The most common question I get asked as a content creator is, “How can I have a website like yours?”
I’m here to tell you the secret.
Creating a website these days is easy, especially with WordPress. Where most people get it wrong is with hosting.
Your website host is where all your website files are stored. Think of the text you write, the images and videos you upload… all get stored here. If your website is on a slow server, it will load slowly.
It’s fast and with 99.9% uptime. Their customer service is really helpful, especially if you are not so good at handling the technical side of things.
What’s more? Now is the best time to hop in. Cloudways is giving you a 40% discount on your first 4 months on any hosting plan you choose, if you register before the 1st of December, 2023.
If you are on another hosting platform, you also get up to 40 free web migrations.
Click this link to sign up and use the promo code BFCM4040 to enjoy the Cloudways Black Friday deal.
Another reason you should choose Cloudways
After you start content creation, you will likely monetize it with display ads.
Ads slow down a website, but not when you have a fast host.
That’s why I host my website with Cloudways. It’s so powerful that banner ads load almost instantaneously, and video ads load seamlessly.
That means a better user experience and more revenue. What are you waiting for? Go with Cloudways, you won’t regret it—my word.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to quick-start your content creation journey.
Let’s be honest— as a beginner, you may not have a lot of money to spend on your online business. Because it’s probably the hard times that pushed you to try content creation. You know, a job loss or staying a long time without one. Rarely will you start this journey when you have plenty of money to splash around.
But why wait till you are financially strained to start an online business?
I know we would all want to pay for the best tools in the market and blast our way to success, but that’s not always possible.
That’s why the tools I’ll recommend to you today are free or they’ll cost you very little.
Please note, this post contains affiliate links. That means that I may earn a small commission if you sign up using my link.
Let’s dive in.
Before you start content creation
Content creation is a brilliant way to leverage your skills and knowledge to earn residual income, even while you sleep.
Content creation won’t make you rich overnight — just like any other legitimate business. It takes a lot of dedication to achieve even minimal success.
You’ll have to put in the work and have lots of patience. You may not even earn a dime in your first year. If you’re lazy, don’t even waste your time — find somethingelse to do.
But if you are reading this, it demonstrates your commitment to making it work, and I am excited to assist you in getting started.
If you sign up using my link and get stuck somewhere, WhatsApp me.
The first step in your content creation journey is to register your domain name. And the best service provider for that is:
Namecheap
What do you want to call your website? For example, I called mine Jibubora. So I registered it as jibubora.com/. That’s my domain name. The .com is a top-level domain. Other examples include .net, .biz, .co, .ai, etc.
I’d advise you to go with .com because of its worldwide appeal.
Spoilers! That name you are thinking of could already be taken! People have been registering domain names since 1985. What makes you think someone else hasn’t thought of the name you’re thinking of?
And if they registered before you, even a second earlier, there is nothing you can do. You’ll have to choose another one. So be prepared for headaches in this first crucial part. It’s crazy, as you’ll soon find out.
The best part is you can always check if the name you have in mind is taken, or if it’s open for you to register.
Namecheap even tells you when it was registered, if it’s already registered.
If it’s available, go right ahead and register it before someone else does.
After registering your website name, the next step is to host your website. A website host is the place where the contents of your website are stored. Think of the text you write, images you upload, videos… all will be stored here.
One of the biggest advantages of Cloudways is that you’ll be given your own server, compared to most other hosting companies where you share a server with other website owners.
You’ll also get 2 months of hosting FREE if you use my link to sign up.
Before you sign up
You might need help with website hosting setup, especially if you’re better at being creative than technical.
If you feel you need a helping hand, WhatsApp me for guidance before you sign up.
A website hosted on Cloudways has almost zero downtime, and their customer service is fast and helpful in case you need some help with something you don’t understand.
The cheapest plan which runs on a DigitalOcean server will cost you $11 a month.
For the quality services you’ll get with Cloudways, $11 a month is the best deal you’ll ever get.
Again, put in the work to ensure your website generates a revenue of more than $11 a month so that it technically pays its own bills. I’ll show you ways to monetize your site later on.
Questions. Feedback. Suggestions. You can’t ignore these if you are to build a successful online business.
As a content creator, you always wonder if your content is having the impact you intended. And you may never know until your target audience tells you.
It’s usually very fulfilling when someone contacts you to tell you that your content helped them solve a problem they had.
You might think, “But they can use the email or fill out the form on my contact page!” Guess what? Present-day users find that to be too much work. They want an answer, and they want it now.
That’s where a live chat comes in handy. We’ve seen them floating at the bottom right corner of the screen saying “Chat” or “Ask me anything. I’m online.” That’s what users prefer these days.
Expect more interactions from your readers this way. This will help you improve your content and motivate you to continue doing whatever you are doing.
After researching for a long time on hundreds of live chat options available, I settled on Chatra.
Before you sign up
The first benefit is that it’s free for one website. That’s important, because most live chat softwares charge per month, and you may not have money to pay for it.
Chatra offers you a week in the premium plan where you can use all the features. After that, they downgrade you to the free plan if you don’t pay.
There are limited features in the free plan. For example, you won’t see media attachments that users send you via the chat. You can ask them to send via other means, but then the purpose of the live chat is defeated.
Another thing to note is the delay in new chat alerts. Users expect you to respond immediately. But what if you don’t get the alert immediately? I found out that when someone messages you when you are logged into your account, whether on a desktop or via a mobile app, the message deliverability is instant.
Of course, you can’t be in front of your desktop all day, and that’s why the mobile app is convenient while on the go. But I also found out notifications on the phone didn’t come on time, even when my data connection was on.
You would expect the notifications to push through like the ones for WhatsApp or Telegram, but that doesn’t happen all the time with Chatra.
You can set up an automated response that will prompt users to leave a message so that you’ll get back later, but some end up getting frustrated at the long wait time and leave, probably never to come back.
Before you delete
How to solve Chatra app delayed notifications
This is how to solve Chatra app delayed notifications because this is the main reason that would make you want to delete the app.
Normally, Android will close applications running in the background to save power— until you open them again.
Solution: Try to make some settings modifications for the mobile app.
Mobile devices are different so look for the equivalent of the following settings. The device below is an Infinix Note 4.
Press the bottom left part of the phone to activate recently opened applications. Tap the padlock to lock Chatra in the activity tab. Make sure it’s locked.
Go to Settings > Data Usage > Data Saver >Unrestricted Data Access and check Chatra On. This allows the app to use unrestricted data when Data Saver is on.
• Make sure your internet connection is stable. Your network should either be 4G or 5G.
• Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Optimizations and set Chatra to Not Optimized, so that Android doesn’t close it to save power.
Speaking of Android, someone told me that iOS doesn’t close applications automatically to save power as Android does, but since I do not own an iPhone, I wasn’t able to test that out.
And, from my research, it seems the delay in notifications also happens in other live chat software in the market, not just Chatra.
Mailerlite offers superb services when you want to communicate with your email subscribers.
Confession: I had not realized the importance of collecting emails from website visitors until recently. Probably, you too don’t see the need yet.
But I’ll tell you— the people in your email list are the only true audience you have. Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok followers are great, but you don’t own the companies, so you can’t control them. They can even close your account, no matter the number of followers you have, and you’ll do nothing.
What’s worse? These days, when you post something on your social media page, that post will not be shown to all of your followers. It’s shown to just a fraction of them.
So for these companies, it’s always about them, not you. It’s about their profits, not yours. And what makes you think Facebook, X, or Instagram will still be popular 10 years from now?
But you know what, a person will retain their email address, probablyfor a lifetime. For instance, I bet you’ve had an email address for over 10 years, and you’ll continue to use it in the future.
So with the email addresses of your readers, you have direct contact with them for life.
I’ll repeat this: Your email list is the only true audience you have.
Before you sign up
Mailerlite is free for the first 1,000 subscribers, where you can send up to 12,000 emails every month, for free. That’s perfect because you can learn how to send emails to your subscribers without the worry of paying anything.
You’ll need to confirm that you own your website, and domain email (yourname@yourdomain.com) will be one requirement after you sign up. For example, lenny@jibubora.com and not, say, lenny781@gmail.com.
In case your email list grows beyond 1,000, you’ll start paying. But before your list grows to that level, you’ll probably be earning from your online business and can comfortably pay for this.
Before you delete
Unless you feel that Mailerlite is expensive and you’ve found a cheaper option (or one that accommodates more people in the free plan), or you feel they lack certain features for your type of business, I don’t think there would be a reason to delete it. As a beginner, they have all that you need for your small business in the free plan.
After all, you can always shift to another email marketing provider anytime, without losing your email list. But for the start, I’d recommend you go with Mailerlite.
Canva
I’d be lying if I told you that you won’t need to design something in your content creation journey. You’ll need to design photos, infographics, and videos for social media, blog posts, presentations… the list is endless.
I usually edit the images that I take on the field to show directions in my rental house guides.
As a beginner, you may not have the finances to hire a designer. You may also not have the money to pay for expensive design software.
That’s where Canva comes in. It’s free, of course, with a paid plan that unlocks more options. But for the time I’ve used it, I’ve found the free version sufficient for the needs of a beginner.
It’s easy to sign up. It takes a few seconds and you can start your first design immediately. Simple to use, and you’ll get the hang of it within a few days. You can unlock the full power of Canva by signing up for CanvaPro.
Google AdSense
Now the fun part. After all the effort in creating content, you want to earn from it. You’ve invested your time and resources and you want a return on this investment.
Truth be told, as a beginner, there aren’t many options to monetize your content. Because you don’t have many people visiting your website and you have little influence.
Monetization options like writing sponsored content, selling ad space on your website, writing paid reviews, affiliate marketing, becoming a brand ambassador, and public speaking all require some growth that you don’t have at the moment.
Google Adsense changes the whole game.
Almost every beginner will apply for Google Adsense in their content creation journey. Because it’s simple, doesn’t have many requirements, and you can get approved within a week.
Before you sign up
I found so much conflicting information while researching AdSense on the web — it’s crazy! Mostly, it’s about the number of posts you need to have on your website before applying. Most say 20 or 30 blog posts.
I got approved with 5 blog posts.
Google doesn’t mention the number of blog posts you need to have but emphasizes the content must be unique, not copied from another site. How will they know, you may ask? Well, they’ll know. This is GOOGLE, bro.
How to get quick approval of Google AdSense
• Have an about page, a contact page, a privacy policy, terms and conditions, and earnings disclosure.
• Ensure your site works well on mobile devices.
• Navigation of the site should be easy for the user, and it should work. You may include a phone number on your contact page.
• Set up Google Search Console for your site and add a sitemap.
• Verify your identity on the Google Search Console.
That’s all I did, and got approved.
Can Google AdSense approve your application on a weekend? Yes, mine was approved on a Saturday.
Before you delete
I bet your site has really grown for you to consider deleting AdSense. If you have tried other methods of monetizing and they work great, and you feel you don’t want adverts by Google on your site anymore, maybe it’s time to remove them.
Even so, I wouldn’t delete the account if I were you. Things happen, and AdSense would be a safe fallback plan if things don’t work well in your new monetization plan.
Maybe you want an alternative to Google AdSense? Then consider:
Ezoic
Ezoic will help monetize your site by placing advertisements. Not only that, Ezoic will test and determine the best places to place ads on your website, plus help you improve page loading times so you make the most income from those advertisements.
Get this: An ad that doesn’t load is bad for the advertiser (missed opportunity), you (no income), and the user experience (who likes blank spaces while browsing?).
What’s more, you can use both Ezoic and AdSense together on one site. This is possible through a process called mediation. This is where advertisers actively bidto have their adverts on your site, and so you always make more money out of the ad spaces. Cool!
It’s hard to explain everything about Ezoic at a go, and definitely not in this short review. The best way is to sign up and learn on the go. That’s what I did. Once you’re in, Ezoic will guide you on best practices to increase your income.
Before you sign up
How many page views does your website receive per month? Less than 10,000 or over 10,000? You’ll join through one of those categories. At the time I was signing up, I was getting around 2,000 page views in a month, so I clicked on Less Than 10,000 and got accepted into the Access Now Program.
If you are wondering, the Access Now Program is for websites receiving less than 10,000 views in a month. Before then, Ezoic only allowed websites with traffic of over 10,000 visitors per month. It’s easier now more than ever to monetize your small website!
Well, I’ll be honest. There is a sharp learning curve when you integrate your website with Ezoic. It’s not one magic button. But the good thing is it’s fun seeing your income grow from the optimizations you make. I set up my site with no problems. Besides, you’ll be assigned an onboarding support person to help you in case you get stuck.
Before you delete
You wouldn’t want to delete Ezoic! I mean, why would you? Ezoic has helped millions of website owners increase their income since 2010. All those people can’t be wrong.
Again, Ezoic is very clear–set up everything and give it around 3 months to optimize your site and increase your revenue. So be patient.
By following their recommended methods, and consistently adding content, you will definitely see an increase in revenue and have more satisfied visitors.
Have you wondered why you receive too many friend requests on Facebook within a short time? Like 20, 50, 70? Or even 100? Where do these people suddenly come from? And where were they before?
In this post, I’m going to tell you why it happens, and if it bothers you, what you can do about it.
Look: You are not alone. A Google search reveals it’s a common question among Facebook users. The thing is, it would make sense if you have become famous — a celebrity — or you’ve recently been in the news or all over social media.
But here you are, an ordinary citizen, minding your own business, then boom! You receive 150 friend requests. What’s the reason behind this phenomenon?
Can Facebook send friend requests automatically?
Before we proceed, let’s get this out of the way. Could it be that you receive many friend requests because Facebook is sending them to you automatically?
Or put it this way: Does Facebook send friend requests to you by itself?
The answer is no.
You receive a friend request when someone clicks the Add Friend button on your profile.
I don’t know about third-party apps or software, but Facebook does not do this on anybody’s behalf.
Just to be clear, this post is about friend requests from genuine people with genuine mutual friends and not about requests from spam or fake accounts.
So if it’s not Facebook sending them automatically, then what’s behind this sudden avalanche of requests?
And who would be in a better position to explain it than Facebook themselves?
What Facebook says
I had the privilege of accessing the Facebook Help Community before they dropped it in favor of the Help Center, particularly to search for this question. And this is what I realized: other users have asked the same question.
Several times.
Interestingly, the answer provided by Facebook is the same in all instances. They don’t give a direct answer.
They only say that you can limit the number of requests you receive by allowing requests from friends of friends only instead of everyone.
Okay, here’s what friends of friends means. For example, as I write this, I have 1630 friends on Facebook. If you are friends with any of those 1630, you are a friend of my friend and can send me a friend request. Anybody else outside that can’t. You can effect this by changing the Facebook friend request settings. Here’s how:
(This is actually how to disable the friend request button.)
▪ Open Facebook
▪ Go to Settings & Privacy
▪ Click on Settings
▪ If you’re on a mobile phone, scroll down to Audience and Visibility. If you’re on a desktop, click on Privacy
▪ Then click on How People Find and Contact You
▪ Click on Who Can Send You Friend Requests?
▪ Select Your Friends of Friends
Note that disabling the Add Friend button doesn’t mean that absolutely no one can send you a friend request. It means that the button is hidden to those who don’t share a mutual friend with you.
And if they don’t share a mutual friend with you, here’s an example of what they’ll see when they visit your profile.
The Add Friend icon is missing. In its place is the Follow button. Or, depending on your settings, the Message button.
The alternative is to select Everyone, allowing friend requests from anyone on Facebook.
Yes, the friends of friends setting reduces the number of requests that you’ll receive, but our question was why. Why do you receive many requests within a short time?
The interesting thing I noticed
I have had the friends of friends setting turned on for my account for close to 5 years now, but I still receive bouts of requests, even though occasionally. And a pattern has emerged.
I realized that when I accept many friend requests within a short time, maybe within a day or two, I experience an influx of more requests.
It’s like the Facebook algorithm interprets it as: “This person is currently open to making friends. It appears he is open to expanding his network. He wouldn’t mind accepting more.”
Conversely, if I don’t accept friend requests and leave them hanging, even new ones cease to come my way.
It’s like the algorithm now interprets it this way: “It seems he is currently not open to making more friends or he’s not open to expanding his network. It’s unlikely he’ll accept any more requests.”
Here’s the reason it happens
The reason for the increase in friend requests is that Facebook is showcasing your profile to many users through features like People You May Know and Friend Suggestions.
The People You May Know section appears under Find Friends, but will occasionally appear in the News Feed or Notifications.
Friend suggestions will appear under Notifications.
Why do you appear in People You May Know?
Here’s what Facebook says:
You can check the contacts you’ve uploaded to Facebook here. These are the people you’ll be seeing in your People You May Know.
The uploaded contacts (when synced) is the reason you’ll save a contact in your phone, and then later see that person in People You May Know. When you send a friend, they’ll be like, “How did you find me?”
Facebook may also look at other factors to link people, but they’ve buried these in their secret algorithm.
For example, in my account, DjAlekkings and Kathurima Martin appear at the top of the list of people I may know. I immediately recognize Alekkings since he is a former coworker.
Now, the interesting thing is that Alekkings doesn’t know he has appeared on my account. Or in any other person’s account.
If I and all the other people who have that suggestion send a friend request, Alekkings will receive a sudden influx of requests.
You receive a high number of friend requests because Facebook is showing your profile in People You May Know and New Friend Suggestion to a lot of people.
Another reason could be that you are constantly posting content that sparks conversations. Maybe interesting posts or pictures or videos—Facebook loves engaging content, and wouldn’t mind recommending closely related users to join in the conversation. In this case, most of these people will be strangers.
Can I stop people from sending me friend requests?
Okay, you’ve received too many friend requests and you wonder: how can I stop receiving them completely? Even just for a week? (You just need some breathing space.)
Well, the answer is you can’t. If it’s bothering you, you can limit them by changing the friend request setting to friends of friends, but you can’t stop it altogether.
And it’s easy to see why: Facebook was created to help people make connections. Offering an option that stops this process defeats its whole purpose.
Conclusion
The People You May Know section will be responsible for almost all the friend requests you’ll ever receive on Facebook.
Since its introduction in 2008, this smart feature is largely why Facebook ballooned its users from 100 million in 2008 to 3.05 billion in 2024. Yes, it’s that effective at connecting people.
Get this: Facebook always suggests you as a suitable friend in other people’s accounts, even though you may not realize it. You won’t know, of course, because it’s showing in their accounts.
Below is an example of a suggestion I received from Facebook.
If people see your profile on People You May Know or Notifications, and if they can recognize you (maybe you attended the same school or worked together, or you’re from the same hometown); once people see you share the same interests, they’re likely to send that request.
When Facebook suggests you to many people? You get many friend requests. And if my observation is anything to go by, the more you accept, the more that will come your way.
So back to my question: These people sending you friend requests… where were they all along? The answer is they were right there on Facebook, minding their own business. They just didn’t know you were on Facebook, or what name you use.
Today, I’ll show you one document that you can submit as proof of address in the PayPal verification process for a personal account and get through in just a few minutes!
It’s one that I have tried and tested, and it works.
I’ll also show you what to do when PayPal tells you that your document is out of date.
What documents can be used to verify an address?
First, let’s dig a little deeper into why this is a challenge for Kenyans.
For proof of address, PayPal asks for a utility bill, bank or credit card statement, or a government-issued document in your name.
A utility bill means a gas bill, water bill, phone bill, or electricity bill.
The problem
But how many Kenyans receive utility bills in document form?
You’re right— very few. Even the electricity bill sent via Posta (I don’t know if they send them anymore) will probably be in your parents’ name and not yours.
If you have one, well and good. The point is, such bills are not common in Kenya.
What about a credit card statement? Again, not a common thing in Kenya.
Hang on, because we’re going to explore the remaining options in a bit.
For those new to PayPal, here’s what you need to know.
PayPal is an online service that lets you easily send or receive money and pay for online goods and services. It’s useful, especially when the person or company you’re transacting with is abroad.
After you’ve made several transactions in your new account, PayPal will invite you to verify your identity. Proof of address is one step in the verification process.
Other steps include uploading your photo and ID, and verifying your credit card.
PayPal doesn’t say how much money you’ll transact in an account before they ask you to verify your account. It’s only important to know that it will be a requirement down the road.
Why PayPal needs to know your address
Proof of address confirms your residence details. It will prove that you are indeed who you claim to be.
This helps curb online fraud and money laundering and ensures every transaction is legal and traceable to a genuine person. Those who have had an account for a while know PayPal takes security very seriously.
The solution
Now, back to the proof of address problem. The solution for Kenyans actually lies with the remaining two options: Bank statement and government-issued document.
So yes, one simpler option is to visit your bank and request your account statement. Confirm that the personal details match what is on your PayPal account before you submit the document, and voila! It’s that simple.
But what if you’re busy and can’t find time to visit the bank? Or you don’t feel like visiting the bank? (Picture the long queues). Is there an alternative?
Yes, there is.
Enter government-issued document. It’s the simplest option and my recommendation to you.
And the best part? You can do this without leaving the comfort of your house.
If you’ve forgotten your password, click on “forgot password” at the bottom of the screen. You will receive an email with a new password, which you’ll use to log in with.
You’ll then be asked to create a new password. Use the password you’ve created to log in.
Reprint the KRA PIN certificate
Once you’re logged in, click on Registration, then select Reprint PIN Certificate.
For Applicant Type, select Taxpayer, then click Submit.
You will receive an email with the PIN certificate attached as a document. Alternatively, click where it’s written: “Click here to download PIN certificate” to download it directly to your device.
Use that to submit to PayPal as proof of address.
If you decide to use one you had downloaded before, make sure it’s not older than 6 months. Otherwise, it’ll be rejected.
That happened to me. I submitted one that I had downloaded a few years ago. Do you know those documents that you keep in your email as attachments for future job applications? Yes, those.
By the way, a better place to store such documents is on Google Drive.
PayPal says, “The document is out of date.”
I’ve had some people tell me that even after downloading, the date on the KRA PIN shows the day they first applied for it and not the day they downloaded it.
Most times, that date is over 6 months back and is bound to be rejected by PayPal, should you submit it.
So what do you do?
You’ll solve this by amending PIN details.
But what if every detail on your document is correct and nothing needs to be changed?
Then you don’t need to update anything. Just follow the steps below and at the end click Submit.
Here’s how:
Amend PIN details (if necessary)
IMPORTANT: Before you consider amending details on your KRA account, know that some changes require approval from KRA and may take days to get approved.
It’s much easier, therefore, to update the details on your PayPal account to match what is in the KRA account.
But if the details in your KRA account like P.O. Box and Zip code are actually outdated, or you want to solve the date issue, you may update them by clicking Registration, then Amend PIN Details from the pop-up list.
For Mode of Amendment, click on Online Form, then click Next.
It will open to a window like the one below.
Under the Amendment Form tab, tick the PIN and Basic Information boxes. Then click Next.
It’ll take you to the Basic Information tab, which will look like the one below.
Update the details that are outdated. Remember, if there is nothing to be updated, and all looks good, simply click Submit.
Now the date on the document will automatically capture that day’s date and you’ll have solved the out-of-date issue.
You will receive an email from KRA approving your changes, and your PIN document as an attachment.
Or, to download it directly to your device, click where it’s written “Click here to download PIN Certificate.”
Use that to submit to PayPal as your proof of address.
That’s it!
Use those steps to reprint your PIN certificate for any other official use, like when opening or activating a dormant bank account, not just for PayPal proof of address.
Can you skip PayPal verification?
Now, this is important.
Can you ignore the verification process and continue to use your account normally?
No, you can’t.
It’s not an option that you have. Unless you want to give up that account for good.
Listen: Once PayPal invites you to verify your account, please do so promptly.
By then, your account will be temporarily limited, and you can’t send or withdraw money. You’ll be able to receive money, yes, but it will be put on hold and you can’t do anything with it.
Don’t worry, PayPal will lift the restrictions once you complete the verification process successfully.
If you ignore this (and subsequent reminder emails), they’ll now limit your account permanently.
Just ask around — this is one situation you don’t want to find yourself in. Trust me.
