About
Making Cash On The Web is a serious attempt to compile useful information about making money on the internet. It is a combination of things that I have learned myself, as well as information culled from other sources. It is NOT about get rich quick schemes, or wierd marketing programs. I am not going to sell you anything.
If you don't yet have a website but want to get started making cash on the web, start here.
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- Sites With A PageRank of 10
- Blogging For Big Bucks
- Ontok Highlighter
- Building Your Forums
- Font Usability Study
- Promote Your Site With Business Cards
- Get Started With Typepad
- Incorporate Your Websites
- Help Finding A Good Domain Name
- Google Adwords Keyword Tool
- Million Pixel Ads
- Develop Backlinks By Offering Free Articles
- From Blogs To Riches
- Hide Your Email Address
- Test Your Site Speed
Syndicate
Choosing A Web Host: Support and Service
If you’re experienced at creating a web site, you probably won’t need a lot of support. Web-based control panel interfaces make managing accounts easy.
But if you’re reading this page, it’s likely that you don’t have a lot of experience.
When I first began creating websites for fun and profit, I spent a lot of time on the phone with technical support: what is this? how do I do that?
I am sure that they lost money on me.
If you’re at all unsure about this, I’d suggest that you look for a web host with live, toll-free 24/7 telephone support.
Many of the cheaper hosts offer live support during business hours; or only through email. Neither of these are ideal. Since you’re managing your site as a part time job, you’ll be doing most of your work after your working day, and on weekends. And that’s when you’ll need technical support.
You also need to worry about the level of service. Does the host guarantee 99% uptime? Is there a period of time when you can get out of your contract if you’re not satisfied? Does the host actually own the server space that you are renting, or are they a reseller who is, in turn, renting space on some else’s servers (this is bad).
Read the information on the web hosts’ sites carefully. Email them with questions and see how long they take to respond. This should tell you something, too.
Continue Reading With Final Decisions About Web Hosting
Choosing A Web Host: Final Decisions
Prices and features on web hosts change constantly, so it’s hard to name a “best” plan.
Any of the ones below are good choices. As of the current writing, they offer virtually everything you need: domain name registration, hosting, and 24/7 support. You just need to compare their current prices and features.
Netfirms Web Hosting for Small Business
However, at this time, there is one that offers an additional feature that’s tailor made for the beginner: HostRocket.Com
HostRocket offers all that the others do, PLUS they will install a large number of web-hosting programs for you, including the software that I recommend you start with: WordPress.
You may be tempted to go with a free webhost, or with a site that offers you a free “blogging” account. Don’t. These are designed to generate cash for the host, not for you. If you’re going to make money, you’ve got to have total control over your site and content.
Continue reading about Software.
Choosing A Domain Name
Your domain name is your identity on the internet. It serves two purposes: it is the address at which your site is found, and it is the means by which people remember you.
(Technically speaking, a domain name identifies one or more IP addresses. But you don’t really have to know anything about that.)
Given this, choosing and purchasing a domain name clearly is a critical part of making cash on the internet.
There are two general schools of thought on choosing a domain name.
The first says that you should choose a domain name that is “keyword rich.” That is, you should choose a name which is highly descriptive of the site’s content. If you were doing a site on collecting glass mushrooms, your site would be www dot glassmushroomlovers dot com.
The other school says that you should choose a name that is memorable, and brandable. “Yahoo” for example, says nothing about what the site contains, but is memorable. The same goes for “Google” and many others.
Of course, both of these are complicated by the fact that you have to choose a domain that is not already being used by someone else. This is difficult, because there more than 34 million names with the “dot com” extension alone. Domain names are bought and sold like a commodity between owners. There are companies whose entire business is speculating in domain names. Some really serious webmasters will invest thousands to purchase a domain name that they think they can leverage into a cash making machine.
I honestly think that at this time, you have to pick the best you can find. Frankly, all the REALLY good ones already are owned by someone else.
I’d suggest that you start by going to a domain registration service and hosting service like:
Netfirms Web Hosting for Small Business
Globat.com-Web Hosting Made Easy-5000 MB, 75 GB Transfer -$4.95
On any of these, you will find a box under “register a domain name” that allows you to type in trial names. It will tell you if that name already is taken, or if it is available. They also will suggest some alternatives.
When I was naming this site, I started out with NetCash, then makingmoney , then makingmoneyonthe net ... and so on. Eventually, I found out that makingcashontheweb was open.
Here’s another suggestion. If the topic you are writing about has some slang terms that other afficionados would recognize, try those. For example, golfers easily recognize the words mashie, niblick, and bogey. So those would be good terms for a golf site. They’re already taken, but you get the idea.
Once you’ve found a domain name you like, go on to this post on registering names.
Registering A Domain Name
Once you have found an appropriate and available domain name, you need to register it with a domain registrar. These are companies that have been officially licensed to handle this sort of work.
There currently are hundreds of such companies on the net. A few good ones are:
Netfirms Web Hosting for Small Business
Globat.com-Web Hosting Made Easy-5000 MB, 75 GB Transfer -$4.95
Prices on these things change constantly. It’s a low-margin business, and, I suspect, a loss-leader for some companies. At many of these, after you sign up for the domain name, you are bombarded with offers for other services: search engine submissions, extra email accounts, site statistics tracking and more. This is where they make their money. Ignore them all. You don’t need to pay for these things.
Before you settle on a registrar, though, there’s another thing to consider: It’s a lot easier if you register your domain at the same place where you decide to host your site. Any of those listed above also are a good choice for a web host.
But don’t make a decision yet. Go On To Web Hosting.
Improving Ad Placement Through Eye Tracking
This article uses scientific data on how the eye tracks across a page to determine the best location for ad placement. The advice, in a nutshell: integrate your ads as much as possible into your editorial content. Ads that are set apart in any way are “seen” less than those that are integrated into text.