Work From Home Blog » Work From Home Articles

Why I Removed Google Adsense from the Blog…

Lyndon — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:11:18 +0000

Regular visitors may have noticed a small difference to the site lately – I’ve gone and removed the Google Adsense ads!!!

I’d spent some time reviewing the ad revenues from the different ad formats across the site, not that there are that may, and noticed that Adsense wasn’t performing well at all.

Given that it was being placed in prime position, not only on the front page of the site but on each post page, I had expected a much better return. Obviously you, the loyal visitor, were trying to tell me something… It was time to retire Adsense.

At first I was surprised by the actual levels of income over the last few months, especially as Adsense is my favourite ad platform, but the numbers simply do not lie. The income it generates on other sites I own is quite good, in fact I’d go as far as to say that it is one of top income earners overall – but the click through rate for this site is extremely low it became obvious that perhaps it simply wasn’t the ad platform for this site after all!

Hopefully, as a result, the user experience will be better as your not having ads rammed down your throat. I’m not immediately looking to replace Adsense here, but if anyone has any suggestions for alternatives then please drop a comment below.

Freelance Writing from Home: the Pros and Cons

Guest Blogger — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:37:04 +0000

The following is a guest post by Kyle who writes for Medical Coding Certification.

Writing can be both difficult and rewarding. It is certainly a creative outlet, but there is also a technical aspect involved in any linguistic pursuit. So it takes a particular type of mind to really make a career out of writing. It can bring about feelings of euphoria (when you’re on a roll) or total depression (as the nefarious writer’s block strikes at random), but it is almost never boring. However, freelance writing, in particular, has its own special challenges and benefits. So before you leap at the chance to be your own boss (to an extent), examine some of the pros and cons associated with becoming a writer for hire.

Work from home. PRO: The major benefit of contract writing is that you can do it from the comfort of your cozy office. You can formulate a routine that works with your lifestyle and avoid the constant interruptions inherent in an office setting. Bonus: appropriate attire includes pajamas and you’ll avoid the morning commute! CON: You will literally have only your cat for companionship. Freelance writers can become very isolated if they don’t make an effort to get out of the house once in awhile. You also face constant distractions like pets that need attention, a house that could stand a little cleaning, and your evil arch-nemesis, daytime television.
Set your own schedule. PRO: If you want to go to lunch with friends, sneak in some time at the gym, or take in an afternoon movie, there is absolutely no reason you can’t schedule it in. The flexibility is what draws most people to at-home work. CON: You are solely responsible for how your time is allocated. That means you have to be diligent when it comes to setting work hours and sticking to them. If you thought you could earn a living by rising at the crack of noon and working for a couple of hours in the afternoon, you were dreaming. And there is no one to blame but yourself if you can’t pay the bills.
Variety. PRO: The great thing about freelance writing (as opposed to other types) is that you will enjoy a constantly changing palette of subject matter. This means that you will most likely be learning new things all the time and you can avoid the boredom of expounding upon the same topics all the time. CON: Freelance writing requires you to be a sort of pen-slinging jack of all trades since at any given time you might have to tackle a vast array of topics from computer technology to nursing degrees to eco-friendly home-building to shopping for wedding dresses. It all depends on the work that comes your way. For an individual who is not comfortable with research or has a hard time elucidating subjects on which they lack expert knowledge, this can be an extremely challenging and stressful aspect of the job.
Multiple clients. PRO: Since you are basically your own boss, you can take on as few or as many clients as you wish, and only accept repeat business from the ones you like, ensuring less stress and good working relationships. CON: One problem with taking on several clients is that you are bound to get some bad apples. You will have to deal with people who are demanding, irrational, and disrespectful, and you must remain professional throughout if you don’t want to risk a negative review.
Freedom. PRO: This is the absolute best reason to pursue a career in freelance writing. If you want to work 20 hours a week you are free to do so. Planning a vacation does not require anyone’s consent or the rearranging of a schedule. And once you are established, you can virtually pick and choose which jobs to take. In essence, you are in full control of your life and your time. CON: As much as this can be a blessing, it can also be a curse. Freedom, in many cases, equates to personal responsibility, so if you find yourself spending all day at the beach only to realize that you’ve missed a deadline, you may not have self-discipline required to make a living as a freelance writer.

Kyle Simpson writes for Medical Coding Certification where you can find more information about a career and training in the medical field.

Associated Content: Win an iPad and Make Money from Home!

Guest Blogger — Sat, 08 May 2010 10:56:37 +0000

The following is a guest post by Jelena from Associated Content.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to guest post on the Work From Home Blog and share with my fellow readers an opportunity to make money from home, as well as a contest to sweeten the deal!

I work for Associated Content in a community management and communications role. Since joining the team, I’ve met a variety of incredible writers who work from home through Associated Content and are able to make a living while pursuing other passions, including homeschooling their children, raising their own chickens in the backyard, writing books and more.

Cathy Montville, one of our prolific Contributors, had this to say when I asked her about her experiences with Associated Content: “The impact writing for Associated Content has had on my life is immeasurable. Even though I run a business full-time, writing is my outlet for stress relief, not to mention a fun way to make some good money to supplement my income. Furthermore, the writing community at AC is the best and friendliest on the Internet.”

(Wow—we are incredibly fortunate to have Contributors like Cathy who not only write very well but who also take time to help introduce the rest of the world to Associated Content!)

I know, I know, that’s nice and all, but what about that contest? Okay, here’s the scoop:

When you sign up as an Associated Content Contributor and publish your first piece of content by May 31st, you’ll be automatically entered to win one of two 32GB WiFi-enabled Apple iPads. As a bonus (or if you’re already on Associated Content and can’t enter by signing up for the first time) you can get unlimited entries by referring your friends. They’ll be entered to win when they publish their first piece of content after signing up through your referral link, and you’ll get an extra entry.

For more on how to refer friends to Associated Content, check out our blog, then read this article.

There’s also another limited-time bonus for referring friends who become regular Contributors: For each person who signs up through your referral link and reaches Clout Level 5 by August 31, 2010, you’ll get a $10 bonus. Meanwhile, the friends you referred will be earning money through the content they publish!

To help you and your friends get to Clout 5 by the end of August, here are five insider tips:

5. Research and understand basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Certain types of content, like timely breaking news or “evergreen” content that will always be relevant to people searching for information, will consistently get plenty of pageviews.

4. Take advantage of your own niche expertise. Don’t get so focused on SEO that you forget the old adage, “Write what you know.” If you are an expert in a particular topic area, make sure your profile reflects your knowledge, education and experience, then take time to write some articles about that subject. Depending on the area or your expertise, this might help to make you eligible for a Featured Contributor gig and/or other high-value assignments.

3. Make sure your profile qualifies you for the best-paying assignments. Many of Associated Content’s most competitive and lucrative assignments can only be given to Contributors who have a pen name that sounds like a real first and last name—even if it isn’t your real name, use a human name. You should also consider using an avatar image (even if it isn’t really an image of you) and filling out your bio and interests accurately.

2. Avoid the overdone. Use a search to find out if the topic you want to write about has already been covered on Associated Content. If it’s already been done, try making your topic narrower. For example, instead of, “How to Throw a Party for a Child,” you could write, “Princess Party Ideas for 6-year-old Girls,” or, “How to Plan a Party for a Homeschooled Boy.”

1. Keep it up! The secret to making money and achieving a high clout level on Associated Content is persistence. Write plenty of articles and monitor their statistics to see what works for you and what doesn’t. If you’re struggling, ask our Writers’ Workshop forum for advice. Once you’ve built up a large library of strong, searchable content, you can earn residual income every month without lifting a finger, just as long as you log into your account at least once every 90 days.

Looking for link love? Guest Bloggers Welcome…

Lyndon — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:23:40 +0000

**UPDATE** The guest post guidelines have been published - http://www.workfromhomeblog.net/new-guest-blogging-guidelines/

I’m currently on a massive health kick – brought on by the fact that I was recently weighing in at 260lbs and got out of breathe and broke a major sweat walking up a few flights of stairs…

The resulting side effect is that as well as still working a full-time job (with full-time working from home still eluding me!), 3 kids, voluntary work and now a nightly gym session (not counting a few other blogs that I’m currently neglecting!) – I have little time for blogging here.

Rather than let the blog die as most other neglected blogs do – I thought that I’d open the site up a little… I know that there is a wealth of wisdom out there, heck I read plenty of blogs that have some amazing articles on – so I thought I’d see if anyone fancied offering a guest post or two… This isn’t just a one way street with me getting all of the benefit, as obviously the author would be able to post a link back to their own site. The only provisos are that the article be relevant to working from home, or making money online and that the article be of reasonable quality – I can (and probably will) help with editing so that it fits in with my style – but the article will be (mostly!) yours…

If you’re interested then take a look at the new guest post blogging guidelines…

Shameless Plug.. My Work From Home Forums

Lyndon — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:49:18 +0000

I’ve got a great series of posts under development that I want to release as a series, but in the mean time, should you feel the need to read then pop along to another of my sites that is also fairly new and upcoming - Work From Home Forums!

It is undergoing a bit of a facelift at the moment, so things are going to get better – improvements like ad revenue sharing with members, an integrated blog platform and more are planned… I’ve also got a competition lined up for the summer with (hopefully) a brand new Sony Vaio laptop amongst the prizes, so what are you waiting for – pop along and signup now before all the good usernames are taken