Blogs and eCommerce How to monetize Your Viewers
When you've blogged for quite a while and have gained some followers, you could be wondering, What's next? How can I monetize my blog?
Data shows that approximately 1/3 of bloggers utilize a monetization strategy. Affiliate marketing and advertising are two popular strategies, but it is also possible to add eCommerce functionality to your blog. This can be even more exciting and lucrative -- especially for creative or entrepreneurially-minded people -- and can help grow your reach.
Do you write about nutrition on your blog? Do you have a recipe? Why not create an eBook, offer online cooking lessons, or even sell memberships with exclusive benefits? You could even take this another step, and sell virtual consultations online or even physical items.
There's no "one-size-fits-all" method here, and that's what is so fascinating about it.
How can bloggers make use of the potential of eCommerce
Many times, businesses that sell online create blogs in order to attract visitors from their target customers. It is marketing strategy in order to increase search rankings and gain credibility with the people who are likely to convert into customers.
As a blogger, you've already overcome one of the biggest obstacles in eCommerce marketing. You're a skilled creator of content and are receiving a following that has grown to respect your work as well as your views. No matter if you've been blogging 10 or one year, your audience already shows interest -- that's half the battle.
What can bloggers sell?
Here are some ideas to make your blog more profitable:
- Offer eBooks, guides, or books. This is a fantastic method to make money from your most valuable asset -- your material! What are your top-rated posts? Do you know how to integrate them into one comprehensive tutorial? In the case of a woodworker, you could get inspiration from your top ten posts and create "The Beginners Guide to Woodworking," featuring a wealth of new images, examples, FAQs, and information. Make something useful for the people who are already awed by your posts They'll be supportive of you.
- Sell access to online communities and forums. Your readers will have an opportunity to engage with one another, pose questions, and really build communities around your company's brand. Consider this as your own personal social media platform -- but with more flexibility and control. If you have a blog on the parenting of toddlers for instance, you could open up an online forum for parents who are following your blog. They could share their ideas for summer fun and preschool lunches, benefit from their shared experiences, and have the chance to connect directly with your blog!
- Offer consultations, or even online training courses. Now that you've built a loyal, interested following, many of them will be prepared to purchase a more thorough exploration of your area of expertise. For instance, you could offer photography training courses like this one, or personal workout coaching.
How do you add an online store on your blog
Are you ready to begin? Let's dive into how to add an online store on your website. If you're already using WordPress You're an inch ahead!
1. Choose what you want to market (and how to sell it)
We've looked at a variety of examples for monetizing your blog. Now it's time to decide the best option for you! This will, of course influence all choices you take from this point to the end.
The first step is to consider your target audience. What do they think is most useful and what would they most likely be interested in paying for? Take a look at the kind of content they consume as well as the tools they utilize currently. Perhaps you'd like contact their social networks or contact them via email and include a survey for their feedback directly.
If you opt to adopt advice, establish an online community, design online courses, or offer other digital products then you don't need to worry about things like inventory management or shipping. But, you'll be required to determine which tools you'll need. For example, if you want to create online courses, you could use a program such as Sensei LMS in order to create those courses and deliver them for your pupils.
However, if you're selling physical goods but not physical items, you must be able to determine the method of getting them into the hands of your customers. It's not always necessary to manage shipping and inventory yourself, though. Here are two excellent options for bloggers:
2. Install
Additionally, you'll be able to build and manage your store with the same process and dashboard you're used to.
To install :
- Go to plugins and add a new onein to your WordPress dashboard
- Search for ""
- Select Install Now to activate
3. Add to your products
You'll add products similarly to the way you write blog posts. This process is different according to the type of product you're selling. Here are a few instances, including links to the specific directions to each:
4. Connect a payment processor
5. Set up shipping
If you're shipping tangible items then you'll have to determine what you'll charge delivery and the processes for shipping products. Do you want to offer free shipping or charge a charge? Would you like to ship parcels via USPS, FedEx, or another service? What will it cost you to mail each package?
6. Extensions can be added
Here are a couple of great extensions available to bloggers:
That's just some of the possibilities available! The extensions marketplace is full of useful tools to assist in everything from marketing and design to merchandising and making payment.
7. Help spread the word!
After you've established your store, you'll have to spread the word to your audience. The good news is that you don't have to be a salesperson in order to achieve this. You shouldn't even need it! Create a blog post that announces your new offerings and talking about how excited you are. Include behind-the scenes photos of the process. Make an announcement on your email list.
However, in general, you'll just want to open your shop to your loyal readers and occasionally mention items as they fit naturally into your blog posts. Include a link in your footer that asks for donations. Or write a post about your upcoming adventure and ask people to contribute if they'd want to get involved. Include a picture of you wearing your T-shirts or write a short story about the person you're excited about who recently signed up to your club. Don't push sales at the cost of the things that have brought you success so far Your great content!
Ready to embark on the exciting journey and get into all the possibilities that come with the world of eCommerce and blogging? Start right now!