How do modern web sites and blogs monetize their operations

Hi guys,

I used to blog from 2007 to 2011 and quit to do somethings that are more lucrative. At the time there were several ways to monetized your website like selling ads, selling links, featured sponsored content and, worst of all, embraces google adsense.

I want to get back to this arena. My web site/blog will be in a financial/business field.

However, the web site/blog-sphere which I used to know has changed drastically. I don't see web sites like The Huffington Post, Marketwatch, Bloomberge etc. put much ads on them now.

I got some clues that most sites out there make money by organizing a seminar/meetup events and sell premium content on their mobile app. That is a plan but it's still a distant future.

So my question is how do web sites like The Huffington Post, Engadget and several other sites generate enough money to pay their staffs monthly.

My web site will begin from nothing and I plan to monetize it from the third months onward, not very big plan though, just need to keep it alive and thrive when possible.

Any suggestions for while it was just in a toddling step.

Thanks,

 

I am not sure how does such big sites make money, but surely they sell banner space, do paid reviews, in context ads etc. You can monrtize blog now practicly the sam as You did earlier... except AdSense is bringing now much less money.
Try to do some banner selling, paid reviews and articles, add maybe some adsense... and build product!

 

Thank you for suggestion.

And by build product! do you mean building an app and sell premium content?

 

One way is by creating a list to send a newsletter to and then as suggested start creating micro products that you can sell to that list. For example, "The 10 most common mistakes business' make in 2015" or "The 10 Best ways to make money from your website"....if you have a lot of traffic you can easily and quickly build a high quality list!!!

 

Have an autoresponder like aweber or get response and collect subscribers (lure them with gift... like financial predictions for 2015 or whatever). Share some value, add few low offers ($.99 - $7) that will be small "premium" pieces like: "Your money is in $? - Change it to Euros" and bring some value in it.

Basically all that you do is pointed to your product that can be in middle range ($100 - $1,000) or high range $1,000+ where you'll really give something worthwhile.

Obviously I don't know anything about your niche and some examples sound pretty stupid, but I believe you get the picture...

If you need something more... let me know

 

Sound like a scam to me. I would only do honest business.
What I will do is more like Yahoo, but my niche is IPO and merger market. I've friends who would supply articles but it's not much.
The data would be first-hand data. The rest of the blog will be opinion, analysis, and business tips, you name it, to make it worth visit.

I can't do anything that look sleazy.

 

Than you don't need to ask here... it looks like you have very detailed plan.

About scamming... It is scam if you do it that way. If you research and do a good job, then it's not scam. You are having a newsletter with free and premium content... there's no scam in it if you do it right way!

 

Thanks for the tips. It's worth taking into consideration.

 

It was my pleasure