Answers to your most FAQs
The most commonly asked question - How much money are you making from the site?
Well, the question is often not that straightforward in that typically this takes the form of a 'how much money is it possible to make with a site like yours?'
When I started the site, it took me a few months to build the necessary amount of content to start making decent money - mostly because I started running this website part-time. Within the first year, I was already making a few hundred dollars a month. However, this was not my target and I kept working on the site to increase the content and traffic in the hope of increasing my income.
Within the second year, this income had already exceeded 1,000 USD per month; today, it has reached several thousand US dollars a month - totaling some $90,000 for 2009 - this despite the bad economy! And considering, up to the recent past, I was still running this website part-time.
I discovered there is no limit to how much money one can make with a good website since this depends on the amount of content one puts online. In other words, how much you can make with a good site depends on you.
How do you make money?
As indicated on my 'About Me' page, main sources of income are from adverts through Google Adsense (appearing as Ads by Google), and commissions on sales as a result of various partnership programs - amazon, Commission Junction, Clickbank, etc. These sources contribute to 90% of the total income produced by my website.
On a regular basis, I also get direct requests from various companies to buy advert space on my site. This is also starting to be an interesting income source worth cultivating.
Is it really that easy to start a website and transform a passion into an income stream?
It all depends on what you understand by easy. With the right tools, it is possibly to build a successful web site to earn money online. For me, the right web tool is SBI. It is the only product that has eventually helped me transform my dream into reality. Specifically, SBI is making it possible for me to transform my passion into an enjoyable and profitable online activity that is giving me and my family, the possibility to better enjoy life.
However, do not underestimate the importance of putting in the necessary time, effort and commitment. I still do not call this hard work however because in the end what I am doing is something that I enjoy. And with SBI as your business partner, you do not need to know anything about websites and search engines. Instead you can concentrate on delivering what you know best - your area of expertise; as for the rest, let SBI guide you through the process. This is all it takes.
OK, initially, you will have to learn a lot - but this learning process is again part of SBI. Anyone with the willingness to learn and work can do this. So... it is really that easy. All you have to do is follow through the SBI process, and you will surely be able to succeed.
How much time do you spend working on your site?
Up to June 2009, I averaged some 20hrs per week working and updating my web site, spread over some 40 weeks a year. Since I started working full time on my site, I am averaging some 44hrs per week - working for some 10 weeks per quarter. You see, I do not work all year round on the site; I take my holidays as well from this online business activity even though it is not a total cutoff. I still keep answering the many e-mails I receive through the site feedback form, and other posts through the various content submission pages present on the site.
Some may say that this is a bit too much but in my case, the extra effort justifies the return. In addition, I am not bound by any working hours, and therefore I can organize my day better.
...I have no idea about what I could make a website!
This appears to be a major hurdle to many. Yet it is not a problem at all. Many would tell you that despite they had some idea what to write a website about, once they start with SBI, they often change the website subject completely. Personally, when I took SBI, I was not sure what site concept to adopt. At one point, I was even considering other options besides home theater. However, the brainstorming tools available at SBI helped me take my decision - based not on what I think is right, but on what would actually be the most profitable as a website.
You see, the first thing SBI teaches you is how to select a profitable topic you know about. There are no rules here. Everybody is different, so this is an individual decision. But the brainstorming tool at SBI helps you generate ideas which you can analyze using the various SBI tools to see if there is enough interest, how much competition there is, and equally important, if there is money to be made.
Choosing a topic for a website is the most important first step in the whole process as eventually it will determine the success or otherwise of your online venture. SBI will simply take the guesswork out of the equation and help you make the right choice. There is no other solution out there I am aware of designed to help you in this manner. This also explains why so many SBI websites built by normal people like you and me manage to make it within the top 1% of the most successful web sites on the web.
And this huge success enjoyed by SBI sites is not the result of some unexplained luck. With an online business, there is no such luck. Here is a four minute video that better explains the concepts behind SBI success. I suggest you watch this video because it is not just an instructional video about SBI; it is also a short educational guide to anyone interested in starting with e-commerce.
SBI costs less than a dollar a day. But are there any additional expenses - more specifically, is there a catch?
This is the easiest to answer. No, there are no catches and no extra expenses. Despite that it is worth several times more, a one-year SBI subscription costs $299 per year, and this covers everything. All that you need to build a successful website is included.
In other words, there are no hidden costs, and should you discover in the process that SBI is not for you, you are covered by 100% full money-back guarantee. In other words, if you do not like it, just give it back and SiteSell will give you a full refund - no questions asked.
The way I see it, with SBI you cannot go wrong by trying it out; you have everything to win and nothing to lose.
So, go ahead and give SBI a try - because if I can do this, you can!
Do you still have questions?
Go ahead... feel free to submit any question you might have about my online experience. Just fill in the site contact form and I will do my best to answer you.
For more information on SBI and why I use SBI, just visit my About SBI page. Alternatively, you may contact a certified SBI webmaster; s/he would surely be in a position to assist you in whatever information you may need in this respect.
9th December 2009
