This is a nice outline of monetizing a blog. One of the things that I think a lot of people don’t understand when they start a blog is how much goes into actually building domain authority so that your site will show up in google and other search engines. Even with a great hosting plan and nice WordPress website, site owners need to invest a lot of time and effort into authority building so that traffic increases. I’m one of the crazies that thinks it’s actually worth it, though. And clearly so do you! I love this post and love everyone who’s commenting on here who are all going for it. That’s seriously awesome!

Make a short list of things you love and could talk about and learn about for days. Start there.

Hi, Cami. Here is a great post that weighs the pros and cons of both http://splendidlycurious.com/selling-on-etsy-vs-your-own-websites-shopping-cart-an-answer-to-the-question-everyones-asking/.

Definitely, Cori. Thanks for stopping by.

Hope you’re having a great week!

Cori

What’s up, Chloe?

Themes are what determine the look and layout of your site. WordPress installs come with a basic theme that will get you started. You can always upgrade to a theme – free or paid – that fits your personality and layout needs.

As long as your topics are of interest to your target demographic, you should be okay with a little experimenting while finding your groove.

Keep at it, Priscilla.

Hi, Estela. Many income opportunities are against WordPress.com’s terms of service. And, many affiliate networks and display ad networks will not allow those on a free platform.

Once you have your blog self-hosted, you will then be able to start applying to some of the opportunities found in these posts:

https://theworkathomewife.com/top-20-affiliate-programs-women-bloggers/
https://theworkathomewife.com/legitimate-ways-make-real-money-blogging/
https://theworkathomewife.com/how-to-make-money-blogging/

Ad and affiliate networks are where your income comes from. You can also sell your own products and services. Being self-hosted will allow you to use ecommerce and other plugins that can help grow your business substantially.

Thank You.

Best of luck, Melinda!

Best of luck with your new venture, Felicia!

You likely have a long, hard road ahead, Jack. EMDs fell out of Google’s favor about two years back. The future of ad networks has also been in question recently, https://theworkathomewife.com/blog-ads-sell-more-by-identifying-your-usp/. If you want to pursue that avenue, I would recommend coming up with a well-rounded income plan that uses a variety of methods.

I have created EMD sites. My goal was to make money through Adsense. Can you help me how can I do this?

Point #1 is very crucial for beginners to learn since blogging is not just about what you want to write but it’s also about the niche or topic that they think can be good for monetizing. Yes, blogging is about passion but when it comes to having an income-generating blog, it’s very important to be specific on topics.

You are welcome, Tiffany. Thanks for stopping by. (And continuing to share your learning experience with the rest of us!)

If you are intending to monetize at some point, I definitely recommend getting paid hosting from the get-go. Moving later can be a headache and you may be left with a lot of cleanup and broken links. There are also some advertisers and networks that will not work with those on a free platform (Ex. blogger).

If you are looking to simply have a personal writing site, there is nothing wrong with a free platform. If your intentions are to make money, I would recommend treating it as a business from the beginning. (And hosting is available for less than $5 per month.)