2024 was one of the most challenging years of my online business journey.
Compared to 2023 (which was one of my strongest years ever) 2024 was defined by declining traffic, shrinking ad revenue, and a forced re-evaluation of how my businesses are structured.
That said, it wasn’t a total failure. I learned a lot, stayed afloat, and set myself up for a smarter 2025.
A Quick Look Back at 2023 (for Context)
From my 2023 annual review:
- Total revenue: $196,000
- My travel brand was thriving
- Display ads on blog posts and videos were my primary income source
- Google traffic (to my websites) was stable and strong
- I felt like I had finally “figured things out”
That context matters, because 2024 looked very different.
My Goals for 2024 (Set in Late 2023)
I had three main goals for 2024. All of them were very realistic IMHO, and I was confident that I could accomplish all three:
1. Split My Time Evenly Between My Two Main Brands
I intentionally focused on my two strongest brands instead of spreading myself thin:
- My travel brand
- My design & illustration brand
What actually happened:
- I succeeded at this
- I restarted my illustration brand after pausing it midway through 2023
Result:
- This was one of the few clear wins of 2024
- I felt better creatively and mentally because of it
2. Build a Large Portfolio of Digital Products
I basically wanted to go all-in on digital products.
- I wanted to make them my primary income source
- I wanted to reduce reliance on display ads
- I didn’t have any specific revenue targets. I just wanted momentum.
What actually happened:
- I created some digital products
- Sales existed, but volume was far lower than planned
- Display ads remained as my main income source. Bah!
Result:
- This goal was mostly a failure
- I didn’t put in enough focused effort
- I underestimated how much work it would take to replace ad income
3. Keep Working on Small “Micro Projects”
I wanted to continue working on small, fun projects with no pressure for immediate monetization. My hope was to keep my brain engaged creatively.
What actually happened:
- I continued working on these throughout 2024
- They didn’t earn money, and that was okay
- Some may turn into income-producing projects later
Result:
- These projects helped keep burnout at bay
- They gave me creative momentum during a hard year
The Big Number: 2024 Revenue
- 2023 revenue: $196,000
- 2024 revenue: $109,000
That’s nearly a $100,000 drop, or close to 50% year-over-year.
Why I Don’t Consider This a Total Failure
- I intentionally chose to:
- Work less
- Shift focus
- Experiment more
- Some of the decline was out of my control
- I still earned six figures
- I didn’t lose my house or completely implode
Still, it was scary. Especially in the leanest of months (of which there were a few doozies).
My 3 Main Businesses in 2024 (And How They Were Structured)
Just like how it was in previous years, I regulated 90% of my focus to just three projects:
1. Travel Brand (Primary Business)
Included:
- Blog
- YouTube channel
- Some social media
Monetization:
- Display ads on website and YouTube channel
This was my largest income source in 2024.
2. Design & Illustration Brand
Included:
- Website
- YouTube channel
- eCommerce Store
Monetization:
- Digital products
- Templates
- Graphic files
This brand became my most reliable income source in 2024. Earnings were fairly consistent from month to month.
3. Automotive Brand
Included:
- Blog
- YouTube channel
Monetization
- Display ads on website and YouTube channel
2024 performance:
Basically nothing due to a major Google algorithm update (see below):
The Google Algorithm Disaster
Because most of the traffic to my automotive and travel websites came from Google, I got hit really hard by one of the biggest algorithm updates they’ve had in years. This actually started late 2023, and continued into early 2024:
Automotive Brand (Late 2023)
- Hit hard by a Google update
- Lost ~90% of traffic
- Lost ~90% of income
- I removed display ads entirely
Unexpected upside:
- Website became:
- Cleaner
- Easier to read
- More enjoyable to work on
- Still devastating financially
Travel Brand (Early 2024)
- Initially unaffected
- Around March 2024:
- Traffic began declining steadily
- Week after week, numbers dropped
- No sudden cliff — just relentless erosion
Impact:
- My primary income source collapsed
- Years of work felt like they disappeared
- Emotionally brutal
By summer 2024:
- Income wasn’t covering bills
- I felt lost and unsure what to do next
What Kept Me Going
My design & illustration brand remained a solid and reliable source of income throughout 2024. It wasn’t enough to pay the bills on it’s own, but it was a good feeling knowing that it was a fairly solid business.
- Sales remained strong even without me having to promote anything
- I shifted more focus here
- I experimented with new illustration styles
- Income increased slightly, but not enough
Still:
- This brand proved it was resilient
- Effort directly translated to income
- That feedback loop mattered a lot mentally
The Hard Truth
- I depended too heavily on Google
- I failed to diversify traffic sources
- Disaster was preventible. Most of what happened was my fault.
Google didn’t do anything “wrong”, as they’re a business with their own goals and objectives. This was a painful but necessary lesson.
Final Thoughts on 2024
- Total revenue: $109,000
- Income was wildly inconsistent month to month
- I was in the red for much of the year (first time that happened since the pandemic)
- Stressful, humbling, but survivable
2024 was a reminder that entrepreneurship isn’t linear. It was a down year, but not the end.
Goals for 2025
My focus became much clearer by the end of 2024:
Primary Goals
- Double down on my design & illustration brand since it has provided me with the most stable income over the years. I also see a very clear effort / reward relationship with this brand.
- Create significantly more affiliate content because it is something that has proven long-term value to me. Most of my Existing affiliate content from 2018–2019 still earns income from month to month.
- Work toward rebuilding income closer to 2023 levels (~$200K)
No grand promises. Just smarter priorities!
