Here are some reasons:

• No coding needed! You can get your blog up and running without typing ANY code!
• Don’t worry about hosting… blogspot hosts it for you… for FREE.
• Don’t worry about registering a domain… yet. You can start with your blog set up with a domani name like myBlogName.blogspot.com. This is also free!
• Easy Adsense integration. Since Blogspot is also owned by Google, integrating Adsense with your blog is about as easy as it gets. Keep in mind to only apply to adsense when the time is right. See my article on when to apply to Google Adsense for some tips.

Once you get one blog set up at BlogSpot, it is very easy to set up more if you change your mind about the topic you chose. If any readers have good experiences with other services while starting their first blog, post in the comments!

Yeah, its kind of cheesy, but it really does make a lasting impression on visitors to your blog. If they can associate a face with who is offering the advice, they are MUCH more willing to come back to your blog. And that is what you want it the long run…. returning visitors.

Here’s how to do it:
Just take or find a “head and shoulders” pic of yourself and upload it to your server.
Next, simply link to it from your “about the author” section. This is usually one of the first sections on the sidebar.

This action, that takes no more than a few minutes, will help build trust and personality into your blog.

If you have little content on your site, it will be rejected. A good rule is to have about 20 pages of good content before applying. Also try to get some incoming links and some visitors participating on your site before applying.

If your site is poorly designed, or doesn’t look professional, you will be rejected. Spend a few hours to modify a Wordpress theme a little bit to make it your own.

Age may be a factor as well. I would suggest letting the site age a bit before applying. I typically let my sites build popularity for a few months before placing ads on them. Think of it this way: even if you got accepted on the first day your site was launched, you probably don’t have too many visitors. In fact, you’ll probably make all of 5 dollars during your first 3 months. Is it worth the 5 dollars to wait and do it right? Of course it is!

Also be sure to remove any other type of advertising you are doing on the site before applying for Adsense. You are not allowed to have contextual advertising side-by-side with Google Adsense. You can add your non-contextual-based ads back in after you’ve been approved if you’d like.

Finally, know that after you get approved for one site with Adsense, you can place your ads on any sites. So if you are working with multiple sites, just choose the best, most mature and professional-looking site you have to submit.

The biggest key to success in running a profitable blog is being able to supply content, and keep it coming! When deciding on a subject for a new blog, you need to ask yourself a few questions:

1. Do I have a genuine interest in the subject? Even though you might just want to blog for the money, you will still need to choose something you have a daily interest in. What do I mean by daily interest? Your subject should be something that you currently think about or deal with at least once a day. If you have no interest in the subject, you WILL get bored in a hurry. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way several times.
2. Could I be considered a subject-matter expert? Do friends or family ask your advice about any particular subject? Are you recognized as being THE expert about anything at work? If so, consider blogging about them. Spending hours researching your subject won’t be fun if you need to do it every time you try to write a post.
3. If I had all day to type, could I generate at least 30 posts about the subject right now? Being able to write 30 articles right off the bat, with little or no extra research is a good indication that you’re a subject matter expert (see above).
4. Will this subject be worth anything for advertisers? Sure, blogging about your pet cat might be fun, but remember that your revenue is from the advertisers! Check out the Google Adwords Keyword Tool to check the value of certain key words (subjects). The higher the Estimated CPC (Cost per click), the more money you will make with that keyword combination. This tool also gives me related keyword ideas that might be worth more.
5. Will this subject attract visitors? Last, but not least, you need visitors. Sure, blogging about some ancient dialect of some extinct language that you did your college research paper on might be easy for you, but ask yourself how many visitors will actually be searching for this?

If you are able to pass these five tests, you’re in good shape! Start thinking of a good domain name to register!

This site is an attempt to organize and relay my knowledge of revenue-generating websites (mostly blogs right now) and ideas.

A little background about myself: My name is Dave, I am 27 years old, and a software developer in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I rent a house. I currently spend about 1 or 2 hours a month working on revenue-generating side projects (this site, for example).

I enjoy cheap wine, music, and of course, making money on the internet.

My technical skills include some different programming languages: PHP, Java, Perl, some database expertise, a strong knowledge of Linux, and a solid grasp of what is and what was popular on the internet. This Blog will aim to be an easy read for anyone reading, but don’t be alarmed if you see code snippets once in a while.

Feel free to drop me a line at any time if you have any questions. Enjoy the site!