Teaching family the "Adsense Way"

After 7 years, now they want in

[spaceylacie]

In a few months it will be 8 years since I joined the G Adsense program. Many of you know that I was in the "UPS Club" for a while, collecting over 10K a month. Well, I got tired of it, and invested the money I made in a large farm. Everything I own is paid for, thank you Google.

So now, my family is coming to me, how did you do it? Could you teach us? I'm over the Adsense stuff myself, I have everything I need, but they are still struggling with life and bills, so I am ready to pass it on, I guess. My question, is it too late for these beginners to enter the Adsense world? I feel like the big heyday of it has long been over and if you didn't cash in and invest, you're screwed, but maybe not. Could I get some opinions?

I do have a great idea, I think, for the main topic their site could be about, it's something that they know and I think the world would appreciate their inside info. I made money by turning my knowledge into dollar bills, is it too late in the game to teach others to do the same?

[netmeg]

Not too late, but I would also point them in the direction of other income streams, and not just AdSense. Like affiliate marketing, for example. The AdSense of today, while even more lucrative for me, is not the AdSense of eight years ago, and I wouldn't want to be betting my farm on it in 2011.

[HuskyPup]

I do have a great idea, I think, for the main topic their site could be about, it's something that they know and I think the world would appreciate their inside info.

IMHO insofar as any new site is concerned this is the main criteria and if there seems to be plenty of ad inventory why not try it?

My UPS days are long gone too therefore it may well be worth keeping a diary as to how many hours are spent working on the site and its monthly income. When good money comes in on a regular basis it's easy to justify the hours invested however when the income is 10% of what it was a few years ago then burger flipping could look a better alternative...and I'm not joking when I write that.

[wheel]

Wow. Congratulations - nothing beats hearing a success story like that.

I'd suggest advertising, but not adsense. Advertising revenue/spending continues to increase, but the real juicy and easy stuff isn't adsense anymore. Frankly I think adsense kinda looks trashy on a website now. Go get some high dollar direct advertising. Way more money, more control, and your site will look better.

[dhaliwal]

Good advertising comes for high traffic websites only. I have noticed some premium banner networks paying more on a few websites, compared to Adsense.

For starting up, i think adsense is still better than others.

[ascensions]

My family is still confused by what I do. Heck, I'm confused by what I do... It sounds like pain and misery attempting to teach someone something they can't figure out on their own. That may sound cheeky, but, honestly, my own immediate family doesn't have the work ethic to do what I do, let alone, my "expanded" family. If you like self misery, go for it.

[bhartzer]

Congrats, great success story.

It's never too late. I, too, have had family members (and friends) inquire about AdSense and other online ventures and some of them have signed up--but in all cases they've just not had what it takes. It takes a commitment to build the content and traffic over time, and a lot of people I run into just don't have the long-term commitment.

[koan]

I wouldn't want to be betting my farm on it in 2011.

I see what you did there.

[netmeg]

(Actually, I'm saving for an island, myself, but same general idea)

[Atomic]

It takes a commitment to build the content and traffic over time, and a lot of people I run into just don't have the long-term commitment.

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Most people I talk to see an opportunity to make a quick buck and consider the entire internet some sort of get rich quick scheme.

Another problem I see is where people have the desire to do this and are willing to do the work, but don't have the talent necessary to succeed.

[ember]

Most people are just happy to go to work and collect a paycheck. They are worker bees. It takes a certain kind of person build a business and become successful with it.

Good advertising comes for high traffic websites only.

Not true. I don't have a high traffic site and do quite well.

[spaceylacie]

Thanks so much for the comments. Very helpful.

Most people I talk to see an opportunity to make a quick buck and consider the entire internet some sort of get rich quick scheme.

Another problem I see is where people have the desire to do this and are willing to do the work, but don't have the talent necessary to succeed.

Atomic, you summed it up and hit the nail on the head. These were my 2 main concerns too.

I did, however, offer to teach lessons and take them step by step, the way I started but using newer technology. I'll see what happens and keep you posted if it gets interesting. I have volunteered for 3 hours per week hands-on teaching and whoever in the family wants to attend can. That could change based on our first lesson in 2 days, I am expecting at least five "students" to attend but there might be more show up. Or, if I am really lucky I can avoid the self misery that ascensions mentioned and no one will even show up. "Students" will all be family members, this is going to be nuts.

[HuskyPup]

It takes a commitment to build the content and traffic over time, and a lot of people I run into just don't have the long-term commitment.

True, it would be interesting to know, certainly I am one of them, just how many already had very successful and well-established websites before AdSense, in fact probably before Google, were unable to monetise them, definitely me, and then when AdSense appeared were immediately able to go into hundreds then thousands of Dollars a month with a simple bolt-on, again definitely me.

I have built many a trade widget niche site over the years yet my two originals still out-earn all the others combined however in defence they were built with specific regions and markets in mind and were never going to be as big traffic sites.

[spaceylacie]

HuskyPup, my first 2 sites were before Google too and exactly as you explained. I did start one new one in 2006 and it has done well traffic wise but not monetarily. But, in defense in the case, it was a really low paying industry. Along the lines of recycling, nothing lower paying than that!

[Lexur]

The day they see just two dollars after a long day of work (or some cents the first days), they will think you're simply lying about the way you make the money.
Then you will need to explain how long it's the way to honest success but probably that's too late.
Maybe you should try to teach them about te way to make some traffic and then, and only then, show the Adsense way to the best ones, those who shows a real ability to run a website.

[piatkow]

Most people I talk to see an opportunity to make a quick buck and consider the entire internet some sort of get rich quick scheme.

I used to post advice on a forum run by a hosting company and targetted at beginners and hobby webmasters. A regular post was "I put your affiliate link on my site last week, where's my money?"

[thechromeguy]

@spaceylacie I still remember your website from older post. I've alway envied your website and love the content. You need to check on it you have malware on your .org website.

Change your ftp password and you would probably need to inspect for malicious codes, dont forget to check all pages even in sub directory.

I would also check your pc and dont save your ftp password.

[creeking]

I am expecting at least five "students" to attend but there might be more show up.

/

"Students" will all be family members, this is going to be nuts.

how are you going to convince all of them to not click on their ads, to not click on each others ads, and to not tell friends what their sites are?

[dibbern2]

Kudos to you for trying to help others in your family. Its very generous to give so much time to this experiment.

I tried it two years ago. Had a close family member, a school teacher, who was stretching a thin budget. I thought, what with summers off and holiday breaks, there would be lots of time to learn and work at getting a successful business going.

Result: absolute dis-interest. Never got even to the first step.

I have kept quiet since then. I wish you well and hope you have more success than I did.

[Freedom]

I've had family members come to me as well, but they didn't have the self discipline or creative energy to keep up with it.

Two members I did help. I gave them the ideas, did the design, built the templates, bought the domains, gave them free hosting, and told them how to get content on it. They worked on it for 3 months, writing and putting content together after I showed them how and the site was off and running.

For the next 5 years I kept it updated every week and my wife built links for them. They did nothing after the first 3 months of work except cash the checks and spend the money. They were thankful to us, but only at first and then it all went down hill.

Well, they were making money and starting getting the big head and bragging to all of their friends back in their home country about what a big shot webmaster they were, even tho they hadn't touched the website in 5 years. Their home income increased by a factor 1,000 percent and it all went to their head. They became real snobby to us and insulting to my wife and I when it came to "their" websites and "their" money.

I saw what was happening and decided I was tired of putting in work a few hours every week on a site that did nothing for me and asked them to take over the duties of keeping it fresh. So I said, okay, you take over the weekly work I've been giving you for free for the last 5 years. They were deeply insulted, didn't think the weekly work was necessary and made up a bunch of outrageous lies and crazy scenarios about my wife and I relating to "their" websites.

After all the ideas we gave them for free, the start up, and work for 5 years, they just wanted the money and freedom and ego boost it gave them, without the hard work. And, they wanted to complain about us for various reasons, all of it lies that were really hurtful in light of all that we had done for them.

A few months of their BS goes by and I said enough is enough and gave them 30 days to move their websites to another host and to take over responsibilities. They eventually did it because I stopped hosting it and didn't renew the domain names. They had never renewed a domain or set up hosting, or moved a site, so it was a new and scary experience for them, but they had to learn. It didn't go well at first from what I hear.

Then Panda hit them.

Now, they can't come to me for help because they know they burned their bridges. They can't save their websites because they didn't bother to learn anything or keep up with the times, and they can't generate new ideas. Bottom line, their income is about 40 percent of what it once was and they are back to working manual labor jobs and earning less $ from the website to make ends meet.

And, of course, all this is my fault. They won't take personal responsibility for what happened, and what they didn't do, and in the end, my wife and I were the "bad guys."



Other family members who asked for help weren't serious about putting in the work and expected me to basically do everything like I did for the others. I left it to them and they never followed through or came back for help.

The moral of my story is that "helping" family members doesn't usually work out with the good intentions that we invested in it.

[Innovate]

A family member wanted me to help them once. I decided that I would help them get everything off of the ground and teach them what they needed to know. Before I put a lot of effort into it, I decided to see how interested they really were.

I asked them to do a really simple task and get back to me. I don't remember what the task was, it was just to see if this could hold their attention. Perhaps it was register for a free blogger account and send me the link or something. I don't know, but whatever it was, they didn't do it and I was glad I added that little step before I spent a bunch of time helping someone that just wanted a check handed to them.

I don't think this is a biz that you can teach unless you are teaching someone who is already in it. This is for self starters. But there's always an exception I guess.

[koan]

Freedom, how the hell do you come up with ideas just like that for someone else that eventually make up their whole income. Any others like that? Gimme, hehe.

[Atomic]

@Freedom - your story reminds of what's happened to a close friend's family business. Their success has ruined their family because they didn't put much in writing and a few did all the work while the rest of the family expected equal pay because they're siblings.

Family businesses have unique pitfalls that can have tragic consequences. It's good to get things in writing early on and manage those expectations before they get out of hand and destroy a family.

[tangor]

honestly, my own immediate family doesn't have the work ethic to do what I do

The work ethic, regardless of whatever "magic" made it work the first time, is essential. Can't pass this on in words or book... just won't happen. Lightning might strike twice but rarely with good results.

Adsense, these days, is a bit on the shy side of monetary returns...

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Chicken before the egg!

It takes traffic to earn revenue under ANY system and quality traffic is harder to come by now than ever before. Unless you have a fresh idea or an angle on how to do what's already been done (100's of times) even better you're going to be in for a long and harsh uphill battle if you're just starting out.

If I was starting out I would not add ANY advertising to my website in order to keep it fast and more link worthy, at least until it passed the 1000 unpaid unique visitors per day threshold. I wouldn't quit my day job either with the idea that it will just take a few months to get rolling, it may(and often does) take years.

Congrats on the great story.

[spaceylacie]

Wow, Freedom, thanks for sharing your horror story. I hope nothing even close to that happens because we had our first lesson and 4 of them showed up. They showed up ready to buy the CMS I recommended to them and start paying for hosting, so they seem serious about it.

<quote>I asked them to do a really simple task and get back to me.</quote>

That's what I did, sort of. I had them make lists of the things they knew about the main topic the site would be about, then their assignments were to research the list of subjects(keywords and phrases) they wrote down and report back to me next week with the data they collected and for another class. I explained how to do the research which was easy and all seemed to understand but will be time-consuming. To finish their "homework" properly will take them each at least a couple of hours. I went ahead and did the same assignment I gave them(I do know a little about the main topic) and it took me about 3 hours.

They understand that it will be a long process and they seem ready for the long haul. I think it will work out, for me it will anyway, the topic is something I want to learn about and trying to find the information online is almost like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The site, and all the info in one place, will be a perfect resource for me and I'll learn along the way. So while I'm teaching them, they will be teaching me. I am feeling very optimistic at this time. Every site I've done that was to fill a gap on the Internet or close a gap, has been successful whether through Adsense or another means.

[Freedom]

Great post SL.

[rajivatre]

SL / Freedom,
great work guys.
But IMHO family member or no family member if you are working on something and spending your time you should make it clear from the start that it will cost them some amount. It could be % of their adsense earning or may be some fixed amount.

From my experience I have come to conclusion that if you do free work there is no value to it and instead it is perceived as you are earning money too easily (Because they earned so easily with you working). :)
And if you want to give free service just give it for limited time say 1 month or 3 month and then leave them on their own.

Teach a man to Fish and he will eat for a lifetime. But never give him Fish readymade in his hands. :)
Ofcourse this is my opinion and everybody has right to differ.

SL but anyways All the Best in your venture.

Thanks
Rajiv

[wheel]

Well, that's one approach. The other is that if you teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

[rajivatre]

@Wheel: ha ha very true. But in that case atleast you are not investing your time in fishing for him. :)

Thanks
Rajiv