No matter how cool they are, you can’t make money with pterodactyls alone.
You’re going to need a pterodactyl with an agent. Or some good advertising. Or maybe some really awesome pterodactyl merchandising – you know, mugs, T-shirts, plush toys, the works. Maybe you can team up with Michael Crichton and make your own little Jurassic Park. It could work, right?
My point is this: if you want your website to create revenue, you’re going to need more than good information and some spiffy fonts; you’re going to need some publicity. You’re going to need someone with a good, widely-recognized name. This is why it’s far more realistic to make money with Google.
Google has several ways of helping your site make money. One of these is the most obvious; it puts sites on its search engine results. This means that if you’ve already got a good site, the web crawler has probably already noticed you, and is posting you on relevant searches. (If not, Google does offer a chance to submit the site yourself, but some have complained that Google takes too long to act on this.)
One of the more effective programs Google has to offer is AdWords. If you’ve got a site that’s designed to generate funds (think sales or merchandising,) then what you need most is for that site to be seen. Somebody’s bound to think your idea is a good one – if only they could find you. AdWords posts ads on relevant search results, linking people to your site. Whenever a viewer clicks on one of these ads, it takes them to your site. You owe Google a small fee for bringing them there.
AdSense is a closely related program that allows Google to post ads on your site. These ads are for other sites, but you still make money off of them, because you’re one of the people who get paid for the advertising every time it gets clicked on. You won’t make as much as Google, of course, but you can get a little money on the side (or sidebar, rather.)
