Jericho: I feel like $5 bucks.
I have long had a dream that I would figure out a way to skip out on the 9 to 5 jive and go to work in my own business. I have thought that maybe I could do something online. Something creative that would make some dough, enough to live on. I never thought I'd make enough to get rich on. So, I have tried a few things. None have worked so far.
From time to time, IWDC has been the vehicle with which I had hoped to make a living. I mean, think about it, imagine that everyday you could come out here and I would have something new for you to read. Max would contribute where and when he could, or, best case, Max and I would BOTH have a new thing out here for you, everyday! Wouldn't that be great?
If I had the time to concentrate on this site, that would be the way of things. If this site was making me a living, I would have that time. So, here and there I have tried to push in that direction.
I have tried several different types of ads. Early on, most of the ads on this site were affiliate links. IWDC would have made something if the person who clicked also bought an item, usually an expensive item. Didn't make dime-one with that. The ads that made money in the dot.com boom were ads that paid per click. Sure, $.02 isn't much money, but if 10,000 visitors clicked on the ad, you could make a few bucks! Of course, the industry averages about a 2 percent click through rate, so if you wanted 10,000 people to click through a month, you would want 500,000 hits a month. IWDC is lucky to get 1000 hits a month and we average less than 1 percent click-through.
And there was the problem with IWDC when it came to pay-per-click. Most companies that we could have sold our advertising space to wanted at least 25,000 hits a month. So, that wasn't going to happen. Finally, Google launched their ads and we tried to get them. We were initially refused, because we were considered a "personal site". Then, Google bought Blogger and all the sudden every blog is running Google ads. In the 2.5 years we have had Google ads, we've made $10 in click throughs, we'll get a check when we make $100. I'm probably breaking some rule of Google's by telling you this, they'll probably tell me that I can't run their ads anymore, but as you can see, it's not much of a loss, been thinking about ditching them anyway.
Now, the entire four years we have run IWDC, we have had a link for DotEasy on the page. DotEasy is a web-hosting company. DotEasy hosts this page right here. DotEasy is just that: easy. For $25, you now get 100MB of space, 1GB of transfer per month and your domain name registered. I have set up five domains, three through DotEasy and two through two other different companies, one of those was very recent. DotEasy is, in my opinion, the simplest way for a small biz to get a web site and you get excellent value for your money. I'm not just saying this, I mean it, I love working with DotEasy.
So, that link leads off to their affiliate program. Everytime someone buys a domain from DotEasy by clicking on that link, and they stay with it for 120 days, I get $5 bucks. It sounds like an easy way to make money, and it's a product I believe in. After four years, I finally got a check a couple weeks ago. Guess how much? Good guess! Exactly $15 dollars, you're good at this game.
Anyway, I was happy to get it. I had just renewed IWDC, so it felt like a $15 dollar rebate. I sent it off to the bank with Steph. She calls me from the bank. The check is drawn on a Canadian bank. Different banking system, $10 service charge to process the check. After four years, I have made a total of $5 on IWDC.
Now, I have to send a check to Max for $2.50!
From time to time, IWDC has been the vehicle with which I had hoped to make a living. I mean, think about it, imagine that everyday you could come out here and I would have something new for you to read. Max would contribute where and when he could, or, best case, Max and I would BOTH have a new thing out here for you, everyday! Wouldn't that be great?
If I had the time to concentrate on this site, that would be the way of things. If this site was making me a living, I would have that time. So, here and there I have tried to push in that direction.
I have tried several different types of ads. Early on, most of the ads on this site were affiliate links. IWDC would have made something if the person who clicked also bought an item, usually an expensive item. Didn't make dime-one with that. The ads that made money in the dot.com boom were ads that paid per click. Sure, $.02 isn't much money, but if 10,000 visitors clicked on the ad, you could make a few bucks! Of course, the industry averages about a 2 percent click through rate, so if you wanted 10,000 people to click through a month, you would want 500,000 hits a month. IWDC is lucky to get 1000 hits a month and we average less than 1 percent click-through.
And there was the problem with IWDC when it came to pay-per-click. Most companies that we could have sold our advertising space to wanted at least 25,000 hits a month. So, that wasn't going to happen. Finally, Google launched their ads and we tried to get them. We were initially refused, because we were considered a "personal site". Then, Google bought Blogger and all the sudden every blog is running Google ads. In the 2.5 years we have had Google ads, we've made $10 in click throughs, we'll get a check when we make $100. I'm probably breaking some rule of Google's by telling you this, they'll probably tell me that I can't run their ads anymore, but as you can see, it's not much of a loss, been thinking about ditching them anyway.
Now, the entire four years we have run IWDC, we have had a link for DotEasy on the page. DotEasy is a web-hosting company. DotEasy hosts this page right here. DotEasy is just that: easy. For $25, you now get 100MB of space, 1GB of transfer per month and your domain name registered. I have set up five domains, three through DotEasy and two through two other different companies, one of those was very recent. DotEasy is, in my opinion, the simplest way for a small biz to get a web site and you get excellent value for your money. I'm not just saying this, I mean it, I love working with DotEasy.
So, that link leads off to their affiliate program. Everytime someone buys a domain from DotEasy by clicking on that link, and they stay with it for 120 days, I get $5 bucks. It sounds like an easy way to make money, and it's a product I believe in. After four years, I finally got a check a couple weeks ago. Guess how much? Good guess! Exactly $15 dollars, you're good at this game.
Anyway, I was happy to get it. I had just renewed IWDC, so it felt like a $15 dollar rebate. I sent it off to the bank with Steph. She calls me from the bank. The check is drawn on a Canadian bank. Different banking system, $10 service charge to process the check. After four years, I have made a total of $5 on IWDC.
Now, I have to send a check to Max for $2.50!
posted by Jericho Brown at 3/03/2006 12:57:00 PM
16 Comments:
At last, I can retire and travel the world.
At least that is what the voices are telling me. I'm beginning to doubt their financial advice.
I could send it to you in pennies. At least then you would have some toy value.
Tiddly Abe?
Our business site is set up with Doteasy. I don't recall how Denise found it.
Don't be shy. What's the URL?
I remember telling Denise about the link off this page. Im hoping she found it through me ... you guys are my five bucks!
Max, I used to play with pennies when I was a kid. I'd make little art projects and pyramids and ... um ... ya know, stacks ... I was poor and didn't have many toys ....
Jericho was so poor he had to sometimes settle for playing with money.
LMAO!! Sorry, Jer... but that was a pretty funny jab from Max!
Of course, I played with pennies, too, but because my parent's were filthy rich. (not.) I really just thought it was fun. I've alwyas liked to organize things. I'd stack them by year, by mint location, by color, in piles of 10 so I could count easier... I spent many an hour on the floor in front of the TV doing this and trying to keep the dog from laying on the piles.
Jason also used to collect batteries....I'm dead now...nice knowing all of you!
Battery collecting is nothing compared to some things that boy has gotten into. Not that I am one to talk.
Alright, let's set the record straight. I once told my mother and grandmother that I was going to make money by collecting batteries. It was a career goal not a hobby.
Wish I had stuck with that. Heavy metals recycling is now a multibillion dollar business.
And they laughed at me ...
And they still are.
Wait... how does one make money off of old batteries? Do recycling plants actually pay for them? Is it just regular batteries like AA, AAA, etc. or are Ni Cad and Lithium batteries included, too?
Okay, this will date me. When I concieved of this idea, I was pretty young, so I was thinking about C and D cells.
These days there are companies that reclaim heavy metals from every sort of battery.
huh... so it's like a recycling type thing, right? Man, I could bank on that! LOL. :-) We made $7 in aluminimum the other day.
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