In the articles dedicated to how to create a website absolutely for free, we discussed how to save money, which is as important as how to make money, because the end profit is equal to the revenues minus the expenses, and the smaller the expenses, the bigger the profit. The question is how to make an online product start earning money. The models you can choose from are many, or you can come up with our own, unique one, too. I will now introduce you to the most popular ways of monetizing the websites by telling you the best and the worst practices, as well as when and what you should expect.

MODEL 0: Advertising sales

Advertising sales is the most widespread model on the internet. It is the reason for many people to think that it is raining money on the web and you just have to stretch your hands and grab it. Usually, the websites that offer free content and/or services (news, articles, free ads) support themselves by advertising sales. While you are using the free content, the media bombards you with the advertisements of its sponsors. In the end, you indirectly pay for the free content of the media by consuming the advertised products and services.

This model is a mass practice in many countries, it is well-developed but not innovative at all. Before you apply this model you should remember that selling is nothing like buying. You have a website, advertising areas, impressions, and consumers, but this does not mean that the advertisers will buy your advertising only because you offer it for sale. Why? I used to ask myself this question every day for about seven years while the biggest advertisers in the country persistently refused to buy from me, despite the attractive price and the discounts.