Who is to say what ‘point oh’ version we are now living in – from 1.0 to 2.0, to a string of online apps that are interconnected and that anyone can comment on or edit. In this era of the web, there are seemingly endless possibilities. Limitless possibilities for divergent entertainment, limitless opportunities for commerce and profiting, and endless opportunities for creativity.
Yet, before you get off and learning how to customise themes on your favourite blogging site, or even dabble in a bit of programming with Java or Python, you will first need to narrow down your list of the kinds of sites you want to make. If gardening and cooking are more your speed, then trying to figure out how to create another Flash game in the myriad of endless runner apps might not be the best idea.
Still, here are a few ideas for those of you who are so inclined to make a webpage and turn a bit of a profit at the same time.
Create a Game or a Site Devoted to Games
Taking advantage of the popularity of mobile games while creating one of your own to be hosted on a website like popular Flash games sites Kongregate or Newgrounds (or even a personal homepage) is a great way to have fun while making a bit of cash. You can even create a website devoted to games – perhaps the editorial side of gaming, offering your opinions in the form of previews and reviews while you hustle to travel to big trade shows like Electronic Entertainment Expo hosted in Los Angeles every year. Or, you can create sites that aggregate other websites that offer niche games and services, like Pgbingo.com host of Bingo sites you can play on.
However you decide to do it is up to your creativity. Yes, the investment is potentially greater, especially if you do not already know how to code, but the rewards to make a fundamentally sound idea come to fruition are great both financially and creatively. Alternatively, acting on the curatorial or editorial side of things is a viable option as well. The greater the niche you are able to find in a crowded field of sites devoted to an increasingly popular hobby, the more you will stand out, the more traffic you can rake in, and the more profit you stand to gain.
Create a Site Devoted to Travel Services
While this admittedly is not entirely a new idea, you can do a lot of things with this. Again, the important thing is to stand out in a crowded field. Take Skiplagged, for instance: undaunted by the number of ‘me too’ services popping up to find the most competitive airline prices, the young 22-year old founder took a good idea and ended up competing with the big boys in his particular arena. If we don’t all have the wherewithal to envision a site that books tickets based on intermediary stopover cities for cheaper fares like Aktarer Zaman, a simple travel blog that focuses on traveling with a family as a mother could work. Alternatively, anything else that might set it apart will suffice as long as it has a niche audience that will keep coming back.
Ecommerce
This one is more about setting up a business with a webpage storefront than about a website per se, but it does qualify as a viable and inspired way to use the Internet as a way to make money. First, select a niche market that targets consumers that are upper middle class or wealthier. Larger purchases in media, sporting, and hobby goods as well as electronics and appliances are both all good choices because those buying them usually have the disposable income to drop at least a couple hundred dollars per purchase.
Then, it’s just a matter of setting up a store front with many of the manufacturers of the category you have chosen to focus on, and trying to build up your visibility via Google AdSense. Even if you only make a few sales per week, because you are selling high-priced items, your profit margins per sale are guaranteed to be high, even if you are only undercutting competitors by a small bit. Like any new business, this will require a bit more research, but only a fraction of the start-up cost a typical business would.
