1-24-2020
I am writing these first few posts a bit out of order as I was bouncing all over the place. One of the things I noticed during my Youtube research was that another source of income is affiliate links. In most cases, they are shared via blogs as well as social media resources or Youtube videos. I figured that while I was at it I may as well attempt to grab some extra pocket change in that manner, after all this venture was an attempt to make money online.
I also considered that a blog would enable me to keep track of the steps I had taken and assist others with their journey if they chose to do so. I began considering various free website tools (again the intent in this was to create the entire thing with no upfront monetary investments.) I initially settled on Wix as it seemed easy to use and was free.
However, as I am going there are a few things I wish were different about it. For instance, I would like to be able to list two or three clear shopping links to my Teespring Store and Redbubble store plus any additional locations I may add. I would also like a way to maybe display a scrolling list of design images that I have made so that visitors are not overwhelmed by items but something has the chance to catch their eye.
Another thing that I noticed is that even though the basic page is free in order for it to become available to search engines I need my own domain. I am able to purchase one from someone else and attach it to the Wix account or to purchase one through Wix.
While speaking to several people in the Facebook groups I have been exploring several have suggested that I look into Wordpress for a blog instead. Another option is Weebly. Weebly is similar to Wix in that they can host for you but you need your own domain. Wordpress starts out with some basic features for free but scales up in several teirs ranging from $4 to $45 a month. Given what I have seen if I start to make some money, I may consider either purchasing a domain and assigning it to my Wix account or moving to Wordpress.
Either way, that is where this blog was born. This is also the point that I realized I should get a "business" email account and made one specifically to use for all of my business related items. This can be done using a free Gmail account or some other version if your prefer. I then had to switch all of the related stuff over to that email so this is a step you should do as early as possible.
If you have any comments or questions to share, feel free to post below.