Month: October 2021

Get Cash Flow Financing for Your Business – It Can Be a Great Way to Get Credit and Funding…

Can Cash Flow Financing Help YOUR Business?

For going concerns with some time in business, cash flow financing can be a good way to fund expansion, growth, or everyday needs. But what IS cash flow financing? And where do you get it?

Fundability, Cash Flow, and Your Business

Fundability is the ability of a business to get funding. It covers all the points a lender or credit provider will check when trying to figure out if you’ll pay back a loan or credit extended to you. These include details you may not have thought about or might think aren’t so important. But they are!

The 3 Cs Capital Acquisition Formula

When you think like a lender, you come to understand that all they want is to be sure that you’ll pay them back. Lenders look at one of three things for loan approval: cash flow, collateral, and/or credit. The more of these “Cs” you have, the more funding options are available. Let’s look at how cash flow financing can help your business.

Cash Flow Financing

Cash flow financing is a loan made to a company is backed by a company’s expected cash flows. A company’s cash flow is the amount of cash that flows in and out of a business. This is within a specific period. Cash flow financing or a cash flow loan uses generated cash flow as the way to pay back the loan. It’s one of the smarter financing activities you can do if you’ve got a going concern with predictable income.

Cash Flow Financing: Terms and Qualifying

Much of the time, you must have a few years in business. You may need a certain minimum credit score. You must prove historical cash flow, and present your accounts receivables and accounts payables, so the lender can determine how much to loan to your business.

Account Receivable Financing

You can use outstanding account receivables as your collateral for business financing. Receivables should be with the government or another business. If you also have purchase orders,  you can get financing to have those filled. You won’t need to use your cash flow to do so. Get an accounts receivable credit line with rates of less than 1% with no consumer credit requirement.

Account Receivable Financing: Terms and Qualifying

Use your outstanding account receivables for financing. Get as much as 90% of receivables advanced ongoing or more, in less than 24 hours. The rest of the accounts receivable are released once the invoice is paid in full. Factor rates as low as 1.33%.

Terms are for Credit Suite account receivable financing. The only collateral necessary is your account receivables. Loan amounts run from $10,000 to $10 million. Up to 95% of receivables can be advanced within a week. Rates start at prime rate 2%. You must have a FICO score of 500 or better.

Receivables must come from another business or government agency, not an individual. Business must be open for at least one year to qualify. Medical receivables must have $1 million in annual sales or more. For the deal submission, you must provide the application, a breakdown of existing receivables, and a sample invoice.

Purchase Order Financing

Purchase order financing is advanced to a business with a large purchase order or contract, but the business is unable to fulfill it. A lender then loans the funds necessary to complete the order and charges a percentage for the service. Then the company can fulfill its order or contract.

The difference between purchase order and accounts receivable financing is purchase order financing involves a company lending you money to fulfill purchase orders. But accounts receivable financing involves a company buying your outstanding invoices. Still, they are both, at bottom, based on cash flow.

Purchase Order Financing: Terms and Qualifying

Terms are for Credit Suite purchase order financing. For approval, lenders will often review your outstanding purchase orders that need filling. They want to be sure the purchase orders are valid, and the suppliers you are dealing with are credible.

If so, then you can get approval, regardless of personal credit history. Rates tend to range from to 4%. In some instances, you can get 95% of your purchase order financed.

Demolish your funding problems with 27 killer ways to get cash for your business.

Business Revenue Lending

This is a way to raise capital from investors who get a percentage of the enterprise’s ongoing gross revenues, in exchange for money invested. In a revenue-based financing investment, investors get a regular share of business income until a predetermined amount is paid. Often, this predetermined amount is a multiple of the principal investment. It is often between 3 to 5 times the original amount invested.

Business Revenue Lending: Terms and Qualifying

Since repayment of the loan is comes from revenues, the time it takes to repay the loan will fluctuate. The faster revenue grows, the quicker you’ll repay the loan, and vice versa. The percentage of monthly revenues committed to repayment can be as high as 10%. Monthly payments will fluctuate with revenue highs and lows and will continue until you’ve paid back the loan in full.

All terms are for the Credit Suite business revenue lending program. Necessary collateral is consistent revenue verifiable through bank statements. Loan amounts run from $5,000 to $500,000. Terms are for 3 to 36 months. Pay a factor rate of 1.10 to 1.45%. Credit you must have a 500 credit score or higher, with no recent bankruptcies.

Business must earn annual revenue of $120,000 or more per year. You must be in business for a year or more. The business must do over 5 small transactions each month. Financial services industries are prohibited, damaged credit is acceptable. Or business must bring in at least $15,000 monthly revenue with 6 months’ time in business. To get this deal, you must provide the application and 6 months of business bank statements.

Fundbox

Get a line of credit from Fundbox. Fundbox just wants to know about your cash flow when deciding whether to fund your business. Fundbox will connect straight to your online accounting software. That’s all you need to do. You can get a revolving line of credit for up to $100,000. Fundbox will auto debit your weekly payment from your bank account. You don’t need to show a particular personal credit score. And you don’t need to show a certain time in business.

Fundbox: Terms and Qualifying

Pay in equal installments over the course of a 12 or 24 week plan. Available credit replenishes as you pay. There are no penalty to repay early. Your business must be American. You must have a 600 or better personal FICO score, and $100,000 or more in annual revenue. Also, you must have a business checking account. Ideally you must have 6 months in business or more.

Demolish your funding problems with 27 killer ways to get cash for your business.

PayPal Working Capital Loan

You can get a loan from PayPal. But you must already have a PayPal business account. There is no personal guarantee. Loan amounts and eligibility depend on your sales via PayPal. So applying won’t result in a credit check.

PayPal Working Capital Loan: Terms and Qualifying

The maximum loan amount depends on your PayPal account history. To be eligible, you must have a PayPal Premier or Business account for 90 days or more. Also, you must process at least $20,000 in annual PayPal sales if you have a Premier account, or at least $15,000 in annual PayPal sales if you have a Business PayPal account. Pay off any existing PayPal Working Capital loan.

Since automatic repayments get deducted as a percentage of each PayPal sale,  the amount you repay each day changes with your sales volume. The more you sell, the more repayment progress you’ll make that day. On days without sales, you’ll make no payments, but you must repay something at least every 90 days.

Depending on the loan terms you choose, you must pay at least 5% or 10% of your total loan amount (loan + the fixed fee) every 90 days. The 5% minimum applies to loans estimated to take 12 months or more for repayment. This has a basis in your business’ past PayPal sales and other factors. The 10% option applies to loans estimated to be repaid within 12 months.

Square

You can get loans through Square. Applying will not affect your personal credit score. Loan eligibility comes from several factors related to your business, including its payment processing volume, account history, and payment frequency.

You can get $300 to $250,000. Borrowers get a customized offer with a basis in their card sales through Square. Then they choose their loan size. You will pay no interest, just an ongoing flat fee

Square: Terms and Qualifying

There are no ongoing interest charges. Instead, you will pay one fixed loan fee to borrow the loan. The fixed fee is the difference between the total owed amount and the initial loan amount. The fixed fee will never change, regardless of how fast or slow the loan is repaid. It is automatically deducted until you pay back your loan in full. If sales are up one day, you pay more; if you have a slow day, you pay less. At least 1/18 of the initial balance must be repaid every 60 days.

They don’t want collateral for business loans of $75,000 or less. For loans amounts over $75,000, they take a security interest in your business assets. Then they will file a UCC statement with the Secretary of State where your business is organized. There is no personal guarantee.

Demolish your funding problems with 27 killer ways to get cash for your business.

Cash Flow Financing: Takeaways

There are several options for business funding that depend on your cash flow. Some are available through Credit Suite. There are also online options, such as through PayPal and Square. Contact us today for help with your options.

The post Get Cash Flow Financing for Your Business – It Can Be a Great Way to Get Credit and Funding… appeared first on Credit Suite.

Deepnote (YC S19) is hiring engineers to build a better data science notebook

Article URL: https://deepnote.com/join-us Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28845019 Points: 1 # Comments: 0

Motion (YC W20) Is Hiring Software Engineers

Article URL: https://www.workatastartup.com/jobs/47069 Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28842116 Points: 1 # Comments: 0

10 Google Secrets You’ll Want to Know

Do you consider yourself a Google expert? Think you know all the ins and outs of the search behemoth?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, you might be in for a surprise.

Google contains myriads. The search giant constantly evolves its algorithms and offerings, from secret search functions to in-house SEO guides.

Read on to learn more about Google’s secrets.

1. Google Has Advanced Search Functions: Boolean Operators

We’re all incredibly familiar with the Google search bar, given that 84 percent of us admit to searching Google at least three times a day. However, the search engine also comes equipped with some pretty cool, advanced search functions many don’t know about. These built-tools range from a hashtag search function guides that enable users to optimize for search engine optimization (SEO) and everything in between.

Below, we break down the four most useful secret Google search functions so you can start mastering these secret tricks.

Search for Similar Google Results With Related

Adding “related:” to your search terms lets you include similar or identical topics. This can be beneficial in broadening your search but allow you to keep the results in the same thematic area.

This search feature can aid online business owners or marketers in identifying competitors. By assessing business type, content, and category, Google can show vendors offering similar products and services. This often makes research into competitor search ranking, social strategy, and other marketing functionality easier.

Searching Social Media Profiles and Mentions With Google

With over 49 percent of the global population using social media, it’s safe to say there’s an overwhelming amount of profiles to sort through.

With the social media search Google secret, you can use the @ symbol followed by the handle of an account. Google will compile results for that user, including web pages and tweets.

Google Secrets - Google Has Advanced Search Functions

You can also narrow your search by typing those terms followed by the site you want to search, like Twitter. This could show you the person’s account, mentions of their account, and accounts using similar handles or owned by people with the same actual name.

This can help you isolate mentions of competitors or brands you want to explore further.

Use Google to Search for Hashtags

Much like the above @ function, you can find much more than profiles with Google search functions.

Use the # symbol to aggregate hashtag results, including the social presence associated with the words or phrases.

For example, if you search #digitalmarketing and change the search date to the past 24 hours under “Tools,” you’ll see the most recent posts across social media that discuss digital marketing.

Google Secrets - Hashtag Search

If you want a tight lens, change the result type to verbatim using quotation marks—”#digitalmarketing”—to exclusively see the use of the hashtag.

This search functionality lets marketers see which keywords align with your brand’s message while simultaneously investigating how competitors use social media.

Google Lets You Access a Site’s Cache

From identifying how frequently your site is crawled to relaying information about a page that’s currently down, you can learn a lot from caches.

To access the saved copy of a website, simply use the cache: search command before a site’s URL.

You can view the most recent version of a site within the cache copy, so don’t expect to find a years-old draft.

Within the cached copy, you can view the full version, text-only version, or view source. You will also see the timestamp and snapshot taken by Google.

2. Google Makes Thousands of Updates Each Year

While in its infancy, Google didn’t make many updates to its algorithms annually. Now, the algorithm is updated countless times a year.

Why should you care about this (fairly open) Google secret?

Updates mean changes to how pages display in the search engine result pages (SERPs) and can impact your search visibility.

While these updates have historically ranged from removing spam to ad placement on the SERPs, there’s a significant update on the horizon impacting how marketers gather information about their intended audience.

Google plans to remove all third-party cookies from its engine. Used as a tool for tracking individual movement across the web, cookies have not only long been a marketer’s best friend but also a security threat.

While cookie removal is a massive update, tons of additional updates can impact your digital strategy in other ways.

To stay ahead of these updates, take steps to ensure that you build agile, editable sites and pages that can roll with the changes, setting you up for digital success.

3. Google Knows When Users Exit a Page [Bounce Rate]

Have you struggled to boost email sign up, increase site search traffic, or get more leads?

If you answered yes, the root cause of your problem may be your bounce rate.

Your bounce rate refers to the number of individuals who visit your landing page and leave without conducting any other interaction.

Bounce rates are important metrics because they allow you to understand audience on-page behavior.

And Google has a clear record of this behavior through Google analytics.

If you’re experiencing high bounce rates and struggling to achieve your marketing goals, don’t fret. There are several steps you can undertake to reduce your bounce rate:

Improve Content Readability

Does your content look like one big chunk?

If so, you need to break it up.

Ideally, your content should be quick and consumable. Here are a few tips for making your pages more readable:

  • Use images to break up the labor of reading.
  • Use quotes to underscore reliability and break up the text.
  • Use subheading.
  • Bold keywords.
  • Ask questions to engage readers.
  • End your landing page or content with a subheading titled conclusion.

Write Strong Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are HTML attributes that explain what a searcher can anticipate finding on a given page. Search engines use these descriptions to determine what your page is about.

Google Secrets - Meta Descriptions

Ideally, meta descriptions should be 155 characters long. If you exceed this length, the searcher will see an ellipsis (…) at the end of the description. This can result in a higher bounce rate since your site may not have been adequately described.

To optimize your meta descriptions, try to reach that ideal character length of 155 and include relevant keywords.

Use Interactive Content

Are you looking to engage site visitors? There’s no better strategy than using interactive content.

Interactive content entices users to take action rather than simply bouncing from your site. This way, you can lead visitors to explore your site to learn more about your organization.

Examples of interactive content include infographics, e-books, lookbooks, quizzes, and checklists, all of which create and maintain engagement.

4. Google Releases Their Own SEO Guides

While some things at Google may seem hidden, Google releases its own SEO guides.

These tools vary depending on skill level and familiarity and even include a starter guide and developer guide.

These guides cover nearly everything you need to know about succeeding with SEO on Google.

5. Google Holds Secret Conferences

For the last decade, Google has hosted an event dubbed Google Camp during the summer.

Don’t let the cutesy name fool you—this isn’t a bootcamp for coders or developers.

It’s a star-studded meeting of the minds that occurs during the summer months.

Annually themed, the camp has covered humanitarian topics like global warming and education.

You can find former presidents and current starlets, fashion designers, and tech leaders attending these events.

And while admittance to this event is highly selective (not to mention expensive), attendees allegedly enjoy in-depth conversation and relaxation.

6. Google Is Loaded With Fun Easter Eggs

While Google may be the world’s most-used search engine, it is also arguably the world’s most fun search engine. Chock full of Easter eggs that range from solitaire to the functionality to create a heart-shaped graph, you can find a way to entertain yourself when taking a break from customer research. We break down our current three favorite Easter eggs below.

Animal Sounds

Whether you’re teaching your kids the nuances among varying animal sounds or simply want to have some nature-themed time, this secret feature is endlessly delightful.

To access Google’s animal sounds feature, enter the search phrase “animal sounds” into the search bar and let the fun begin.

Tic Tac Toe

If you’re in search of another distracting Google Easter egg and are craving nostalgia, you can try your hand at a classic game of X’s and O’s.

Simply enter the term tic tac toe into the search bar, and you’ll be on your way to a competitive game with Google AI.

Coin Flip

Found yourself sitting with a yes or no question that the flip of a coin can only decide?

If you don’t have a quarter on hand, don’t fret. Google has one for you. Simply enter the phrase flip a coin into the search bar, and you’ll have your answer.

7. Google Provides Directions Directly From the Search Bar

While you probably use Google Maps in your day-to-day life, you can also score directions to any location directly from the search bar. For example, simply type “directions to [destination] from [location]” into the search bar, and Google will provide step-by-step directions. You can even choose whether you’d prefer directions by car, public transit, or foot.

8. Google Enables Search Within Websites

If a website doesn’t include a search function, don’t fret. With Google, you can search a website’s content for a specific query. Simply add site:[website] to the beginning of your search, and you’ll be directed to results from that particular site rather than the entirety of the web.

9. Google Enables Search for Movies, Books, and News

While most Google users know how to conduct image and video searches, did you know you can further vary your search results by medium?

If you’re searching for a book, click the menu item entitled “More.” From here, you can select books, news, or movies and remove any other search clutter that gets in the way of your aim.

10. Define Your Number of Search Results

While we all aspire to land on Google’s first page, sometimes the information you need doesn’t land there. To view more search results, select “Settings” below the right-hand of your search bar on the results page. From here, you can adjust the number of search results that appear.

Google Secrets Frequently Asked Questions

Does Google Have Secret search functions?

Yes! While you may be using standard search queries in the search bar, Google possesses deeper functionality than meets the eye.

Does Google update its search algorithm, and should I care?

Yes, and yes. Google makes thousands of updates to its search algorithm annually. These updates can significantly impact how your site manifests on the SERPs.

How can I keep up with Google’s changing algorithm?

While the answer here is two-fold, we believe that the best offense is a good defense. While many of Google’s more extensive changes are publicized before they go into effect, some are not. By building an adaptive and agile site, you can prepare for whatever updates come your way.

Does Google Really Hold Secret Conferences?

Yes, they do. Every year, guests gather in the summer at a themed retreat focused on a humanitarian issue.

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Google Secrets: Conclusion

Regardless of whether you’re a digital marketer or a business owner, it never hurts to learn more about the search engine that drives the majority of traffic to your website.

If we’re honest, we all want more legitimate site visitors, better optimized SEO, and high-converting web pages, right?

As you learn more about Google secrets, you can use them to your advantage.

That SEO guide? We would suggest getting very familiar with its contents.

And while you may not find yourself in Southern Italy at Google Camp, you will have a much better chance at finding your site ranking on the first page of Google’s SERPs.

What Google secrets do you know?

How to Make Money Blogging

Neil Patel blogroll for How to Make Money Blogging

Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.

I’ve had days where I made ten thousand dollars on my blog. It’s not even out of the ordinary.

Now it took a ton of hard work and dedication to reach millions of readers. You need serious traffic to make that kind of money. It’s not something you should expect to achieve overnight.

That said, all that stands between you and this kind of success is your time and effort.

Plus, there are way more ways to make money blogging today than when I first started. Making an extra few hundred dollars a month is not that far off, if you are willing to put in the work.

In this guide, I’ll show you the exact way to make money from blogging by avoiding the mistakes I’ve made in my 10-year journey.

Sound good? Let’s begin. 

Your 2-Minute Cheat Sheet

The very first thing you need to start making money is to come up with an idea and the name for your blog. Think through the topics you’d want to write about often.

After that, sign up for the Basic plan with Bluehost. Even if you don’t have much of a budget, this is practically a steal at just $2.95 per month. 

Set up your account, taking care to skip all the add-ons except for domain privacy and protection. A few extra dollars for better privacy and security is an investment.

And with this, you’ll have your own blog domain. Hurrah!

The next steps will have you installing WordPress (it’s a one-click install with Bluehost) and then finally writing and publishing your first blog post.

Once you’ve got a few posts up and have started to attract some traffic, you can work on monetizing your blog to make your first dollars.

For this, you’ll have to sign up for a Google AdSense and Amazon Associates account to make money through ads and affiliate marketing, respectively. You can also sell your own products and services after successfully driving high traffic to your site.

That was the basics. Let’s get into the details now.

Step 1: Figure Out Your Blog’s Niche

The first on the agenda is to decide what your blog is going to be about. Whether you want to talk about marketing, CBD, veganism, or just random life stories, figure it out.

Remember, your idea doesn’t have to be revolutionary, but you do need a unique voice.

Here are two tips for deciding on a blog niche:

Choose Something That You Enjoy

I know that this sounds like a cliche, but it makes no sense to blog about it if you don’t love the topic.

Never start blogging about something that you don’t love—it will show in your writing and your readers will know. Moreover, you won’t be able to consistently produce top-notch content to build your audience and later monetize from it.

Make a list of things that get you naturally curious and that you enjoy learning about. Or think about what your friends and family come to you when seeking advice.

Find Out Whether a Prospective Niche Has a Readership

The only way you can earn money through your blog is if you have enough site visitors. 

Let’s assume you’ve already figured out your blog niche and want to write about arts and crafts.

You make a smart decision to niche down further and develop a blog exclusively dedicated to either paper art or scrapbooking. While you enjoy writing about both topics, you prefer to focus on one primarily.

But how do you choose between the two options? 

Answer: Do a quick Google search.

Google results quantity for keyword search 1 for How to Make Money Blogging
Google results quantity for keyword search 2 for How to Make Money Blogging

As you can see, there are far more results related to paper art as opposed to scrapbooking. Therefore, it makes more sense to write about paper art, which is what audiences are searching for. 

I would also like to add that it’s better to avoid broad or generic topics. Don’t be afraid to get specific as long as you have takers for it. 

For instance, if you want to create a food blog, don’t use words like “food.” Instead, use “barbecue” or “vegan.”

Get my point?

Step 2: Name Your Blog

Once an idea is in place, you need to work on naming your blog.

Does the name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ring a bell? Thought so.

But I bet Lady Gaga does.

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta is Lady Gaga’s real name. She decided to go with a catchier and easier-to-remember alternative that aligns better with her music. 

Lady Gaga stage name example for How to Make Money Blogging

That’s the power of the right name.

Choosing a blog name is equal parts exciting and daunting. After all, this will be your brand name and dictate how people will remember you.

Don’t overthink it, and don’t name your blog something random or offensive.

Keep in mind the following questions when deciding on a name:

  • Does it reflect what your blog is going to be about?
  • Would your target audience like it?
  • Is the name easy to say and spell?
  • Is it short and concise?

I chose my own name as my domain (NeilPatel.com) simply because Neil Patel is who I am, and it’s also my brand. You could do what I did or come up with something entirely different.

Whatever name you come up with, make sure it’s available as website domains. 

You can use Bluehost’s domain name checker for this purpose. Type in each potential name in the search bar, and click Check Availability to know.

I’d recommend opting for a .com whenever possible. But they can get expensive, I know.

If all the good .coms are taken, don’t stress. think about your main URL keywords.

If you were aiming for talkCBDtome.com but somebody else got there first, try talkCBDto.me for something cheaper and every bit as easy to remember.

Don’t buy an available domain at this point. I have something up my sleeve to help you get it for free.

Step 3: Sign up With a Web Host Like Bluehost

You need to sign up for a web hosting service to get your blog live, along with a registered domain name that will serve as your blog’s address.

I recommend Bluehost as its hands down one of the best web hosting companies—not to mention affordable—that assures excellent service and a free domain.

And did I mention that as a NeilPatel.com reader, you get an additional discount?

You’re welcome.

Head over to Bluehost.com, and click on the green Get Started Now button. 

Next, sign up for the Basic plan. You can always upgrade later, but since you’re just starting a blog, it’s better to stick to the Basic plan.

Bluehost hosting prices for How to Make Money Blogging

Register the domain name you came up with without having to pay anything extra. Just make sure the drop-down is set to .com before you click Next.

Following this, you need to sign in using your Google account. You can also manually enter your personal credentials. 

Scroll down to choose your registration term, which can either be a 36-month, a 24-month, or a 12-month agreement. To get the best deal ($2.95 per month), you’ll have to sign up for a three-year contract.

It still isn’t over yet.

You’ll find package options like Domain Privacy + Protection, Codeguard Basic, Bluehost SEO Tools, Microsoft 365 Mailbox Trial, and SiteLock Security Essentials.

In my opinion, you only need Domain Privacy + Protection to protect your contact information against scam callers and unsolicited emails. Ignore the others.

Finally, enter your payment information, read the terms and conditions, and hit submit.

This is the point where you’ll have your blog! 

Complete all the remaining instructions to set up your account, and then move onto the next step.

Step 4: Install WordPress CMS

You have your web host, next you need blogging software.

I trust WordPress to run all my blogs as it is user-friendly, feature-rich, and free. Plus, you can install thousands of free plugins to make your blog more functional and customize it however you want.

After signing up for Bluehost, you will have a free domain and hosting account. Log in by filling in your credentials and then click on Install WordPress. 

Next, select Do it yourself (FREE) and hit Install, followed by Check Domain. Lastly, acknowledge WordPress’s terms of service and finalize your install.

Ta-Da! You now have a fully functional WordPress blog ready to roll.

Step 5: Design Your WordPress Blog

To design a blog, you need to select an attractive and affordable WordPress theme.

Why do you need this? Well, after signing up for WordPress, your blog will look something like this:

WordPress page editor for How to Make Money Blogging

Not exactly what you’d call sleek and welcoming, right? The way your website looks can help drive more website traffic, which, in turn, will enable you to make more money.

Luckily, WordPress has thousands and thousands of themes for you to choose from. I’ve even done a roundup of some of the best ones. Here’s how you can select a WordPress theme:

  1. Log into your WordPress account.
  2. Click on Appearance in the sidebar menu on your dashboard. 
  3. From the drop-down options, select Themes.
WordPress change theme for How to Make Money Blogging
  1. Go to Add New, located at the very top of the screen, to gain access to thousands of fancy WordPress themes. You can also click on Feature Filter to filter your search to see options more suited to your tastes.

You should choose a theme that fits your personal style, but at the same time, it should also be in sync with your blog niche.

  1. Preview the theme to see what it will look like. 
  2. If you like the sneak peek of a specific theme, click on Install and then Activate.

With a nice new theme, your website will get a much-needed upgrade that makes it look appealing to visitors.

Step 6: Come Up With Interesting Blog Topics

If you want to be successful blogging, you need to keep doing what you can to attract more website traffic or encourage more email signups. The best way to do that is through what you’re already doing on your blog posts: offering your readers interesting content. 

But what if you’ve exhausted your best ideas already on previous blog posts?

My tip is to make a list of questions you get often.

Trust me, within just 30 minutes, you’ll be able to come up with a bunch of new potential blog topics. Your priority should be to look at things from your reader’s viewpoint.

Neil Patel blog topics for How to Make Money Blogging

You can also focus on higher-level questions. The five below are ones I suggest you ask yourself to get in your readers’ minds.

Suppose you want to start a parenting blog for stay-at-home moms. Let’s go through those five questions with that example in mind:

Q1) What could be an intriguing or exciting talking point for your readers?

For stay-at-home moms, topics related to sleep training, family activities, and budget-friendly meal ideas could be a great place to start.

Q2) What are your reader’s pain points and challenges?

Common household challenges for stay-at-home moms could be meal planning, understanding developmental milestones, and so on.

Q3) What are your readers’ character traits?

Moms are typically patient and caring and appreciate a sense of humor about the hard work of raising children.

Q4) What niche topics would appeal the most to your readers?

A child’s mental, physical, and emotional development could be effective talking points for stay-at-home moms.

Q5) What topics would your readers hate about the niche?

Stay-at-home moms don’t like to be looked down on by others. So, you could write blogs about how society views them and their impact.

Similarly, you can use the above questions to come up with ideas according to your niche. While you’re at it, don’t forget to work out a catchy headline that will make the reader instantly click on your blog.

Step 7: Optimize Your Blogs for SEO

Search engine optimization or SEO is a crucial step to earn money via blogging. Here, you will optimize your website to rank higher in search engines for specific keywords and phrases.

If you’ve been following me for a long time, you may already know how SEO is my trump card.

By incorporating particular keywords and phrases, I’ve successfully driven more than 30 million visitors to my website. Shocked?

SEO performance metrics for How to Make Money Blogging

That’s the power of SEO.

On WordPress, you can optimize your content and blog by downloading a plugin called Yoast SEO. 

Go to the Plugins menu, and click on Add New. Search for Yoast SEO in the search bar, and then install the plugin. 

Don’t forget to activate it to complete the installation process.

You’ll find that this plugin will give you all kinds of improvement tips and suggestions based on the keyword you select to help you optimize your content. I’d recommend incorporating as many suggestions as you can to improve SEO and content readability.

WordPress SEO analysis for How to Make Money Blogging

Step 8: Sign up for Google AdSense

Setting up ads is the best way to monetize your blog. But you need to be smart about it.

The biggest mistake people make is to bombard their sites with blinking ads. Avoid this at all costs. 

Instead, focus on using targeted ads that appeal to your customers without annoying them.

To start earning money through ads, you need a Google AdSense account. Head over to the AdSense page, and click on Sign Up Now. If you don’t have an existing Google account, you have to set up a new one. If you already have a Google account, simply sign in.

Google AdSense main splash page for How to Make Money Blogging

Fill out all the relevant information before submitting your application. The AdSense team reviews every application, and if everything goes well, you’ll be in!

Next, follow the below steps to set up your account:

  1. Go to your AdSense dashboard and click on My Ads > New ad unit.
  2. Select the size of your ad and the type of ad. Once you’re done, select Save and get code. 
Google AdSense add new ad unit for How to Make Money Blogging
  1. You’ll get a bit of code that you’ll then have to copy and paste between your page’s <body> tags. Here’s how it’ll look.
Google AdSense ad example HTML code for How to Make Money Blogging
  1. Once you’ve pasted the code, your ad will be live. Your AdSense dashboard will have all information about your earnings, so check it regularly.

While you can use ads on as many as you want, I would recommend starting with just one–maybe two max–to get an idea of how your audience responds to them. 

If you see a higher bounce rate on your dashboard, you should consider repositioning your current ads for better results.

Step 9: Create an Amazon Associates Account

You might have already heard of affiliate marketing. If your goal is to earn passive income, leveraging the power of affiliates is your best bet.

You can start by signing up for Amazon Associates, which allows you to start earning right away through referral links, display ads, or Amazon-based shopping carts. 

If your visitors decide to use your referral link or click on the display ads, you’ll get a small commission.

To sign up for Amazon Associates, all you need to do is visit the website and click on Join Now for Free.

This can be pretty effective. Just check out these earnings of Brendan Mace for definitive proof.

Amazon Associates earnings example for How to Make Money Blogging

Amazon Associates isn’t the only affiliate program. 

You’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of companies with their own affiliate programs, some of which pay higher commissions than Amazon. Just make sure to research before signing up to be an affiliate for a brand.

That said, I’d also like to emphasize the importance of advertising only those products or services that you’ve used yourself or genuinely believe can help your audience.

Step 10: Offer a Product or Service for Sale (Optional)

Many people think that advertisements are the only source of income for bloggers. This might be true for a few, but you’ll also find many bloggers make quite a bit of money by selling a product or service.

Of course, this will only work when you already have a loyal readership with steady website traffic like Nomadic Matt. Once you’re at this stage, you shouldn’t be afraid to take the leap.

Nomadic Matt books for sale for How to Make Money Blogging

Here are a few things that you can consider selling:

  • Training courses
  • Books
  • Video courses/webinars
  • Coaching services
  • Consulting services

Next, you have to figure out how you want to sell your product. Services like Shopify or WooCommerce plugins on WordPress, Amazon, or Etsy are great options for digital products. If you’re selling a physical product (like phone cases or clothes), you’ll have to set up a more comprehensive ecommerce store. 

Finally, let your audience know about your product or service by sending them emails. You can also consider developing lead magnets like pre-recorded webinars, PDFs, and whitepapers to build your email list.

How to Make Money Blogging Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make money blogging?

Yes, there are a variety of ways to make money blogging; such as running ads, doing paid partnership posts, including affiliate links, etc.

What’s the first step to creating a successful blog?

The first step in creating a successful blog is picking a niche topic for your blog. Do market research and see what other blogs are already out there; you don’t want your blog to cover an area that is already dense with similar blogs. Also, try to pick a topic that has natural ties to money-making blog techniques, like a partnership or sponsored posts, or affiliate links.

How much do successful bloggers make?

As of 2020, successful bloggers can make up to 7 figures per year. But that’s only the very top bloggers in successful and popular industries, like marketing or parenting.

How long can I expect it to take for my blog to start making money?

Your blog may be able to earn money in as little as six months from when you start it.

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How to Make Money Blogging Conclusion

There’s a difference between simply having a blog and monetizing a blog. To make this transition successful, you’ll need to adopt a more proactive and focused approach.

You’ve got this! 

Just remain focused and work consistently to keep improving your blog and build trust between you and your audience. And follow my steps above to get things started on the right track.

Remember to stick with what works, and you’ll have a successful formula.

Have you tried blogging yet? Let me know about your experience.

Daily (YC W16) Is Hiring iOS and Android Engineers

Article URL: https://www.notion.so/dailyco/Mobile-Frameworks-Engineer-f24179000f2d47cda1eba1ef4b4a46a8

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28830427

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Game 4 of Astros-White Sox ALDS ppd because of forecast

Game 4 of the AL Division Series between the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox has been postponed because of rain in the forecast.

New comment by bernawil in "Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (October 2021)"

  Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina. GMT-3
  Remote: Yes
  Willing to relocate: No
  Technologies: NodeJs, React, Typescript, Docker, SQL, AWS (SQS, SNS, Lambda).
  Résumé/CV: https://tinyurl.com/87tu8w94

Full Stack developer. I love delivering complete features and taking full advantege of Cloud solutions. Experience includes ThreeJS (withreact three fiber).

New comment by Pranav2612000 in "Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (October 2021)"

SEEKING WORK | India | Remote Preferred Hey folks, This is Pranav Joglekar from Pune, India. I have been freelancing for the past two years. I’ve built backends in python but my forte is fullstack web development. You can get to know more about me at https://pranavjoglekarcodes.web.app I’ve worked with a lot of great brands … Continue reading New comment by Pranav2612000 in "Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (October 2021)"

Meticulous (YC S21) Is Hiring First Engineer (London and Remote)

Hey HN!

I’m Gabriel, founder of Meticulous and previously a software engineer at Opendoor and Dropbox.

Meticulous’s mission is to make the world’s code safe, performant and reliable. We’re starting with a tool to catch JavaScript regressions in web applications with zero-effort from developers.

We are a London-based YC company and remote friendly. We just raised $4m, and are backed by some of the best founders and technical leaders in Silicon Valley, including Guillermo Rauch (founder Vercel, author next.js), Jason Warner (CTO GitHub), Scott Belsky (CPO Adobe), Calvin French-Owen (founder Segment), Jared Friedman (YC partner and former CTO of Scribd) and a bunch of other incredible folks.

How it works: Insert a single line of JavaScript onto your site, and we record thousands of real user sessions. We then replay these sessions on new code to automatically catch bugs before they hit production. You can watch a 60-second demo at meticulous.ai/demo.

Catching JavaScript regressions is just the start. There is an entire category of products to build on top of replay. This ranges from automatic UI previews to revealing the performance impact of frontend code.

We want to change the way the world develops software, and influence software approaches for decades to come.

We are hiring our #1 founding engineer.

You will have autonomy in building out this technology, but here are a few problems you might work on:

– Build a distributed system to concurrently replay thousands of sessions, such that a developer gets a result in seconds.

– Speed up the replay of sessions in a way that retains determinism.

– Derive algorithms to detect sessions that cover differing code paths and edge cases, and ignore sessions that are too similar.

– Help build out a team of world-class, highly collaborative, software engineers.

As #1 engineer, you get to shape the company, and build the culture and technology from the ground up.

What we look for:

In a sentence: Technically brilliant, delightful to work with, combined with a self-awareness and strong desire to improve.

We’re currently only looking to bring on folks with mid-to-senior level skill sets. You should have strong web fundamentals. However, we are more interested in raw technical brilliance than experience with any particular language or technology. You should have a deep love for software engineering. Maybe you enjoy programming books like Clean Code, Designing Data Intensive Applications, Pragmatic Programmer etc. or enjoy hacking on interesting side projects. You value transparency and candid feedback, and are driven by a strong desire to become the best engineer you can be.

What you get:

Compensation: We want outrageously talented individuals. This means we offer commensurately outrageous equity grants. The equity grant will be 2% or greater with employee-friendly terms (10 year exercise window on options). We pay $140k-$200k in base salary, along with top of line benefits and perks.

Learning: You will be given the space and time to up-level yourself as an engineer in terms of conferences, reading, or whatever you think will be most valuable. We will also set you up with mentorship, if you desire it, from top engineering leaders (folks running 100-engineer organizations at the world’s leading tech companies).

If this sounds interesting, please reach out to me at gabe [at] meticulous [dot] ai with “HN” in the subject line and 2-3 sentences about what you find interesting about Meticulous and your resume/LinkedIn/GitHub.

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28811444

Points: 1

# Comments: 0