want to start a website/e-books

[alchemical ether]

where do i start. i hear about so many scams and rip-offs about so called money making websites.

[Hadar]

I am sorry that no one has posted anything on this topic, because I too am starting this venture.  I would have to say that I have been doing some of my own research in this area and will let you know what I find as soon as I find the right one.  There are some great deals and I have friends out there helping me.  I will post what I find asap.

[dreamsun8985]

there's a previous thread on here somewhere about this,  I wil browse around to see if I can pull it up.  Also, if I'm not mistaken, I think Curtis has an ebook that teaches you how to create an ebook (curtisduncan.blogspot.com). 

[Hadar]

thank you! forgot to check older posts!  My bad

[dreamsun8985]

This thread maybe helpful:

http://www.dherbs.com/forums/index.php/topic,5683.0.html

Hadar: no need to apologize, I was actually in need of this info myself, so this gave me the motivation to locate what I needed for myself as well.  So, thanks for the push.

[Hadar]

Thank You

[With Purpose]

A friend of mine purchased her domain (approx. 6.99-12.99 per year depending on who you purchases through). To set up her site for free she linked it through Google sites but there are many others that you can search and find if you just want to set it up on your own. The main cost comes from development if you pay someone and then the company and the amount of server space they may use, how much broadband/or traffic you plan to have (I forget the exact name, but it's pretty easy to find unlimited), and a few other things.

I purchased all of my domain names through 1and1.com for $6.99 for 1st year and I think it goes up to 9.99 per year thereafter (for .com domains...the others type domains vary in price).

If you wanted to do your own site you could get server space and learn html, xhtml, and something like Adobe Dreamweaver. They also have free trials of Dreamweaver you could try out on Adobe.com. I think I posted a site where that we used in a webdesign class I took last year, if I find the thread I will re-post.

The ebooks are easy too. Free to put together if you have something liek Microsoft Word and the benefit here is that there is no big cost in producing--just mainly the investment in the amount of initial labor you put into the mental work involved. You can also set up the books on other various sites with certain traffic and people can download as they purchase instead of having to wait for you to email...most sites like this will charge a percentage, but that's still reaching another audience. An example is Lulu.com

[alchemical ether]

yes but i want to make money from starting my website.

[dreamsun8985]

Check this out AE:

http://www.dherbs.com/forums/index.php/topic,4506.0.html

[knix20]

ughh wrote this long respnse on my cell and it erased. ill write it again when I get on my computer

short response- want to make money then sell products/ services. have a donation tab, some sites I have seen give consumers the option to choose how much they want to pay. ads will not make you money unless you have a high traffic website. even then I have read some people took years to make money off that (problogger.net has good info)

don't sit and wait for people to tell you what to do and how to make money, just do it. research all the response and choose what works with your idea.

fingers are hurting...will be back.

[With Purpose]

yes but i want to make money from starting my website.

Ooohhhhh...

Hmmmmmm....make money from starting a site? Not sure how that works...You mean like monetizing a site? I recommend what Knix20 said....

Yes and I would also suggest to offer something of value to sell to people. I have found that people in general do not like to read, research, or really do much of anything on their own. They like for things to be handed to them. Well that has to come at a price for your creative energy & labor to find it out for them. hint hint....Which is why I think products on a site are very effective. Products that will solve a problem that they have. Websites are cool, but the website itself does not make a person money AND you have to have a good way to reel them in and KEEP them on your site to generate money from it.

[knix20]

http://www.dherbs.com/forums/index.php/topic,6398.0.html

When it comes to creating an ebook- if you know how to write and can formulate ideas- then you can write an ebook. Google has many resources and its all free. You can create/convert Word/Spreadsheets into PDF files (most popular formate for electronically sharing info) for free. Look at the ebooks you read, and take pointers from them. Business is all about taking something else someone has done and making it better- and occasionally being an innovator and doing some new. So look at ebooks write down your likes/dislikes. Dont try to make a 20 pg book and put restraints, just write, because there are no rules on pages.

where do i start. i hear about so many scams and rip-offs about so called money making websites.

Your statement is a little confusing. Are you saying people who start websites through a 3rd party get scammed? If this is something you heard, im sure those same sources also referenced the companies to stay away from. So that is your first step, stay away from the shady companies. Go to the library or bookstore and read the first few chapters of How to: books. When I wanted to start my website, I asked WithPurpose for a few pointers, then I went on the computer/bookstore and researched what would worked best for what I was doing. I went to the book store and was in the computer section for about 1-2 hrs just reading different books. I finally settled on Creating a Web Site: The Missing Manual. Matthew MacDonald- Pogue Press/O'Reilly. 2009. (it was on sale)

You dont just make money off having a few ads on a website, making money off the website takes work- especially marketing. You can have two people with the same exact website/content and one makes more than the other. Its about how you work with what you have.

good luck

[knix20]

This came up in my reader today: How to Create a Blog and sell it in 14 days - http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/2483/how-to-create-an-e-book-and-sell-it-in-14-days-or-less/