Not that I’ve noticed… though I’ve often been called a half-wit, so that might explain it.

As to slow growth: I wish I had kept visitor stats from years back. It would be a great object lesson.

But I think it’s important to remember that for a lot of us, making money through the web was accidental and mostly unintended. I started my website because I was lazy: I was constantly repeating myself on Usenet (90% of your readers won’t even know what that is), so instead I wrote up primitive web pages and started telling people “Go look at THIS for the answer to that”.

I can’t remember when I got my first long-distance client because of that web page. I can’t remember who it was either and I’d like to say that was an epiphany for me, but it wasn’t: I probably had half a dozen more before I realized that I should be actively TRYING to get new clients that way. What can I say – I didn’t have websites like Kelly’s to make me market aware back then

Same thing with advertising. When I first added it, I thought it might be useful for my readers – contextual ads might be something they’d be interested in. When I got my first earnings report, my eyes opened wide and I thought yeah, good for them AND good for me!

The only thing I’ve done on the web that absolutely started as a money making thing was writing e-books, and even that was driven by people asking me to do it. If people hadn’t been nagging me, I probably wouldn’t have bothered because it’s hard work and it doesn’t pay all that well. Not that I’m complaining: it pays well enough.

Arrgh. There I go again: taking what could have been tomorrow’s post and throwing it away as a comment instead.
Tony Lawrence´s latest blog… Analysing Web Logs for Search

Tony,

What? No ROI in being witty?

Well, since I probably only succeed half the time, I guess I’m only half-doomed.

LOL—I love the “take your readers on a major guilt trip” idea. I still don’t know whether it would work, but I agree, it’s better than the sidebar-blindness that would affect readers if the donation box was there all the time.

Graham,

I would look at it as more of a marketing expense rather than a direct money maker. I would use the blog to demonstrate leadership in my industry and to attract organic traffic, and let my “real” services pay the bills.

Hey, I could try that!

(Just wanted to make sure it’s still all about ME, since that’s the title here.)

Yes, it works. And you point out “it might take time to develop.” Let’s restate: warning-warning, NO ONE GETS how slow it is if you didn’t start when Tony did (or if you refuse to involve naked booty or LOLcats). And even as I type this, the next reader to come along will think, yeah, yeah, but it won’t take *me* long to get my beach house in Malibu…

I say this way too often to people: show me who needs you badly enough to overcome their innate desire to do NOTHING.

Heck, you can even see naked booty for free, these days. Ask all the people who come here thinking I’m the other you-know-who, and run away in shame and disgust. (“EEEEW! BUSINESS ADVICE!!! That’s just sick!!!”)

For those readers who don’t know what I’m talking about right now, I offer you this link.

Later…

Months (over a year?) ago I did a bit of research into the ROI of blogs. What I discovered is that a very, very few people actually make a living through advertising on their blogs. Unless you are among that blogging royalty, you need to find other reasons to blog, like simply for fun or as a type of loss leader for your business.

For example, if I were to consider a blog as part of a business plan at all (and I am planning a new blog right now), I would look at it as more of a marketing expense rather than a direct money maker. I would use the blog to demonstrate leadership in my industry and to attract organic traffic, and let my “real” services pay the bills.

What I found is that there can be a lot of money in this type of business model. It might take time to develop, but if you are a small business that can count on repeat business from clients, all it takes is a few new ones every once in a while to keep the hopper full. Blogging is cheaper than “traditional” advertising, and it is certainly a lot more fun!

~Graham

I’ve done donation boxes. I got a fair amount from that – mostly $1 – $10, but a lot of $50 contributions, quite a few $100’s and one incredible $500 check.

However – remember that a large part of my site is techy – people find answers to problems that cost them a lot of money/aggravation. It’s not likely someone will send you $500 for being witty.

Advertising worked much, much better for me. But again: I’m mostly tech. Even if I’m being light, I’m probably saying something that will trigger an ad for something expensive. Those ads can pay well: while most ads might be worth 50 cents to the site owner, a lot of those can be $5-$10 per click.

If I were actively seeking donations, I’d do it like public radio: once a year, and take your readers on a major guilt trip.
Tony Lawrence´s latest blog… Vim:; edit with vim by Girish Venkatachalam

Yes, I suppose that’s the way I think of this blog, like a bridge. It would be interesting if it were a toll bridge, but the problem (which I’m well aware of), is that bridges are necessary, and sharp, insightful, occasionally witty writing is not. (So I write it to be as close to “necessary” as possible, so y’all can enjoy it and encourage more folks to come ’round. And I don’t kid myself about charging for this bridge.)

Alex,

I don’t have stats, because people are kind of tight-lipped about such things, but I’ve heard anecdotally that donation boxes don’t collect much. It doesn’t cost a thing to put one up, though… it might be an interesting experiment.

Later,

Kelly

I’m considering doing the same – framing it like shareware – “I do it for free and do it because I love it, but if you get value out of it, then please contribute to the time and effort it took me to build the blog and the content that helps you so much.”

Perhaps make it a subscription style donation of $1 a month. I’d be interested in seeing how many people would follow up with it.
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome´s latest blog… Dealing with Negativity: The Lab Rats Look for Naysayers

Good point. The content may be given away in one format and sold in another… not what I think of as a direct model, but critical for many of us who like bread on the table!

& hahaha. You did not answer whether you’d pay to read MCE. C’mon. Say it, I’m braced.

I know I still rock so hard I make Motorhead cry (as Brett would say), even though a pay model is a massive barrier. I think it would be kind of refreshing to say that out loud. The Emperor has very, very little clothing on in this new world. I love a lot of blogs—but I’d only pay to read the four I’m an insane fanatic about, that I get value beyond rubies from, day in and day out, for personal or professional reasons.

That, dear readers, is what Maximum Customer Experience is really all about. (Naturally, I hope I create it for lots of you!)

If you happen to click on the Seth link I threw into that earlier comment, he’s talking about the pros and cons of putting up the barrier. Always a great topic for discussion.

Later,

Kelly