Since the health crisis started in 2020 some people found out the hard way that a regular J.O.B (just over broke) is by no means secure. This has led many Australians to seek alternative ways of securing extra income.

Many people are now looking to start a side hustle online. As this is at the centre of our business, we thought we could offer some insights into making some extra income by starting a website.

We believe a website is not only a great way to make some extra cash but also a great way to help free you from the uncertainty of a traditional income. 

Start a Blog or Website

When you hear the word blog, just replace the word ‘blog’ with website. They’re meant to be the same thing. Traditionally a blog was kind of like a “log” of your everyday life. (Often called a Weblog or blog for short.)

They usually had content like; “This morning I went to the toilet and… Blah blah blah…” That kind of stuff.

Just for the record, that kind of website is a terrible idea. The only people who will be interested in this content are your mother and father. OK, unless you’re Kim K.

So, we’re not suggesting a blog ‘style’ website. We’re talking about a website that is content focused on a very narrow topic. And then goes very deep into that subject matter. A subject matter authority you could call it.

A Website About…?

You don’t want to go randomly choosing any industry as it most likely won’t work out.

Instead, you have to think about what you’re good at. A particular skill set or knowledge of a subject you have. Or a passion or a hobby that you are already engaged in or have always wanted to get into.

If you can combine a knowledge and/or skill set and/or passion with a topic that has the potential to earn you some money, then you have a winner. Easy said than done, but not impossible.

Read more about how to come up with a good website idea

Don’t believe it when people say blogs are dead. Of course, a lot of interest has shifted to platforms like Youtube and Instagram. However, a helpful website about a specific topic is always going to be useful.

Especially if the competition is low or you bring a unique angle to the subject. There is a huge chance you will be successful.

If you understand it will take time, and you build and nurture the site in the right way, it can provide you with a good amount of free income over time.

Pros

Income – The website will start to make money over time and give you a small income. Especially if you have focused on the monetisation part of the process early on in the development of the site.

Asset – Over time and with a consistent amount of work the site will turn into an asset. A digital asset. If the asset is useful with either a large amount of content or a consistent income. The site is re-sellable. The asset has value within the online business community. Some sites can sell for life-changing money.

Cons

Time upfront – The downside is it will require a consistent amount of your time. Mostly upfront, before you make any money. There are a lot of different aspects to learn about. Understanding search engines, how to write good content, online marketing, and advertising to name just a few. Very similar to starting any business really.

Costs – Although starting a website does not cost a lot, to begin with. It’s not going to be free. There are costs involved. Fortunately, most of the cost will be your time. But keep in mind, that you’re learning new skills. So you will be spending time educating yourself as well.

How to Make Money From Your Website?

There must be hundreds of ways to make money from a website. However, to keep it simple you can put them into three buckets.

• Advertising
• eCommerce
• Sponsorship

Find more ways to monetise your website here

The problem is all of these methods require a decent amount of traffic to be profitable. This means you only really make a lot of money once your site is mature. Which can take years.

So, in the meantime, what do you do?

How to make money from your website if you don’t have much traffic?

When you have a lot of traffic going to your site, making money is easy. The monetisation method becomes endless when people are willing to pay you to post on your site. More about this later.

If you don’t have traffic, then you will have to think out of the box for the beginning of your website’s life.

Freelance Writing

If you have a way with words, freelance writing is a great way to generate income early on. Showcase the work you have done on your site and other people will hire you. There are dozens of freelance writer websites you can post jobs online.

Provided you can write interesting grammatical correct pieces you can get paid online depending on the freelancer platform you have chosen. You could earn anywhere between $100 to $1000 a month.

Affiliate Marketing

If freelance writing is too ‘controlled’ for you, affiliate marketing is your next best choice. Affiliate marketing is promoting a specific product or service to people on the internet or in the real world.

When someone buys a product or service using a referral link on your website, you will receive a commission from the seller. While there are a lot of ways to do affiliate marketing, where having your own website is the best option.

Based on what you want to promote, you can choose between an immense variety of brands or affiliate platforms, such as Amazon, CJ, Commission Factory and ShareASale.

If you can attract a fair amount of traffic, affiliate marketing can help you earn three or four-digit income in a single month. Compared to writing, affiliate marketing does not require a constant input of your time to keep earning.

However, you may have to wait for an extended period to see any result.

Content Creation

If there is one thing that hasn’t seen a decrease in demand, it’s digital content.

Sites like YouTube, Instagram and Snap Chat are major spaces for visual digital content. Many YouTubers earn an excellent income by generating valuable content on the platform. The monetisation options depend on what you are doing.

While you can monetise directly by enabling ads on your YouTube video, there are other ways if you want to go further down the content creation road. For example, affiliate marketing (see above) – by using your own website – is also possible using this method.

Instagram requires a different approach. On Instagram, you have to wait to become an influencer. Or until you get a large number of followers, and your content attracts collaborations from brands.

I would suggest that Youtube video creation has a better chance of success than using IG. However, if you did them together and posted some versions of your videos on IG as well as Youtube, you might win both markets.

On the downside, content creation also requires a lot of work and offers no promise of consistent income. The results depend on how successful your venture is and the earning potential of the niche.

T-Shirt Drop Shipping

Like digital content, t-shirts have also stood the test of time in terms of demand. Therefore, drop-shipping t-shirts are still one of the easiest ways to earn a passive income in Australia.

With t-shirt drop-shipping, you have to design t-shirts around your industry theme, and offer them to your customers. Thanks to the comprehensive drop-shipping platforms, this process is easier than you think.

Dropshipping services take care of everything related to t-shirt fulfilment, not the sales. You need to understand the market and lifestyle trends and consumer demand. IE: Understand your customer. This will improve your ability to increase sales.

In the past few years, we have seen the rise of t-shirt sales entrepreneurs in Australia, but the market is still not saturated. If you have some trendy ideas and some time to invest, t-shirt drop shipping can make you rich faster than you think.

To get started with t-shirt dropshipping, all you need is a minimal online store or another digital space. It’s capable of giving you a four-figure monthly income if you know what to sell.

Final Thoughts

It is possible to create a great brand online, by producing the right combination of both content and marketing.

If you continue to create valuable content within your nook – and promote it – you will get noticed. This will lead to more traffic. The more traffic you have on your website, the more options you will have to monetise your blog.

We offer some of the most competitive website solutions for any local business. Don’t mess about with online web builders, get a professional team to do it for you. No headaches no hassles.

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Getting a professional to build your website, is very affordable. Beautiful websites, beautiful price, that’s what we’re about.

Check out our Portfolio and see the quality of our work and the value that you get.