes. Whether your business is a small startup or a larger scale enterprise, the Shopify platform allows your business to grow with you. It allows businesses to start small and expand as they go.

Can You Use Your Own Domain Name With A Shopify Store?

Yes, you can use your own domain name with a Shopify store. Shopify allows you to register a new domain or connect an existing one to your store. This gives you all the personalisation you may want for your store.

Can You Customise The Design Of My Shopify Store?

Yep! You can definitely customise the design of your Shopify store. Shopify offers a large range of professionally designed themes that you can choose from and customise to match your brand’s aesthetics and overall brand vibes.

If you are more technically minded, you can code your own custom themes using Shopify’s templating language, Liquid.

Does Shopify Support Multiple Currencies And International Sales?

Yes! Shopify supports multiple currencies, allowing you to sell in different currencies based on your customers’ locations.

This is an amazing feature that helps facilitate international sales and provides a localised shopping experience for your customers.

Does Shopify Provide Support for SEO?

Yes, Shopify provides built-in SEO features and tools to help optimise your store for search engines! You can edit meta tags, customise URLs, and create search engine-friendly content. Shopify also generates sitemaps automatically and provides options for advanced SEO settings where required.

Can You Integrate Third-party Apps and Services With Shopify?

Yes, Shopify has an extensive range of third-party apps and integrations available in the Shopify App Store. You can integrate various apps and services to extend the functionality of your store, including marketing tools, inventory management systems and customer support solutions for just a few examples.

Can You Sell Both Physical And Digital Products On Shopify?

Yes, you can sell both physical and digital products on Shopify! You can set up product listings for physical items with inventory management features, shipping options, and fulfilment settings. For digital products like e-books or software, Shopify provides features to securely deliver digital files to customers upon purchase, making it the ideal solution for your business needs. 

Can I Sell On Multiple Platforms Using Shopify?

Yes, Shopify allows you to sell on multiple channels. You can integrate your Shopify store with your social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. This will allow you to showcase and sell products directly. Shopify also supports selling on marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, which can help you to expand your reach to wider audiences.

Does Shopify Provide Analytics For Your Store’s Performance?

Yes, Shopify provides both analytics and reporting tools to track your store’s performance. You can check data on your sales, orders, traffic, and customer behaviour. The analytics dashboard offers insights to help you make informed decisions and optimise/adapt your business strategies to best suit you.

What Is The Difference Between Shopify And Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus is designed for high-volume businesses with more advanced needs. It offers additional features for rapid growth, dedicated support, custom checkout options, and advanced integrations.

Shopify Plus comes at a higher price point and is tailored towards larger businesses.

Please note that while these answers provide a general overview, it’s always recommended to refer to Shopify’s official information or contact their support for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding specific details or features of the platform!

Conclusion

To summarise; Shopify provides an accessible and robust platform for anyone looking to start or expand an online business. With its easy setup, customisable design, powerful inventory management, secure payment processing, and scalability, Shopify offers everything you need to create a successful e-commerce store. Whether you’re a solopreneur, a small business, or a larger enterprise, Shopify is your trusted partner on the path to online success!

A high quality optimised blog can really complement your Shopify store by driving traffic and promoting your products or services. It can be an invaluable marketing tool to help with your online presence and contribute to the growth and success of your Shopify business.

I hope this post has helped you to understand how to make money with Shopify in 2024 and who it is tailored towards.

Speak soon!

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Can You Make Money In Your First Month Blogging? The Truth! https://katherinemclee.com/make-money-in-your-first-month-blogging/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=make-money-in-your-first-month-blogging https://katherinemclee.com/make-money-in-your-first-month-blogging/#comments Fri, 07 Apr 2023 04:07:00 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=5914 Can You Make Money In Your First Month Blogging? The Truth! This has to be one of the most common questions new bloggers have! And with good reason. The answer is never fully clear! I touched on this in my post here about blogging myths! Everyone wants to make extra money. Whether it’s a lot or a little is up to you!  Starting a blog purely to make money is never a good idea. It takes a long time to see results and make good money back online. You need the passion for the topic you are talking about to keep your momentum going. It will also help you really enjoy the journey while it takes its time to grow! There are no limits on the earning potential when it comes to blogging. As long as you have set yourself up properly for success, keep growing and learning, and enjoy the journey, you will stay consistent. Consistency is critical with blogging! Let’s dive in and take a look at whether you really can make money in your first month blogging.   The Confusion Over “Making Money” Blogging Firstly I want to clarify something for anyone new to making money with their blog. I do believe there’s a misconception I think when it comes to blogging, social media, youtube etc and that’s when people use the term “making money”. This may sound simple, but I think at times people interchangeably use the terms “making money”, “making money online” or “making money blogging”. There’s a big difference between making the money from your blog, and actually seeing the money in your bank account! What I mean by that is, say for example you have a blog. You choose to monetise it so you get yourself set up with your first adverts and affiliate program. I’ll use AdSense and Amazon as the examples here! (These are rough guides, just to give you the picture of what I mean. Plus different countries will have different thresholds and timeframes.) Now – for example – let’s say you “made” £20 with AdSense that month and made £10 from Amazon sales! This is amazing as you’ve just made your first £30 online! Will that then go straight into your bank? No. Most platforms have a threshold you need to meet to get paid out. PLUS they often only send out the payment a month or so behind.  So to use the above example; Say you made that £30 in January (£20 Adsense and £10 Amazon), and then in February made £40 with Adsense and £20 with Amazon. This gets you over the (current) threshold for each! But they often only pay out at least one month behind. (Amazon can be a couple of months behind due to the 30 day return window on products.) So for Adsense you would get paid your £60 from Jan and Feb – in March. The £30 from Amazon in Jan and Feb would most likely come to you in April or May. You can see from the above that you can absolutely MAKE money straight away/as soon as you monetise, but getting money into your bank will take longer. I think this is where people can get disheartened when they see images on pinterest saying they made all this money in their first month. They may well have done and that’s amazing! But that money won’t have actually gone into their account yet. Everyone is on their journey when it comes to making money from blogging. When you see people talking about how much they made in their first month blogging, they will have made that amount, but only into an online account at that stage! They most likely won’t have received any actual payments yet. How Long Does It ACTUALLY Take To Make Money Blogging? You may now be wondering “well how long does it take to make money from blogging?”. Realistically, to get money into your bank, you can do it in just a couple of months. You can MAKE money from the beginning (you don’t have to, but you can), but it won’t come to you until after a couple of months. I’d say it all depends on your experience and your strategy. If you start a brand new blog but know what you’re doing and already have a following on social media, you will be able to make money a lot quicker. If you are a completely brand new blogger, it will take a little longer, but you can absolutely do it! A lot of the people you see who make money blogging in their first month just have more experience initially.  This doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong if it takes a few months to start earning money from your blog!  Those with experience in Affiliate marketing or Online marketing may have an advantage in how fast they can grow an audience and make money from their blogs.  Quick side note – some people build a website and launch it with only their first post on. Others keep it out of the public eye until their blog is full of posts, pages, and information. So for 2 “brand new” blogs that could have launched on the same day, they are already at very different stages! This is why it’s so important to never compare yourself and your blog to other blogs! Skills can be learned. Your blog and audience will grow and so will your income. Blogging is a long term game. If you keep going, keep growing and keep learning, the money will follow. How you choose to make money will (in part) determine how quickly you will see money in your account. There’s a full post here on 7 different ways to make money blogging if you are looking for more information! Every advertising network, affiliate program, brand deal/sponsorship etc all have different criteria, different payment thresholds and different timescales as to as and when you get paid. Most often when it comes to affiliate programs and advertising, there is a minimum threshold and if you are below this for the month, they don’t pay out but roll your earnings over into the next month. If you reach the payment threshold the next month then the payment will get processed to reach your bank!  If you don’t reach the payment threshold again, not a problem, it will add on to any previous earnings and all roll over into the next month. Some thresholds you may hit month on month so get paid every month from.  Others may take years to see any payouts. It will all depend on the program. One other thing to note here is that some affiliate programs like you have hit a certain number of sales before they pay out too. So even if you are over the threshold, if you haven’t hit the qualifying number of sales yet, you won’t get the money through just yet. Usually by the time you have reached the payment threshold you are over your qualifying sales, but just something to keep in mind! This will be different from program to program. How To Make Money In Your First Month Blogging – Money In Your Bank! One option around this is for any freelancing work where you would get paid directly. In this case you absolutely can get money into your bank from blogging in your first month if you already had the experience! This way you would have a contract with another blogger or a brand and once you provide them with the posts they require, you would get paid. Depending on the terms of the deal, you may get paid really quickly. If you get paid fast then you can absolutely say you have made “actual” money, in your first month blogging! This may be via blogs directly, or on platforms such as Fiverr or Upwork. You can sell your services and earn money from writing posts for other blogs. If you are qualified in a subject or a professional in your chosen field, this can be a great option to make some money before the other streams of income properly kick in. This won’t be the case for a lot of people though. Never worry or feel bad that you haven’t made any money for at least the first few months! Everyone, every situation and every blog is different.  Never worry that someone else seems to be growing their blog quicker than you. We all go at our own pace, with our own set of skills, knowledge and our own experience. There is absolutely nothing stopping you from reaching whatever heights you have set out for yourself and your blog! It will take time to get there – but that’s okay! Enjoy the journey!   I hope this helps to clarify any questions  you may have had as to if you can make money in your first month blogging! Did you find any confusion over when you would actually get any money that you made from your blog? How did you feel when you made your first ever money from your blog? Let me know in the comments below! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask in the comments and I will answer all as best I can!   Speak soon!   📌 Pin for later 📌

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Can You Make Money In Your First Month Blogging? The Truth!

This has to be one of the most common questions new bloggers have!

And with good reason. The answer is never fully clear!

I touched on this in my post here about blogging myths!

Everyone wants to make extra money. Whether it’s a lot or a little is up to you! 

Starting a blog purely to make money is never a good idea. It takes a long time to see results and make good money back online.

You need the passion for the topic you are talking about to keep your momentum going. It will also help you really enjoy the journey while it takes its time to grow!

There are no limits on the earning potential when it comes to blogging.

As long as you have set yourself up properly for success, keep growing and learning, and enjoy the journey, you will stay consistent. Consistency is critical with blogging!

Let’s dive in and take a look at whether you really can make money in your first month blogging.

 

The Confusion Over “Making Money” Blogging

Firstly I want to clarify something for anyone new to making money with their blog.

I do believe there’s a misconception I think when it comes to blogging, social media, youtube etc and that’s when people use the term “making money”.

This may sound simple, but I think at times people interchangeably use the terms “making money”, “making money online” or “making money blogging”.

There’s a big difference between making the money from your blog, and actually seeing the money in your bank account!

What I mean by that is, say for example you have a blog. You choose to monetise it so you get yourself set up with your first adverts and affiliate program. I’ll use AdSense and Amazon as the examples here!

(These are rough guides, just to give you the picture of what I mean. Plus different countries will have different thresholds and timeframes.)

Now – for example – let’s say you “made” £20 with AdSense that month and made £10 from Amazon sales! This is amazing as you’ve just made your first £30 online!

Will that then go straight into your bank?

No.

Most platforms have a threshold you need to meet to get paid out. PLUS they often only send out the payment a month or so behind. 

So to use the above example;

Say you made that £30 in January (£20 Adsense and £10 Amazon), and then in February made £40 with Adsense and £20 with Amazon. This gets you over the (current) threshold for each! But they often only pay out at least one month behind.

(Amazon can be a couple of months behind due to the 30 day return window on products.)

So for Adsense you would get paid your £60 from Jan and Feb – in March. The £30 from Amazon in Jan and Feb would most likely come to you in April or May.

You can see from the above that you can absolutely MAKE money straight away/as soon as you monetise, but getting money into your bank will take longer.

I think this is where people can get disheartened when they see images on pinterest saying they made all this money in their first month. They may well have done and that’s amazing! But that money won’t have actually gone into their account yet.

Everyone is on their journey when it comes to making money from blogging.

When you see people talking about how much they made in their first month blogging, they will have made that amount, but only into an online account at that stage! They most likely won’t have received any actual payments yet.

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How Long Does It ACTUALLY Take To Make Money Blogging?

You may now be wondering “well how long does it take to make money from blogging?”.

Realistically, to get money into your bank, you can do it in just a couple of months.

You can MAKE money from the beginning (you don’t have to, but you can), but it won’t come to you until after a couple of months.

I’d say it all depends on your experience and your strategy.

If you start a brand new blog but know what you’re doing and already have a following on social media, you will be able to make money a lot quicker.

If you are a completely brand new blogger, it will take a little longer, but you can absolutely do it!

A lot of the people you see who make money blogging in their first month just have more experience initially. 

This doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong if it takes a few months to start earning money from your blog! 

Those with experience in Affiliate marketing or Online marketing may have an advantage in how fast they can grow an audience and make money from their blogs. 

Quick side note – some people build a website and launch it with only their first post on. Others keep it out of the public eye until their blog is full of posts, pages, and information. So for 2 “brand new” blogs that could have launched on the same day, they are already at very different stages!

This is why it’s so important to never compare yourself and your blog to other blogs!

Skills can be learned. Your blog and audience will grow and so will your income.

Blogging is a long term game. If you keep going, keep growing and keep learning, the money will follow.

How you choose to make money will (in part) determine how quickly you will see money in your account.

There’s a full post here on 7 different ways to make money blogging if you are looking for more information!

Every advertising network, affiliate program, brand deal/sponsorship etc all have different criteria, different payment thresholds and different timescales as to as and when you get paid.

Most often when it comes to affiliate programs and advertising, there is a minimum threshold and if you are below this for the month, they don’t pay out but roll your earnings over into the next month.

If you reach the payment threshold the next month then the payment will get processed to reach your bank!  If you don’t reach the payment threshold again, not a problem, it will add on to any previous earnings and all roll over into the next month.

Some thresholds you may hit month on month so get paid every month from. 

Others may take years to see any payouts. It will all depend on the program.

One other thing to note here is that some affiliate programs like you have hit a certain number of sales before they pay out too. So even if you are over the threshold, if you haven’t hit the qualifying number of sales yet, you won’t get the money through just yet.

Usually by the time you have reached the payment threshold you are over your qualifying sales, but just something to keep in mind!

This will be different from program to program.

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How To Make Money In Your First Month Blogging – Money In Your Bank!

One option around this is for any freelancing work where you would get paid directly. In this case you absolutely can get money into your bank from blogging in your first month if you already had the experience!

This way you would have a contract with another blogger or a brand and once you provide them with the posts they require, you would get paid.

Depending on the terms of the deal, you may get paid really quickly.

If you get paid fast then you can absolutely say you have made “actual” money, in your first month blogging!

This may be via blogs directly, or on platforms such as Fiverr or Upwork.

You can sell your services and earn money from writing posts for other blogs.

If you are qualified in a subject or a professional in your chosen field, this can be a great option to make some money before the other streams of income properly kick in.

This won’t be the case for a lot of people though. Never worry or feel bad that you haven’t made any money for at least the first few months!

Everyone, every situation and every blog is different. 

Never worry that someone else seems to be growing their blog quicker than you.

We all go at our own pace, with our own set of skills, knowledge and our own experience.

There is absolutely nothing stopping you from reaching whatever heights you have set out for yourself and your blog!

It will take time to get there – but that’s okay!

Enjoy the journey!

 

I hope this helps to clarify any questions  you may have had as to if you can make money in your first month blogging!

Did you find any confusion over when you would actually get any money that you made from your blog?

How did you feel when you made your first ever money from your blog?

Let me know in the comments below!

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask in the comments and I will answer all as best I can!

 

Speak soon!

Katherine McLee signature black and white

 

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What Is a Blog? Is A Blog Or Niche Website Better To Make Money From? https://katherinemclee.com/difference-between-blog-and-niche-website/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=difference-between-blog-and-niche-website https://katherinemclee.com/difference-between-blog-and-niche-website/#comments Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:48:47 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=5470 What Is a Blog? Is A Blog Or Niche Website Better To Make Money From? Often people use the terms blog and website interchangeably. While all online blogs are websites, not all websites are blogs. Blogging started off as a way for people to share their thoughts, experiences and opinions.  Nowadays blogging is so much more than just an online journal.  Blogging has become so popular in recent years for people to grow a brand and make an income online. People start blogs to express themselves, connect with others and share their thoughts and experiences.  But what exactly is a blog and how does it differ from other online content? A blog is basically a website/online platform where the author can publish written content. This is done most often in terms of posts. Usually the latest post is most often shown first and the rest following in reverse chronological order.  Blog posts can be about anything the writer chooses. This could be on a very specific topic/answering a specific question, or on a broader topic!  Blogs themselves are of a similar nature, in that they can be about anything the writer chooses.  This could be a topic (or topics) the writer is interested in, or wants to share information on. A niche website is similar at this level as it again is a website on the internet for the author to share specific information. You may be wondering which is best for you and your business. I will explain the main differences so you can make the right choice for you. There are differences between the two though which I will explain below!   What Is A Blog And How Does It Work? As mentioned above, a blog is a website where someone can publish their own written content. One of the key features of a blog is the interaction a writer can have with their readers. Blog posts often have a comments section where readers can share their own thoughts, engage in discussions or ask any questions they may have. This can create a sense of community and can help you get to know your readers, while also letting your readers get to know you. There are so many different types of blogs, all with their own unique style and purpose!  Blogs can be on a large range of topics, or niched right down to a very specific topic. You may find some are a lot more personal than others, or cover a much larger range of topics than others. The beauty of blogs is that there are no set rules  as to what you can or should write about. Of course there are guidelines and strategies to follow if you want to turn your blog into an income stream but purely for content creation purposes, there are no set rules. Some blogs may be a lot more image/video heavy than others. This is again personal preference as to how the author decides to layout their posts!  There are many reasons why someone may have chosen to start a blog. The reason behind it can be personal or a strategic business reason.  The interaction with readers and constant addition of information is what can make a blog more appealing than a static niche website to some people. Bloggers often have chosen to have a blog over a niche website for exactly those reasons – especially the interaction they can get with their readers and others who are interested in the topics being shared.     What Is A Blogger?  A blogger is someone who creates and maintains a blog. Someone may have bought an established blog or created their own.  Bloggers may work on their blogs part time or full time, and may make an income from their blog or not. Often bloggers will write about their chosen topics in the form of blog posts, or videos embedded within their blog posts. Blogging can be done for personal reasons, as a hobby or a way to express themselves. This can be as a profession, to promote an established or growing business, as a hobby, or a mix of all of these reasons. If you own and run a blog, you can be called a blogger whether you make an income from your blog or not!  Sometimes people who make a full time income from their blog will call themselves professional bloggers. Other times they just stick with the term “blogger”!   What Is A Self Hosted Website? The term “self hosted website” can cover a huge range of websites – including blogs. For a website to be self hosted, it means you are paying a hosting company to give you a space on the internet where your website is accessible.  Your hosting company provides server space, storage and bandwidth, together all of which enable your website/blog to be viewed online. Hosting companies offer a variety of other services also. This will all depend on your needs and your blog/website needs. Often you will be able to upgrade your hosting plan if your website requires more bandwidth. Or you can upgrade to add multiple websites onto your hosting package. For beginner hosting for one website, you should be able to get your hosting for as little as a few dollars/pounds a month. There are free options which are not self hosted. The free options are websites like Blogger and WordPress.com. All you need to do here is sign up with a free account and you are given a free blog to use as your own. Free blogging websites are good if your blog is purely personal or you don’t want to monetise your content. You don’t own your blog on a free platform, but they are a good way to get thoughts out online on a smaller scale. For the majority of bloggers and aspiring bloggers though, self hosted is a must. Make sure to choose an affordable but reliable hosting company and you then own your website too. Many bloggers choose to own their own blog with external hosting and owned websites. An example here would be to choose a hosting company, buy a domain name and choose a platform, e.g. wordpress.org. A high proportion (I’d guess nearly all) of bloggers making an income from their blog are on a self hosted blog.  Making money with a free blog isn’t impossible but is a lot harder and more limiting. If you are wanting for your blog to earn you money, a free blogging platform isn’t recommended. Advertisers aren’t keen on putting adverts on free blogs, plus they often look a lot less professional so aren’t as attractive to brands. You can make a free blog look beautiful and for personal reasons this can be the best choice for you if that’s what suits your needs. It’s all about going down the right path for you and your blog! If you choose to have a self hosted blog, you would first choose your domain name (the URL of the website). You then choose a good and reliable hosting company, and pick your blogging platform! (I would recommend WordPress.org but there are other options.)   What Is The Difference Between A Blog And A Niche Website? While a blog and a niche website may seem similar at first glance, there are some key differences between the two. A blog, as mentioned previously, is typically a website that’s updated regularly which provides information or expresses thoughts to their readers. In contrast, a niche website is usually more focused on one specific topic. While there is often written content provided, it may also include other types of content too. This could be primarily videos for example. Niche websites can be a good choice for niches who want to post up a lot of information on a topic but then not have to worry about posting much once all the information is up. They are also a good option for those who have a team to run their website so aren’t personally able to connect with their readers. A blog is a much more personal style of website, but neither would be classed as “better”. It all depends on your niche and what you are looking for from your website.   You can make money from both blogs and niche websites.   It all just depends on what you want from it, and how often you are looking to update your blog or website. Evergreen content does really well on a niche website or a blog. Whereas thoughts/information on currently trending topics would be better placed on a blog. This is due to the fact that on a blog people recognise that the information is being updated regularly. But also accounts for the fact that older posts may have more outdated information.  As an example this could be beauty related product opinions/reviews when that product may stop being produced in a matter of years. This information would be much better placed on a blog. That way you can put a note advising that it has been discontinued, or remove the post. Niche websites are more often nearly all evergreen content. While this information can get updated, it usually requires less maintenance than the information potentially posted to a blog.  Some niche websites have a blog option where the blog is off-set from the main website which can be a perfect solution if your website is a shop, offering services or for business promotional purposes etc!  That way businesses can still have the personal element and engagement of a blog, but just as a section within their main website.     What Is A Blog Post In Comparison To A Website Article? There are a few differences between a blog post and a website article. They are of course both there to provide information to the reader, but a blog post is often written in a more personal way.  That’s not to say that blog posts are always less professional than a website article! Oftentimes the opposite can be true. It’s more to do with the tone. A blog post is more likely to have a more conversational tone and come from a first person point of view. Whereas an article on a website may be written more in a third person point of view. Blog posts are often published more frequently than website articles. Especially over a longer period of time.  Website articles are more likely to all be information based whereas a blog may have personal updates or experiences/opinions. Neither are right or wrong! It’s all about what your preference is, and what experience you want your readers to have.   Is A Blog Or Niche Website Better To Make Money From? If your goal is to make money from your blog or website, the only one I would truly avoid would be a free blog option. Both blogs and niche websites require a lot of work and patience, but they also require a plan or strategy. Depending on your niche, and whether your website is a niche website or a blog will depend on the strategy you take to monetise your website.  Neither is inherently better than the other. Niche websites may end up as a more passive stream of income as you don’t have the time spent on all updates, new blog posts and interactions. But on the flip side, unless you have a very authoritative presence on the internet, your niche website is in danger of not being found as easily as a blog, due to the limited posts/pages within it. Having a solid monetisation plan and strategy in place for your self hosted website – whether a niche website or a blog – is what’s key here. Either option can be a good way to make an income online – if that’s your aim! Ultimately, whether you choose to start a blog or a niche website will depend on your interests, goals, and audience. Both can be effective ways...

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What Is a Blog? Is A Blog Or Niche Website Better To Make Money From?

Often people use the terms blog and website interchangeably. While all online blogs are websites, not all websites are blogs.

Blogging started off as a way for people to share their thoughts, experiences and opinions. 

Nowadays blogging is so much more than just an online journal. 

Blogging has become so popular in recent years for people to grow a brand and make an income online. People start blogs to express themselves, connect with others and share their thoughts and experiences. 

But what exactly is a blog and how does it differ from other online content?

A blog is basically a website/online platform where the author can publish written content. This is done most often in terms of posts. Usually the latest post is most often shown first and the rest following in reverse chronological order. 

Blog posts can be about anything the writer chooses. This could be on a very specific topic/answering a specific question, or on a broader topic! 

Blogs themselves are of a similar nature, in that they can be about anything the writer chooses. 

This could be a topic (or topics) the writer is interested in, or wants to share information on.

A niche website is similar at this level as it again is a website on the internet for the author to share specific information.

You may be wondering which is best for you and your business. I will explain the main differences so you can make the right choice for you.

There are differences between the two though which I will explain below!

 

What Is A Blog And How Does It Work?

As mentioned above, a blog is a website where someone can publish their own written content.

One of the key features of a blog is the interaction a writer can have with their readers. Blog posts often have a comments section where readers can share their own thoughts, engage in discussions or ask any questions they may have.

This can create a sense of community and can help you get to know your readers, while also letting your readers get to know you.

There are so many different types of blogs, all with their own unique style and purpose! 

Blogs can be on a large range of topics, or niched right down to a very specific topic. You may find some are a lot more personal than others, or cover a much larger range of topics than others. The beauty of blogs is that there are no set rules  as to what you can or should write about.

Of course there are guidelines and strategies to follow if you want to turn your blog into an income stream but purely for content creation purposes, there are no set rules.

Some blogs may be a lot more image/video heavy than others. This is again personal preference as to how the author decides to layout their posts! 

There are many reasons why someone may have chosen to start a blog. The reason behind it can be personal or a strategic business reason. 

The interaction with readers and constant addition of information is what can make a blog more appealing than a static niche website to some people.

Bloggers often have chosen to have a blog over a niche website for exactly those reasons – especially the interaction they can get with their readers and others who are interested in the topics being shared.

 

keysearch banner ad katherine mclee blog

 

What Is A Blogger? 

A blogger is someone who creates and maintains a blog. Someone may have bought an established blog or created their own. 

Bloggers may work on their blogs part time or full time, and may make an income from their blog or not.

Often bloggers will write about their chosen topics in the form of blog posts, or videos embedded within their blog posts.

Blogging can be done for personal reasons, as a hobby or a way to express themselves. This can be as a profession, to promote an established or growing business, as a hobby, or a mix of all of these reasons.

If you own and run a blog, you can be called a blogger whether you make an income from your blog or not! 

Sometimes people who make a full time income from their blog will call themselves professional bloggers. Other times they just stick with the term “blogger”!

 

What Is A Self Hosted Website?

The term “self hosted website” can cover a huge range of websites – including blogs.

For a website to be self hosted, it means you are paying a hosting company to give you a space on the internet where your website is accessible. 

Your hosting company provides server space, storage and bandwidth, together all of which enable your website/blog to be viewed online.

Hosting companies offer a variety of other services also. This will all depend on your needs and your blog/website needs. Often you will be able to upgrade your hosting plan if your website requires more bandwidth. Or you can upgrade to add multiple websites onto your hosting package.

For beginner hosting for one website, you should be able to get your hosting for as little as a few dollars/pounds a month.

There are free options which are not self hosted. The free options are websites like Blogger and WordPress.com. All you need to do here is sign up with a free account and you are given a free blog to use as your own.

Free blogging websites are good if your blog is purely personal or you don’t want to monetise your content. You don’t own your blog on a free platform, but they are a good way to get thoughts out online on a smaller scale.

For the majority of bloggers and aspiring bloggers though, self hosted is a must.

Make sure to choose an affordable but reliable hosting company and you then own your website too.

Many bloggers choose to own their own blog with external hosting and owned websites. An example here would be to choose a hosting company, buy a domain name and choose a platform, e.g. wordpress.org.

A high proportion (I’d guess nearly all) of bloggers making an income from their blog are on a self hosted blog. 

Making money with a free blog isn’t impossible but is a lot harder and more limiting. If you are wanting for your blog to earn you money, a free blogging platform isn’t recommended.

Advertisers aren’t keen on putting adverts on free blogs, plus they often look a lot less professional so aren’t as attractive to brands.

You can make a free blog look beautiful and for personal reasons this can be the best choice for you if that’s what suits your needs. It’s all about going down the right path for you and your blog!

If you choose to have a self hosted blog, you would first choose your domain name (the URL of the website). You then choose a good and reliable hosting company, and pick your blogging platform! (I would recommend WordPress.org but there are other options.)

 

What Is The Difference Between A Blog And A Niche Website?

While a blog and a niche website may seem similar at first glance, there are some key differences between the two.

A blog, as mentioned previously, is typically a website that’s updated regularly which provides information or expresses thoughts to their readers.

In contrast, a niche website is usually more focused on one specific topic. While there is often written content provided, it may also include other types of content too. This could be primarily videos for example.

Niche websites can be a good choice for niches who want to post up a lot of information on a topic but then not have to worry about posting much once all the information is up. They are also a good option for those who have a team to run their website so aren’t personally able to connect with their readers.

A blog is a much more personal style of website, but neither would be classed as “better”. It all depends on your niche and what you are looking for from your website.

 

You can make money from both blogs and niche websites.

 

It all just depends on what you want from it, and how often you are looking to update your blog or website.

Evergreen content does really well on a niche website or a blog. Whereas thoughts/information on currently trending topics would be better placed on a blog. This is due to the fact that on a blog people recognise that the information is being updated regularly. But also accounts for the fact that older posts may have more outdated information. 

As an example this could be beauty related product opinions/reviews when that product may stop being produced in a matter of years. This information would be much better placed on a blog. That way you can put a note advising that it has been discontinued, or remove the post.

Niche websites are more often nearly all evergreen content. While this information can get updated, it usually requires less maintenance than the information potentially posted to a blog. 

Some niche websites have a blog option where the blog is off-set from the main website which can be a perfect solution if your website is a shop, offering services or for business promotional purposes etc! 

That way businesses can still have the personal element and engagement of a blog, but just as a section within their main website.

 

keysearch banner ad katherine mclee blog

 

What Is A Blog Post In Comparison To A Website Article?

There are a few differences between a blog post and a website article.

They are of course both there to provide information to the reader, but a blog post is often written in a more personal way. 

That’s not to say that blog posts are always less professional than a website article! Oftentimes the opposite can be true.

It’s more to do with the tone. A blog post is more likely to have a more conversational tone and come from a first person point of view. Whereas an article on a website may be written more in a third person point of view.

Blog posts are often published more frequently than website articles. Especially over a longer period of time. 

Website articles are more likely to all be information based whereas a blog may have personal updates or experiences/opinions.

Neither are right or wrong! It’s all about what your preference is, and what experience you want your readers to have.

 

Is A Blog Or Niche Website Better To Make Money From?

If your goal is to make money from your blog or website, the only one I would truly avoid would be a free blog option.

Both blogs and niche websites require a lot of work and patience, but they also require a plan or strategy.

Depending on your niche, and whether your website is a niche website or a blog will depend on the strategy you take to monetise your website. 

Neither is inherently better than the other.

Niche websites may end up as a more passive stream of income as you don’t have the time spent on all updates, new blog posts and interactions. But on the flip side, unless you have a very authoritative presence on the internet, your niche website is in danger of not being found as easily as a blog, due to the limited posts/pages within it.

Having a solid monetisation plan and strategy in place for your self hosted website – whether a niche website or a blog – is what’s key here.

Either option can be a good way to make an income online – if that’s your aim!

Ultimately, whether you choose to start a blog or a niche website will depend on your interests, goals, and audience. Both can be effective ways to share your expertise and connect with others online, but they each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

For me personally it was never in the equation to have a niche website. I wanted the sense of community, the interaction, to share thoughts and knowledge and to be able to help and answer questions where I can!

Years ago I actually I did start a free blog! But after literally just a few days I realised that it wasn’t the right path for me. I knew I wanted to take it seriously, and needed to be secure in the knowledge that I owned my blog.

For me, I wanted to choose my own domain names, choose my own hosting, have everything as customisable as can be. So swapped to self hosted at that point and never looked back.

Self hosted is the option that will really open doors for you down the line!

Whether that’s in the form of a blog, or a niche website.

 

If you want any more information on getting yourself set up, check out this post:

How To Start A Blog In 2023

 

 

What made you choose a blog over a niche website or vice versa?

Did you start off on a free blogging platform or did you opt straight for a self hosted website?

If you’re like myself you will highly enjoy the more personal feel to a blog! That alongside the interaction you get! 

 

Speak soon!

Katherine McLee signature black and white

 

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9 Reasons Google Adsense Ads Showing As A Blank Space – How To Fix https://katherinemclee.com/google-ads-showing-as-blank-space/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-ads-showing-as-blank-space https://katherinemclee.com/google-ads-showing-as-blank-space/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2023 15:21:50 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=3178 Why Are My Adsense Ads Showing As A Blank Space?

Why Is There a Blank Space Where a Google Adsense Advert Should Be?

How Do I Fix it?

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Why Are My Adsense Ads Showing As A Blank Space?

Why Is There a Blank Space Where a Google Adsense Advert Should Be?

How Do I Fix it?

 

Chances are if you are a member of the Google AdSense program that you have had these questions at some point! 

Google AdSense adverts are more often than not the first way people monetise their blog.

Or at least are often the first ad network they join! 

The last thing you’d be expecting is for there to be a blank space where the advert should be! 

It can happen with static ads on your site, between blog posts or within the blog posts themselves.

No matter your experience as a blogger, a lot of bloggers have Google Adverts on their blogs as a source of income.

The adverts are designed to show on your website at all times.

If there is no advert, there is no money coming from it.

No matter how small, income is income and no one wants to lose that due to a blank space!

Plus it doesn’t look great having a random blank space in the middle of your blog/blog post.

But what causes these Google Adsense Ads to be showing as a blank space and how do we fix it?

If you do usually see Google Adsense Ads on your website, these simple tricks should fix the issue!

 

Brand New Ad Unit

If you have very recently placed a new ad unit on your blog it can take a bit of time for anything to show up.

(By “a bit of time” I mean around 30 mins. If it’s been a couple of hours and still nothing then you may need to try one of the following tips.)

Google places relevant ads where possible.

This means that sometimes it can take time for Google to analyse your blog/content to match with a relevant advert. 

If this is the very first Ad you’ve placed on your website, it may just be Google needing time to analyse, but also may be worth checking the points below also in case there is another reason you are seeing a blank space instead of an Ad.

 

Google Can’t Find Related Ads

The ideal ads are ones that are relevant/related to your readers.

This is done by Google collecting information from not only previous searches but your current website. 

Google likes content that is easily recognisable to them.

This is why things like optimised blog post titles and posts are key, along with good use of tags and categories.

If Google can’t find a relevant, related ad then it may show up as a blank space.

This isn’t as likely as most blogs especially have enough information on them for Google to understand what they are about.

Even just to some degree.

If your website is mostly images or videos – making sure the Alt text is filled in properly can help here!

 

The Ad Size Is Too Big For The Space

Google Adsense (along with nearly every other ad network) offers varying sizes of adverts/banners for you to display on your website. 

This helps you choose the size and styles to best fit your blog, making sure the reader has the best user experience!

If you accidentally choose a banner that is too wide for example, it will show up as a blank space.

This happens as it physically won’t fit on the page/in the space you have chosen to put it.

For your website itself you can choose auto/responsive ads which will automatically fit in the spaces provided.

These are a great option if you want Google to do the work for you or you aren’t as confident with HTML.

If you are trying to place an Adsense ad manually, e.g. within the post itself, you need to be aware of size limits.

If you feel that a large ad is causing the issue, try swapping it out for a smaller ad to see if this fixes the issue.

Instead of a wide banner ad you could try a half size banner or more of a square ad as these may fit your website better.

 

The Page Contains Illegal or Disallowed Content

Google ads are not allowed on any website that has/promotes any illegal or disallowed content. 

This includes content relating to or inclusive of adult content, gambling, illegal activities, hacking etc.

If you have this sort of content – or similar – on your website, you will not be able to show Google ads and it will just show blank spaces instead.

If your content is nothing related to these sorts of categories, this isn’t something to worry about!

 

keysearch banner ad katherine mclee blog

 

The Ad Code Hasn’t Been Placed Correctly

When placing Adsense ad code (or any ad code), you need to make sure the Ad code has been placed correctly.

One of the most common reasons as to why your Google AdSense ads are showing as a blank space where the advert should be, is that the code isn’t correct.

When presented with the ad code to insert into your website, it’s important you copy the code exactly.

If you need to centralise the image then you can add this code around it but for the advert itself, to make it show as the advert and not just a blank space, the code needs to be copied in exactly.

There is often a button or link that says “copy code” so you can copy all of the code in one go without fear of missing a character. I would advise using this function where possible to avoid any errors in copying the code over.

If you are worried about this or think this may be the issue as to why your advert isn’t showing, you can go back and re-copy the code and swap it for the code with potential errors in.

The other thing that can stop Google Ads showing is if there has been any modification done to the code.

If this is the case I would recommend going back to get the original code and swapping the modified code out for the original ad code.

 

You’ve Updated a Page or Post

Sometimes when a post is updated it causes the Ad to disappear and a blank space to appear!

It’s not uncommon for an advert to suddenly end up as a blank space after updating something within a blog post.

The reasons this can happen are unclear but to solve this you would need to take the code out, save the page, and then reinsert the code back in. You can use the same code in the same place, and the advert should reappear straight away.

If the code doesn’t reappear at this point, even after re-inserting the correct code, leave it for 30 mins and check again.

Sometimes there occasionally will be a short delay in when adverts show up, but it wouldn’t take more than 30 mins.

 

Check A Different Internet Browser

As with anything internet related, it’s always worth double checking on a different browser where possible.

Using the incognito browser function can also work.

This is to double check if the issue is actually with your browser rather than the advert itself. 

If your adverts are showing a blank space on one browser but are showing on a different browser (or incognito window), try clearing your cookies and cache and reloading the browser as this should fix this issue.

 

Remove or Turn Off Ad Blocker

Following on from the point above, if you have an ad blocker this may be the cause as to why certain ads are showing a blank space rather than the advert you expected to see.

Try turning any/all ad blockers off and reload your page to see if this fixes the issue.

 

Your Adsense Account Could Be Under Review Or Suspended

If none of the above options solve the issue at all, your account may be under review or suspended. 

You would be best checking through your emails to make sure you haven’t had an email regarding account suspension or being under review.

If you have or are still having issues with blank spaces instead of adverts showing, you would need to contact Google for assistance and to see what they advise.

These are the simplest ways to fix the main reasons as to what could be causing the Google Adsense Ads to show a blank space where your advert should be.

 

 

What if none of these tips fix the issue?

If none of the above work for you, you would be best getting in touch with Google directly.

Hopefully these have helped you fix the blank space issue and your adverts are all showing as they should!

 

Speak soon! 

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