Why Only Few Bloggers Will Make Money Online

February 18, 2011 - Last Modified: January 29, 2012 by Vijayraj Reddy 1,192

I have been running a blog for more than two years, and for the past two months, I have been trying to make some money with my blog. There are many of you who have failed to earn money online. I will suggest that you not give up hope. There are five main reasons why you seem to have failed in your endeavor, and I hope my post will help you avoid these mistakes in future and give you the enthusiasm to start afresh.

1. You want to make quick and easy money

Making money has never been easy and there is no such thing as quick money. Money has to be earned. It takes a lot of time and serious effort to earn money online. Most beginners become frustrated quickly because they are not able to earn as much money as they would have liked. Well, if you sell an ebook for twenty dollars and then expect to make a thousand dollars from it per month after a month, is that ever going to happen?

The answer is obviously NO. I have been working to earn money from my blog over a few months now, and I expect to earn a few dollars from it in two more months.

2. Too little activity on the blog

Knowledge is a virtue. Use it. If you have gained a lot of knowledge about blogging, it is wise to start using it at the outset. Many bloggers spend loads of time reading MMO and SEO blogs in a bid to increase their visibility, but you also have to consider the content. You have to write the articles, promote them, and advertise a few items on your blog to earn some money from it. Ideally, you should not be spending more than a day every week reading the MMO and SEO blogs. The rest of the week should be utilized doing the things that you should be doing instead of looking at the handiwork of others.

MMO bloggers are usually skilled marketing guys, and you might get addicted to their posts without even knowing it. Try to avoid them.

3. You have to do everything yourself

A good blog requires three things- quality content, effective marketing, and monetization. Most of us are inclined toward one of the three. In that case, you have to acquire the other skills if you are looking to be a successful blogger. You might not be good at something, but you have to work on these skills in order to be successful. People who concentrate on only one aspect perform well below their true potential.

4. Believe in the Idea

No business will be able to move exactly as it was planned. Unanticipated problems can keep on arising. For example, Google may not index your site till weeks after you launch, even after you have obtained some solid links. It is only a matter of time before your site is indexed and your blog starts ranking for the target keywords.

If you are trying to make money online, it is important to have faith in the idea of making money online or else everything will fall apart.

5. Be focused:

Although it is tempting to start working on a host of different projects simultaneously, it will lead to failure. You may feel that at least one of them will succeed, but it is a wise choice to invest your time on a single project at a time and get it to a stable point before you start working on another. project.

What else you can add to the list?

About Vijayraj Reddy

Follow @methods2earn

Vijayraj Reddy is professional blogger from Gulbarga (Karnataka), India. He writes about how to make money online on his blog and shares design articles in his design blog in his blogs.

{ 54 Responses }

Maketta says:

I agree with you 100%. It takes time and effort to make money with your blog. It is definitely not an overnight adventure. Many people are disillusioned with the thought of making money quickly and they become disappointed and their blogs reflect that. They have no useful content which is key to having a successful blog.
Maria Silvo says:

I would agree that lack of focus or focused action is a great downfall for most bloggers while trying to make money. I am guilty of this myself. There is just an overwhelming barrage of distraction out there that it's so easy to get out of focus. Item #3 stands out as well for me. Creating content is already a challenge in itself but if one has to make a breakthrough, a blogger has to also do marketing and monetization effectively. Thanks for this great post!
sai krishna says:

very useful explanation vijay raj . gad to see you here ! BTW your design blog is really awesome :)
Ben says:

I agree completely, I think as with most things in life only the most dedicated and hard working will succeed in making money online.
sai krishna says:

really you explained very nice tips :) keep rocking
Rajiv says:

Great Post, but I will like to ask - what is the effective way to market my own content?
Toshiba Burton says:

#5 stands out to me also the most I used ato try to do a lot of things at one time & I soon realized that this was a big problem because it was hard to get any 1 thing done.
Dean Saliba says:

In my opinion most people won't make money online because they think it is easy and won't put in the effort required. :)
- Rahul Tilloo says:
  
  Yah dean you have made a valid point. I Have always believed in the phrase Earn Money Online rather than make money online. You got to work hard to easrn money.
Nikoya says:

So you had a blog for 2 years, without ads and products at first or with? Or are you saying it took about 2 solid years for your blog to generate significant income? Does any one have any other solid advertiser suggestions other than Google? I know that Google is kind of a monopoly, but I have also tried BidVertizer & Infolinks. I'm not really feeling those programs..
Shariq says:

You have written you are trying to make money from your blog since two months and your blog is older than 2 years. So what was the problem? Were you not an active blogger or any other reason? Please explain..
Kai Druhl says:

Hello Vijaraj, I recommend to have an optin page to your email list, where you can promote your own products or affiliate products. Create ebooks and video courses from the most read posts in your blog. You can check out my blog for an example, and pick up a free copy of instructions with the Internet Starter Kit. Best wishes Kai
Mavis Nong says:

Hi Vijaraj, Great tips you're sharing here. #2 stands out for me - people spend so much time learning, but not taking action to implement what they are learning. Of course, lack of focus is another issue. It really is hard to create success if you are all over the place. Focusing on one thing at a time is so key. Thanks for sharing, Vijaraj. All the best, Mavis
Murlu says:

Lack of focus is what kills most people along with lack of vision. Because the entry into blogging is so low; everyone does it. What most don't think about is a plan to where they actually want to go once they're up and running. It's important to have some kind of system where one post works with one another so you're building up and up like legos :D
Chadrack Irobogo says:

I think point #5 should be taken more seriously. This is one of the biggest problem while many are not making any cent online. Focus is a power that when handled right will turn the table around for good for any one.
- karan says:
  
  Well, for according to me its the lack of patience that is holding back 90% of the beginners. Even when they read on around ever other blog that blogging is not a get rich quick scheme, they hardly take it seriously and ultimately give up.
  - Chadrack says:
    
    Hi Karan, I think we are saying the same thing. Now think of it, when you say lack of patience, what is result? Of course you know anyone who is not patient will not stay long at doing something. Because that person will not allow time to focus on what he/she is doing for lack of patience, the result is always failure. Focus has a way of rewarding you in different ways, more knowledge in what you're doing, expertise as a result of constantly doing that thing etc. and all these will build into you some form of unseen powers that will eventually bring you what you want - SUCCESS! So you can see we have just said the same thing in different ways! :) and as you put it if lack of patience that debars many from focusing on what do account for 90% of failure rates, then this is something we must work on.
    - Karan says:
      
      haha! Yeah man.. Spinning content eh? :P
Jan Husdal says:

After many years of blogging, and making money along the way, my conclusion is that blogging itself rarely makes money. However, blogging may open up other streams of revenue in your particular niche of knowledge. In my case I was offered paid speaking engagements and paid guest blogging opportunities, besides product samples for reviews, so while the blog itself didn't make much besides a steady trickle of petty cash, the spin-off really did pay off. That's what happens when you turn your blog into a related business, instead of see the blog as a business.
Wasim Ismail says:

True points, the main one is staying focused, many lose focus and don’t finish the job they set out to do, in the begging when launching a blog, everyone is hyped up with excitement, this excitement and level of commitment needs to stay with you, and you need to focus on your goals, and what your looking to achieve, When being a blogger most of the time your along, and your focus can easily be distracted and you can start to drift away. If you set your selves millstones and small goals to achievee, this will help you in keep your focus on track.
Bryan says:

Hey Vijayraj, I think the last point having focus is very important. After blogging a year, I've realized that it you don't have focus you will get side tracked and will never achieve your goals. Another thing is that a lot of people might be impatient if they feel like what they are doing is not working. They expect things to work even after a year. Well personally, I do feel impatient sometimes, but I've got heaps of advice saying that results are not quick but you've got to keep working and stay focused. Thanks for sharing this article
Caleb says:

Well blogs can make money from advertising, selling services and products. But I think the best way to make money (and the most money) is to sell products. And for a lot of people "selling" is a huge hurdle. Whether you have to create your own products or whether you are selling as an affiliate. It's just too big of a hurdle to get traffic then sell. But the doubt will soon kill the beginners. I think you have to have certainty and that feeling that you know you will finally succeed to make this work.
mark says:

This is a really relevant post, at least for me right now. I found it very easy to get sucked into reading instead of working a while back and needed to "leave" the blogosphere for a bit. I recently wrote about a few ways that I make reading and commenting a little less harmful to my goals, and my method is paying off. In the end, focus and knowing when to outsource are the two things that have made the biggest improvements to my online business. Thanks for the post!
Brittany Rubinstein says:

I'd say don't force it. It's tempting to just plaster your blog with adds and assume some one will click on one, but if you give them a reason to come to your blog, they won't be there to make you money. Focus on the content and build a following first. Then you can expect an income to build up.
Andrew says:

Good post, its not easy making money online at all. You really have to love blogging if you are going to stand any chance of making money at it and even then you wont get rich over night, it takes time.
Dave Grimes II says:

To me, the best motivation to kick ass and work hard on my blog has been my desire to use my effort for ME. (Selfish, right?) I just hated the idea that I knew that the work I was doing in my office job was making someone else more money than it was making me. I have valuable skills, and I want the most out of them. This is something you cannot do when you're working for someone else. Motivation is key. Once you have found yours, it will drive you to work, to learn, and to innovate.
Juliemarg says:

For 20 years, I've been consulting with small businesses about their marketing strategy. I've seen thousands of businesses succeed or fail and talked to them while it was happening. The successful ones had years of practical knowledge and skills in their service or product. If you are going to make money blogging, you must have some expertise to share. If you have a golf blog, and you're a golf pro who has great teaching tips, I might buy your product. Too many people seem to think they can make money writing about things they know nothing about.
AJ Clarke says:

Nice post Vijayraj, it's so true out of all the people trying to make money online only a handful do. It takes so much time and dedication. I think a lot of people try and do it because they think it's going to be really easy - well they are wrong. It's taken me about 1.5 years of really hard work (12-14 hour work days) but now I am at the point where I could work 2 hours a day and make good money. Setting goals, thinking about the future and keeping yourself motivated are key to online success.
Nasrul Hanis says:

Agree! There's no such thing as quick money! You have to be creative, well planned and put your hard efforts on making money online. Great tips there. Thanks for sharing!
Roy says:

I have learned that in order to keep producing consistently engaging content you must be passionate about your topic. To many bloggers enter a niche for the wrong reasons.
Karen Marrow says:

Hi VijayRaj, I agree with all the points you make above. I especially think #5 is important, to keep focus and stop chasing every shiny penny you see. Consistency and focus will definitely pay off. Great blog post!!! Karen
Dennis Edell says:

I bet if the famous catch phrase was Earn Money Online (EMO) instead of male Money Online (MMO), things would look different all over.
- Iroko says:
  
  But it would have been a lot also less saturated, if we all view MMO as somebody in a factory, trying to come up with a product...the word make money online has been turned around and made to look like a very simple to do...earn or make it depends on mindset!
  - Dennis Edell says:
    
    And make comes with a bad mindset...look at it this way, "making money' is illegal outside the government. ;-)
    - Iroko says:
      
      This post is turning you into a stand-up comedian already!
StevenPapas says:

truly, there are various aspects a blogger has to cultivate in order to maximize his potential and earn good money. Each of these reasons you mentioned is a science of its own. But, as Greg wrote, there are no free lunches out there.
Gregg Zban says:

There definitely are no "free lunches" out there. Things might have been a bit easier when this market was newer but we he much less tools to work with and no real idea if anything would pay off or not. It all boils down to guts and hard work. No other way unless you want to base your future on luck.
John McNally says:

Good points Vijayraj, the only other factor I would add is enjoyment. If you don't enjoy what you are doing, it is hard to work up any enthusiasm, even for making money online. Money alone isn't enough of an incentive., the process has to be pleasurable as well. Blogging is a pleasure, and that's why I like the idea of earning money from it. John Blogging for pleasure in Leamington Spa, England
tushar says:

agreed vijay. There is no such thing as make easy money online and this has been said numerous times over the blogosphere but still, the new bloggers are under some illusion that they will break the shackles and earn easy money. May be it is in some else profession but in blogging, hard luck baby
Patricia says:

Hi Vijayraj Blogging sure isn't a silver bullet to success. My blog is a platform for my business ventures. I have decided to diversify and not put all my eggs in one basket. You have covered the various aspects for making money online well. Thanks for sharing Vijayraj. Appreciated. Patricia Perth Australia
Steve says:

Vijayraj, I have been making a living online for a few years and blogging for just a little bit over a year now, I can say that of all the business models to make money online, blogging is the most difficult to actually turn any sort of difficult or regular money from. The high end has great potential but getting there takes far more work than most people generally think. You make some great points on the things it takes for people to actually make money blogging. It certainly is possible, but it is a lot harder than people starting out think.
Alex says:

Hello Vijayraj, I think you are right, many people enter the blogging business because they want to make a quick and easy buck, but the fact is that when they do this, it shows. People can see and sense that he is in only for they money and no matter how hard you try they will always see it and I think is needless to say that they tend to stay away from this kind of people. Blogging is a long time business, you have to first pour your heart in it and then collect the lours, I don't think anyone just started a blog then cashed in enormous amounts of money.
Faissal says:

agree with you!!! people always want to make money easily and quickly. literally, most of us never think about the future! anway, thank alot for the article !!
Mani Viswanathan says:

You are spot on, Only few Bloggers find the path to success.
- Trung Nguyen says:
  
  Really useful article to me, it's not easy to make money online, especially making money from blogs, it requires you to have patience, ideas and methods applied properly, I am a blogger and Im looking way monetize blog, too. Thanks @Vijayraj
Priya says:

Hi VijayRaj, You haven't left anything to add here. Perfect post and right area to pitch on. I think this issue happens with many bloggers and they finally give up. I'm sure after reading your post they must get huge confidence.
Mike says:

In fact, I would add one more point into your greatest list, which is handle too many things at the same time. I think it's a typical mistake of every one, including me. I used to handle too many projects on my own because I was impatient and the result was I wasn't good at anything :)
Mohammed Fouzan says:

making money online is not easy. We have to dedicate time and effort for it.
A. Tatum Jr says:

All good points. You really have to do what you like, and not do something that you think will make money. And combine traditional and on-line business rules to try and be successful. I think blogging is in the middle right now. Those who figured out things quickly a few years ago are riding the wave. Everyone else is on the gold rush to California trying to find their nugget. Its gold to be found, but it requires work.
- TJ McDowell says:
  
  I like your example. In fact, if you think about the gold rush, there are some interesting principles that play out. If you wanted to go to California during the gold rush, and you wanted to make money without finding gold, was there a way to do it? Absolutely. You've got an entire community of people who are going to be needing food and services. Plus the competition for those types of business would probably be slim at first. Everybody else is looking for gold. I think the point is we need to look at more than just what's in front of our eyes.

Why Only Few Bloggers Will Make Money Online

1. You want to make quick and easy money

2. Too little activity on the blog

3. You have to do everything yourself

4. Believe in the Idea

5. Be focused:

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1. You want to make quick and easy money

2. Too little activity on the blog

3. You have to do everything yourself

4. Believe in the Idea

5. Be focused:

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