How To Make Money Online Without Being an Influencer
Some people have no idea how websites make money.
Like… technically, how? Who is paying it? Where is the money coming from? Is there a tiny accountant living in the footer?
Or worse, they assume that the only way to make money is if you are an influencer.
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And honestly, I get it. If you’ve never owned a website, the whole thing feels like a mystery. But I’m here to show you why anyone can make money with a website, and you do NOT have to be an influencer (I’m not.)
So let’s pull the curtain back on how websites make money without you having to be an influencer.
The moment it clicks: websites make money in amazing ways
Ok, picture yourself. You’re scrolling. You land on a blog post because you typed something like:
- “best cookware for tiny kitchens”
- “how to fix shin splints”
- “is this product worth it”
- “what do I do next”
You’re not there to admire someone’s fonts.
You’re there because you have a problem, a question, or a decision to make.
And that is the baseline truth behind every website that earns consistently:
Websites make money by helping people take a next step.
Sometimes that next step is buying something.
Sometimes it’s learning something.
Sometimes it’s realizing they need something.
But it always starts with intent. Watch my video now to understand it, and gain insight into how to start earning, too:
Why websites beat social posts (for making money)
Social media is like yelling into a party.
You post, people react for 24–72 hours, then your content disappears into the algorithm’s basement with everyone’s 2020 banana bread era.
A website is different.
A website is a library. A storefront. A searchable asset.
Content doesn’t vanish when you hit publish. It sits there and works for you while you’re doing literally anything else, including sleeping, parenting, living, or pretending you’re “just going to check email” (and then losing 43 minutes).
Even better: traffic can keep coming for years through search-based platforms (Pinterest is a big one).
So instead of constantly resetting, your effort compounds.
The 3 main ways websites actually make money
There are a bunch of monetization options, but if you want the clearest picture of what works (and what’s also attractive if you ever sell your site later), it usually comes down to three core streams:
1) Affiliate links
This is when you recommend a product and earn a commission if someone buys through your link.
You’re not doing a brand campaign. You’re not negotiating deliverables. You’re not posting “use my code BESTIE10” while holding a green juice you don’t even like.
You’re simply creating helpful content that naturally includes products people already want.
Someone clicks. They buy. You earn.
Take a free copy of my guide on affiliate marketing to learn more about this!
2) Digital products
A blog post helps someone understand the problem. A digital product offered inside that a post helps them solve it faster.
That might be an ebook, template, course, guide, or toolkit. The point is: people often want the next step, not just information.
This is where a website turns from “content” into “business.”
3) Display ads
Once a site hits a certain traffic level, you can apply to ad networks that place ads on your pages.
When people visit and spend time reading, the site earns ad revenue. Boring? Yes. Powerful? Also yes.
It’s one of the simplest “set it up and let the traffic do its job” monetization layers.
You do NOT have to be an influencer to make a real career online
Websites make money without you having to be an influencer because they don’t rely on your face, your personality, or your ability to stay “visible” 24/7. They rely on searchable intent.
People land on a website because they’re actively trying to solve something: pick the right product, learn the next step, fix a problem, make a decision.
When your content answers that need, the monetization can happen quietly in the background through affiliate links, digital products, or display ads, whether you have 3 followers or 300,000.
You’re not paid for being popular, you’re paid for being useful at the exact moment someone is looking.
That’s why a small niche site with the right content can out-earn a creator with a big audience but no system.
Watch the YouTube video above for the full system
Scroll back up to my video, where break down:
- the exact system I use to earn from small niche sites while not being glued to my laptop
- how these revenue streams work behind the scenes
- why websites compound while social posts reset
- and what you should focus on first if you’re starting from zero
If you’ve ever wondered how a website earns while the owner is offline, watch the video. It will make this whole world feel way more accessible and way less mysterious.
And once you understand it, you’ll never look at a “random blog” the same way again.
Read this next: Selling Your Website? Avoid this Revenue Type Buyers Won’t Pay For
