8 replies to this topic

[ruben]

How To Make People donate for your free website/your product

I asked myself this question, because I have a product now, that I spent a lot of time on and I think that it might be time to ask for a little financial thank you

So I browsed the internet on the hunt for ways, that people use to make inviduals donate money or items...
Here's what I found, please expand the list!

The well-known PayPal-Button
I suppose this is the easiest and most popular way: One places a little button or link in a prominent position on the website or pops up a window in the app every once in a while, which asks you to donate a few bucks.
Alternatives are: publishing the bank account number, other services, etc. The idea stays the same.

The Amazon Wish List
You put a link to a wish list on amazon.com online, so that the people that donate you money, know what they give you money for.
advantage:people understand what you need money for. Nice books etc. and not world domination :-)
disadvantage:only fixed amounts of money. you don't get the (i think) usual amounts of money like 5 bucks, because books and other amazon-stuff is normally more expensive

Selling Merchandise
There are ready-made solutions on the internet, like t-shirt shops etc.
nicest thing ever is, if you have a sweet mascot and can produce it cheaply but uniquely.
good example Haekelschwein.de
advantage:people actually get something for their money -> more will do it
disadvantage:you need a cool logo, a product with a good attitude and the they give/you get factor is probably about 4-10.

Make people buy stuff using links on your website
I don't actually know a good serious service, that does this, but I didn't do much research. Google has it for the Adsense-recommendation program, I think Amazon and eBay have it too, but I didn't find it directly.
It works this way: people buy something, that they want anyway by clicking on a link on your website and you get your share.
advantage:people want the stuff anyway
disadvantage:probably not very effective

So that's what I can come up with for now. Please enlarge the list with me and tell me what you think works best!

[spacewaste]

Good tutorial on making money, I however don't really know if I should approve this or not.

Onto the topic at hand though, personaly I think a combination of the well know "donation button ", Amazon, and Selling things would be your, or any single serving internet user. My reasoning behind this? Well, all those things are managed by yourself, so you can work at your own pace, quit the program when you want to, and not have to make deadlines if you don't have the time (though you'd lose buisness that way...). However, when you're selling things for another company, you're dependant on how well they fair, on your cut, and on how much you're willing to advertise their products...Which leads to people losing interrest in what's really important..YOU, well, your website more specifically.

Just my two cents though, and I'll approve this anyways...
Another mod may close this if they choose.

Cheers .

[miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG]

Another way to make money - write you own mega-selling software That way you just sit back and enjoy of the satisfaction of earning as well as selling something that you CREATED, that you can call your own invention ... This I find a lot of attractive as an option.

[ruben]

So, why should this not be approved? Just wondering..
I agree with you on the product advertising, I haven't seen any good services yet and you are dependent. I think today, Google Adsense launched a button, making users to download Firefox with Google Toolbar. Every leaded download 1$. That sure IS nice.

m^e... sure, if you have the idea for a product you can sell. I don't (or at least not the resources to construct beer-firewagon driven by beautiful, horny women, always ready if a party runs out of beer).

[miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG]

m^e... sure, if you have the idea for a product you can sell. I don't (or at least not the resources to construct beer-firewagon driven by beautiful, horny women, always ready if a party runs out of beer).

Why dont u give that a try man - that's a damned good idea.. for real Joking apart, you could mint a handsome lot of $$$ with that kinda hot stuff I'd call in such a beer-wagon everytime I threw a party ..

[ruben]

Damn, now I published my idea!
Yeah, I dream about this.. One day, when I'm old and rich, I make this dream come true.. Imagine... good looking female firefighters, who drive to your apartment with a ladder. No sirene but nice music, so you hear them coming and open your window, when they "extinguish" your thirst with the giant beer cannon.. *drool&dream*

[YudzzY]

the paypal donation button is cool, but the point is how to make people donate, or rather how to convince them to donate?

what makes people get the feel to donate?
something that pleases them on the site, like a service? a free service? what kind of service usually get them to it?

one thing i know is, i am at a forum where they share music, not really illegal, and i know lots of people donate, and quite a few bucks, to keep the server running, and the donations are more than enough for just the server! hots off to the owner of that site!

i dont have much resources, but i want to know a few tricks to get them to donate! a popup stating why they should donate? or something?

[ruben]

Well, I think, you should always give a separate page to the donation request. That makes it more personal than just putting up a button.
On my page (where I provide a free service, see signature) I already begin with annoying them with my sympathy-requests on the front page (free service, student, developing on his own, no revenue) and as soon as I've made up a plan on what to use, I will make a page, explaining why etc.
It's personal engineering dude, you should learn how that works. This way you can get yourself a free pizza :-I
I'm not going to give away any more ideas, they are worth gold.

[Jguy101]

I voted "Combination (doesn't bring profit)." I have ads on my blog, but last I checked, I had one $0.02 click. I've tried applying for a publisher account with SearchCactus, but I wasn't approved.

Anyway, I've been considering getting my own CafePress shop, so I could sell T-shirts, mousepads and the like with pretty much any image I can create printed on them...that may make me some cash.

I also have a Froogle wishlist, which is linked to from my Blogger profile.

I did want to apply for an affiliate program with a company that makes four-wheeled bicycles that I'm interested in, but you have to be 18....bleh.

So, anyone know of some good money-making programs you don't have to be 18 for?

BTW, I may use the suggestion for a donation button.