8 Ways to Monetize your Hunting or Fishing Website

May 16, 2008

Internet advertising revenue is exploding across the web, while print and traditional media advertising is losing traction.  Want to be part of the party?  Here’s eight ways to earn cash by advertising on your hunting, fishing, or outdoors related website.

1. Pay Per Click (PPC) Ads
   Google Adsense is the grandaddy, but Yahoo and Microsoft offer PPC programs as well. Pay Per Click advertising works by displaying contextually relevant ads on your site, and allowing advertisers to bid on keywords. Once a visitor clicks on an ad on your website or blog, you get a percentage of the earnings.
2. Direct Placement
   A simple advertise here link or button where the ad will be placed can do the job.  This can be easy as an agreed dollar amount per month, or more complex such as setting up an ad-server to track impressions and click-throughs.
3. Sponsored Posts or Reviews
   Yes, you can paid to review products and services on your website or blog. Disclosure and ethics are a topic for another day, but if you’re interested check out: PayPerPost and SponsoredReviews
4. Text Link Ads
   Surprisingly, text link ads can be a big money maker due to their value in search engine optimization. And it’s really simple to do, just insert a link into an article, page, or and get a monthly fee.  See TextLinkAds and LinkWorth
5. Sell Products
   You can now sell products through your website that you never have to see, touch, or ship.  You don’t even have to handle credit cards.  Popular setups include selling some of Amazon.com’s millions of products through an Astore (do a search on fishing lures, there are tons of them), or selling everything from hunting or fishing related T-shirts, coffee cups, and mouse pads from CafePress.com
6. Affiliate Programs
   Affiliate programs work by you placing affiliate links or ads on your site.  If a visitor clicks on the ad and ends up buying something, you get a commission on the sale.  There are many, many general affiliate programs out there, but here are some Outdoor Industry related programs:
   - BassPro Shops
   - Cabelas
   - Associate Programs (Outdoors)
   - LandBigFish.com
7. Donations
   Doing good work, or have something really worth reading?  Simply create a paypal donations button.  Remember - if you don’t ask, you don’t get.
8. Newsletters
   Got a newsletter with a good circulation?  Add a sidebar or banner advertising for fishing or hunting related products.  Get advertisers by sticking an “advertise here” link on your sign up page or in the newsletter itself.

How much $$$?

Traffic amounts and the competitiveness of your site’s niche will largely dictate whether you’re making beer money or enough for a new boat.  But remember, there’s nothing wrong with beer money…

Posted in Fishing Web Design & SEO, Hunting Web Design & SEO, Outdoors Websites