Motivation with keeping up with the times!

[Radejr]

I used to own a website based on Socom Glitching and was very popular in its day I would get 8-13k unique people per month depending on the time of year. The problem was I didn't know how to monetize it very well so the income was not great at all maybe $1-2 average per day. Well it wasn't really paying for itself and I started going to college and working 50hrs a week as it was a very high maintence site and kept alot to keep it up to date I eventually let it die because it wasn't hardly paying for itself and my time I put into it.

I feel the side of me that wants to start again and create something get it going, but I lack the design aspect of site design. I can think of many ideas for sites that I would enjoy writing about, but all the effort I put into getting that site #1 on googles search engine. I will be starting all over and the times are changed so much and so many people in the game now. How do you get motivated to keep going?

[netmeg]

I get motivated by bills. Utility bills, credit card statements, grocery bills, medical and dental bills, insurance payments. HUGE motivation for me.

The bottom line here is that if you really need to ask that question, you might want to reconsider if this is what you want to do. You have to be pretty darn self-motivated to even break even at this, let alone be successful. Sure, everyone has moments when they want to chuck it all and go do something else, but if it's a persistent nagging urge, or if you are daunted before you even get started, then you're in the wrong business.

[johnmoose]

For me it works because its a passion I write about. That keeps me going and motivates me to keep writing, updating the site, scanning web server log files, checking stats for trends...

[rajivatre]

@Radejr : most of the people I know on this forum are motivated because they love what they do.
There are few people who just do it so earn some quick bucks. But they may not stay with their site in longer term.
So if you dont love / enjoy the work you wont stay with it rather should not stay with it IMHO.
Now about getting money out of it. This has got plenty of different opinions about how to monetize your site. There are different ways different people will suggest according to the niche and topic of the site.
Dont just rely on adsense, try different things. Site Memberships, Different ad networks, affiliate networks many things. You will know which one works better for you when you try everything.
Just my 2 cents.
Thanks
Rajiv

[sid786]

Setting goals keeps me motivated. What if I could own that car? that hi-tech gadget? or go around the world and stay in those massive 5-star hotels?

Like they say, first comes requirements and then the luxuriousness. Websites earn me enough money and hence, I am now more focused on luxuriousness :)

[explorador]

I feel the side of me that wants to start again and create something get it going, but I lack the design aspect of site design. I can think of many ideas for sites that I would enjoy writing about, but all the effort I put into getting that site #1 on googles search engine...

I love what I do and what I write about and that keeps me motivated, BUT the day has only 24 hours and my official work, sleep and everything else consume most of my time, there you go, there comes a point where the amount of time invested in the projects should pay itself, there is a limit of what one should do for "free" for for few bucks and this depends on your economy, bills, salary, etc.

I have my ups and downs, lately more downs than ups... not so motivated on my projects as I feel building traffic is not as easy as it used to be, too many scrappers and many, too many people requesting homepage link exchanges as if their websites were worth replacing content with their silly urls. Anyway lately I'm happy as I have built something that will be useful in an emergency (selling the sites perhaps) or at least as a great portfolio where I let my creativity play freely and invest time on personal projects that no client would pay for (budget). Also, the income has proven useful many times ;)

I think, sometimes is not just about motivation, but doing a balance of income vs hours of work invested. You can love what you do but it has to justify the effort, limited or defined by your own economical situation. The so called "crisis" made me reorder my priorities, I was investing too much time on toy projects.

[IanCP]

I'll be a party pooper.

Haven't substantially updated a site since 2000

Changed AdSense code a very few times since 2003, upgrade annually some Amazon recommendations for updated books [annual editions].

Log into AdSense each morning.

Accept MIB from AdSense and CJ each month. Kontera goes into my PayPal A/C. Amazon still send cheques which is a pain.

I suppose in Australian terms, I'm a "bludger".

REASON:

Unlike the vast majority, I never got into this to make money, simply to educate a world.

This I have done very successfully, the fruit of which has fallen from the tree, has indeed been most bountiful.

I'm 68, never ever been motivated by money, only challenges.

[sid786]

Unlike the vast majority, I never got into this to make money, simply to educate a world.

Best reply! I guess its time for me to make a shift and focus solely on providing what I know the best.

I'm 68, never ever been motivated by money, only challenges.

You've motivated me, sir!

[IanCP]

Funny how it will likely work for you.

Over the years I've mentored people to do exactly that. "what they know best". Produce good content sites, worry about Amazon/AdSense/whatever later.

It worked for most of them rather than having the idea "how can I make money on the internet"

Obviously e-commerce sites etc. are in a different category.

[HuskyPup]

Haven't substantially updated a site since 2000

Interestingly this past month I have started updating a site I updated in 2000. I'm about halfway through doing it, it's all hand built in CSS with a text editor, and I'm tweaking the nuts off it and already that site's daily average has increased by 50%!

That's one helluva an incentive for keeping this authority and educational site at the top.

Funny thing is that I could've done precisely the same in 2000 however there was no way of monetising it then so I just built a good site, now it's the cat's nightie as my mate would say:-)

[dibbern2]

cat's nightie

tweaking the nuts off it

?

[HuskyPup]

cat's nightie

Polite way of saying the dog's boxxox...hmmm, extremely good.

tweaking the nuts off it

Ensuring that what I tell everyone else to do is now done on this site, every element, every possible advantage, a full and comprehensive maintenance job! It'll not need anything doing to it for another 10 years unless something huge occurs.