You know you want to monetise your website, but you’re unsure of where to start. Or, perhaps you’ve tried to do so before but to no avail. Monetising your website doesn’t have to be complicated – but it does require a fair bit of dedication in order to earn you passive income over time.

Today, we’ll explore how you can monetise your website to get some extra cash flow. No matter how big your money-making goals are, or whether you’re looking for tech side hustles to make money, our tips can help you start monetising your website right away!

1. Display advertising

Display advertising involves placing visual ads in particular places on a website to generate revenue. They come in various forms such as banners, landing pages, rich ads and much more. All you need to do is display them where needed, and when a user clicks on it, you can earn revenue (depending on whether it was clicked or a transaction was completed).

To get started with display advertising, you'll need to sign up with an ad network like Google AdSense – an intermediary to connect your website to an advertiser that displays relevant ads to a user on your site. 

You’ll need to test ad placement over time to see what works. Consider placing ads above the fold, near engaging content, and in areas with high visibility. Experiment with different ad sizes and placements to find the sweet spot that delivers the best performance without compromising user experience.

2. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is a popular way to monetise your website by promoting other companies' products or services, and earning a commission for every sale you generate. Here's how it works:

Affiliate marketing involves partnering with businesses that offer affiliate programs. As an affiliate marketer, you promote their products or services on your website through affiliate links or banners. When a site visitor clicks on your affiliate link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission!

Some well-known affiliate networks include:

  • Amazon Associates
  • AWIN
  • Rakuten Advertising
  • ClickBank

In most countries (including the UK), you must disclose your affiliate relationships to maintain transparency with your audience. This disclosure is typically placed on your website's affiliate disclosure page or near where your affiliate links are placed.

3. Sponsored content (Native Advertising)

Sponsored content (also known as native advertising) involves partnering with brands to create and publish promotional content on your website. This content is designed to blend seamlessly with your regular editorial content while promoting the sponsor's products or services.

Pricing is dependent on your website’s and often social media channel’s engagement rates. To get started with sponsored content and native ads:

  1. Be transparent about sponsored content by clearly labelling it as such to maintain trust with your audience.
  2. Identify brands that align with your website's niche and target audience. Reach out to their marketing teams to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
  3. Sponsored content can be priced based on factors like traffic, engagement, or a flat rate. Common models include cost per click (CPC), cost per thousand impressions (CPM), or a fixed fee.
  4. Develop sponsored content that provides value to your audience while subtly promoting the sponsor's offerings. Maintain editorial standards and avoid overt sales pitches.

4. Selling digital products

Creating and selling digital products like ebooks, online courses, software, or other types of content can be a great and fun way to monetise your website. The beauty of digital products is that they have virtually no manufacturing or shipping costs, meaning you don’t have to faff with them. Plus, you save money this way too!

To get started, you'll need to determine what type of digital product you want to sell and will best resonate with your audience. For example, if you run a website focused on personal finance, you could create an ebook with budgeting tips, or an online course teaching people how to invest.

Next, you'll need to create the content and package it for sale on your website. This may involve writing and formatting an ebook, recording video lessons for a course, or developing software or applications. Lastly, set up a payment gateway on your website to process transactions securely (some popular options include PayPal and Stripe).

5. Membership sites

Membership sites are a powerful way to monetize your website, as they allow you to offer exclusive content or services to paying members. This model involves charging a recurring fee, typically monthly or annually, for access to premium materials or features. Here's how you can set up a membership site:

By type

  • Content-based: Offer exclusive articles, videos, tutorials, or courses to members.
  • Community-based: Provide members with access to forums, private groups, or exclusive networking opportunities.
  • Product-based: Grant members access to products, tools, or software.

By restriction

  • Implement content-locking mechanisms to restrict access to non-members.
  • Use membership plugins or platforms to manage user roles and permissions.
  • Offer free previews or teasers to entice potential members.

By pricing model

  • Fixed pricing: Offer a single membership level at a set price.
  • Tiered pricing: Provide multiple membership levels with varying access and pricing.
  • Free trial: Allow users to try your membership for a limited time before committing.

By offering exclusive content or services through a membership model, you can create a sustainable revenue stream for your website while providing value to your audience.

6. Offering services

Turning your website into a service-based business is a great way to monetise it. By using your skills, you can offer consulting, design, development, or other professional services to clients. 

Here's how to get started:

Define your service

Identify your core competencies and the services you can provide. This could include web design, web development, SEO consulting, social media management, content creation, or any other digital service aligning with your skillset.

Set a pricing model 

Determine your pricing structure, whether hourly, project-based, or retainer-based. Research industry standards and competitor rates to set competitive prices that reflect the value you offer. You can even set a “starting from” price, which can allow you to tack on additional services and fees if they’re required.

Find your ideal clients

Promote your services through your website, social media, networking events, and online job boards. Build a portfolio showcasing your previous work, and gather testimonials and case studies to attract potential clients.

7. Crowdfunding and donation models

Crowdfunding and donation models allow website owners to raise funds from a large number of people, typically through online platforms like Kickstarter, Ko-Fi or Patreon. This approach can be an effective way to generate revenue for creative projects, causes, or businesses. Bear in mind that this typically works more for “getting started”, but subscription-based models on the likes of Patreon can be used to keep website costs up and make a bit of money on the side.

When setting up your campaign, be sure to include engaging visuals, such as videos or images. You’ll then want to promote the campaign through social media, email lists, and other channels to get as much reach as possible. Consider offering exclusive rewards or early access to incentivise contributions. Lastly, be transparent about your progress and provide regular updates to maintain engagement with your supporters throughout the campaign. This builds trust!

8. Set up an online store

Setting up an online store is one of the most straightforward ways to make money from a website. With an e-commerce platform, you can sell physical or digital products directly to customers over the internet. Here's how to get started:

1. Choose an ecommerce platform

Select a user-friendly e-commerce platform like our WooCommerce Hosting – which comes with WooCommerce readily installed on your WordPress site. Platforms like these provide templates, shopping carts, payment gateways, and inventory management tools.

2. Decide what products you want to sell 

You can source products from wholesalers or manufacturers, or create your own products. Consider your niche, target audience, and profit margins when it comes to production and shipping too.

3. Set up your online store

Customise your online store with your branding, product pages, shipping and payment options. You can even add your online store as a subdomain to your main website.

4. Manage your inventory

Integrate your store with inventory management and order fulfilment systems. You could even automate processes like order tracking, shipping, and restocking – particularly if it takes off!

9. Offer premium content subscriptions

Not too dissimilar to point five, one effective way to monetise a website is by offering premium content or services through a subscription model. This involves creating exclusive, high-value content or features that users must pay to access, which is great for those who want to make money from a free website.

Here are some steps to get started:

Offer freemium

Determine what premium content or services you can offer that your audience would be willing to pay for. This could include in-depth guides, online courses, webinars, or access to an exclusive community.

Choose your pricing

Decide on a pricing strategy that aligns with your content's perceived value. Common models include monthly or annual subscriptions, pay-per-view, or tiered pricing (based on access levels).

Implement access controls

Set up a secure system to restrict access to your premium content or services. This could involve using a membership plugin, a paywall, or a dedicated subscription management platform.

Retain your subscriptions

Develop marketing strategies to encourage long-term subscriber loyalty, such as offering discounts for annual subscriptions, providing exclusive member benefits, or creating a community forum for premium members to engage with each other and your team.

10. Email marketing

Lead generation and email marketing are powerful strategies for monetising your existing website. By offering something valuable like an eBook, webinar, or discount in exchange for a visitor's email address, you can build an email list of potential customers. 

With this list, you can test what emails resonate with your audience the most. Do they like your storytelling? Do they want an email that’s straight to the point with what you’re offering? The key is to build trust – offer something of value with every email, and then think about promoting your paid products.

11. Hosting webinars and online events

Webinars and online events can be a lucrative way to monetize your website. By offering valuable educational or training content, you can charge attendees for access. There are several types of webinars and online events you can host, such as:

  • Educational webinars
  • Specialist training sessions
  • Masterclasses

When it comes to pricing models, you can opt for a pay-per-view model, where attendees pay a one-time fee to access the webinar or event. Alternatively, you can offer subscription-based access, where users pay a recurring fee for access to a series of webinars or events over a period of time.

There are various webinar platforms and tools available, such as Zoom, GoToWebinar, WebinarJam, and EverWebinar, among others. These platforms provide features like registration management, live streaming, interactive tools, and recording capabilities to enhance the attendee experience and maximise your earning potential.

12. Reseller hosting

Reseller hosting offers a promising way for businesses to earn money on the internet. Web Hosting providers such as ourselves allow anyone to buy hosting services in large quantities, and then rent out the server space to your customers. It's similar to renting a block of flats, where you pay for the whole building and lease each unit to individual renters. What makes reseller hosting so attractive is how straightforward it is to get started, making it a great option for people who want to launch their own online business.

Reseller hosting has a big plus: it's easy to scale up and change. As a reseller, you can make hosting packages that fit what your customers need. This lets you offer services that work for specific groups or special markets, which sets you apart from big general hosting companies. Also, you get to decide your own prices. This means you can make more money if you're good at marketing and selling your services. If you plan it right, you can charge a lot more for your services, which leads to good profits.

Want to make money online, but need a reliable web host to start? Look no further than Fasthosts! Register a domain today to get started.