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Introduction: Multiple Streams of Craft Site
Income
There
are basically two types of smaller crafts topic web sites. The first makes direct sales
of crafts-related products. The second provides crafts
content only, with no direct sales. And, of course, there are sites that combine
the two approaches... and that's probably the most common.
In general, most
successful website owners work on developing what is known as *multiple streams
of income.* In other words, they earn money from their websites in more than one way. For crafters that sell products online, with their tight margins, this concept is an
especially important one. For craft hobbyists and enthusiasts, it's a concept
that can help fund their passion.
The focus of this page is on the other ways that craft sites can generate
income rather than on making direct sales online (setting it up, taking payment, and all that's involved with that...).
The methods
below are available to all kinds of crafts websites, including those that only
offer craft subject content. In fact, some of these methods may even work best for sites that only
offer crafts content.
Selling Advertising On A Craft Site
In order to sell conventional advertising space on any website,
the site first has to have a lot of traffic. Just like off-line media,
advertising rates are based on the reach of the ads. The craft site of an average
crafter, the hobbyist or small craft business, just doesn't get the kind of traffic that allows them to generate
real advertising revenue. In fact, many give away that advertising space in link
exchanges just to get the traffic they need themselves.
Some larger craft portals, directories, and sites by large crafts
companies do have the level of traffic that allows them to sell
advertising space. It has to be said, however, that these days
advertising revenues aren't the cash cow they once were. Gone are the days when
banner ad space could command hefty rates.
However, there is a new program that does make advertising
revenue an option for smaller sites with less traffic...
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A
Potential Ad Income Source For Small Craft Sites
Recently, Google introduced AdSense. One thing that's different
is that smaller sites that may not get the higher levels of traffic can join
AdSense. To take advantage
of it, though, your site has to fit the rules of the program. Your site
has to be strongly content-oriented, and well-presented. If Google accepts your
site, all you'll need to do is add a bit of code to your page, and Google serves
up content appropriate text ads automatically. You're paid for click-throughs.
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Affiliate Program Income For Craft Web Sites
For most crafters, the obvious alternative is to turn to
affiliate programs for the extra income.
Affiliate (or "associate") programs are really an advertising model with a difference. It's
pay-for-performance. The merchants only
pay for the advertising that gets results. The most familiar one is Amazon. The company
with the affiliate
program supplies links and promotional material to its affiliates for use on
their websites. The affiliate is paid when a visitor takes some specific action
tracked by the affiliate's links. For example,
As an affiliate, you can promote every kind of product or
service imaginable, so there are likely to be quality products that are a good
match for your website. Programs vary widely, so look carefully at the payment
plans, the rules and agreements, and the overall quality and reliability of any
program before joining.
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Realistic Expectations Of Affiliate
Program Income
The truth is that very few affiliates in any given program make
the kind of money that's worth jumping up and down about. Those who do make
a good income promoting affiliate programs work *smart* and choose the
programs they join carefully. Becoming a successful affiliate takes work and
some thought.
It's like anything else, it's worth a bit of time to learn about promoting
affiliate programs effectively.
All that being said, for a craft web site, even a few small extra cash streams can be the
difference between staying online or not.
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Learn How To Build Craft Web Site Income Through
Affiliate Programs:
FREE
detailed step-by-step course covers how to develop
affiliate income from a special interest or content site.
DOWNLOAD the
*Affiliate Masters Course* in pdf format***** (907 kb) just by *right clicking* and
saving the target to your computer. (You will need Acrobat Reader to
read the pdf.)
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A Few Places To Look For Affiliate
Programs To Promote On Your Craft Site:
-
Be Free -- manages
affiliate programs for a wide variety of merchants
-
Commission Junction -- manages
affiliate programs for numerous merchants
-
ClickBank
--manages affiliate programs for a large number of downloadable
products
-
clixGalore -- affiliate network managing
numerous affiliate programs for a wide variety of merchants
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All Faux Grain & e-fg-zine material is
presented in good faith, but is for educational and informational purposes only. No warranties
or guarantees of any kind are expressed or implied. Read
the full disclaimer.
