7 Profitable Ways to Make Money With a Website

By John Cruz

Last Updated:

Did you know that there are many different ways to make money with a website?

I didn’t, and I have been making money online (full-time) for the last six years.

Six, fricken, years!

It wasn’t until the 4th year that I was in business when I realized that there was more than one way to make money with a website.

It sounds crazy, but it’s true.

Not to say that I regret anything, but boy, would I have made a lot more money than I did.

It’s not time to sit and cry about things, though, and I want to help you not make the same mistake I did.

But before we get started, I want to let you in on some essential things.

You only need one website to succeed and make a decent income.

You only need one website to make more money than your boss and their bosses put together.

And this is true.

I have made my living with one website for six years, and I have not looked back since.

Now, I’m not here to tell you how rich I am (because I’m not), but I do want to show you how making $10k – $20k per month is possible.

If you can comprehend what I’m about to go over, you too can quit that j-o-b, and work from home just like I did.

It sounds like a dream, but it can be a reality if you ditch the work smarter, not harder mentality.

Sorry, I was so brainwashed with that, thanks to the fact that I was in the military.

That type of nonsense does not work for the 1 percent, so leave that out of this, and let me show you how to make money with just one website.

Or two, or three, or more, depending on what you decide to do.

Along with what your goals are, and how you evolve as an online entrepreneur.

Why Make Money With a Website?


ways-to-make-money-with-a-website

Making money with a website is great because there isn’t one single way to do it.

There are many reasons, but you shouldn’t even worry about some of them.

Besides that, there are many simple reasons as to why I think websites are amazing, just for what they are.

The way they function and what they provide is the foundation of this modern world.

Now don’t go thinking that I’m some kind of computer whiz, or some kind of a nerd, because I’m not.

I’m an ex-infantryman, that decided he wanted to join the military and fight bad guys.

As you can see, I wasn’t the brightest tool in the shed, and I knew nothing about websites.

All I had was a huge want to fire myself from my old job so that I can take control of my life.

That mentality and lots of exploring have taken me to the internet and the wonderful world of websites.

I make my living from them, and I want to show you how you can do the same.

Now there are several other ways to make money online, but today, I want to focus on just websites.

They are great for many things, but making money is what they do best.

So How Do You Make Money With a Website?


Some of you might be concerned more about the technical side of a website, and that’s okay.

The cost and where to get started might be another issue, but that’s okay too.

Throughout my career as an online entrepreneur, I have dabbled in all kinds of stuff related to websites.

That enjoyment and passion about them didn’t come right away.

Before I realized what I was dealing with, it did take some courting.

I have had great success with some, and I have failed miserably with others.

Not because I didn’t know what I was doing, but because I was trying to understand how everything works.

Through that journey, experience, and lots of trial and error, I want to show you the best places to start.

So if you’re ready to make money with a good old website, let’s get right into things.

1. Blogging


make-money-with-a-blog

Blogging is by far the best way to make money with a website.

It’s what I used to get started, it’s what I do today, and it’s what I’m doing right now.

By creating a simple website and finding a specific niche, you can then monetize it and make money.

I do it, and so do thousands of other marketers that do it for a living.

Now there are many ways to monetize a blog, but let’s go over the more common and essential methods.

These are the most profitable ways to make money with a website, and these are what I use myself.

Affiliate Marketing


websites-and-affiliate-marketing

Affiliate marketing is the same way that I made money with my very first website.

It is not the only way, but that’s what I thought.

Stupid me.

However, it is by far the most fantastic way that you can make money with websites. a

And one that not many even heard about in their life.

The concept is super simple and one that requires $0.

Affiliate marketing is nothing more than the process of selling other people’s products, and in turn, earning a commission.

It doesn’t cost you any money, and all you need to do is apply for a company’s affiliate program.

There are thousands of them out there, and they are all completely free to join.

Even the same stores you shop from online, most likely have their affiliate program.

Amazon, Macy’s, Walmart, and many others will give you a commission for selling their products.

Sell their stuff; they make money, you make money, and everyone’s happy.

Take Tom, from onlinemediamasters.com, who makes $20k/month from promoting a single website hosting company.

That’s just ONE affiliate program, but the commissions are so high that he kills it through affiliate marketing.

I make the bulk of my income with just affiliate marketing alone, but I promote many different products and services.

It all depends on what your niche is and how you want to monetize your site.

All you need to worry about is providing valuable information.

If you can do that, the money will follow.

Advertising


monumetric-earnings

Advertising is the most common way to make money with a website.

Throw some ads on your site, and make money.

Pretty simple and straightforward, right?

The best apart about ads is that there are a few ways to use and make money with them.

The most common of advertising monetization is through Google’s Adsense program.

Pay varies but is reliant on clicks.

If and when someone clicks on an ad on your site, you will make money.

Depending on the type of ad and other factors determined by Google will determine the amount you will make.

That’s where I got my start with ads, but I want to get into better ways to make money with them.

These days I use advertising networks as they pay through other means.

One of those ways is through others just viewing ads on your site, without having to click on them.

I tested Monumetric on one of my sites, and you can see that I added an extra $4k without doing anything extra.

So yes, do consider ads if you want to make money with your site.

2. Dropshipping


dropshipping-shopify

Dropshipping is one of the fastest ways to make a lot of money on the internet.

The idea is stupidly simple and amazing.

It’s so stupid that it almost sounds too good to be true.

No one explains it better than Shopify, who will most likely be your partner if you do decide to start a dropshipping business.

You can see that you don’t keep any inventory, your dropshipping supplier prepares everything, and they also ship it directly to YOUR customers.

What you do need is a website (your store) and a way for your customers to pay.

With sites like Shopify, you can have all that integrated, and you also get some training.

Now your goal as a dropshipper is simple.

You provide products on your site and price them with the intent to make a profit.

Get the product from your supplier (at their cost) and then place it on your site (with a higher price).

When you place that order with your supplier, you pay for the products at wholesale price, and then keep the profits.

Good luck trying to start a home-based business if that doesn’t excite you.

If you see the potential, dropshipping, and a simple website can create an income that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

3. Create a Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) Business


Since Amazon screwed its affiliates over, this is probably the next best thing that you can get from those greedy bastards.

Fulfillment By freaking Amazon.

More commonly known as FBA.

FBA is yet another great way to make money with a website, and one that I highly recommend.

However, it does require a lot of learning (like everything else), and you will need a much higher budget to get started.

It is similar to dropshipping in the sense that you will not own any products.

Rather than ordering from a supplier, you will be purchasing products and sending them to Amazon.

Doing so allows you to utilize their customer support, handling of products, but most especially their name.

I know it sounds like, “why would I need to do this,” but here’s why I love this business model.

Instead of using your products, you will simply choose a product of your choice, order it from Alibaba or somewhere you can get it produced for a low cost, and then send them to Amazon, all with a higher price tag.

By doing this, you can add your brand, get products at lower than wholesale prices, and sell them as if they were yours.

Pretty simple and sweet and why I think this is a great business.

Check out the video above, and you will see what I mean.

4. Make Money Flipping Websites


thewirecutter-price

Flipping websites can yield a high ROI if you know what you’re doing.

It is also going to be the very next business I am planning to pursue.

Thanks to all the knowledge on blogging, I have developed this passion for creating websites.

With that passion and understanding of what a simple website is worth, I plan to build websites utilizing the blogging business model.

I will get a cool domain name, make it look pretty, and get some traffic through the help of Google.

Once that website starts raking in the dough, I will then sell it to someone who can use the niche to their advantage.

Websites are sold and bought for millions of dollars, and building them does not take much work.

It is one of the better ways to make money with a website, but it does require a lot of practice, skill, and knowledge.

Now, if you see how much money was forked out to purchase thewirecutter.com, you will see just how profitable flipping websites can be.

5. Flip Website Domains


com

Flipping website domains is your next best bet if you aren’t that great with creating website content.

Selling domain names (.com’s) is a thing, and some have sold for millions of dollars.

Imagine that. Someone made $35 million for selling something as simple as vacationrentals.com.

Or, Privatejet.com for $31 Mil.

Those numbers are insane, but of course, very unlikely to happen these days.

However, there is still a market and opportunity for you to buy and sell domains.

Domains are a lot harder to find, but with the right knowledge and skill, you can uncover some of the craziest website domains that still exist.

I own several domains that are worth noting that I know will sell for the right amount of money.

I own a website called Askdads.com, and I know it’s worth way more than the $10 I used to get it.

There are many other domains that I own, but I plan to sell them as a complete website instead.

Keep these examples in mind, before you go thinking that flipping domains are a thing of the past.

6. Design Websites


website-design

Designing websites is not an easy task if you don’t know anything about it.

Now, if you put in the time to learn it, the income potential is quite incredible.

These days, soon-to-be website owners and businesses are looking for someone to design their website.

They are too busy doing other things that they aren’t willing to put in the time to learn how to do it.

That’s when someone like you steps in and does the job.

With an average salary of $42,000, I think designing websites is not a bad gig.

I do it for all my sites, and I will soon be offering some services, as soon as I outsource some of my work.

In the meantime, consider designing websites for a living, as there is too much money to be made.

7. Make Money With Local SEO


local-seo-website

This last way to make money with a website is no different.

Just like the rest, local SEO is no walk in the park.

It requires the building of websites and expert knowledge on search engine optimization.

Instead of building this website for yourself, you are technically building this for any local business that you will soon be targeting.

However, you still own the site.

Ahrefs has a sweet post on local SEO, but let me give it to you quickly and to the point.

Real deal businesses can use more customers; they all can.

The problem is that most don’t know a lick about the internet and how much traffic it holds.

People are searching for places in your local area, and there isn’t much information on them out there.

For you, as the soon-to-be local SEO expert, you can provide this website, with the proper recommendation.

That recommended company will then see the kind of traffic you can obtain, and they will later pay you for it.

The prices range from $500 – $5,000, depending on the number of visitors that type of keyword gets.

Local SEO is yet another great way to make money with a website.

And if you’re willing to learn how the ropes, it can be very profitable.

But before you go making any money, you’re going to need your very own piece of online real estate.

Without one and well, nothing can happen.

How to Build Your First Website


When you are going to build your first site, you need to consider several things.

What do you plan to work on first?

Is it affiliate marketing and a blog, or is it web design?

Your start will be determined on that route, although I do have one recommendation for all.

I just know how we all have different wants and needs, as well as not-so-similar digits in our bank accounts.

Whatever the case may be, let me give you the best ways to go about building your first website.

But first, let’s see what you need.

A Domain Name


www

Every website starts with an idea.

From that idea, comes the name/brand, and then where you plan to get it.

Just like with Underpaids.com, I knew I wanted to build a website that could help others achieve more than what they think they are capable of doing.

I wanted to help them make money online, equip them with the best tools, and talk about everything related to money and running an online business.

That starting point led me to my hunt for a new domain name.

Finding domain names is not the easiest thing to do, because some idiot took all the cool ones.

There are still many available, especially if you’re going with a niche that isn’t so popular.

However, this simple task requires a lot of experience and a bit of messing around with words.

I recommend Namemesh.com, as they not only show you what’s available, but they give you all kinds of silly but fresh ideas.

Hosting


ADD IMAGE

Next, you’re going to need a home for that domain to hold all its files.

Within the online space, that is what we call hosting.

You might see some ads for Godaddy or Hostgator and wonder, what the heck is that?

These are some hosting providers that exist, but there are many more.

When you deal with websites, and your visitors deal with your sites, you want to ensure that everything is running on some high octane.

Your website should load as fast as you can get it, and it all starts with the best hosting.

Now when it comes to selecting one that gets your site flying, you can narrow it down to just 5.

All website owners (especially bloggers) know that SiteGround, WPX and Hostek are on that list.

SiteGround is as cheap as they come, but they will outdo the competition when it comes to site speed.

I personally use Hostek, and all my sites work great.

Go with what works for you, but don’t settle for anything less.

Those mediocre hosting providers are no cheaper, so just trust me on this one.

Web Design and Everything Else


Getting a domain name and slapping it together with some hosting are the main components.

From there, you can worry about the design and structure of your site.

Designing your site is the fun part, but not so much when you are just getting started.

This type of stuff requires a website theme and a content management system, but they usually come with your hosting provider.

They are free and are available to you as soon as you get your domain and some hosting.

From there, you can build it out the way you want, or you can make someone else money by having them build it for you.

Do you see how money and websites change hands so quickly?

That’s why you need to start your journey by making websites and money altogether.

Conclusion – Make Money With a Website


By now, I think you get the picture of how simple, yet complicated the whole idea of making money with a website is.

I think you also see the true potential of what a single website has, along with the amount of time and effort needed on your part.

If you are looking to start a home-based business of some sort, you can bet that doing it through websites is one of the best routes to take.

And as time goes by and you grow, you will probably venture off into something different.

By that time, you will probably be making a nice income and hopefully doing it full-time.

I hope you have learned a thing or two about making money with a website, and please do share your thoughts below.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me here, and I will gladly give you a hand.

And if you liked this post, please share, like, and even subscribe to our newsletter to get future updates from us.

Thanks for reading and get out there and build yourself a fantastic website.

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