Comments on: Getting Started with the Money Making Challenge

By: Jarkko

Jarkko — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:43:02 +0000

@Barbara: Thanks for the reminder! In the early days of blogging, I used to drop in Amazon links every time I mentioned a book in any of my posts. This didn’t generate much traffic, but I think it was more likely because I didn’t have many readers at that time than because the method itself wouldn’t work.

I’ll make sure to experiment with Amazon and eBay again during this challenge!

By: Barbara Ling

Barbara Ling — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:30:53 +0000

Don't forget about Amazon.com and eBay as well. These two affiliate programs allow you to monetize virtually any niche imaginable (and you can include affiliate links in single-posts as well). My Macgyver site has Macgyver t-shirts and memorabilia courtesy of eBay....I'd be hard-pressed to find another program that could pay me for that. Data points, Barbara Barbara Ling's last blog post: Make money by stop leaving money on the table

By: Jarkko

Jarkko — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:18:36 +0000

@Terence: Thanks for the support!

This will for sure be an exciting ride. Having someone to challenge you to always dream up something bigger is a great way to make those dreams come true.

By: Terence Chang

Terence Chang — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:15:07 +0000

Jarkko: Good luck on your challenge with Mark. I will be watching you and Mark on this progress of make money online. Keep it up! Terence Chang's last blog post: Weekend Confession - Enjoy life with pretty models

By: Jarkko

Jarkko — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:43:04 +0000

@Nick: Thanks for the encouragement! The approach sure seems to make sense – and it’s really exciting to finally see it in action :)

My first AdWords ads are now out there, and I’m eagerly waiting for the initial stats to come up so I can start tweaking my tests and improving click-through.

By: Nick Cernis

Nick Cernis — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:30:45 +0000

Thanks for supporting Todoodlist and best of luck with the sales all round, Jarkko!

I think you hit the nail on the head — if you’re going to successfully sell someone else’s product, sticking a banner up and hoping for the best might only generate a trickle of sales. If you want to improve on this, you have to do exactly as you said — create a dedicated sales/recommendation page, drive traffic to it, and measure the results. This tactic is becoming much more common with hosting plans, but it’s still an under-used concept for books and other products.

There’s nothing like a personal recommendation from someone you trust to hook you into buying — I’ve done it several times.

Nick Cernis’s last blog post: Moleskine Notebooks: The Ultimate Guide (and how to rank your addiction)

By: Jarkko

Jarkko — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:02:42 +0000

@Dave: Thanks for the tip! Jonathan’s site is just what I need right now. I’m sure I’ll spend quite a few hours reading his stuff during the next few days :)

@Mark: Thanks, Mark! Your niche site / eBook approach sounds really promising as well.

When you say that you’re not intending to make money from the eBook, do you mean that you’ll be giving it for free, or that you are not expecting that many people to get it?

If you are giving it for free, you might at least use it as a bait to get people to subscribe to a mailing list (which you can then use for selling something else)? And if you decide to sell your book, you might be surprised with the results (just look how well Christine did with hers)

Happy learning and experimenting, for both of us!

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:40:33 +0000

Hi Jarkko - you have some FANTASTIC ideas listed here. I have been short on time the past couple of days but I think I have worked out a plan for some niche sites and a possible ebook. With the ebook I don't intend to make a penny from it but I thought it might be interesting/challenging and a good learning experience to put together :) Mark's last blog post: Lifestyle Design With a Purpose: 5 Volunteer Resources that can Help you Travel the Globe and Make a Difference at the Same Time

By: Dave C.

Dave C. — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:03:44 +0000

The only thing I would recommend is to do some really thorough research on keywords to use with Adwords. This can be the difference between making money and losing it. Check out Jonathan Volk’s site (http://www.jonathanvolk.com) for a lot of really good tips on the subject.