There are over 150 million blogs online which sounds quite shocking which brings me to an important question Can You Still Make Money Blogging? Most people blog because they are passionate about the subject that they blog about whether it's photography, interior design, fitness, or web design but at some point bloggers need to monetize their websites and blogging efforts or they (you) won't be online for much longer…
Some Popular Blogger's Income
Michael Arrington – $800,000 Per Month
Michael Arrington makes about $800,000 per month with his blog TechCrunch. He was named by Time Magazine as one of the most influential people in 2008 and for good reason. He makes most of his monthly income through advertising.
Pete Cashmore – $600,000 Per Month
Pete Cashmore makes about $600,000 per month with his wildly popular blog Mashable. He has been named the youngest and richest blogger of all time. Mashable is one of the most profitable blogs online with it's advertising model.
Patt Flynn – $100,000 Per Month
Pat Flynn makes about $100,000 per month with his blog Smart Passive Income. He runs a blog, podcast, and even posts his monthly income online. He offers a wealth of free information about what he has learned in his journey online. Pat makes the bulk of his income through affiliate programs.
What is the True Cost of Blogging?
Blogging costs can add up quickly between web hosting, web design, and software. Let's explore the costs.
Web Hosting
Web hosting costs can range anywhere from a few dollars per month to thousands of dollars per month depending on how much bandwidth your site needs to be able to handle. Here is the hosting plans for SiteGround starting at just $3.95 per month. If you don't have over 10,000 visitors per month then this plan is perfect which could bring in your web hosting under $50 for a single year.
Web Design
Web design prices can range depending on what you want your site to do. It could be a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands. You could even purchase your own theme for WordPress and do it yourself. One of the Best Selling WordPress Themes of all times is Avada on Themeforest Marketplace and it's only $58.
Software
Software for websites can range from simple scripts to visual content builders. Sometimes your needs outgrow the basics in blogging software like WordPress and you need to do more. For instance maybe you want to have a email marketing optin in your website sidebar. You would need a tool like Optin Monster for popups and sidebar email optins.
The #1 hidden cost of blogging is your TIME
Remember blogging is a business and you should have fun blogging but you need to keep track of your costs and remember that you need to focus your blogging activities on what is giving you a return on your investment. Try different things and see which gives you the best return on your time and then keep doing more of it.