It might seem like a simple question, but the simplicity of its wording actually hides the complexity of thought that its answer requires. Knowing what to do with your money is the central challenge of investing, and is in fact what keeps most away from investing in the first place. The financial world for many is a foreign one that looks like a minefield from afar.

While there is no easy answer to the question of where your money should be going, there is one factor that will have more influence over the answer than anything else — and that is how much money you have available.

In broad strokes, you either have a surplus or scarcity, or you don’t. Meaning that you are struggling with money, you are in an average situation, or you recently had a windfall — most people fit more or less into one of these three categories. And it is these categories that will help you determine how to invest what you have. I am going to focus more on surplus and scarcity, as there are already a wealth of articles on personal finance for those in average situations.

Surplus

There are fewer people in this category than either of the other two, for apparent reasons. Not everyone has the luxury of a surplus of cash. Whether you won the lottery, inherited money, save a large sum while serving in the military or anything else, having a large sum of money to work with puts you at an advantage, but also brings new challenges.

Cash is best used for emergency situations or short-term spending needs, such as groceries, entertainment, and so forth. Financial planners generally agree that an ideal cash savings equals 12 months of your regular monthly expenses combined.

If you are sitting on more cash than that, you’re in a great position, but are sacrificing an enormous opportunity to grow your money. In the current market, you don’t want to throw all your money into stocks or other long-term investments at once because you will be more likely to lose more of it, but you should have a long-term investment strategy planned.

Michael Kitces, a commentator on the financial-planning industry, recommends that you move portions of your cash into the market a little at a time, over a period of three, six, or even 12 months.

Scarcity

Another word for scarcity is “debt.” They are both scary words, as anyone with a substantial amount of debt knows, and certainly words that introduce doubt about the future into your life.

No one will contest that investing for the future is an important part of managing your finances, but if you are drowning it debt, it doesn’t make sense to be regularly contributing the highest amount possible to your 401(k) every month. Instead, you should be trying to wipe out your debt as quickly as possible.

J.J. Montanaro, a certified financial planner, points out that “if you make an extra payment on a credit card balance that has a 15 percent interest rate, that’s equivalent to earning a guaranteed 15 percent return on your money — a promise the stock market can’t match.” In other words, the more quickly you pay off your debt, the more you’ll save in interest, and the more you’ll have to invest later.

Of course, if it’s possible, you should make contributions to your investments where you can, making sure that you have your priorities in line. Most families are saving for retirement and for a college fund for their children at the same time; if you are struggling with money, it is always a better idea to put the college fund savings on hold, as there are numerous ways to pay for college, and very few ways to pay for retirement.

In addition to rearranging your finances, you might want to start thinking creatively about how to generate more income, and not just cutting back on expenses. Renting out a room in your house or getting a second job are great ways to help pay your debt of more quickly, so that you can get back to investing in the future.

Guest post by: Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com

The following is a public service announcement from yours truly. It is a somewhat satirical rag on SPAM bloggers. And, even if that doesn’t apply to you, and I hope that it doesn’t, there is a lot to learn in the following post for just about anyone involved in blogging.

Stop SPAMMING!

Oh, please forgive my lack of manners; I just came from my psychologists office. He suggested that I work on saying it how it is instead of sugar coating everything. I’ve chosen, you, SPAMMY bloggers, to be the brunt of my newly found freedom to say it like it is – because, well, you deserve it.

Ouch!

Yeah you know who you are, but if you don’t, here are a few signs that you are just another SPAM blogger.

The List:

• You don’t really know much about the main subject of your blog, and you never really intend to learn about it either
• Your blog is called something like Hemorrhoid-Medication-Reviews dot com
• You don’t have an “About” page because you are just like the “man behind the curtain” in the Wizard of Oz – not real
• You have an “About” page, but the name and picture aren’t really you
• You paid someone five dollars on “Fiverr” to get you 100 fake facebook “likes”
• You think that the Panda is dangerous

Fix Your SPAMMY Ways

Forgive me for getting all preachy on you, but I just want to tell you that the time has come to fix your SPAMMY ways. The end is near. Seriously. The end of poorly constructed purely for SEO, content is near.

Really? Really!

Since Google’s PANDA update search engine rankings have been falling for SPAM producers. And just recently Google shot “Build My Rank” to the ground. For anyone that hasn’t heard of it, “Build My Rank” is a link building service that, like so many others, artificially increased their clients websites rankings through SPAMMY backlinking. The party is over for them, and they admitted it. It’s just a matter of time before the rest of the superstar SPAMMY back linking services get blasted too.

But That’s Not All Folks

The search engines have their eyes on blasting your SPAMMY blogs to smithereens too.

What to Do About It

The good news is that it may not yet be too late, here are some things that you can do to convert your blog from SPAM to the real thing:

• Include an about page – it gives your blog an element of being personal
• Include a “terms of service” page – makes any site look more legit
• Stop spinning SPAMMY backlinks
• Create fantastic content that real humans will “like” and “tweet”

I feel better after getting that out of my system. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to reading your awesome blogs.

Guest Author’s bio:

Rachel Walker is a FastUpFront Blog contributor and business consultant. Fastupfront offers business loan financing solutions based on business cash flow.

Another Controversial Move By Google

No matter the opinion of individual users, most will at least agree that Google Plus Your World is nothing short of impressive. In the past, Google has tried to index content from its two main rivals in the social space, Facebook and Twitter, but things just didn’t work out. While both have refused to provide access to fully crawl their sites, Twitter has been the most cordial. In fact, it wasn’t long ago that we were seeing updates from the microblogging service being displayed in Google’s real-time search section. That stopped in the summer of 2011 when the two sides failed to renew their agreement.

Seeing how ugly things turned out, it was not all that surprising when Twitter came out and voiced its displeasure about Google integrating Google+ activity in the search results. In a statement made not too long after the launch of Search Plus Your World, a representative from Twitter said the update would make it harder for users to find information in the listings. This statement was presumably made because the enhancement ranks the activity from Google+ above the standard results. The other part of it relates to Twitter’s content specifically being pushed further down the page. Google didn’t seem very broken up about this as it replied by basically saying Twitter only had itself to blame.

Impact on SEO

Google’s decision to complement the search results with content from Google+ has some pretty big implications, especially from an SEO perspective. Initially, some were even concerned that Search Plus Your World could potentially spell the end of SEO. Search engine optimization will continue to be important as long as people rely on search engines to find content on the web, but the enhancement did cause some marketers to rethink their strategy. With the update in effect, more brands have come to realize that being active on Google+ could be vital to increasing their search visibility.

Due to all the fuss that has been made over Google’s Search Plus Your World, it is easy to lose sight of one of the most important components of the update, which in this case, refers to it being an optional feature. If a user wants to receive personalized results fueled by Google+, they can turn the feature on, and easily turn it off whenever they have a change of heart. This control alone probably made a lot of users happy.

Guest post by Edith Li – A freelance writer and a consultant for an online provider of email templates.

1. Don’t abandon your daily morning ritual.

It’s tempting to just roll out of bed and start working in your pajamas. However, it’s better for you to maintain some kind of structured morning ritual. Taking time to get ready for your day will help get you in a productive groove. So, take a shower, brush your teeth, get dressed, and be sure to eat some breakfast to get your energy levels up.

2. Put on some headphones.

Listening to music and tuning out the rest of the world while you work can keep you motivated and focused on what you’re doing. Listening to music does, however, distract some people. If you know it will distract you, consider putting in some earplugs. The point is to tune everything that’s going on around you out.

3. Take short breaks.

If you try to work non-stop for eight or more hours, you’re probably going to burn out and begin to feel unmotivated. So, take a ten-minute break in the morning, take some time to eat lunch, and take another ten-minute break in the afternoon. You’re probably used to taking breaks at work, and you’ll find that they’re very beneficial when you’re working from home. Your brain can only handle so much, so give it some time to rest each day.

4. Sit at a desk in an office chair, if possible.

Slouching on the couch isn’t going to keep your energy levels up. It’s going to make you want to take a nap. It’s a better idea to sit in an office chair at a desk, if you have these things. And it’s generally a good idea to try to sit up straight. Having good posture helps keep you alert and more focused on the tasks at hand.

5. Get some fresh air and sunlight.

For an hour or two every day, you should consider working outside (if you have a laptop you can take with you outside). Being able to work outside is one of the major perks of working at home. Exposing your body to some fresh air while you work will help keep your brain working optimally. Plus, sunlight will help keep your mood high, and being in a good mood is always good for productivity.

Author’s Bio: Carolyn is a guest blogger who often writes about working at home, small business management, and inventory management. In her spare time, she likes to research ecommerce trends and the stock market.

1. Choose the right structure for your business. Deciding whether your business will be structured as a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC or corporation is one of the most important decisions you will make. The business structure determines how you will pay taxes, so choose carefully.

2. Choose a name for your business that will help customers find you online. A good online business name describes what the business does.

3. Spend time on your business plan. A business plan is a fluid document, so revisit it periodically and make changes as needed.

4. Visit http://www.sba.com/starting-a-business for information on starting and running a business. The Small Business Administration has a lot of information and resources that are helpful to people starting an online business.

5. Define your target market. Once you decide who you want to sell your product or service to, you can focus your advertising on that specific demographic.

6. Realistically calculate your start-up costs. Online businesses naturally cost less to start than brick and mortar stores. However, there are still advertising and website expenses.

7. Order professionally designed business cards. Business cards are important, even for online businesses. They convey professionalism when you give them to people you meet in person.

8. Invest in professional web design. Your home page is the first impression visitors will have of your business.

9. Set up accounts for your business on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. Post to these accounts on a regular basis.

10. Set up a blog on your site. A blog is a way for you to interact with customers through your website. Blog posts are personal, between the business and the customer, so they add a human feel to an online business.

11. Choose advertisers wisely. If part of your business plan is to make money from selling advertising on your site, make sure the products that are sold are in line with your business model.

12. Learn SEO. The key to getting new visitors to your online business is being recognized by the search engines.

13. Use a reliable web hosting company. The web host should be able to handle the amount of traffic you want to have on your site, even if you don’t have that much traffic yet.

14. Be patient. Success doesn’t normally happen overnight.

15. Set up a mobile website and an app. Most people access the internet from their smartphones. If you do not have a mobile site, they may never find you.

16. Make your site interesting with videos. Like a blog, videos add personality to your online business.

17. Get involved in your community. Businesses that are active in their community, sponsoring events or donating goods or services, get free advertising.

18. Keep your business finances separate from your personal finances. Invest in good accounting software. This is a general business rule, but it is especially important to remember if you are working from home.

19. Choose the right business for your skills and experience. Many people convert their hobby into a business. However, if you do not have a lot of experience in the field, spend time learning about the market before you open your virtual doors.

20. Know your competition. There are a lot of online businesses and some of them may be courting the same customers as you. Analyze these businesses to find out what they are doing that is and isn’t working.

21. Get a mentor. If you do not know someone who can help you, contact SCORE. A mentor can provide invaluable advice and encouragement.

That should get you in the right mindset to get your business up and running! Good luck!

Method 1: Auction Off Your Unwanted Belongings On Ebay or a Similar Site

Thousands of internet users have bought or sold items on auction websites like eBay. This can work for you as well. Some online auction sellers manage ongoing web stores that restock items. You don’t have to work with a supplier or make a product to sell. Instead browse your home for items you have not used in a long time. Anything that you haven’t needed in the last year or two can probably be safely unloaded.

Remember to check for similar auctions to get a feel for a realistic starting and/or buyout price. An item priced too high won’t sell. A cheap item might sell faster, but you could be losing out on the transaction. Also read through the user terms and all associated fees for the site and the payment service. Services like PayPal tack on a small fee when you withdraw or transfer funds. You can save up extra money while clearing out the attic, shed or basement!

Method 2: Get Involved with a Crowd-sourcing Website to Fund Your Goals

Crowd-sourcing has become a big deal on the web. Many projects have been completely funded by loyal followers. The term refers to a fund-raising effort that is focused on other people contributing a small amount. A few dollars here and there can quickly become hundreds or even thousands. Crowd-sourcing websites have been popping up everywhere and provide an easy way to manage your fundraiser. Some also ask the person receiving donations to give something back, such as a small gift or reward related to the project or goal. This is left up to you.

This method works best for anyone who has a goal they don’t mind sharing publicly. Some sites offer general crowd-sourcing, so you can work towards funding just about anything. You must have a single goal in mind and be willing to share details and promote your fundraiser online.

Method 3: Try a Hassle-free No Fax Cash Advance to Cover Debts

The no fax cash advance is a third option that is better for anyone who doesn’t have a larger public goal in mind. If you need some extra money to pay a bill or cover an unexpected expense, like a car repair, then this is a good way to go. Before taking out a cash advance, make sure you can pay the amount back when the time comes. Doing so will keep you in good standing with the lender and make it easier to obtain funds in the future. A no fax cash advance can help you avoid late fees and a lowered credit score.

1) Offer Live Chat

Live chat allows the opportunity to provide good customer service. It is the equivalent of approaching a customer in a store and asking, “Can I help you?” Live chat is personalized and makes it easy for customers to ask any questions they have about your ecommerce products. Providing a live chat service has been shown to consistently result in a significantly higher conversion rate compared to providing other support channels, such as email. Some online commerce websites have reported increased conversion rates of as much as ten times, as a result of live chat implementation.

2) Publish Amazing Content

Providing quality and useful content is great for users and help tremendously for SEO. Users are more likely to take action if they can see that you have strong content to offer. Search engine are looking for unique and quality content to differentiate your site from others. This content can be in the form of user reviews, ratings and blogs. This content should aim for quality rather than quantity and it should be considered a resource that people want to keep coming back to. This helps to develop a following and establishes you as an authority. This increases the trust from your audience and directly leads to conversions.

3) Email Marketing

Even though email isn’t the newest or trendiest form of reaching out, it can be the strongest. Email marketing just works. This is because your subscribers are your targeted audience and they are on your list because they are already interested in what you are offering. There are a number of ways to maximize your email marketing effectiveness. Email frequently keeps you in your audience’s mind and keeps the communication flowing. Write great content in your emails and make it as interesting to read as possible. Offer a promotion to provide the incentive to make a purchase. Offer a gift or something for free. This makes your audience take notice of your and arouses attention. Email marketing has been reported time and time again to increase conversion rates for ecommerce stores.

4) Offer Internal Search

Offering search functionality within a website increases conversion rates. This is because search makes it easier for customers to find what they are looking for rather than navigating through predefined categories which users usually aren’t familiar with. Internal search also allows you to analyze if there are particular products that customers are searching for. This provides the opportunity to shift the most searched for products to a more prominent position. If there are many searches for products that you don’t offer, this could be strong indication of which products you should potentially be offering.

5) Beautiful Web Design

If the investment is made to create a professional looking web design, visitors are more likely to convert for online commerce sites. Just like a physical store, if a website is cluttered and unclear your audience will be turned off. Visual design reflects quality and users are more likely to trust the website as being professional and trustworthy. Traditional marketing, online marketing and other techniques used to convert visitors will not be as effective without strong visual design of your website. This is a very important aspect of your business and your visitors will quickly judge your business based on how the website pages look.

Guest post by written by Mitchel Xavier, an expert in Magento Commerce and provides web design services for e-commerce businesses in Sydney, Australia.

If you are looking for ways to distinguish your small business from the bigger competition, we have 10 ways you can put yourself forward:

1. Focus on the High Quality and Uniqueness of Your Product

Your first move is to offer a high quality product that your audience wants. Even if your product is similar to what someone else is offering, you can distinguish it in some way. Is it made using the finest materials? Do you have some sort of handmade product that is unique? Focus on the way that your product is different, and show how it offers something above and beyond. Discerning customers will appreciate the quality of your offering.

2. Offer Superior Customer Service

Word gets around when you offer superior customer service. A big company can lose site of individual customers. However, as a small business, you have a chance to connect on a more personal level with your clientele. Provide customer service that is accessible, and high quality. Work to make your customers happy, and they will not only remain loyal to you, but they will become fans that share you product with friends and family.

3. Create a Strategy for SEO

When writing content for your blog, or when writing descriptions of products and services, consider your SEO strategy. The major keywords might all be hogged by the big companies, but there are ways to focus your efforts. Use a keyword tool to help you identify successful keywords. Also, focus on phrases, rather than single words, and don’t underestimate the power of long-tail, organic results. Pay attention to the long-term, and keep your SEO strategy in mind, and you will be more likely to find success.

4. Strategize with PPC

Yes, PPC advertising costs money. However, it might be worth to you if getting in on high-revenue keywords is too difficult. Carefully evaluate your keywords, and what you want to happen with your keywords. Then, target a few high-yield keywords for PPC advertising. You can pay for the ads, and you likely find good results. However, research is essential, since you don’t want to waste your money. It’s about putting your money where it will do the most good.

5. Create a Social Media Profile

Interaction with others is essential for success on the Internet. As a result, it is vital that you set up a social media profile. A social media profile that allows you to use keywords (social media profiles are increasingly searchable), and allows you to share your insights on relevant topics, can draw more people to your web site—and even result in more sales. Your social media profile should be consistent across web sites so that visitors can readily identify your brand.

You don’t need to join every social media site, but you can benefit from identifying the sites your audience is most likely to visit. Establish a presence, sharing useful information (don’t just push your products), and interacting with customers, and you will build a loyal following that rivals the big companies.

6. Pay Attention to Inbound Analytics

Use analytics to tweak your approach to marketing your products and services. Pay attention to where traffic is coming from (what sites refer visitors), as well as what times of day the traffic is heaviest. You can also use inbound analytics to see which keywords and keyphrases are most popular for driving traffic to your web site. Use this information to adjust when you post new content to your blog, as well as to focus on different keywords. With the right analytics information, you will be able to direct your resources more profitably.

7. Use the Right Technology

Determine what technology is likely to help your business grow. As a small business owner, it can be difficult to do everything all at once. The right technology can help you automate some tasks, such as sending out emails, submitting to social bookmarking web sites, and generating coupon codes. Figure out which technology is likely to help you the most, and then use that technology. You will free up more of your time for building your business, and spend less time fretting about smaller housekeeping tasks that can become time consuming and tedious.

8. Build Your List

Invest some time and effort into building a solid opt-in list. Your list should include leads that can be used to improve your business. You will need to encourage people to sign up, so that means spending time creating attractive landing pages, and encouraging people to find you on Facebook. Offer premium content, or insider deals. Think of ways that being on your list could be seen as a benefit. More customers will opt-in, and you will see more repeat business and better success as you reach out to leads through your list.

9. Be Flexible

One of the advantages to owning a small business is that you have a certain amount of agility that the big guys don’t always have. Remain flexible in your business. Be willing to change your approach if something isn’t working. Quickly react to industry news, and adjust to the demands of your market. Your ability to be flexible can give you an edge as you work to expand your business.

10. Hire Good People

Even a small business occasionally needs to make hires. Before you hire someone, though, you need to make sure that you will be filling a need. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Acknowledge areas that need improvement, and then hire someone to fill that need. You should find someone who is knowledgeable about something you don’t understand as well. Hire good people who can help you navigate the waters, and provide you with expertise that you need.

It is possible to compete with the big guys as a small business. While you may not end up with billions in revenue, you can still do quite well—no matter how small your business is. With the right planning, and with a little ingenuity, you can hold your own, and grow your company.

This guest post was written by Lior Levin, a marketing consultant for a large neon open sign company that provides various custom made neon signs.

We made the list of the top 25 make money online blogs to follow in 2012. In fact, we are the first blog mentioned on the list!

Although this isn’t the first time we have made a list like this, it’s still always a great honor to be mentioned on them. It lets us know that we are successfully doing the job we set out to do; teach regular people how to make money online.

Please take a moment to share the list with your friends on Facebook and other social networks. They also have twitter, G+1, and stumbleupon submit buttons conveniently located just above the post that you can use. Anything you can do to help spread the word will be greatly appreciated!

As an entrepreneur, it is vital to have your money affairs in order. What your credit profile says about you also reflects on your business. It is important for you to pay attention to not only where you are financially but also where you stand credit-wise.

Working in the online market can be highly profitable but it requires a stable financial foundation to start with. If you are planning to get any type of financing in the future for business or personal, it is imperative you do the work to repair your credit now rather than wait until it is too late.

Why Good Credit Matters:

• In Your Business Life

Working as an entrepreneur, your business needs to build its own foundation financially but it will first rely on the credentials of the business owner. If you have poor credit scores, it will be hard for you to get any kind of financing to start or grow your business. You will also find it difficult to do business with vendors and suppliers with whom you need a line of credit.

Before you start a business online or off, you need to review your credit score and do the work necessary to get it back into the excellent sector. Your credit will be the springboard to starting a stable foundation for your business’s credit.

• In Your Personal Life

Most entrepreneurs start a business for the flexibility and the financial freedom self-employment offers. One of the most apparent drawbacks of working for yourself is the potential for inconsistent income. You should start a business knowing you have at least a year’s worth of living expenses saved in the bank for when the business is still getting off of the ground. While many people will not wait until that amount has been saved up, most at least have some fall back money to tide them over and prevent serious issues with debt.

At some point you will want to enjoy the benefits of your company’s profitability. Socking away funds for retirement and purchasing a home are two common goals of the self-made business owner. But if you maintain a poor credit score, it will be difficult for you to save extra money because you’ll end up having to spend more cash over your lifetime for basic services including utilities, cell phone plans, and car insurance.

If you are able to afford a new home purchase as a self-employed entrepreneur, it is imperative to not only have your finances in order, your credit will play a large factor in not only the approval for the home loan, it will also dictate how much you end up paying on your monthly house note. The amount of interest on the mortgage you receive will be directly related to your credit score. If you can maintain a credit score over 730, lenders will not only give you the best rates, but also more loan options.

Credit scores under 730 may put you at risk for not getting approved for your home loan. They will also basically guarantee you will pay a much higher interest rate over the life of your loan. More of your business profits will need to go toward your mortgage payment. It is not just a small amount either. Just a few points difference in your mortgage interest rate can literally mean you will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage loan.

Moving Forward With Better Credit

Since you have put so much effort into getting your business up and running at the same time balancing the rest of your life, it only makes sense for you to first start with the job of clearing your credit history and maintaining the highest credit score possible.

Despite the claims of some companies, credit repair is something every consumer is capable of accomplishing. Credit history reports are available to every consumer free of charge once a year and for 60 days after you have been denied credit approval. Credit scores are not a part of the free deal but for a minimal fee, you have instant online access to the credit scores maintained by the consumer credit reporting bureaus including TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax.

Once you have ordered your reports and scores, you must review all of the data contained in your credit history and double-check the data for inaccurate information which can lower your credit score. Incorrect information can be disputed with the agencies listing the data.

You need to account for all accounts that still have an outstanding balance and make a reasonable plan to pay off these debts and improve your credit profile. By eliminating debts, you will not only clear your credit, you will also have less financial pressures from your startup operating.

The better your credit is, the less you’ll have to pay in down payments, deposits, and interest rates moving forward in both your business and your personal life. Do what you can now to fix your credit because while any consumer has the power to improve their own credit, there is no overnight solution to repair credit histories. It takes time to improve your credit scores so work consistently over the next several months and see what a difference a little focus can make. Take your credit as seriously as you do your business and you’ll reap rewards for the long term.

Guest post written by… J.D. Roberts is a seasoned writer in finance, specializing in credit repair. You can find more of his articles located at CreditRepair.org

Whether you are a casual user who is on these sites for fun and connecting with others, or you use them as a business marketing tool for making money online, there’s no denying the power of social media. The world is now more connected than ever before. On any given day you might have an online interaction with someone from every continent of the planet.

So, what does all this social media stuff mean for you?

If you are a casual social media user then it means you can connect with people you have not seen or heard from in many years. It also means that you could use your connections to start an online business, whether you have ever thought about that or not. You don’t have to be full-time but you could earn extra money on the internet using social media in various ways.

If you are a business owner it means you have the opportunity to use the power of SMM to your advantage. You can reach your customers and potential market like never before. You can also tap into a whole new client base worldwide that you never could have done without social media. Even small local businesses can expand into a global market nowadays without needing an entire marketing team or a huge budget.

Of course, it will still take time and work. You can’t expect to just sign up for a few social networking sites and have your business explode overnight. You need to build up a following, be consistent with your efforts, have patience, and set yourself apart from everyone else in your niche trying to do the same thing. The key is to be unique, informative, entertaining, and valuable.

It’s a whole new digital world out there. Make sure you aren’t getting left behind!

Here are 5 ways to monetize your blog:

1) Pay Per Click (PPC)

PPC is one of the most popular ways to make money with a blog and Google Adsense is the most popular PPC network that bloggers use. As the name “pay per click” suggests, you get paid each time someone clicks on ads displayed on your blog. The amount of money you can make with each click depends on a few different factors, the most important one being the importance of the topic and the keyword. For instance, Keywords related to finance like credit, mortgage and home loan are some of the highest paying keywords.

PPC advertising networks like Adsense and Bidvertiser, use a smart technology that displays laser targeted ads based on the content of your page. So, if your blog is about food, you won’t see finance related ads displayed on your blog, it will be ads about food and cooking.

2) Cost Per 1000 Impressions (CPM)

With CPM you get paid per impression, usually a few cents per impression. The good thing about CPM is that no one has to click on your ads for you to get paid, the bad news is that most of the time you get paid only a few cents per thousand impression. So, CPM would work much better on blogs with high amounts of traffic.

However, you can still benefit from CPM even if you don’t get much traffic and views. Usually ad networks allow CPM to be used in conjunction with other kinds of ads like PPC ads. Since PPC pays per click, you could place PPC ads above fold and above or under your individual posts, and place your CPM ads on less prominent parts of your blog, where they won’t replace the PPC ads, but you will still get impressions on them. One of the most well-known CPM ad networks is AdBrite.

3) Cost Per Action (CPA)

CPA is self explanatory. Its a method of advertising where in order for publisher (you, the blog owner) to get paid, the visitors has to click on the ad and take the necessary action that is required by the advertisers. These “action”s could be as simple as submitting an email address, registering for a website or subscribing for a free newsletter, to purchasing a product or opting in for a paid service. The most popular kinds of CPA ads are 125×125 ads that are usually placed in the left or right side (side bar) of the blog.

Of course, the commission you receive for each valid transactions, depends on the individual ad and the kind of action it requires. Usually ads that ask visitors to purchase a product or pay for a service pay much higher than ads that ask for free sign-ups and entering basic information such as name and email address. But either way, CPA ads pay a lot more than PPC or CPM ads. Amazon Associates, ClickBank and Commission Junction are some of the biggest CPA advertising networks.

4) In-text Advertising

This is one of the newest kinds of blog monetization methods. There is no need to set aside space on your blog to place ads. With In-text advertising specific keywords within the text of your content are matched with ads, turning those keywords into underlined or double underlined words. In text advertising works the same way as CPC. You get paid every time someone clicks on the ad.

In-text advertising is not for every blog. It really depends on the audience and the topic of the blog and sometimes even the structure of the blog.The key to using in-text advertising successfully is moderation. Don’t set your option to having 1 ad in each sentence, its a big turn off. A few in text ads in each post is plenty. Kontera is one of the biggest In-Text advertising companies out there.

5) Text Links

Text links (I call them affiliate links) are basically links that point to another site. Text links direct visitors from your blog to someone else’s blog or website. When it comes to getting paid, Text links work differently than other methods, meaning the pay is based on the popularity of your blog. The more popular your blog is, the more money you get. Text-Link-Ads and Link Worth are two of the most famous text link advertising companies.

These are some of the most popular and easy ways you could monetize your blog. However, when it comes to blog monetization, there is no one method that could work for every blog and every blogger. That is why you need to do your own research. Experiment with different types of monetization methods, and try different things with each method.

For example, if you use PPC, move your ad blocks around on your page and keep track of the results. Doing so enables you to find out which kind of ad block (color, size, etc) in which spot on your page gives you the best results, thus allowing you to make more money from your blog.

This is a guest post written by Satrap of http://www.blogstash.com

• Ascertains a brand and raises awareness: Since the majority of the population is visiting social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you can also create your brand name by letting people know about your webpage. As these are the names of some authentic social networking websites, having a business profile on such sites will help boost your brand image and also raise the awareness among the people.

• You may spy on your competitors: You can easily spy on your competitors by following them on Twitter or Facebook. You can easily see what the tools that they have up their sleeve are and that they’re using in order to keep an edge over others. You can adopt any methods you like that your competitors are using.

• You can track your customers: Almost everyone nowadays uses websites like Twitter and Facebook and therefore they are great places to track your customers. You may come to know what they like about your company or products and services, and also about the problems that they have with the services offered by you. Utilize their constructive criticism and use them for enhancing the quality of your products so that you can make more profits.

• Boosts customer confidence and loyalty: If you have a business profile in all the popular social media websites, you can speak to your customers more easily and frequently. This will boost the confidence of the customers and you can easily maintain a good relationship with them that is beyond the relation of a typical customer and business owner. This will also enhance your customer retention ability.

• Conduct market research: You can visit various websites and make sure they are on par with the others. You may speak to your competitors so that you can share your opinions on various social media websites. Use your new-found information so that you can boost your productivity and also keep an edge over your competition.

Therefore, if you are a business owner who wants to increase its visibility, you must use the social media websites to promote your business in a natural way. This will also help with your SEO efforts to boost the search engine ranking of your website. There really is not downside to utilizing social media for your business other than the small amount of time it takes, so go for it!

This is a guest post sent by Alex Brown of http://www.all360.net

Glad you asked… Here are a few ideas which hopefully won’t mean waiting for months and months for your Google Adsense earnings to get into double digits:

1: eBay!

There are lots of ways to make money on eBay, but the simplest way to start is to sell some of your own stuff. Seriously, just a few things. First it will help later if you have at least sold a few items, and second you are going to need some seed money.

Next step, once you have a little bit of experience and money to spend, you are going to start looking in the wholesale section on eBay. This is by far the easiest way to find potential lots.

Try to buy mixed lots of “stuff” – look for lots which already have bids so that you know you are getting a good price. The bottom line is that you have to take a punt and learn what works, but if you are careful, you can re-sell any lots that don’t work out and at least get most of your money back, so the risk is pretty low.

2: Fiverr!

This is a simple site where people go on and say what they will do for $5. If you can think of some service, or quirky product that you can sell for $5 each, you might be able to make a little extra money on Fiverr.

To get ideas, simply navigate to fiverr.com and see what other people are offering. The key is to come up with something novel that can be done quickly and cheaply.

You may not be able to make a lot doing this, but there are certainly people who do make a nice little bit of extra money by doing silly, fun things. The first step is to spend a long time studying the site and other people’s offers; you will soon get a feel and hopefully some ideas for your own offering.

3: Textbroker!

If you are a native English speaker and you can write pretty well, you can sign up to be a writer on Textbroker.com. The system is simple enough – people who need articles request them, and as a writer you can pick the titles you want to write.

There are different quality levels, and you generally have to start at the bottom, but if you write well you can soon go up to the top quality level and you can actually make some decent money. The key is to get to level 5 – at this level the amount you get paid is actually pretty reasonable – much better than you stacking shelves anyway!

So, there you have it, three ways to make money online fast! Now all you have to do is get started.

This is a guest post written by Alex at http://www.tomakealiving.com

Choosing the right merchant services provider requires an understanding of your credit card processing requirements and research into the various deals that are available. Here are five steps you should take when making your decision:

1) Learn about merchant accounts and the associated fees. You must establish a merchant account before you can accept credit cards. Basically, a merchant account is a bank account that acts as the depository for credit card transaction revenue. Once your merchant services provider has processed your transactions, it deposits the proceeds into your merchant account. The provider charges fees for its services — ask about them upfront and make sure you understand them.

2) Consider your technical requirements. What types of credit card processing are you planning to do? Traditional point-of-sale (POS) at a credit card terminal? Online processing from your website through an electronic gateway? Mobile or wireless processing when your business takes you on the road? Mail order/telephone order (MOTO)? Are most of your transactions card present or card not present? What business expansion or diversification plans do you have for the near future? It could be you need one or more credit card processing options, and you should make that clear to the merchant services providers that you are considering so they can come up with the best package deal for your needs and budget.

3) Identify merchant services providers who want your business. Not all processors work with all businesses. Some don’t deal with start-up operations or merchants with bad credit histories. Many will not service so-called “high risk” businesses, a category that includes adult-related businesses, online casinos and businesses located outside the United States. Look for a reputable processor who deals with businesses similar to yours.

4) Compare fees and services. Once you’ve compiled a list of potential merchant services providers, compare their fees and services to see who comes closest to meeting you requirements. Ask detailed questions about the types of hardware and software each offers. If you’re in the market to change processors, determine if your current system is compatible with their technology. When it comes to fees, going with the cheapest may not be your best bet. Be sure you know what you’re getting for your money, that it fulfills your needs and fits your budget.

5) Scrutinize security. Solid, reliable security may be the only thing standing between your business and disaster. It’s no secret that credit card fraud and identity theft are major threats to merchants and consumers alike. Make sure your credit card processing takes security seriously and is PCI compliant. Your merchant services provider should be able to answer all your security-related questions and train you and your staff in the proper protocols to keep you and your customers safe from a data breach.

Guest post by Marc McDermott, the Online Marketing Manager at Merchant Express, a full-service merchant services provider that has helped thousands of businesses with their credit card processing needs since 1998.

The domain name is blogtrafficjam.com and anyone interested should send us an email at george@websitepromotionbook.com with the subject “blogtrafficjam”. Let us know what price you are interested in buying it for and let us know any questions you may have about the domain. If we don’t have any serious offers then we will be putting it up for auction in the next week or two.

Choosing the right social media tool

Choose a social media tool that you feel comfortable with. If you’re looking for a strictly utilitarian networking approach, you may want to try a website like LinkedIn, which allows you to make in rows with professionals from similar business backgrounds. You can upload a substantial amount of information about your employment history and knowledge in your field, increasing the likelihood that those who want to connect with you would share you interests. However LinkedIn’s reach is limited when compared to the millions and millions of users who utilize more informal social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. These sites tend to attract a much wider variety of followers (professionals and nonprofessionals alike) than those on LinkedIn, which means that you’ll have to work that much harder to establish your unique identity. Ultimately LinkedIn may give you a smaller but more traditionally professional audience, while sites like Twitter and Facebook have a looser feel but a much wider readership.

Update regularly

Once you’ve selected a social media tool, create an account and start posting! Use the site’s searching features to locate users who share similar interests or values, and connect with them. Don’t be afraid of contacting too many individuals — you’re creating a larger network for you business with every new follower. When posting content, share engaging information about your business with a link to your website included at the end. An easy way to reach people is to offer free tips related to the nature of your business. If you’re a financial consultant, give some basic money saving advice for the online entrepreneur. Build trust among your followers by presenting yourself as an affable and outgoing business person.

Separate business and personal personas

Bear in mind that your personal life and opinions should never be advertised on your business’s social media account. You’re trying to gain business contacts, potential clientele, and interested readers on the merit of your business and its ideals. You aren’t creating a social media account to win a popularity contest for your social life; you’re growing a business! In most cases people are following your business online because they enjoy what you have to say about your particular niche, so don’t throw them a curveball by impulsively posting your take on the political issue of the day.

Allow yourself to experiment with social media tools and (if handled correctly) you’ll watch your business thrive, buoyed by feedback and interest of your online followers.

This is a guest post from Carol Wilson who writes for a business insurance site. She contributes articles about a variety of marketing, business, stock market, and small business topics. She can be contacted at: wilson.carol24 @ gmail.com

Congrats Wendy! Look forward to checking it out.

PS. I know I haven’t been writing much on this blog. At some point I plan on talking about that in more detail, but right now I am still working out the details.

Here’s how to set up a business blog that will serve your company well…

Put It In The Right Place

If your company already has a website, make the blog part of your existing website. It should be a menu choice that’s easy for any visitor to find.

If your company doesn’t have a website, choose a domain name for your blog that’s as close to your company name as possible or includes your industry’s primary keywords.

Start With A Simple Design

Most companies power their blogs with WordPress, a blogging platform that many hosting companies will set up for you. Thousands of pre-designed WordPress themes are available, and one of them will likely work for your blog.

Blogs linked to an existing website should echo the colors and design of the site, but stand-alone blogs usually benefit from starting with a simple design. Make changes as your readership grows and you need for more features.

Pack Your Business Blog With Value

Before you tell anyone about the blog, pack it with useful articles so visitors will find good content even on their first visit. Post perhaps a dozen articles before you promote your blog, then keep posting new content at least once a week. Many experts recommend two or three posts each week.

Be sure to include coupons, exclusive offers and other deals along with meaningful content that supports your business goals.

Promote Your Blog At Every Opportunity

If you pay attention to search engine optimization techniques, Google and other search engines will bring traffic to your site, but that doesn’t mean you can neglect other means of promotion.

To get current customers reading your blog, make sure you point out during every customer contact the special offers and unique content available only to blog readers.

To bring new customers to your blog, include a mention of it in all your print and online advertising. Every time a customer sees or hears your company’s name, make sure your blog address is there along with it.

Now that you know more about how to set up a business blog, there’s no reason to delay any longer.

Blogs are powerful promotional and informational tools. Every moment your company is without one, you’re potentially losing money.

Guest post written by Nisha Sandhu who is an editor at the merchant account forum, and has been working with them for 2 years now. Nisha also loves to write and give online business advice to new and growing businesses.

When using affiliate marketing to get ahead in the business world online, you need to make sure that you are aware of the issues at hand. Like everything else, there are a few problems that could occur when using this type of marketing.

#1 Traffic

One of the most common issues with any of the online money making ideas is not having enough traffic. When you work hard to build up your landing page and marketing strategies, you may be disappointed to see that there is hardly any traffic to the site at all. First focus on getting those few people to your site – through search engines or partnering with other sites, and then build on your success.

Once you see that traffic is coming in on a regular basis, you may think that your job is done and you no longer need to worry about it. That is not true. Getting comfortable with your current amount of traffic is the worse thing you can do. When running your own business and promoting products, the more traffic there is, the better it is.

Keep traffic coming in from all directions. Work hard on all major search engines and networks including social media sites. The more areas you can announce your product in, the better you will be. There is always another site that you can promote on. Finding it is not a problem either. You can always do a search and get different results every time.

#2 Pricing

You will need to rethink your prices. You may have them too high and no one can afford them. The same goes for prices that are too low. You won’t make enough money and people may be skeptical and think you are scamming them. Do your research and compare pricing. Be competitive but make money as well.

You can adjust your pricing on occasion so you can always have a competitive price list. Giving the potential affiliate a choice of pricing can make a difference because it puts them in control.

#3 Keywords

Keywords are very important in promoting a business today. If you don’t use good keywords you will not have enough traffic. Do your research and change the keywords a little to promote a product. This can generate more traffic and it can create more money for you. There are several online tools that you can use to help you come up with the right keywords based on the product that you are promoting or the focus of the product.

#4 Put it in words

Another issue is believing in the product that you are offering. If you don’t believe in your product then no one else will either. You need to offer the passion behind the products and people will begin to take you serious. Use the product, take pictures of you using the product, do a before and after picture, blog about it every day, hire a few people to also test the product for you and write a review.

#5 The focus

Losing the focus on the quality is a BIG problem. It takes continuous effort on your part to keep the quality high on your site. When quality is no longer a priority, traffic will decrease. You will need to work even harder to build up your traffic again. This can take time and you can lose money.

Regardless of how much money and time you have to spend on a product, you can use affiliate marketing to help you promote it. As long as you work hard to make it a success, anything is possible.

This is a guest post by Mary Mack. She is a contributing author at the site gradmoneymatters.com and loves to write about money making ideas.