Another consideration for me is the need to set my own hours…in short, I am willing to work, but only on my terms.  Because I already have 4 full time jobs, plus the housekeeping and personal chef gig going.

But I found something that really, really works for me.

I decided to learn how to build a website that generated income from ads through a company called Site Build It.

I loved the idea that I’d be learning how to do something new, that would maybe be useful at other times and places in my life.  And the whole ‘make money without doing anything’ idea that is pretty do-able by using ads (Google Adsense) to generate long term income through a well-designed website.

So, after talking with my husband, we decided this would be a good fit for me, and invested the money into a one-year subscription for Site Build It.  That was somewhere around 4 years ago.  By the end of the first year with SBI, I was making $100 a month.  Not earth shaking, but nothing to sniff at either!  And the really cool part…

My income has tripled since I started, and I have done next to nothing in the past 2 years!

“Wait a minute…” you might ask, “Can’t anybody easily build a blog or website now?”

Sure!  There are even places where you can create a site for free!  But building a blog or a website is not a guarantee that you’ll make any money.  And it’s very time consuming, to be honest.  What I wanted to build was an online *business*, and there is a LOT more to building an online business than just starting a blog or website.

With Site Build It, they set about teaching you how the whole internet business scene works.  Basically, you and I ‘drive’ the whole internet with the things we type into the search boxes everyday.  Google and the other search engines ‘see’ what we are looking for, and match it to ‘key words’ that web pages are built around.

What SBI helped me do is to understand the ins and outs of what Google (the “King” of the search engines) is going to be looking for in my site, when they ‘crawl’ through it…scanning key words, and making sure it’s laid out right.  Then, they helped me understand what I needed to consider to make my site ‘valuable’ to real people, because Google *LOVES* it when real people enjoy your site.

How can they tell?  Google tracks how long visitors spend on each page, on your site, and how many link click-throughs and comments each page or blog entry gets.
(Thank you guys for the comment love and for sharing links!)

What do you get when you subscribe to SBI and build a site?

I feel like I got a comprehensive education about how internet business works from the ground up…as well as amazing tools and planning advice for my first site.  Bring your skills and passions to the table, and SBI offers the framework to create a home business where you can make money from home.

Site Build It‘s model works for any king of internet business venture, including direct sales, service and performance businesses, and informational sites that make money from ads.  I chose the latter, since I would only be able to invest time in the setup, and didn’t want to maintain a sales business with my other life commitments.

The biggest thing that I’ve learned is that to be successful with a website, you’ve got to get *FOUND*.  You can design a stunning, well organized site, but if you don’t know how to catch the ‘eye’ of the major search engines, then no one is actually going to be finding your site in searches.  And if no one is finding your site, then no one is clicking your ads, and you will have spent *all* that time and not make money from home.  Site Build It makes sure that you have the tools and know-how to make your site get noticed!

Site Build It also hosts your site, and the only other investment that you make is a yearly ‘rental fee’ to hold your web address (which is standard…you’d have to spend the money for your domain name whether you’re with SBI or not.)  I think one of the most valuable aspects that SBI offers (beyond the basic education) are their tools and forum.  There is a wealth of information and simple but very powerful tools to give you all the information you need to make great decisions on your new site.

But what if I’m not a computer whiz?

SBI is relatively ‘low tech’, in my opinion.  It’s written so that even the technically ‘challenged’ (raising hand) can follow along and learn at their own pace.  Some of their tools are even slightly ‘cluncky’ they’re so low tech, but the plus side is that they’re VERY easy to use.

I also utilized their forums many, many times in the building process, and got great help and support whenever I got stuck.

What will I write about?

There are endless options with building an informational site like the one I built. From abdominal exercises to zebra upholstery tips, and everything in between!

Basically, you will brainstorm about all of the different areas that you’d feel comfortable writing about…it can really be anything.  You can build a successful website around any concept or focus, so long as there is enough ‘traffic’ looking for information on that topic.  And SBI gives you amazing tools to brainstorm and find which key words have high traffic and low supply…which is exactly what you are looking for.

Your site concept doesn’t have to scream ‘high dollar’. In fact, my site often uses keywords that contain the word ‘free’, since I know that I love to find free things on the internet.  Want to take a sneak peak at my SBI site?

During the brainstorming period, I was looking for the ‘golden nugget’ site concept.  That is a concept that I enjoyed, and felt that I can write a good bit on, but that also has a good number of ‘traffic’ searches daily , and not a huge ‘supply’ of quality sites offered.  Then, I learned how to lay out a plan and find supporting keyword phrases that support the main idea of my site.  So I was able to start out with a sort of ‘map’ of how to plan and build my site.

How long did it take to build your website?

True confession: I am not a great time manager, and I spent WAY too much time on design and layout…since I’m artsy…but it’s TOTALLY not necessary to be a scatterbrained artist when building a successful website. In fact, it’s probably better for you if you’re NOT like me.

So, the first 6-9 months, I spent a LOT of time reading, planning, studying, and basically learning the ropes of the hows and whys of how a site works.  Then it was time to start building.  I tend to work in spurts and fits, and then let it sit for a wile.  By the end of 18 months, I had the site pretty much finished, and was earning money from the ads.

It was a slower start with the income, but it built on itself, with no effort on my part, and has sustained growth with very little time invested since then.

Right now, my free time is seriously limited, and I’m really enjoying blogging.  As my kids get older, and I have more free time, I hope to build several more SBI sites, which should bring in a nice income.  But for now, I’m just really enjoying the ability to help bring in a little extra every month, with no time invested.  I just get a check in the mailbox every month.

SBI is not a short term solution to a financial crisis, but it’s a GREAT long term solution to stretching a budget!  It’s not a fast process, but it’s simple enough that I believe most people would be able to follow along with no problem, and create a site that allows them to make money from home just like I am.

If you’d like to know more about SBI, just click below.

Full Disclosure- SBI offers a $75 bonus to me for any friend who signs up through my link.  While I don’t love the idea of this type of marketing, I already tell my friends about SBI, because it works for me, and I think it’s a great company and a very affordable and practical way to get a usable online education.

If you have any questions, I’m more than happy to answer them.