Vol. 2, No. 20
TODAY'S LESSON: Building for Dollars

A few years ago, making money on the Web was just a matter of whipping up a business plan, getting some venture capitalist cash, and setting up the servers to rake in the money. That's what everyone thought, anyway.

It wasn't long before thousands of e-companies came crashing down, and investors were left scratching their heads. Among other things, we all learned that making money on the Web takes an original and creative idea, as well as careful planning.

If you're one of the investors still scratching your head, it's time to do something about it. And if you don't need the money for yourself, there are plenty of charities in need these days.

>>> Adding it Up <<<

Advertising is still the biggest and fastest way to make money from a website. If a website can generate 10 million impressions per day, it can make over $3,500,000 per year. Now, getting 10 million impressions probably isn't a realistic goal for you, but how about 40 or 50 thousand impressions? If that's doable, it would be worth your while to check out some advertising options.

"Ad Basics"
Assuming you've managed the Herculean task of creating an ad-worthy site, then this article will give you all you need to get those ad dollars flowing your way.

>>> Stores and Auctions <<<

Ad impressions are a good start, but if you want to get serious about making money on the Web, you'll need some infrastructure to back up your business plan. This could mean a few simple CGI scripts to interact with customers, or a full-blown storefront that includes credit card processing. Whatever the scenario, these articles will help you decide what types of technology can help you execute a plan.

"Five-Stages to Success"
In five lessons, this tutorial will show you how to generate a realistic e-business plan; create a site design that caters to your online customers; deal with things like credit cards, tax, shipping, and security; and decide whether you should build, buy, or rent an e-commerce solution to manage your site's transactions.

"Charge It"
To accept credit cards, you need to establish a merchant account. Your merchant account provider will verify the credit card, process the transaction, and deposit the results into your account. In exchange, the provider will charge you some combination of setup fees, transaction fees, and discount rates.

"Do I hear $2.50?"
If you've already tried to build an e-commerce shop but overestimated the demand for plaster of Paris bagel and cream cheese paper weights, there is hope yet -- auction off that inventory and get a fresh start.

>>> Giving Back <<<

"Charity Never Fails"
If you're looking for a place to donate money, there are many good organizations and causes listed here.

1. If you have worthy content on your site, try getting a company to help pay for its costs -- it just might sponsor a section of your site in exchange for its name being mentioned in the section. The advantage for the advertiser? It targets not just your site but also the exact audience it wants. The advantage for the publisher? You get a ridiculously high rate in exchange for this precise targeting.

2. You'd like to try selling some products online but you want to test the waters before investing in an e-commerce storefront. An online auction provides the perfect testing ground. List your products on a variety of auctions and see how successful you are.

3. Looking for a good "Q" word in Scrabble to baffle your opponent? Try "quokka," a small wallaby with a short tail.

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