In part 1 of my series I answered common questions about blogging. These were questions that were directly sent to me through my personal blogs. Some are just common knowledge questions I’ve been receiving throughout my blogging career. I’ve decided to list a handful of common questions on this blog because the audience is more targeted and I feel the answers will be more useful. If you need me to elaborate on them, please let me know in the comment box below.
Let’s jump right into it…
1. How Much Does Starting a Blog Cost?
Setting up a blog won’t cost you more than $30.00. A domain will cost $9.99/yr and hosting roughly $6.99/mo. The bulk of the cost will be spread among advanced tools, if purchased, which can run you anywhere from $19.99/mo-$99.99/mo. You have to decide what you need to increase brand awareness within your niche. These tools just help you streamline several tasks however you’ll still be able to do what you need to simply using the FREE tools provided online.
Here are some cool tools that offer both paid and free plans…
- OpenSiteExporer.org
- Alexa.com
- MajesticSEO.com
- AHrefs.com
- ExpiredDomains.net
2. What Should I Do With Negative Comments?
This is a common question I get asked because people feel negative comments left under your content can be bad for blog growth. However, I look at it as a way to start a debate. For example, negative comments provide you with another point of view on your topic. You can reply back to them or create a completely new post on the comment. The point is they create a debate which is always good for blog engagement and can even lead to more social shares if the debate starts to spread. Next,
Never delete comments no matter negative or positive because it takes the natural feel away from your blog. In order to build genuine loyalty from your visitors, you have to be genuine yourself and not shy away from negativity.
3. How Can I Make Money From My Blog?
Blogging opens up many doors and the route you take to make money will depend on your blogs niche. I recommend exploring programs which are multi-niche based. These are affiliate networks that hold products in every niche and all that’s required from you is an account. You can make money selling ad space on your blog, through Google Adsense, selling products, coaching sessions, CPA offers, etc.
The main thing is to try everything and stick with the option that works best at converting into profits. Some will work better than others and it’s your job to find those that put the most money in your pocket. This will require testing several networks and tweaking them until you get the highest return.
4. What’s The Optimal Place for Opt-in Forms?
This is a very common question and it’s very important to start collecting email subscribers from day one. Email subscribers increase blog growth and convert into loyal readers going forward. Email opt-in is also a great way to generate profits by promoting products they’ll find useful. It’s an awesome funnel and can translate into enormous growth. I suggest placing email forms in the following places…
- Sidebar that displays on every page. Make sure it visible above the scroll so people see it as soon as they arrive on the page.
- I recommend placing an opt-in form below the content. Visitors when they finish reading your content are intrigued and this is the EXACT point you should offer them a way to stay updated with new content.
- It’s a great idea to have a pop-up form on your page that offers a FREE eBook relevant to your niche. This is more of an in your face approach and has worked really well. However, the success of your pop-up will depend on your offer and how relevant it is to your niche. I suggest offering an eBook that solves a very common problem within your niche because this will increase the chances of conversions.
5. What’s The Best Hosting Provider?
This depends on your requirements and what type of website you have. Some websites will require more space, a faster server, tools and extensions. However, I have 6 websites all running on a simple shared sever through GoDaddy.com and HostGator.com. You have to keep in mind hosting providers are using the best hardware because they know the importance of uptime and giving customers the optimal experience. Some of the basic shared plans are good enough however if you are operating an ecommerce site you might have different requirements. Ecommerce websites tend to hold large inventory images and customer data. You have to figure out at this point what works for you.
Here’s my recommendation…
Start with basic and tweak depending on what you require. Invest little and move up instead of investing in a VPS and then needing to move down. If this is your first blog save money where you can and don’t jump in with two feet because this can end up costing you a lot of money.