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Realistic?

         

BarPot

8:30 pm on Nov 19, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I am a single mom with four children looking for a way to make extra money and someday be able to stay at home. I do not have any technical experience with creating web site. Is AM a field that I could realistically learn and apply or is it too complicated for the computer illiterate?

mathguy

11:32 pm on Nov 19, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



It's a bit hard to say since I don't exactly where you are coming from. You can't be too naive if you managed to find yourself on this website. I would say that it is very realistic for you to be able to setup a website that would make a little money on the side. Getting to a level where you can make enough to live off of the income is pretty difficult. I haven't personally gotten to a level where I can make a living doing this stuff. Someone else can get you an idea of what it takes to do this stuff for a living

Rosalind

11:44 pm on Nov 19, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I think that creating a website is probably not the most difficult part of AM. Attracting enough visitors and getting them to convert is the hardest part, and for that you need something more than technical prowess, you will need knowledge of SEO and marketing, not to mention a little luck.

hannamyluv

12:20 am on Nov 20, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



It depends.

Do you need money RIGHT NOW? If yes, then you should look into something else (I would actually reccomend selling on ebay if you need money more quickly)

Can you dedicate 1-2 hours a day to learning and working? AM is something that just like any other job, requires effort, time and commitment. If you can't truely do that, don't bother. And yes, I do know how hard it is, I am a mom of three with a full time job besides doing the affiliate stuff. I still find 1-2 hours a day to work on what I hope will get me out of my 9-5. And yes, it does look like it will do exactly that.

Work hard, study hard and in a year to a year and a half, you can be making a modest income, maybe more.

growingdigital

1:51 am on Nov 20, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I definitely think it's possible. You really don't have to be super technical, just marketing minded.

The one thing that most people underestimate is the time and work that goes into being a successful Affiliate Marketer. If you want to make an extra $100-$200/month you can do this with a minimum amount of time and effort. If you want to make enough to quit your job, you are going to have to really dedicate yourself.

I work 60-80 hrs a week, but my income is proportionate to the work I'm putting in - You can't always say the same thing when you work for someone else. Plus, there is nothing better than being your own boss and taking control of your own financial future.

If you would like some more tips and advice feel free to PM (Private Message) me through these forums. I'm always willing to help aspiring AM's!

IsaiahH

5:16 am on Nov 20, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



If you are asking that question before you even begin, you are on the right track already. The key to earning money with affiliate programs is being realistic, making realistic predictions, and keeping your expectations low.

In my experience as an upline leader for several affiliate marketing programs, most people fail because they come in with high expecatations and a mythological mindset and then give up after a month or two because they aren't earning a six-figure income.

You definitely CAN make money with any legitimate affiliate marketing program as long as you are willing to accept that it will take time to build site traffic and a subscriber base. If you can do this, you can earn an internet income. How big that income is will depend on how much time you can put into the opportunity.

Isaiah Hull

internetheaven

9:12 am on Nov 20, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Is AM a field that I could realistically learn and apply or is it too complicated for the computer illiterate?

I was computer illiterate. Still am in my opinion, but it did take me a year to learn everything, build the web sites and start earning the big cheques (little ones started after 4-6 months).

I work 60-80 hrs a week,

Slacker! ;)

webmastertexas

4:31 pm on Nov 20, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Building websites is the easy part. Finding and keeping loyal visitors is the hard part. But other than that, I didn't know a single thing about website building, but there are so many "build your site for free" templates/guides out there that you'll have one up in no time with minimal hassle. And, as you go on, you'll eventually learn to make it better. If you got an hour or two a day to waste, why not? And really, AM is really all about finding the right AM to join and promote.

BarPot

7:07 pm on Nov 24, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



You have ALL been so helpful. I am looking into SBI and trying to figure out what my website should be about. Hopefully with a little luck I can make some money to stock away for my kid's college. Thank you so much for the kind and encouraging words. I will probably tap into your wisdom as I go along.

graywolf

8:15 pm on Nov 24, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



Don't try and break into the game in some of the uber-competitve areas with big payouts if you're still learning the ropes. Try smaller niche markets first. If you can find one that's about something you like or intrests you it's better but not a requirement.

You can get a rough idea of how many people are competing by going to google and searching allinanchor:keyphrase allinanchor:keyphrase . The second part of the equation is the level of the competition. You could have 20,000 people competing but if none of them are pros you'll have a better shot.

Think low maintenace when you design. The less time it takes to keep a site running the more sites you can manage yourself.

instinct

8:41 pm on Nov 24, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



For your first site, find something that interests you in order to learn the ropes. If you are interested in the topic it will make the first couple months of hard work that much easier.

The most important thing is to read, read and then read more. Especially here at WebmasterWorld. Read it every day religiously. Ask lots of questions as well.

Good luck.

jcoronella

9:27 pm on Nov 24, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Yes. Yes. Yes.

What might be unrealistic is for someone they will be able to quit their day job and do it full time. For this, you need a track record and a bit of luck. Everyone can make *something* with aff. marketing, or just a good content site with adsense. Build the site, get links, write content, improve the site, rinse repeat.

You are at the right place - everything you need to succeed is on this site. Just spend some time, and read about all the different areas. Don't give up.

Start here if you haven't already:
[webmasterworld.com...]

chrisnrae

12:28 am on Nov 25, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



You sure as heck can. I knew nothing when I entered this space years ago and I am now a single mom of three working full time from home at this and have been for several years. If you put your mind to it, you can succeed. The money won't be immediate, but if you have the ability to learn quick, think for yourself and be self motivating, it can be done ;).

markus007

12:58 am on Nov 25, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



The one thing that most people underestimate is the time and work that goes into being a successful Affiliate Marketer. If you want to make an extra $100-$200/month you can do this with a minimum amount of time and effort. If you want to make enough to quit your job, you are going to have to really dedicate yourself.

That isn't entirely true, i find it depends a LOT on experience. I have no problem sitting down for a few hours doing work that will generate a extra 5 grand a month via adwords. I'd be willing to help other affiliates that already make nice cash, because you end up learning as much as you do teaching.

freeflight2

4:39 am on Nov 25, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



IMHO the best way to get things jumpstarted is to buy an existing site - look for an "old" established site with many pages in G and a topic that interests you... and an owner that doesn't care about it anymore and might sell it for not so much $. Your biggest challenge will probably be to find somebody watching your kids and find hours of quietness ;)

rfung

5:06 pm on Nov 26, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I'd be willing to help other affiliates that already make nice cash, because you end up learning as much as you do teaching.

If they are already making nice cash, I'd be willing to be they don't really need help to begin with :)...

having said that, I'm a willing pupil whose mind is open to be shaped by your 5 grand a month wisdom!...

wellzy

10:56 pm on Nov 26, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Right on the money Marcus. the more you time are willing to put into, the more you will make (as is with life in general). I worked it hard right from the beginning and it brought far greater returns than I anticipated.

wellzy

sadelb

12:20 am on Nov 28, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



what exactly is the allinanchor and how do you use it?

BarPot

9:35 pm on Nov 30, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I have been reading about GoogleCash. Is it possible to begin making money with this program while I am building my web site?

Rosalind

11:22 pm on Nov 30, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



what exactly is the allinanchor and how do you use it?

Allinanchor tells you how many pages are linked to using the keyword you use after allinanchor. So allinanchor:widgets will tell you how many are linked to with the word widgets, for example. It's useful in addition to a straight search for widgets, because it gives you an idea how many pages are out there actively targetting that word, as opposed to just mentioning it in passing, like this page.

sadelb

2:46 am on Dec 1, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



thanks.. so this is basically for people that are using these exact keywords for SEM I am presuming.. Definitely very helpful especially since I am beginning to start making lists of keywords for my site

tml89

9:00 pm on Dec 1, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Is the allinanchor how #*$! calculates the competition pages?

chrisgarrett

2:33 pm on Dec 2, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I think the best way of learning is by doing. SBI might be one way of getting going but adwords is also a good thing to try. You can get going with adwords with 5p bids and it is all about getting into the mindset of the searcher so computer experience is not necessarily a requirement but a healthy budget or empty visa card is! :)

I have no problem sitting down for a few hours doing work that will generate a extra 5 grand a month via adwords

An EXTRA 5 grand? :) :) It would be nice to get UP to 1 grand a month :) Well I suppose I have managed that if you are talking currencies other than GBP but still, you have some serious techniques there markus007
!

kokopoko

3:03 pm on Dec 2, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



It is possible. I am a single mom of one child and am working full time now only from the internet. I started back in January with GoogleCash and did not do very well. So I switched to James Martell's method and put up my first site in March. I started using Traffic Equalizer on my sites to generate extra pages but I customized the template heavily with rotating articles and information based on the niche of the site. That has definitely worked. Don't forget to add Google Adsense to your pages too. I went full time in September and now I'm making more than double what I used to make with my previous employer.

It takes time, but you can make it happen.

rfung

3:22 pm on Dec 2, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



kokopoko:

is this from one single site, or a network of them?

jdubo79

6:29 pm on Dec 6, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Another option is to learn a little bit about marketing, web design, etc, no need to be an expert, just read this forum for a few weeks until you get an idea of EXACTLY want you want and how you want it for your website.

Then Proceed to outsource all of your work to someone who can do it better.

Thats what I have been doing for the past two and a half years, and I have been making a rather nice full time income for the past two years from it.

This is however not necessarily the easy way out. Because you still need to know enough to hire the right people. And managing everyone you outsource two is definitely a full time job in itself.

kokopoko

7:11 am on Dec 7, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



rfung: from a network of sites.