First of all, if you are using Squarespace to run your business, blog or nonprofit the first thing I want to say is, well done.
THIS ALONE TELLS ME THAT YOU ARE CLASSY, SMART, NO-FRILLS AND POSITIONING YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS.
I’m a Blogger, Author, and Life Coach and I do A LOT of research in within my own niche, and as a Creative Entrepreneur at large.
Like you, I am ever growing and figuring out where my balance lies and where I want to invest more of my time and money.
This balance will look different for each of us, but I can assure you that, based on all of my research and experience, these are the top 3 ways you can use your Squarespace website to generate an income in 2020:
1. Ads.
Ads are the most passive method of generating income from your website, and also one of the most common.
Many people use ads as their SOLE source of income from their website- and if that is the case, the name of the game becomes attracting as many visitors to their website as possible.
(This is why there are so many of those skeezy websites trying to masquerade and get you to click on them. Because they get paid by the number of visitors to their website.)
Fortunately most people generating income through ads have more integrity and actually create useful and helpful websites, and draw people there by using social media and strong SEO.
Based on all of my research, the GOLD-STANDARD for putting ads on your website would be an Ad Optimization service such as AdThrive or MediaVine.
(I have no affiliation with these companies).
These two companies take out the guesswork, simplify the process and pay well. Although both of these companies require a certain number of pageviews before you are eligible, I still believe this is the best structure to sustain healthy growth using Ads.
So, at the risk of stating the obvious:
If you want to start making money on your website using Ads, growing your number of pageviews is paramount!
If you are having trouble growing your traffic, I would HIGHLY recommend visiting Carly over at Blogging Like You Mean it. She offers some AMAZING courses to help get your business off the ground. Some of them are even free!
2. Affiliates
Affiliateship has been on the rise BIG TIME over the past year.
When you become an affiliate for someone, you are basically advertising one or more of their products for them (usually by making a recommendation in a blog post or in your newsletter).
You do this by inserting a special link that can be traced back to you, and anytime someone clicks that link and ultimately purchases something, you receive a commission from the sale.
In my opinion, the most ethical way to use affiliates is to ONLY recommend products and services that you have used yourself, and that you can honestly HIGHLY recommend to other people.
And while there are many large affiliateship programs (like Bluehost or Hostinger), that allow you to sign up, browse products and really streamline this whole process- most people I respect and admire agree that: the best way to use affiliates on your website is to contact the companies you want to work with directly.
In other words, if you really love a product and service and want to recommend it, get in touch and see if you can become an affiliate!
The best affiliate partnerships for you are the ones that give you a high percentage and again, that you can honestly recommend.
I have a small handful of products and services I am an affiliate for, and I treasure them because they all offer products and services that I’ve used myself, love so much and am EXCITED to recommend to other people!
PLUS AMAZON!!
I use amazon affiliates as well, because it’s so easy to sign-up and who doesn’t want to recommend something sold on Amazon every once in a while?
Amazon affiliate is a great place to get started if you are new or experimenting with affiliate marketing!
(IMPORTANT NOTE: Amazon will shut down your affiliate account if you include affiliate links in emails. So DO NOT include amazon affiliate links in your newsletter. I know several people who have made this very innocent mistake and been penalized.)
3. Selling Your Own Products.
This is the most fun way to make an income in my opinion!
If you are a creative entrepreneur like me, then creating your own products to sell is the most appealing option of all!
You have a gift, you have something to share, and that is why you are here!
Maybe you are looking for a simple way to create and sell your course or mini-course right within your Squarespace website.
Or maybe you are still trying to Give A Shape To Your Dream.
Maybe you are an artistic, detail-oriented woman looking to expand your ETSY shop into a real online business, or looking to launch your new groundbreaking e-book!
Whatever journey you are on, the beauty is that there are now SO MANY great resources to help you make your dreams a reality!
I wish you the best in your endeavors and in the slow, happy, steady progress of making your dreams come to life!!
Two Resources You Might Love!
Create A Simple Squarepace Course
Give A Shape To Your Dream
>> FREE COURSE
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More Helpful Resources
Ad Network Advertising 101
How To Monetize a Squarespace Blog