Forum Moderators: martinibuster
I know passion about the topic is key, but what about branching out and going after content topics that are in demand (more $$), would you pros (and semi pros : ) ) advise against picking a topic and becoming a self made expert on it (hanging out at Barnes & Noble all day..haha) AND then putting together site(s)?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Al
I know others who do write on subjects they have no personal interest in, and they do quite/very well out of it. For me though, the boredom factor would kick in pretty quickly and I wouldn't want to do it anymore.
That's not a very helpful answer, is it? ;) I guess what I'm saying is that if you've got the discipline and attitude to apply yourself to topics you don't personally like, then go for it. Not everyone can though.
Let me rephrase it this way - instead of finding new topics, how about finding NEW passions?
but how to do it? that is the question
Another time, I developed a site on something that kind of interested me on a personal level and would be a high paying topic but I lost interest after a few months, especially since the competition was so high, I never got much traffic.
So who knows what will happen. You can always end up making some money on a low paying topic that is popular because you have done a great job, but it's real hard to make money on a high paying topic with little to no traffic, especially if the topic leaves you cold. Just don't be afraid a discovering new interests, although I doubt "mortgages" and "lawyers in los angeles" would be one.
Are you developing websites for yourself as a hobby or a business? The two require completely different mindsets.
Definitely business. Different mindsets?
Please explain.
Thanks
Al
I totally hear what you're saying. It seems like I can write about topic and then all of a sudden it's like I get bored of it or I'm out of stuff to write (which is probably because of the former)..haha.
I doubt they get goosebumps when asked to do a story on the "The effects of global warming on the migratory habits of the red-breasted warbler" but they do it anyway, and by golly it's pretty good reading when they're done!
I don't think I could write well enough about a topic I wasn't personally interested in, no matter what the $$ value of the subject.
I think a bigger problem is keeping one's nose to the grindstone if the topic is uninteresting. Starting a Web site is easy; building it up and out is the hard part.
Definitely business. Different mindsets?Please explain.
I guess I shouldn't have assumed the distinction was clear.
Hobby: Lets say that from the first time you saw a replay of the Ed Sullivan show where Elvis sang "You Ain't Nothing but a Hound Dog" to a basset hound, you've been absolutely obsessed with Elvis and basset hounds. You've done an Elvis site and a basset site without any regard for the revenue generating potential these sites might have. Your passion shows, and, by golly, you make a little money and you derive tremendous satisfaction. Revenue, is limited because there's enormous competition in the case of Elvis, and relatively few people are as excited about bassets as you.
Business: You decide you want to treat website development as purely a business. You do market research and find that there is a really good unexploited niche for lingerie for anorexics (bless their hearts). You could care less about lingerie or anorexics, but the business opportunity is clear, and you know that, with all the skills you've developed in SEO and web layout and design from the Elvis and basset experience, you are convinced that you can become dominant in this unexploited market and possibly do some good for anorexics. Here, your passion is transferred to the process of dominating a market, whatever it may be. Once you've established your site in that niche, you move on to another one. And so on.
Obviously two different mindsets.
It says "I BEAT ANOREXIA" and it made me laugh!
I think you're going in the right direction - finding new passions.
I really think there's a kind of sub-genre out there that are 'learn with me' sites, and I love them.
There's one out there that I visit regularly about a normal guy trying to make a movie. Starting out he has no idea what he was doing. He actually bought about $2000 dollars worth of equipment until he found out that he could've rented it for $25. It's entertaining, and I'm learning something without having to put myself through the experience.
He also serves adsense on his site, and they seem pretty targeted. Typically, for lighting equipment, equipment rentals, talent bookings...etc.
Best of luck
Excellent post, Go60Guy. It's strictly business.
So are a lot of jobs, but I wouldn't want to be stuck in most of them.
Another great thing is that I have grown enough to where my site actually gets OTHERS excited with my topic. So I am actually helping to expand the mushing sports community, which in turn helps to get my site more hits!
From my perspective, and some of the others on here, I would get REALLY bored if I just sat there and made a site on something that I wasn't interested in. Another plus is that my hobby is making a little money!
But I guess there are different people out there, and if you are making money, then I guess that is sometimes fun too! LOL
Cheerful Trails,
Christian
In the past I've looked at creating websites with a business
mindset and with little or no passion for the topic. But it
just didn't feel "right" and would drop the idea.
Thanks for clarifying!
There's one out there that I visit regularly about a normal guy trying to make a movie. Starting out he has no idea what he was doing. He actually bought about $2000 dollars worth of equipment until he found out that he could've rented it for $25. It's entertaining, and I'm learning something without having to put myself through the experience.
I tell people around me to do this sort of thing all the time. One of my partners is trying to figure out how to build a particular recreational/sporting widget for himself, because it's crazy expensive to buy one retail. He's been combing the web trying to find sites and blogs and forum posts for people who have done the same thing - trying to save himself some pitfalls - and found a few places but overall much interest and little real information. He's going ahead with it, regardless of the lack of information available, and I told him to keep a journal/blog about the work he does on it and take pictures once he gets started building, because if people are really looking for this information, and he has it, it could be an AdSense opportunity.
I have a bunch of such rich info sites and they have been paying me back handsomely since before adsense existed and with adsense from 2003. And ecpm rises continually over that time as does natural traffic.
IMO, it's been proven conclusively that the business model approach will yield increasing revenues over time. You can't just sit with your "rich info" sites, however. You really have to do SEO - links, links, links! Whether it's a business or a hobby, you have to do the WORK.
You can't just sit with your "rich info" sites, however. You really have to do SEO - links, links, links!
Or, better yet, "content, content, content!", and the links will come naturally. At least, that's been my experience with information sites.
Or, better yet, "content, content, content!", and the links will come naturally. At least, that's been my experience with information sites.
Where the site is long established, has trust rank and can do no wrong in Google's eyes, I will agree with you. However, for a newly launched site, killer content alone almost never will bring the links naturally. Again, you have to do the work in my experience.
No you dont.
My sites (about 15 hobby info sites) have the kind of info you cannot find anywhere else - web or book.
I posted most of them before google even existed and for the fun of sharing information in the spirit of the internet. I have not modified or updated them or done any work since. Most are on free webspace and have no domain name. ECPM continues to rise since adsense was added 2003 until today. And so does traffic and natural links. And income has been 3 to 4k and climbing since 2003.
Content works. But lots of "words" no matter how well you reasearch something are not content. It has to be good enough and/or unique enough to get people to go "wow" and naturally want to tell others. Once you do that your work is done here! ((c) some film...)
Added (edit reason)
>>> Where the site is long established, has trust rank and can do no wrong in Google's eyes, I will agree with you. However, for a newly launched site, killer content alone almost never will bring the links naturally. Again, you have to do the work in my experience.
I uploaded a new site (the first work I have actually done in many years because I actually had something important to say) to its own host with a brand new domain 3 months ago. Then it had 2 pages. Now it has 6 pages abeit very long detailed ones. Already it has a multitude of inbound links from forums and the odd home page. And a couple from my other sites. It has no visible page rank but is starting to get google traffic of about 30 to 40 per day and is earning a few dollars a day. And it is getting better every week. There are about another 20 pages to write for that site but I need to go take some photos before I can finish it. But its working already if very slowly.
[edited by: Genuine1 at 6:59 pm (utc) on July 22, 2007]
income has been 3 to 4k and climbing
Please clarify: 3 to 4k during what time frame? Yearly? Daily?
>>>I love hearing stories where people haven't had to work to build a revenue stream.
I did work! But for fun building the original sites many years ago. Since 85 ish. A lifetime of REAL experience onto html.
>>>However, I'm waiting patiently for that day. In the meantime, I'm going to work.
Work is where you will get that lifetime of useful stuff depending on what you actually do.
[edited by: Genuine1 at 11:53 pm (utc) on July 22, 2007]
[edited by: martinibuster at 1:31 am (utc) on July 23, 2007]
[edit reason] TOS# 4 & 19. [/edit]
