Many times I am asked about this
website so here is some information that may help you with your
own.
1st. - I use AT&T Web
Hosting. It is $14.99 a month and includes 5000 mg of
space. I am at 775 mg which means I have a long way to go
growth-wise before I need to upgrade. They are reliable
and that means if you find an error message on my website, it is
my fault. I have it set up on a electronic debit plan and
they take it right out of my bank account - no problems there
after years of service. You can compare plans here:
2nd. Google Advertising -
It's great, wonderful, the best! You go here and
"request" an account.
If they like your website and
approve it, then you design your ad...colors, style,
shape, etc. You take the html code they give you
and copy into into the borders on your website and there
you have it.
You can have three (3) ads per
page. If someone clicks on it, you are paid
anywhere from .05 to 10.00 a click depending on the ad.
You have no control over which ads. This
advertising brings in my website several hundred dollars
per month. Once you have made over a hundred
dollars with the program, they will send you a check or
deposit into your bank account. Tip here:
You must have content to make any money. Three
pages are not going to make anything, you need many
pages with lots of content. Do what you do
well....add your transcriptions, family histories,
articles and pics and you will find that it pays off.
It really will make a difference.
Items 1 and 2 are measures that I
have put into place, not necessarily to make money but
to insure that my website goes on independent of
Ancestry and Rootsweb. I don't have to worry about
them changing things or moving my pages. Money
goes in with Google and out with AT&T.
3rd. - I do a small amount of html
but mainly I use Microsoft Frontpage to design the
website...I do not have time to reinvent the wheel and
Frontpage simplifies the process. What you see is
what you get (WYSIWYG) ...you start a new page and put
exactly what you want on it and save it. No html
knowledge required. It works just like Microsoft
Word but allows you to have a hierarchy & navigation of
pages. The borders of this page are one page...
change the border and the whole website changes.
4th. - The graphics on this
website are purchased from some wonderful designers -
My forum in maintained by Ruberta (Who is the best!) – R/S
Creations
5th. Content....what to add?
You can pretty much add anything you want and you will
be surprised at what people are interested in.
This website attracts almost 2,000 visitors a day with
over 70,000 page views a month. Sometimes people
are looking at buildings, sometimes Gazette articles and
sometimes War Memorials. Sometimes they just like coming
"home" to Arkansas. If you build it, they will
come.
6th. - Finally, I have a backup
plan. In the event something happens to me, I
don't want to lose all my hard work so I have made
arrangements with
Desmond Walls Allen at Arkansas
Research to take over my website. My
girls have been instructed that the computer is to go
straight to Desmond. She loves Arkansas as much as
me and I am honored that she would take my "baby" and
care for it as her own.
If this doesn't cover everything,
please feel free to drop me a line at ArkansasTies@ArkansasTies.com.
