Blog Income Report – April 2016

Welcome to April’s blog income and traffic report for Smart Money, Simple Life.

Sharing this information still feels a little odd but I know the value I get from reading others’ blog income and traffic reports so I’m hoping my monthly report can, in turn, help others who are just starting out or maybe just started taking their blog from hobby to business.

You can find my previous income and traffic reports here:

I firmly believe in the importance of creating income streams that are not tied to your traditional job. Whether you choose to start a blog, try your hand at freelancing or maybe open your own Etsy store, taking an active role in supporting yourself and your family is more empowering than you’ll ever believe.

Too many of us walk into work on Monday morning to discover we’ve been downsized. Don’t leave your livelihood in the hands of accountants whose only interest is maintaining a healthy bottom line. Start a side hustle now.

I hope sharing my income and traffic report provides some inspiration for those of you aspiring to create an additional income stream either via a blog you write now, or one you plan to publish in the future.

So, here it is, my April blog income and traffic report.

April blog traffic and income report why blogging is a great way to make money online Pin

Blog Income Report – April 2016

Firstly, a little background on life in April.

It was challenging.

April got off to a wonderful start and traffic was better than it’s been in a while and then my ex-husband (my daughter’s dad) lost his battle with Melanoma on the 11th. After that, things got a little chaotic.

Not surprisingly, my time and energy were required elsewhere and I could only spend the minimum amount of time required to keep things ticking over on the blog.

This situation forced me to think about a few things, not least of which was some emergency planning of my own but also that it’s time to start looking at automating a few things, like social media.

The other challenge this month? My template broke. There’s been no time to even begin to discover what the problem is yet so if you’re wondering where some of the images have gone… that’s it.

Now, onto the good stuff…

Traffic – 88726 Page Views (+4119)

Despite the challenges of April, traffic had a nice little jump. Pinterest is still proving challenging and I hope to be able to put some time and effort into figuring it out in May.

Organic search continues to increase and nearly doubled again in April. I’m very happy to see the continuing improvements in organic search. It still has a long way to go, I’d like to see it account for at least 25% of traffic before the year is out, so I have a lot of work still to do.

Most popular post for April: When Money Is Tight – Tips for Living on Next to Nothing

Income

Google Adsense revenue took a hit in April. No idea why, but this dip clearly shows why it’s risky relying on only one avenue of income for your blog (or anywhere else). Interestingly, April was a real rollercoaster ride for daily Adsense income. The lowest daily income for the month was $5.77 and the highest $41.45. I’m not even attempting to figure out what was going on there!

In February, I became an affiliate for Bluehost. Bluehost hosts my own blog and I’ve always been very happy with their service, so I’m happy to recommend their services to my readers. (You can find out how to get a special deal on hosting your blog and your free domain name here).

The other company for whom I’m an active affiliate is BookDepository. It is my absolute favorite place to buy books. Great prices plus free shipping to just about anywhere in the world. I’ve been a dedicated fan for many years and have made many (probably TOO many) purchases through them. Their service is always five star.

April was the month I intended to really explore the potential of affiliate income, no prizes for guessing where that priority ended up!

Unlike a lot of other blog income reports, I don’t include any freelance or business income. I prefer to focus on revenue generated by the blog itself, because my ultimate goal is to build a platform that enables me to earn semi-passive (and some passive if I can manage it) income.

April Income

  • Google Adsense – $455.01
  • Affiliate Income (Bluehost) – US$75
  • Affiliate Income (BookDepository) – £3.43
    • This will be converted to AU$ when it’s paid out. The BookDepository affiliate payments are made once you reach a minimum of £25. My total accrued so far is Â£21.01.

Plans for May

I have my fingers (and toes) crossed that there’ll be no more nasty surprises in May and I can dedicate a decent chunk of time and energy to building Smart Money, Simple Life.

So, in May I plan to:

  • Increase (and diversify) affiliate revenue
  • Increase page views
  • Finish writing my first eBook
  • Keep working on expanding Smart Money, Simple Life‘s social media presence:
  • Finalise plans for my next big blogging project.

The Business of Blogging

If you’ve ever considered starting a blog either as a business or just a hobby… Do it. Don’t delay. Jump right in.

You never know what will happen.

When I started this blog, I knew I loved to write. I was also fairly confident I had information and experience to share that could help others. And, I knew, beyond a doubt, I wanted a way to make a living that I could control. Blogging seemed like the perfect solution. It still does. If you feel the same way I do, you’ve got very little to lose from starting your own blog and an awful lot to gain.

If you have any questions you’d like to ask me, leave them in the comments. I will do my best to answer them all.

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Note: This post contains affiliate links.