Bloggers Journal

Niche websites are common practice of any internet marketer.  These websites are aimed at a target audience with a typically low set of target keywords.  The point of many niche websites is to earn money online.  This is done usually through affiliate marketing, or selling your own product.  Such methods are good ways to try and make money quickly.

Initially I didn’t want to go down this route of making money online, however I have decided to focus on a single niche that I’ve plenty of experience with.  I’m going to use it as a means to developing experience to apply to my future website work.

What is a niche website?

Niche websites are small websites, typically 5-10 pages of targeted content.  Niches can be anything from tips to repairing your car, to parenting tips, or even tips on personal care.  Anything can be made into a niche website.

The advantage of niche websites is that if marketed properly, they bring targeted traffic which are searching for terms for which you provide solutions.  Targeted traffic, or search engine traffic (as it’s also known), is highly desirable, as these people are looking for solutions to problems.  Niche sites provide solutions.  The advantage here is that targeted traffic is much more likely to convert to a sale, thus earning you some money.

Making Money Online?

The theory behind earning money online is really straight forward.  However, a significant amount of patience is required, as well as a little knowledge of internet marketing to get ranked high on the search engines.

Making money online is often achieved through means such as,

Affiliate Marketing

Using affiliate marketing, you are advertising another service provided by another individual.  In turn, by advertising this product, when a sale is made through your advert, you are paid through a commission.  There are many different affiliate programs.  Amazon offers an affiliate service, as to many web host companies, to name but a few.

Make Money with Advertising

You can make money very easily by having a monthly income on your niche site by advertising other services.  Instead of choosing to advertise a product and earn affiliate commissions, you can charge people to advertise on your site.  This is a great way to make a monthly income by having a recurring fee lodged to your bank!

Earn Money with Google AdSense

Google AdSense is a very common way to develop a small income.  On niche websites, schemes like Google AdSense or AdBrite are common methods of providing advertising on your website.  The method behind using the adverts is to create content which draws in the visitor, and is tailored such that the adverts which show provide useful exit points to your website.  The aim is to have a high bounce rate where your content attracts search engine traffic, and your visitors soon leave through an advert, earning you some commission.

Why use a Niche Website?

I’ve mentioned how niche websites allow you to earn money online.  They can make money online quickly, because you apply SEO methods to rank your website high on the search engine results for particular keywords.  I am going to use a niche website to learn and apply the SEO methods required to rank highly on Google, as well as develop incoming traffic.

From here, if I make some cash, great.  If not, I at least hope to develop traffic.  This knowledge is what I’ll transfer to this website, to gain more traffic.

Where a niche website can make you small amounts of money online quickly, websites, or even blogs, can earn more money but it takes much longer.  The reason here is that before you can sell any products, you need to boost credibility.  You need to reassure readers that you are legitimate, and your service isn’t going to rip them off.

Obviously, without having any traffic, your authority website isn’t going to earn anything.  Heck it won’t even get noticed, never mind earn!  So niche websites are good methods to develop skills to build traffic – particularly targeted traffic.

Over the next while, I will try and post updates on my niche website adventures.  For now I’m picking out some keywords.  But you can expect posts on how I selected my niche, and my research methods.

Have you got a niche website?  What are your experiences of it?  Has it earned you any money?

Image Credit – cayusa