5 Ways to Monetize Your Blog or Website

Photo © Chance Agrella
There are various ways to earn a little extra money from your writing. One such method is to monetize your blog or website. You can do this in a number of ways.

1. Google Adsense

One of the most commonly used and popular methods, Google Adsense allows you to place advertising on your blog or website. You get paid every time someone clicks on the ads. Please note they take ‘cheating’ seriously – do not click on your own ads and do not recruit others to give you multiple clicks.

In addition to the traditional ads, Google Adsense also offers videos and search bars for revenue.

2. Affiliate Links

There are multiple sources of affiliate linkage. If you are adding an affiliate link to your blog or website, the most honorable way to do so (which will elicit reader trust and confidence in you – and perhaps garner more clicks for you) is to be honest about the affiliation and to actually have familiarity with the product.

For example, if the affiliate link is for a publisher or book, be sure you know the publisher and have faith in them, or have read the book and find it to be worth the money. Add your own review of the product, book, publisher, etc to add credibility and draw in more viewership.

3. Sell Advertising

There are ways to sell advertising spots on your blog or website. You can directly solicit advertisers, advertise that you have space for sale on your site or blog, and you can use a feature such as Scratchback.

4. Tip Jar/Take Donations

It can be a lot of work to write, maintain, and market a blog or website. Many set up a ‘tip jar’ or ‘donation button’ in order to draw in funding. One easy way to set up a tip jar or donation button is through PayPal. Remember: unless you are a specific type of registered charity, ‘donations’ to your site or blog will not be tax deductible for the donor.

5. Sell Your Blog or Website

With the right topic, name or popularity, your blog or website could sell for big bucks. Though you will no longer own it once sold, this is another way to earn money via your blog or website.

Some great information about how to sell or ‘flip’ blogs and websites is available at businessblogs.us.

Additional ideas (not written by me) may be found at DoshDosh.com

Bear in mind that too much advertising can be a turn off, and some people have an ‘ad-block’ feature that will block your ads from their view of your blog or website.

New Google Chrome Browser and Your Rights to Your Work

Screenshot by DaniellaNicole under Fair Use


Some reports and comments have been published regarding the fine print associated with the new Google Chrome Browser. These reports may be troubling to writers, photographers, artists, and other freelancers who use the internet for the submission of their work.

Fox News – September 4, 2008

(which led me to:)

CNET news – September 2, 2008

The wording being reported is, “By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any content which you submit, post or display on or through, the services.”

This wording certainly does imply Google Chrome usage while submitting or creating your written works, photographs, music, art, and more gives Google a right to such works.

HOWEVER, when I checked the Google Chrome Privacy Policy and Terms of Service (on September 11, 2008), I did not find such wording, but did find clear wording that your rights to your work are yours and in no way belong to or are claimed by Google/Google Chrome.

Google Chrome Terms of Service (see sections 9 and 11) – not dated

Google Chrome Privacy Policy – Dated September 3, 2008

In all fairness, Google may have changed the wording (terms of use) for Chrome since the reports came out. I am assuming they did. Regardless, this is clear evidence as to the importance of verifying facts before reporting or putting information into print. Had I relied upon those two reports (which were probably correct at the time of print) rather than checking and reading the current version of the fine print for myself, I would have been reporting and printing false information.

The second lesson to be learned from this is the importance of reading all of the fine print before you sign or agree to anything. I have been involved in contract negotiations in which the other side slipped in last minute changes that were discovered on the day of signing, and I have refused to sign other contracts which were completely one-sided - giving me no rights or protection.

There are many honest employers and contractors out there, and there are others who will only protect their interests. Reading the fine print will help you discern between the two.

Back to the theme of this post, if you are interested in checking out or downloading Google Chrome, you may do so here:

Google Chrome