Do content websites really make money? Do you have to be a business to run a content site?

Question

I would like appox amounts advertisers pay.

Answer 1

My business runs content websites and yes we do make a lot of money from it.

We have a diversified source of advertising income whereby we use:

- Sell our own ads (banner ads, text links, newsletter advertising, and other page sponsorships)
- Contextual advertising programs esp, Google Adsense and to a lesser extent Yahoo Publishing Network
- Banner ad networks such as Valueclick, Burst Media, etc
- Affiliate programs such as Commission Junction

Each of the above mechanisms pay differently. For our own ads, we sell banner spots for $5 per CPM.

Google Adsense offers various ways to earn -- mostly pay per click, with some pay per impression. We're also testing cost per action programs with them as well as video sponsorship so that also adds to our income. Adsense alone brings us 5-digits a month in terms of revenues.

It pays to be a business as it helps give confidence to your advertisers that you are a professional business. More importantly, as a business you can deduct a lot of your expenses from your taxes such as marketing, web hosting, content writing if you hire outside writers and other business expenses

Answer 2

Yes content sites money and no you don't have to be a "business" per say however you will get 1099's that you will have to file as income on your tax return.