Making Money with Your Blog
August 1st, 2007Most of you are aware of the big impact that the blogging industry has made on the internet. Blogging is an effective way to get your point across to the masses. Some people do it for the simple passion of writing and some do it to share their ideas with others. Whatever your case may be, you may have already thought of monetizing your blog.
There are hundreds of successful blogs already in existence. Many of them are owned by people who have already quit their day job and make enough money to do the blogging thing full-time. Yes, you heard right! These people make a 6 figure income and more. The two names that pop into my mind are ShoeMoney and John Chow. These guys have made a name for themselves in the blogging world as they share their strategies on making money via the internet. They’re both successful, and also well-known in the industry. They are also involved in other business ventures because they believe in the idea of “not having all your eggs in one basket.”
So, how do these guys make so much money? Well, I think its a combination of things that lead to these success stories. It takes more than just a simple blog. It is unique and fresh new ideas. It is the dedication and commitment to their readership. They take their blogging seriously. They put their names and reputation on everything they write about.
The first step to a successful blog is finding a niche that interests you. What hobbies or things interest you? My whole take on this is, if you already like talking about something, you’ll have a much easier and enjoyable time blogging about it.
The next important thing to do is to find a way to monetize your blog. There are many ways to do this, but I will share the few popular ones.
Google Adsense - This is probably the most widely used method of creating income through a blog. With this ad program, you make money every time a visitor clicks on one of your ads. The good thing about Adsense is that, the ads being served on your site conform to the subject of your site. So, if you have a blog about making money, then the ads shown relate to the subject of making money.
Bidvertiser - This one is similar to Google Adsense. The idea is generally the same as Adsense in that you generate income everytime someone clicks on your ad. Many webmasters who do not qualify for an Adsense account, will tend to use Bidvertiser. The drawback to this program compared to Adsense is that the CTR (click through rate) and CPC (cost per click) may not be as high. Despite that, many bloggers like using Bidvertiser because their payout threshold is only $10. Google requires you to have accumulated $100 in revenue before cashing out.
Kontera - This one is similar Google Adsense and Bidvertiser in the sense that you get paid on a “per click” basis. The main difference with program is that the ads are imbedded within your content. Once implemented on your blog, certain keywords within your content and article get converted to hypertext links. When a visitor slides their mouse over the link, a little ad pops up. Once that ad is clicked, revenue is generated. Although it is an innovative idea, I personally do not like anything that “pops up” on the browser.
Chitika - Much like the previous programs, Chitika tries to serve the most relevant ads on your blog or site, and revenue is generated through clicks. Unlike the others, however, Chitika mainly promotes electronic and computer related products such as laptops and digital cameras. A good feature is that the ads are served with images of the products.
Sell Text Links - There are thousands of webmasters willing to spend money on good advertising spots. If your blog receives good traffic, it is fair to assume that you’ll have no problem selling ad spots on your blog. How or what you charge is purely up to you. If you rather have someone else sell ad space for you, you can try ad networks like Text-Link-Ads.com or Adbrite.com.
Sponsored Blog Posts - Many bloggers do this to make extra income every month. Many marketers use this method to get the word out on their product or website. Typically, sponsored blog posts are charged a one-time fee for a permanent post.
Affiliate Programs - Promote products or services through affiliate programs. This is probably the oldest and most well-known way to make money online. Once you have a niche, find a product that relates to that niche. Relevancy is the key to conversions. Some of the more popular affiliate networks are: Commission Junction, Azoogle Ads, and ClickBank.
These were just a few of the many ways that a blog could be monetized. If you have anything other ideas, please let me know.
Subprime Borrowers - Credit Card or Mortgage Payment
June 27th, 2007The Experian Group recently conducted a study where they found out that within recent years, people were more willing to pay their credit card bills on time as opposed to their monthly mortgage payments.
The main reason for this new trend may be due to the increasing number of subprime borrowers who are less worried about foreclosing on their homes. As you may know, during the “refi boom” of the last 5 years or so, many homeowners were put into loan programs with 100% financing. Others may have been placed into loan programs which they were probably under-qualified for.
What does this mean? It means that many subprime homeowners really don’t have much equity to lose should their home foreclose. In fact, a small percentage of homeowners are “upside” on their mortgage; meaning they owe more than what their property is actually worth.
According to Experian, the number of mortgage lates by subprime borrowers went up from about 32% at the beginning of 2003 to around 36% at the end of 2006. Interestingly, the number of late credit card payments fell from 32% to around 24% between early 2003 and late 2006.
It is believed that subprime borrowers value credit cards because it is something that they use on a daily basis. Also, many people live paycheck-to-paycheck, so it helps to have a source of emergency funds.
Before you use “Bill Me Later,” Read This!
June 17th, 2007 
You’ve probably seen the “Bill Me Later” payment method on various internet stores and shopping sites. By using this payment option, you can bypass inputting your credit card information at checkout. Instead you are sent an invoice through the mail.
What you may not know about this payment method is that it comes with a 19.99% APR if you are not able to payoff the bill on the first statement. Their APR and late fees may be comparable, if not higher, than the costs of using your credit card.
“Bill Me Later” tries to target consumers who are hesitant about using their credit cards online. Being cautious about identity theft is understandable, but the reality is, there are more occurences of identity thefts committed at the mailbox than on the internet. According to statistics, 8% of all identity theft are a result of mail theft, while only less than 1% occur on the internet.
So, think about this next time you’re at the checkout.
Compounding Interest vs. Simple Interest
June 13th, 2007If you’ve never heard of compounding or simple interest, you should take a minute to read this post. For those who have credit cards, take time to understand what the credit card companies are charging you on a monthly basis.
Compounding interest is interest that can be added to your principal balance. The interest that is added to your principal is now a part of the original principal that you owe. Then, next month, you end up paying interest on top of the interest you paid the previous month. Most, if not all credit cards are calculated this way. Isn’t this great!…Not only are credit card companies charging outrageous fees, but they’ve designed the repayment plan so that you won’t be able to pay off your credit cards.
Simple interest is usually predictable. You can find simple interest applied to most installment credit such as auto loans, mortgages, and student loans. This type of interest is not only better for your wallet, but also better for your credit.
What makes up a FICO Score?
June 12th, 2007 
As most of you may know already, the FICO Score is what creditors and lenders look at in order to assess the risk of granting credit or lending money. But how does the credit bureaus come up with these credit scores?
Here is the general breakdown of how a FICO Score is extracted from a consumer’s credit report:
- Payment history - 35%
- Amounts owed vs. credit limit - 30%
- Length of credit history- 15%
- New credit - 10%
- Types of credit used - 10%
Your payment history affects your credit the most. This is the main reason why you should always make on-time payments. If that’s not reason enough, think of the late payment fees.
Amount owed vs. credit limit is second most important factor. You should try to keep all your balances to at least below 40% of your credit limit. This will show your ability to manage and maintain your finances responsibly. If you have one or two credit cards that are near maxed out, you should apply for a new card and transfer some of the balance over. Spreading out your balances may help your credit score increase quite significantly in some cases.
Having an established credit history can help improve your credit score. Your credit history is sort of like your financial book report. It helps deliver a measurable assessment of your payment history. For people with little or no credit history, creditors and lenders are not able to properly assess their creditworthiness. This is the reason why first-timers have such a tough time getting deals on mortgages, loans or credit cards.
Believe it or not, obtaining new credit can actually help your credit score. On the same token, applying for credit too often may also hurt your credit. I recommend applying for new credit once every 3 months, but do not exceed this number.
The type of credit you use, makes up 10% of your FICO score. By type, I mean installment or revolving. Installment credit is favored over revolving credit. The main reason for this is that installment credit is scheduled to be paid off within a specified time period, whereas revolving credit has no set timeframe and the balance owed can fluctuate. Common sense would tell you that installment credit is more predictable and less riskier compared to revolving credit.
AGLOCO - Newest Money-Making Craze!
June 8th, 2007 
Finally, its come…I have been anticipating the release of the AGLOCO Viewbar for months! For those who have never heard of AGLOCO, here’s a little introduction. AGLOCO was started by a group of Stanford graduate students. The purpose of AGLOCO is to tap into the billion-dollar industry of internet advertising.
The way it works is simple. You download the AGLOCO Viewbar and simply have it running while you surf the web. There are no tricks or gimmicks to this program like many of the get-paid-to-surf programs in the past. All you have to do is stay logged on while you do your usual business on the internet. It’s safe because it’s not a spyware. In fact, you can simply close out the Viewbar with a single click. And, you don’t have to click on any advertisements to get credited for your time.
You may be asking yourself ”why would a company pay me to run their viewbar?” Here’s the answer. Internet advertising is a huge multi-billion dollar industry. AGLOCO is tapping into that market by showing you ads through their Viewbar. Advertisers pay AGLOCO a fee for each hour that their ad is shown through the network, and AGLOCO in turn, pays its members for running their Viewbar.
Another good thing about this program is that you can build your own personal network through referrals. This means that you will get paid for your referrals and the surfing they do as well.
Go check them out…
Last Read: “Why We Want You To Be Rich”
June 1st, 2007 
I just finished reading ”Why We Want You To Be Rich“ by Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump. As you may already know, both individuals are very rich and successful business people who have written “Best Selling” books.
Robert Kiyosaki is best known for his “Rich Dad” series of books, financial teachings, and his Cashflow board games. Donald Trump needs no introduction. He is a multi-billion dollar real estate developer known for his famous Trump properties, resorts and brands. Trump also has his own popular TV show on NBC called The Apprentice.
Although the book does not show you how to become rich, it does do exactly what the title of the book suggests, it explains why these two men want you to be rich. I really enjoyed reading the book because it gave me some insight into the philosophies and principles of these two great men. They are not great only because they are rich, but also because they seem to live lives based on high moral standards. In addition, their willingness to become teachers and share their knowledge with others is respectable.
After having read the book, I was amazed by how simple their ideas were. I’m not saying they have simple minds. What I am saying is that they seem to share ideas which are very common sense. For instance, both men stress the importance of thinking independently and not always following the crowd. If you do what everyone else does to make money, then you’ll most-likely end up living paycheck-to-paycheck. Robert and Donald want people to think outside the box, and come up with solutions to the world’s problems. If you can come up with an income-producing solution that helps people, then there is a good chance of financial wealth. They never say that it’s easy to make lots of money, but they believe that with the right idea, leadership, and action that anything is possible.
I am very glad that I picked up this book. This book has not only inspired me to do better, but it has also helped me gain confidence on many levels of my life.
How a Cash Advance Can Help Your Credit
April 23rd, 2007Many people are unaware of how helpful cash advances, or payday loans, can be to your credit. At first glance you wouldn’t realize this. You may even be thinking that a cash advance doesn’t have anything to do with your credit, but that’s exactly the point.
There are many situations in life that may occur and may hurt your credit. If you are late on a credit card bill, your credit history and payment history suffers. If you are late on your mortgage payment, your credit can suffer substantially. By obtaining a cash advance, or payday loan, you would be able to keep from being late on these important payments. You can also borrow this money without a credit check so you have no inquiries showing up on your credit. These are just a few areas where you can actually help your credit by getting a cash advance.
The other benefit of a cash advance is that you don’t have to have good credit to get the loan. This allows you to borrow money without a credit check and it allows you to make sure that the bills that would count against your credit are paid for in a timely manner. You may also find yourself in a situation where you need to borrow money, but your bank won’t allow you to because you have too many loans or credit cards already. If you are in a financial bind, a cash advance can get you out of this jam without hurting your credit. In essence, even though it appears that a cash advance doesn’t have anything to do with your credit, it has a lot to do with it if your credit is at risk from becoming bad to late payments.
There are some risks associated with a cash advance. These loans are designed to be short term and you pay a short-term fee for them. These fees are often higher than a typical loan, but this is because the loan company is taking a risk because there is no credit check involved. It is always a good idea to use these loans as a short-term solution and ensure that you are always able to pay it off when it comes due.
Making Money Online with Google Adsense
April 11th, 2007
If you’ve already heard of or tried Google Adsense, then this post may not appeal to you. I know this blog post is a bit late, considering Adsense has been out for years, and there are thousands of blog posts about it.
Having experienced my own small success with Adsense, I will attempt to explain to you the benefits of Google Adsense, and how you can generate a decent income from it.
I won’t convince you into thinking that it’s easy or quick money. However, with a little know-how and some perseverence, you’ll be able to see positive results from it.
It is important that you have a fully functioning website before you decide to apply for the publisher program. Google will review your website, and approve it based on its content and quality. If your website does not meet their quality standards or TOS (terms of service), they will have no problem rejecting your application. Afterall they can afford to picky; they already have thousands of webmasters serving their ads daily.
If you get rejected, don’t get discouraged. Many webmasters get rejected their first time around. You may just have to re-vamp your site a bit.
If you are one of the lucky ones to be approved, you are one step closer to making some extra cash. Google Adsense is considered a CPC program, or Cost-Per-Click. What this means is that whenever a guest or visitor comes to your website and clicks on any Google ads, you get paid a commission. This is a highly effective way to earn because you get paid on clicks, not leads or sales.
There are other competitors in the CPC ad market, such as YPN (Yahoo Publisher Network) and Bidvertiser, but Google Adsense is still the 800 pound Gorilla. One of the main reasons why Adsense has been so successful is their ability to serve relevant ads. This is vital to maximizing click conversion rates.
So, why is this advertising model good for all parties involved?
- Advertisers receive targetted traffic.
- Publishers make money from serving relevant ads.
- Google gets a cut from each click served.
Adding Google Adsense is Easy!
Login to your Adsense account, and customize the look and feel of your ad. After customizing, simply copy and paste the html code into your existing website. Now, you’re done!
Weblo - World of Virtual Properties
March 23rd, 2007 
I recently came across this site called Weblo. Weblo.com is a place where you can buy virtual property like countries, states, websites, web domains, etc. I’ve heard of online games where virtual properties have sold for crazy amounts of money, but this is something different. There’s no game-play involved here. From what I’ve seen, all you can do is buy virtual property or sell it. They also allow you to customize the contents of your virtual property page, but that’s about it.
This idea of virtual reality is somewhat crazy to me. I don’t know; maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but there is no way I would ever spend money on something that is intangible.
There are people that disagree with me, obviously. Those are the people that participate in these types of virtual communities. Apparently, Weblo is doing something right because Mr. Mirza (CEO) has claimed that the site makes over $90 per minute. That’s an astounding $5,400 per hour! I am somewhat skeptical, but the information came from a reliable source: http://redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=18896&hed=Virtual+World%2C+Real+Money
Weblo rakes in quite a bit of cash, but how about its members (or citizens as they call it)? Here is quote from their site on how its members can make money:
“As a basic (free) member at Weblo you get a free celebrity fan site and you get paid for the popularity of your fan site. Weblo puts advertisements on your fan site and you earn money every time someone clicks on those ads.
As a city or state owner you earn money from all transactions in your territory. This means every time someone buys a property or clicks an advertisement in your territory you get paid.
Cities and states grow in value as more people join Weblo and many cities have already re-sold for huge profits. There is only one Tokyo at Weblo and that’s why its sale price keeps going up!
Weblo properties and domains earn money from advertisements. Properties and domains go up in value and can be re-sold for profit just like in the real world.”
While it may be true, I really can’t see anyone making any substantial amounts of money from being a member. From browsing through Weblo, you can see that the virtual properties are only making pennies for its members.
As unique as the idea is, I don’t see enough benefits to join; not even as a free member. I see where all the real money is going: straight to Weblo.
