There are 1.6 billion websites on the internet. Only 25% of them are active.
As of January 2019, there are 4.39 billion internet users, of which, 8.2% live in the US. If you’re trying to make money online, this information may feel daunting.
Fortunately, not all active websites are selling something. And not all websites that sell something are in direct competition with you. But you still need to take a few steps in order to get enough traffic to make money.
So how much traffic does a website need to make money? Keep reading because we’re about to answer that question. We’ll also share with you exactly what you need to do to get more traffic.
How Much Traffic Does a Website Need to Make Money?
The real answer is that even one customer visiting your site can earn you money. However, to earn a living with your website, there are a few other factors at play that need to happen in order to make money.
You’ll need to know the following to determine how much money you can make:
- How much revenue you can earn per customer
- How many visitors become customers
- How much revenue you’re trying to earn
Next, you have to determine which method(s) you want to employ to help you earn money.
Ways to Earn Money with Your Website
There are a few ways a website can make money. It’s a smart idea to get a good understanding of what your options are and how much money you can earn before you choose one or some of the below methods. But before that, we highly suggest you obtain some sort of personal financial education by enrolling in money management courses.
Selling Products and/or Services
One way is to sell products and goods online.
The products and/or services act as their own keywords, which can help attract visitors to your site. Every time someone makes a purchase, you earn money.
You can sell anything you like on your website. You just need to make sure you have a customer base who are looking for what you’re selling.
Actively Selling Products and Services Isn’t for Everyone
However, not everyone has something to sell. You’ll also have to use methods such as SEO (search engine optimization) to help people find your online store.
Not everyone wants to be responsible for offering a product or service. And, even if you have an online store, it’s still possible to earn money in other ways.
Affiliate Marketing
There’s also affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing works by letting brands partner with individuals or companies to sell their products.
You promote a product or service for another company on your website. In return, that company tracks and measures the performance.
It’s usually easier for smaller websites to get started working with an affiliate marketing company. You also get paid immediately for each sale you make via PayPal.
The Downside of Affiliate Marketing
However, with affiliate marketing, it can take some time to set up, find the right affiliate marketing partners, and continue to find new ways to market someone else’s products.
Affiliate marketing takes time and a fair amount of traffic to be successful.
Google Adsense
Google Adsense is another way to earn money quickly. With Google Adsense, you choose which type of ads you display on your website.
How much does Google Adsense pay? It depends on which ads you post on to your website.
Let the Bidding Begin
Google Adsense lets you choose exactly where your ads appear on your website then the bidding begins. Advertisers bid for space on your website, which allows you the opportunity to earn even more money.
You’ll receive Google Adsense earnings every time a visitor clicks on that ad on your website.
How Much Google Adsense Pays
How much does Google Adsense pay? There’s no fixed rate since every ad has a different bid rate. And those rates change daily.
You can determine your Google Adsense revenue by finding a keyword CPC (cost per click) for every keyword you use.
Calculate Your CTR
The higher you rank on CPC keywords, the better. Next, you need to learn the CTR (click-through rate). This is the percentage you’ll earn when people click on your ads. Click here to learn how to get more traffic using Google Adsense.
For 1,000 page views with 50 clicks on ads, that is a 5% CTR. The more clicks, the higher the earnings.
The Downside to Google Adsense
Google Adsense is a tough market. If you don’t have a big website with at least 100,000 visitors per month, it will be difficult for you to attract the right companies to start working with you.
You have little editorial control with Google Adsense. Also, there’s no payout until you’ve reached at least $100. Even then, it may take weeks to receive payment.
Build a Huge Website that Attracts Visitors
Even if you use Google Adsense, sell products or are an affiliate marketer, you need people to come to your website to earn money. And building a great website often isn’t enough.
You need to build a substantial website that can attract thousands of views per month. Most advertising networks such as Google Adsense prefer to work with larger sites with hundreds of thousands of viewers so they too can earn money.
Maximize Your Value with Each Visitor
It’s not enough to place an advertisement somewhere on your site. Especially if it’s not relevant to your site.
Make sure you only work with vendors who have actual relevance to your site. Then go the extra mile and write a blog about the product you’re selling on your site.
If you have a banner selling hairdryers, write a blog about how using a hairdryer helped you look great at a wedding or job interview. Doing so will give your readers an extra incentive to purchase the item you’re selling.
Build Relationships with Your Audience
Don’t just think in terms of your visitors being people you want to sell to. Instead, view them as people you want to build relationships with.
People don’t buy from businesses, they buy from people they like and trust. Start building likability and trust by building an authentic relationship with your audience.
Get to know them and create value for them. That will keep them coming back time and again.
Keep Learning to Build a Better Site
How much traffic does a website need to make money? It’s often about quality versus quantity, though both methods help.
One way is to constantly be learning how to build a better site that attracts the right people. We can help.
