Making Money Online: Content is King

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a burning desire to earn a living working with technology. Since the launching of what I consider one of the greatest invention of this century (Internet) I’ve sought out many different methods for making money online.

Much like Edison inventing the light bulb, at the beginning I’ve found more ways how not to achieve the desired outcome. However, I’m glad to say that I’m started to see the light at the end of the tunnel when I went to the information venue. I recently decided to share my experience in my quest with a multi-part post on how to make money online.

A while ago, I reached out to KB for help in my quest. KB is a successful web designer, award winner social media and web author. He was part the creative mind behind Canada Votes, a web service that provides some handy tools for some popular social networks. I asked in that ocassion KB for advice on how to turn my hobbies (programming, education and blogging) into a career. He provided some great info and there was a series of questions he asked that really got me thinking:

What would you like to do? Are you looking to become a developer? Do you want to become a blogger? Do you want to be an Infopreneur?
Very good questions indeed. I think that ultimately I would like to be an Infopreneur and offer content services that are high in demand but low in supply. If I ever get to the point where I’m creating demand, I’ll know I’ve made it. I think answering these questions led me to the first step in making money online: do you develop content or develop a service?

Content Development
Behind door number one, we have content development. This has become one of the most popular methods for earning a living online. There are countless individuals online providing eager readers with relevant and useful information. The majority of them in the form of blogs.

Blogs are a great way for enthusiasts and self-proclaimed experts on any topic to provide information to the masses. It has become quite apparent that blogs are probably the best and easiest way to provide information online. It has been observed by many that search engines have an affinity for blogs. If you are a decent writer and have a lot of great information to share that others are seeking, blogging is definitely the way to go.

Providing Services
The second choice you have for making money online is to provide services online. Just as there are millions of people seeking information online, there are many others seeking services as well. Of course, the majority of them prefer free services but there are plenty that are willing to pay too.

Providing services online does not necessarily mean you need to be a programmer or web developer. If you already have a business or are interested in starting one, providing services online can easily become an extension of your business. This is especially true if your business is not limited by your geographic location.
It is relatively easy to build a website to promote and even sell the services online. Even if you don’t know how to do it, there are plenty of people out there who provide such services. Alternatively, you could find the information online on how to build a website and do it yourself. I find the latter to be the most enjoyable as well as rewarding.

What’s Next?

Once you’ve decided whether you wish to provide content or services, you need to decide the topic of your content or the type of service to provide. There are three very important factors to consider when making this decision:

■Size of Market
■Competition
■Quality of Service

These will be the focus of my next post in this series.

About the Author:
Marisol Diaz is a free spirited entrepreneur and business owner committed to helping individuals discover personal and financial freedom through infopreneurship, online business, web-based business, information based and membership sites. If you would like to learn more about setting up a membership site, contact me and also visit:
www.hinenimedia.membersite.org

Selling information Online

Selling information online

Everyone is an expert at something and that expertise could generate tremendous income from information products. The following items are a sample of info products that you can create to launch your infopreneur business:

Books

E-books

Special reports

Audio recordings

Teleseminars

Video/DVD programs

Training courses

Computer-based training (CBT)

Workbooks

Tips booklets

Seminars

Workshops

What great reasons do you need to become one?

You need only your own experience not extra resource necessary.

Work from home only in your available spare time.

Low start up cost, affordable to anyone.

Plenty of guidance available from role models and fellow info-preneurs.

Powerful, intuitive, easy-to-use technology available to you.

Can be set to run hands off, on autopilot.

Scalable you can take it as hight as you want.

Not time limitations, grow your business as fast or slow as you liike

No geographic restrictions, all you need is a computer with internet connection

No barriers to entry like language, social status, physical handicaps or anything else

Potential for passive income-for the long term.


For more details about how to sell information online take one of my workshops
or check out my website.


About the Author:
Marisol Diaz is a free spirited entrepreneur and business owner committed to helping individuals discover personal and financial freedom through infopreneurship, online business, web-based business, information based and membership sites. If you would like to learn more about setting up a membership site, contact me and also visit:
http://www.hinenimedia.com/

Commonly asked questions associated with becoming an infopreneur

Infoprenuership FAQ

1. What is an infopreneur?
An infopreneur is an entrepreneur who specializes in information. Infopreneurs provide, promote, and distribute knowledge, usually within a niche market.

2 Who can become an infopreneur? The answer is encouraging: anyone and everyone. It is available to people of all ages, all backgrounds, and all education levels.

3. I’m not good with computers not in IT. How can I start this type of business?

-Consider what you are most interested in and passionate about. The more you know about a subject, the easier it will be to write articles you publish on your own website

-Research your idea, to see if it is feasible and profitable. There isn't much sense to spend days writing about something that isn't in demand, or wouldn't reward you for your efforts.

-Once you have decided on your topic, (template-based site building system) like Wild Apricot has software tools that will help you create your theme based website. Special technical knowledge is not required.

When you use a popular option like template-based site building system, it helps as it walks you through the process step by step. Also known as a content management system (CMS), they are easy to work with and you more or less fill in the blanks of a predesigned style and layout. You could also consider partnering with someone who balances out your skill set or hiring someone to take care of the technical tasks when they come up.

4. Do I need a website?
While having your own website is not essential, it definitely increases your credibility and works to promotes you 24/7. More importantly, websites can act as a hub to support a diverse combination of revenue sources, most of which can be programmed to function on autopilot.

You will likely benefit much more from having a website than not having one. Because there is no physical shop to browse in, the only way a potential customer gains confidence in you is through the information you provide. Their perception of you is all that matters, and it will make or break your success. You need to establish trust, credibility and desire before someone will give you their credit card details.
Websites can quickly establish your professionalism and expertise and give visitors a free no-risk taste of your style and quality of information. And of course a website provides many different options for you to introduce your products. Due to the ease and low cost involved with setting one up today, there’s no reason not to do it.

5. I don’t know how to build a website and can’t afford to spend thousands of dollars on a web designer. What do you suggest?
While there are a number of good template-based website building systems on the market to choose from, it is important that the company you select is able to help you monetize your website. It is hugely beneficial if they can also assist you during the research phase by providing tools, links and resources. Mevaser.com is one the best to help you out. Need a blog don't hesitate to give me a call.

There are many site building tools and templates included with inexpensive hosting packages. However, while most of these can definitely help you develop a good promotional website, few actually teach you how to build a site designed to generate online income. Pay-per-click options are readily available but it takes an enormous amount of traffic to make any real money and there are much faster and more reliable ways to make money.

6. Can I really make money with this concept?

Yes. Millions of people search online daily for information that will solve their problems, help them to make a buying decision, find a hotel, plan their next vacation, and everything a person's mind can imagine.

BUT…just like any other business, it takes belief, work, and perseverance. It also takes the ability to evaluate your progress and readjust course if necessary. Researching your niche to ensure there is a market demand for your subject is crucial to financial success. Successful entrepreneurs find a need and fill it.

7. Should I quit my job to focus on this full-time?
NO! This type of business typically grows over time, as traffic to your site increases. And remember: the more thorough your research, the more likely you will be successful.

8. I’m not good at sales. Can I still do this?
Definitely. Some website owners monetize their website by selling related items that they create. Artwork, photos, poems, recipes, DVDs, and computer programs to name a few.

Information marketing is sometimes considered passive selling because you don’t usually have much, if any, communication with your visitors. While this is appealing to many people, you need to ensure your content communicates your intentions clearly because it must sell itself. Ideally you would research a hungry market, find out what they want, and then figure out a way to give it to them digitally. If do this, the chances of your success increase considerably.

9. What is niche marketing?
Niche marketing is the opposite of mass marketing. It means to focus on a very narrow and specific topic. For example, ‘Dog Grooming’ has a mass market focus. ‘Poodle Grooming’ narrows it down but Toy Poodle Grooming Tips’ is a niche market. A niche market’s audience may be smaller but it is often far easier to find, research and target because of their specific interest.

10. What is a digital product?
A digital product is something of value that can be emailed or downloaded via the internet. Ebooks and special reports, audio books, DVDs, CD-ROMS, online classes, teleseminars and blogging are some examples. These are typically inexpensive to create and can be immensely profitable.

11. What is digital distribution?
Digital distribution uses the internet to deliver a digital product. With no inventory, manufacturing or shipping costs, the cost of doing business is almost zero.

12. How are digital products distributed?
When an order is placed online, the payment is confirmed and then the product is automatically delivered to the customer via email, digital download, or by mail in the case of hard goods.

14. I can sell hard goods?
Of course. If you have a physical product to sell, mail order or print-on-demand are very common methods to generate income.

15. How can I accept payment?
Mail-order is becoming less common due to advances in ecommerce security and online financial transactions. There are plenty of reputable vendors you can partner with who handle the security of credit card transactions for a small fee or percentage. Seamlessly integrated into your website, sales are processed through the vendor and your money is deposited into your bank account immediately or on a pre-determined schedule. It is simple and secure. Welcome to the future.

16. Can I automate the order process?
Absolutely. In addition to credit card processing, many ecommerce vendors are starting to offer digital distribution packages. Automating the order process means you can generate sales 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Once the process is set up, you no longer need to be near your computer to fulfill orders and all sales become a form of residual income.



About the Author:
Marisol Diaz is a free spirited entrepreneur and business owner committed to helping individuals discover personal and financial freedom through infopreneurship, online business, web-based business, information based and membership sites. If you would like to learn more about setting up a membership site, contact me and also visit:
http://www.hinenimedia.com/