Thread "How to generate an income from a website" in forum "Comic Talk and General Discussion *"

Posted at 4:11AM, Nov. 5, 2007

Gday everybody,
My website has been running for almost a year now.
It is simply an extension of my cartooning classes I hold at schools here in Australia.
But beside teaching cartooning techniques the idea was for it to be a 'vehicle' for my comic, 'Min n Fin'.
I was hoping for enough of an income from it to be able to devote all of my time to the comic, which has an environmental theme. (It is my small effort to help raise awareness in the next generation about commercialism and its effects on the environment)
I presently chage $45 au for membership to this 'club', in order to generate this income.
I was hoping for thousands but only have about 150 members so far.
What do you think?
I could make membership free and sell advertising space, but I don't want to 'commercialise' it.
My latest thoughts are to make it very cheap, maybe $10 instead of $45.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys (and gals).

You can check it out here

Posted at 4:11AM, Nov. 5, 2007

You'd do better to lower the price to $10.
Advertising doen't make too much unless you have a whole heap of visitors… At least in my experience.

Posted at 5:11AM, Nov. 5, 2007

Unless you get huge names to buy space or get little names and alot of people advertising wont make a ton.

10$ would probably do better.

Posted at 9:11AM, Nov. 5, 2007

I recommend making it free, but charging for value ads like extra content, behind the scenes stuff, or pretty much anything extra.

Posted at 9:11AM, Nov. 5, 2007

says the man who sold his site for millions ^

Posted at 9:11AM, Nov. 5, 2007

Millions? hah! I wouldn't settle for less than BILLIONS!

Posted at 3:11PM, Nov. 5, 2007

I recommend making it free, but charging for value ads like extra content, behind the scenes stuff, or pretty much anything extra.

I like this idea but don't hve much faith in it working very well. The problem has been children (who the site is mainly targeted for) aren't the ones with the credit cards. I had 40000 + hits last month, but very few members joining. I can hear it now… "Mum, can I join this club?"… "Not now Erin… I'll do it later…"

At present I am supplying free lessons for a magazine, an on-line teachers' aids site and a major newspaper to promote the site. (The same lessons I have posted in the tutorial section of DD)
Any more suggestions?
I'm loving your input everybody… please keep it coming.

By the way, Volte6, what was the site you sold?
I just checked out your 'Tiki' site… looks great. If you don't mind me asking, how are you making an income from this site? Do you sell extra content?

I haven't joined yet, on my way to work. I'll check it out more tonight.

Posted at 4:11PM, Nov. 5, 2007

Well build your traffic to be big. 40k hits… usually web analytics describe hits as everything from pageviews to images to failed requests for either…. How many pageviews? How many unique visitors?

The site I sold… well not sure you'd know of it. It's a web comic community… Sold it to a company called Platinum Studios.

MrTiki just went live in beta today. It doesn't have enough traffic to monetize it, but yeah we have a value ad strategy that will hopefully prevent us from having to advertise ever.

Posted at 5:11PM, Nov. 5, 2007

Posted at 7:11PM, Nov. 5, 2007

By the way, Volte6, what was the site you sold?

GOOD GRIEF!!!
(Humble bows of subserviance)
Thank you sunbcultured!
My comic, 'The Adventures of Min n Fin' has been a five-year project so far, with endless script revision and character redevelpment. Each character in this ongoing comic, a neverending adventure I plan to develelop for many, many years, has been drawn and redrawn by classrooms of up to 60 students… while I taught I told the 'story' behind each character.

My classes have been tremendously popular at schools and resorts, etc.

I was hoping to tranfer that popularity to the web, but while very confident at my art digitally, I consider myself a 'newbie' to the web in general, particularly things like coding and gaining search engine optimisation.

I dream of the day when I can stay home all day and devote myself to my comic through my site.

I have a very large sponsor in mind and actually feel quite confident in gaining this sponsor's support, which is one reason I want the site to remain 'commercial-free'.

I always admired Bill Watterson's refusal to 'sell out' Calvin and Hobbes' credibilty.

However, before I apporach this sponsor I would like to make the site as big as possible… which is the main reason for me wanting to make it totally free-of-charge, the irony is then I have to work to make the money, and working means very little time to spend on the site…..

I am sure others share a simliar dream/predicament…

Posted at 8:11AM, Nov. 6, 2007

Yep i understand what youre on about and it does make sense