How I Made Money with Free CSS Templates

How to make money ... so many people want to make big money from the Internet. This slogan is everywhere now. But is it possible? and if so, is it easy?

A few years ago, I was involved in a CMS developement  and I wanted to create new free web templates for those using this CMS. Then I started a new website dedicated to free css templates that was ported to the CMS.

My first intention was not to make money. All the templates I was doing was totally free and available for download on my website.

Google Adsense

Since my css templates began to be known, many have started writing blog posts about my website and free web templates. The traffic to my site began to grow rapidly! Then I realized I could make money with this website at least be able to afford the hosting and I decided to put Google ads on this site. One month later, when the traffic was always growing, I was amazed by the total amount at the end of the month only with those ads: €535.27 so about $706 that month! See the next screenshot:

It was time to start a blog on this site and how good idea it was! The traffic continued to increase while I was writing articles related to web design on daily basis .  One year later, 90% of the traffic to my site came from Google. If you want more traffic to your site, a blog is an essential and powerfull thing!

Next I decided to join an affiliate program. A such program, run by a third party or a company themselves, allows you to help advertise that company's products or services. They will provide links, banners and more tools that you can use on your website or blog. In exchange, the company pays the affiliate a percentage of each sale.

So I joined the affiliate program of TemplateMonster. This affiliate program enables you to earn 20% commissions of all purchases you made via your affiliate link or their template shop based on their affiliate scripts lifetime. What I used, is the template shop in an html iFrame.

Once again I was surprised of the result, about $415 as montly average sales, see the screenshot bellow:

While this was already impressive, I was directly contacted by some wanting to advertise on my website. As the pagerank of my site had risen to six (PR6), I added four 125x125 advertisement placements that was available for $800/month each!

It was unbelievable, the money came to me only because I had a website with free website templates!

Here are the steps that helped me to achieve this result:

1. I was involved
2. I created FREE templates for a communauty

3. My work has been recognized by many

4. I added Google ads to my site
5. I added a blog to my site
6. My website has been bookmarked many times on delicious.com and other social bookmarking sites
7. My website was on the first page of delicious, and at the first position during one day: my traffic has grown dramatically!
8. I joined the affiliate program of TemplateMonster
9. I added four 125x125 ad placements to my site

I repeat, my first intention was not to make money...but money came to me!

So yes it is possible to make money on the internet. This experience taught me a lot and I hope it will encourage some of you. The important thing was not SEO, but to provide something worthwhile for a community, the rest came by itself. I think it's a great lesson!

The end of the story: after some important changes in my life, I sold my website...I will not say at what price! :)