

Ask HN: Best way to monetize jgc.org - jgrahamc

I currently monetize the site by pointing people to copies of my book. On Monday I had 150,000 pages views and it seems like there's more I could be doing to make the site pay.<p>In the past I've shied away from advertising because I felt it was intrusive. According to Google Analytics I average 100,000 page views per month.
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ig1
It's probably not worth it for the $100 or so advertising would bring in. I'd
focus on using your site to build your personal brand, use it to drive
subscribers to your twitter, facebook, etc. pages.

Also consider setting up a mailing list which you use to periodically send out
updates on interesting things you're working on.

That way onces you have something you want to promote (be it a book, website,
event, etc.) you'll have a solid following to which you can promote it.

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brudgers
Let's suppose that there is some sweet spot between generating revenue
directly from your site and violating your sense of personal integrity.

How do you get there? A/B testing of course.

Now the questions become:

A) Would you rather spend your time writing, conducting, and analyzing A/B
tests or writing another book?

B) Which offers a better opportunity to scale, the website or another book?

Finally, there is nothing wrong with leaving some "meat on the bone" for your
readers by not fully monetizing your site. The author reader relationship is
intimate, and intimacy requires trust. Rotating ads based on where I've
browsed are creepy.

If you go down the advertiser route, it should be direct placement of goods
and services you are willing to put your name behind and which you believe are
in the interest of your readers.

Good Luck.

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autotravis
Ads. That's all that I've come up with. I would love for something different
to come along (<http://reddino.org/when-can-we-drop-the-advertising-model/>)
but I don't see anything on the horizon. You could always just place one ad on
each page and see how it does. That wouldn't be too intrusive.

Many people will probably suggest an ebook/course/etc, but they're all just
slight variations on your book.

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justhw
Loyal followers generally don't mind weekly/monthly sponsorship
acknowledgements. I think that's a good route for an interesting/authoritative
site like yours.

See examples: <http://www.marco.org/sponsorship>

<http://daringfireball.net/feeds/sponsors/>

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username111
You could try one of the non intrusive ad networks (fusion, the deck) but I
think most are invite only.

I've also seen you show a few products in some posts so affiliates may be an
okay money maker (See more money than google ads).

The best would be to have someone pay to sponsor you per month or per period.

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groundCode
Resurrect the old job board, charge to place an advert - promote it not-so-
subtly from the blog :)

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lifeisstillgood
Hmm, this got longer than I expected - possibly I have some issues here too.

Anyway, I completely agree on the avoidance of advertising. We are British
after all. But advertising gets you money for almost no effort - you already
have 100K visits, you do no extra work. Sadly that's about the only time you
will get money for nothing. Here's my list of the alternatives.

1\. The simplest and apparently best advice is to build up a mailing list. I
will happily receive a monthly mail from you telling me about more London Bus
projects, how the plan28 is coming along and so on. Keep it personal.
Mailchimp is your friend here. Its pretty good.

2\. Anyway, the point about the mailing list is they are supposed to have
seriously good response rates - 20% plus (see patio11). Every so often you can
monetize that list by selling ... and this is where the issue hits. You need
something to sell, and that's a new book, a training course (on London bus
model modding, or atmospheric balloon flying). And that something is as much
work as a small book. So its not like you are monetizing the website with no
effort.

3\. Recruitment models seem to work well - you have access to a huge pool of
technical talent, you have a reputation for integrity and projects that go
somewhere. Why not put the word out on your blog that companies who want long-
term _hard but interesting_ projects to be taken on by the best freelancers
should contact you.

You pick the projects, put out a call for team members and take a recruiters
cut (20% first year salary).

I know that's not monetizing the blog - its taking on a new job as a project
manager. But you do something similar for plan28 I guess. Anyway, think the
stuff at bloomberg research (<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5637739>)
not "I want a new website".

If it works well you can hire a real PA and just do the fun code reviews.

4\. Travel agency model - I listened to a really good podcast on Roman Empire
a couple of years ago, (I came in about 100AD and so had 900 years of catchup
before I hit the "what a whole week before I get to listen again!")

Anyway, he offered to do small group tours of Italy and Rome - it seemed
pretty successful, he did not get rich but he essentially got first class
tickets and holiday in Rome, doing what he loved plus a fair bit of spending
money.

Why not do the same for your geek atlas? There are a number of boutique tour
operators who would probably help out. And you get a free holiday.

5\. I get the sneaking feeling you are "looking about" for something new to
excite you (you strike me as a guy who needs a lot of projects to keep the
brain tricking over and you just dropped below the threshold)

6\. Labs. My own personal plan is to put enough aside consulting to pay my own
tenure - and to then develop products in 'almost-emerged' industries
(Computer-vision, UAV).

This is really not website stuff - but if it is new projects you are looking
for _and_ monetizing somehow, well, an evening in the pub brainstorming will
come up with enough to keep you busy for a year or two.

Actually that last one is interesting - if this is still bugging you in a
couple of weeks, just tell #HNLondon that you will be at the Dog and Bone
after the meetup for a pipe-smoking, real-ale drinking, brainstorming for
freelancers.

If you _and five others_ do not walk away at the end of the evening with a
fully planned out 18 months of work, then none of you were drinking strong
enough beer.

