Monetising my website, does this look bad?

[Marc Robertson]

The ads don't strike me as bad in any way. They aren't annoying and they are relevant to the website material. I looked through some of the website and articles. The website content is very good.

The issues that I do have is that it looks like a template was used and content was poorly added to it in a couple cases. At least that is what it looks like with my platform. It stands out, but not in a good way.

"Welcome! I help people overcome Social Anxiety in an understanding and positive way from my own experience using thinking-based, self help methods. – Emily"

The above text runs over the bottom edge of the graphics near the top.

On the right side, there is a vertical line on the edge of the deeper graphic that runs vertically through the transparent graphic boxes at a higher level. This doesn't look good to me.

Also the graphic boxes on the left are inconsistent. Some have rounded corners on the top while others do no.

NoSocialAnxiety.wordpress.com overruns the edge of the boarder. In the same box, one of the bullet points "HOME" is offset from the others.

One of the bullets on the home page for who the website is for states "Bave a Better Quality Of Life." Spelling errors are easy to make, but should be seeked and destroyed.

[inri]

Originally Posted by ssandra

Maybe a small change of mindset can help you here?

Instead of thinking about it as getting paid, think about it as people showing appreciation? It works perfectly for me when I have to "pay" for things. Feel a lot better about it.

(from the book "Bursting loose from the Money Game")

Yes, you're so right Ssandra! Sometimes the tiniest of shifts in perception can make all the difference.....and you're right - a shift of perspective can really help on both ends - the customer as well as the service/information provider....it really is all in how you choose to look at it!

[aiyori]

I think you are experiencing a kind of social anxiety. Why should you care so much about how other people think it looks like?

By the way, I think you look good. Make your photo bigger, which will certainly catch more eyeballs.

[roxyruby]

Originally Posted by aiyori

I think you are experiencing a kind of social anxiety. Why should you care so much about how other people think it looks like?

By the way, I think you look good. Make your photo bigger, which will certainly catch more eyeballs.

heh heh heh, exactly but If I was experiencing very bad social anxiety I wouldn't have even posted this thread

Ta

Oh and I care what others think it looks like, because this website is mostly for other people, not myself, so, it will need to be pleasing to other people

[CoolBee]

One thing that occurs to me given the wordpress ad rules - if you got yourself a domain name and pointed it at the blog, keep a copy of your blog (export regularly!) and the rules were considered to have been broken- then if you have a problem you could stick it on another site and redirect the domain name to refer to it.

I do that now having had the experience some time ago of the host going down the pan taking all websites on there with it overnight and without warning! (Luckily I have always been 'Plan B' woman )

[roxyruby]

Oh man. I made the article about the products on my website private after a couple of people thought it was too apologetic and I went into too much personal detail.

However, tonight, I received 2 donations in my paypal account that added up to $70.

I felt like fainting!

I was thinking they must have read the article before I made it private, and maybe they felt guilty, or that I was in need of money by the way I was talking, so donated. Oh, but that is so nice of them. I am so grateful. Just when I thought no-one would ever donate, let alone more than a couple of dollars! Wow! I am so grateful.

[MattMacola]

Yeyyy!!! I'm glad for you... you deserve it!!

Originally Posted by roxyruby

Oh man. I made the article about the products on my website private after a couple of people thought it was too apologetic and I went into too much personal detail.

However, tonight, I received 2 donations in my paypal account that added up to $70.

I felt like fainting!

I was thinking they must have read the article before I made it private, and maybe they felt guilty, or that I was in need of money by the way I was talking, so donated. Oh, but that is so nice of them. I am so grateful. Just when I thought no-one would ever donate, let alone more than a couple of dollars! Wow! I am so grateful.

[roxyruby]

Originally Posted by MattMacola

Yeyyy!!! I'm glad for you... you deserve it!!

Thank you <3

[Manomanman]

Roxy,

I'm releasing my book today. It will completely change your perspective on your current predicament.

When you're done reading, you'll be 100% confident in your ability to sell whatever it is you want.

You DESERVE to be monetarily compensated for the value you create.

-Jesse

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by roxyruby

Oh man. I made the article about the products on my website private after a couple of people thought it was too apologetic and I went into too much personal detail.

However, tonight, I received 2 donations in my paypal account that added up to $70.

I felt like fainting!

I was thinking they must have read the article before I made it private, and maybe they felt guilty, or that I was in need of money by the way I was talking, so donated. Oh, but that is so nice of them. I am so grateful. Just when I thought no-one would ever donate, let alone more than a couple of dollars! Wow! I am so grateful.

Or roxy, maybe they thought that your writing was so good that they wanted to show their appreciation!

Not because they felt sorry or you needed money, but because they really think you were that good that you were worth that!

[Manomanman]

Originally Posted by roxyruby

Like I don't know what to say when people ask me about the affiliate products.

"These are products that helped me overcome problems in the past."

Don't recommend anything you can't clearly extoll the benefits of.

[roxyruby]

Originally Posted by Manomanman

"These are products that helped me overcome problems in the past."

Don't recommend anything you can't clearly extoll the benefits of.

But I'm not recommending them they are simply on my website displayed there. just like people have advertising and don't necessarily recommend what's being advertised.

[ellie]

Originally Posted by roxyruby

But I'm not recommending them they are simply on my website displayed there. just like people have advertising and don't necessarily recommend what's being advertised.

I think that principle only works well when you have a large online business, not when your starting out.

When talking about a touchy subject with a smallish readership, it's best to have products advertised that are tried and tested, so as to be more authentic.

It makes it more personable too, if you can say, "I tried this product and thought it was fantastic...bla bla bla"

You should ask Rebecca about her methods, for her lucid dreaming website.

[aiyori]

Roxy,

Rule #1 of online business is that you MUST have your OWN domain name from day 1. Otherwise, you are building everything on someone's mercy. This very someone can take away everything from you with just a click without the need to give you any reason. Geocities was much much bigger than Wordpress.com. But where is it now? And the reputation of your site is tied to your domain name. You can't simply tell your readers to go to a new domain and keep all reputation, including search engine ranking and incoming links. One day you'll regret that you haven't spent that 10 bucks to buy a domain.

[Lauxa]

Someone pointed out that Steve only posts ads for products he endorses, but that wasn't always the case and he never apologized for it.

I don't like the way all the twitter posts are on the top for your blog and articles pages. It looks like you posted them this morning which is why they are on top, but there should be a way to change the datestamp in the blog control panel so that they can be dated more appropriately and interfere less with your other content.

[Manomanman]

Originally Posted by roxyruby

But I'm not recommending them they are simply on my website displayed there. just like people have advertising and don't necessarily recommend what's being advertised.

Step 1: Read this book.

Step 2: Come up with a plan to speak to your readers in a way that does what I'm talking about in Ch3.

Step 3: Profit.

-Jesse

P.S. I agree with Aiyori. Ditch the wordpress.com. They hate affiliate marketers and people who "monetize".

[roxyruby]

Originally Posted by Lauxa

Someone pointed out that Steve only posts ads for products he endorses, but that wasn't always the case and he never apologized for it.

I don't like the way all the twitter posts are on the top for your blog and articles pages. It looks like you posted them this morning which is why they are on top, but there should be a way to change the datestamp in the blog control panel so that they can be dated more appropriately and interfere less with your other content.

Good idea, thank you

[roxyruby]

Originally Posted by Manomanman

Step 1: Read this book.

Step 2: Come up with a plan to speak to your readers in a way that does what I'm talking about in Ch3.

Step 3: Profit.

-Jesse

P.S. I agree with Aiyori. Ditch the wordpress.com. They hate affiliate marketers and people who "monetize".

Thank you I may buy your book when I can afford it ^ ^

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by roxyruby

Thank you I may buy your book when I can afford it ^ ^

It's free.... if you sign up on the right side, he will email it to you!

[roxyruby]

Originally Posted by ssandra

It's free.... if you sign up on the right side, he will email it to you!

Thank you Sandra!

Hey I just received this message from someone on youtube

Well congratulations on your new website. I checked the revenue and your website's worth $30. Thats great keep up on your good looks and you should overcome your SAD too.

How do they know how much revenue my site is making and that it's worth $30 or are they just making it up? Anyone know?

[SatvikBeri]

Originally Posted by roxyruby

Thank you Sandra!

Hey I just received this message from someone on youtube



How do they know how much revenue my site is making and that it's worth $30 or are they just making it up? Anyone know?

There are various tools to estimate it. But no one besides you can know for sure. Some of these tools tend to be horribly wrong, too-I know one that estimated a site's value at $10k, when the site was making more than that in a month!

[granted]

Originally Posted by roxyruby

How do they know how much revenue my site is making and that it's worth $30 or are they just making it up? Anyone know?

Well, it's all 'subjective' of course.

dnScoop - Domain Name Value, History, Stats Tool and Forums

[granted]

Originally Posted by SatvikBeri

There are various tools to estimate it. But no one besides you can know for sure. Some of these tools tend to be horribly wrong, too-I know one that estimated a site's value at $10k, when the site was making more than that in a month!

It's not about how much a site 'can make' by selling things. It's more about impressions, in and out bound linking etc.

I mean if God started a blog providing all answers to any question asked, in the first week the site would be worth $0 - cuz know one would know about it, there would be no in or out bound traffic. Once the 'word' got out however there could be trillions of hits and the next week it could be worth more than apple.com. Oh wait—Steve Jobs is a God isn't he?