How to Start a Blog to Make Money

1. Use a free blogging platform such as Blogger, or establish a blog on your own website with a top-level domain name. To make money, you can use either, but the latter choice is more professional. If you intend to transform your blog into an entire internet business, purchasing a domain name and professional website hosting is recommended.

2. Make the blog look good. Starting a blog to make money requires some degree of professionalism. Search for quality, attractive blog templates and choose the one that you like the most. Three column designs will leave more room for advertisements.

3. Place contextual advertising, such as Google Adsense, on the blog, and increase traffic to attract more clicks. This is completely passive income and should be a part of every blog business.

4. Sell advertising to other blog owners and webmasters. A simple 'Place Your Link Here for...' button will attract some easy money. However, you can also join online programs that match blogs with advertisers and handle the finances for you. Places like PayPerPost, Smorty, and Blogitive offer opportunities to make money with your blog by writing posts with link backs to advertiser's websites.

5. Market the blog to get visitors. Starting a blog to make money requires little financial expenditure, and advertising can be inexpensive, or even free, as well. Explore the possibilities of article marketing, blogrolling, pay to click advertising, adding links to forum posts and other blog's comment sections. The more links you spread around the internet, the greater the chance of an interested person finding your blog and creating profit for you. Starting a blog to make money only works if you follow up with continued effort.