At the risk of looking like I'm interested in stepping on some long-established and well-stated snippets of wisdom already posted in this forum, I feel the need to ask if it's not time to launch a new discussion about the holy grail so many have come here to find i.e. How to become a successful "Adsense publisher."
It's not my purpose to be redundant but perhaps it could be helpful to reinforce some of the better notions already presented and, if possible, to foster a discussion devoted to the "publisher" side of our craft that can lead to a better understanding of how advertising in general fits into the grand scheme of things.
We live in a changing world. I simply ask the question, Are we leading or are we following? Put another way, Are we copying or are we innovating? Are declining Adsense revenues really the result of Google "stealing" from us or are we simply not yet attuned to the new paradigm they are creating? Is Google going so fast into the future that we're just not keeping up? I have a great many questions like this but perhaps my most pressing question is this. Is Google the only entity capable of driving innovation in this industry or is this community of webmasters capable of becoming the next sleeping giant ready to wake up and put it's stamp on the World Wide Web?
Fair warning. This is philosophical query that I hope will lead to real ideas and perhaps inspire some of us to new heights. That said, I'm not after your next great proprietary idea nor do the thoughts generated here need to be earth-shattering in scope. Sometimes we just need to keep it simple to succeed while other times we really do need a complete change of scenery. I'm a proponent of both approaches.
So, just to keep this initial post short (or shorter than it could be), I'll throw out a basic concept to get the conversation started. For some, this will seem painfully obvious but the goal is to start with a foundation so here goes. Let's start with a simple question.
Why do you have (or want to build) a website?
Common general answers include:
1. I want to share my knowledge or some information (via blogging, resource sites, etc)
2. I want to make money (by providing services, selling products or via ad revenue)
OK, there are many ways this question gets answered but in general, most answers can fall into one or both of the above categories. A third common answer is to create a place where people with like interests can connect e.g. a community site.
If your first response is about making money via ad revenue because you heard it was easy and everyone else is doing it, well, you just got your cart parked squarely in front of your horse and we need to address your mode of conveyance. Advertising does not exist in a vacuum. Advertisers will pay millions of dollars to be seen on Super Bowl Sunday but those same advertisers might only pay three cents (if you're lucky) to be seen on a website with 10 visitors a day.
So, the first burning question you should be asking yourself is this. "What do I have to offer that will attract the viewers (with the interests and in the volumes) advertisers are looking for?" This question, IMHO, is inseparable from the question of how to generate advertising revenue and, because it is, it's almost impossible to distinguish it from related topics such as content development, presentation and marketing.
You'll hear a lot in various forums about having "unique content" but true uniqueness is becoming harder and harder to achieve. It's even harder to achieve when all your really care about is generating revenue. So here's my first bit of insight which you can take or leave. I've found it to be a very important factor in how my work on the web is received and you may too. BTW, I publish information and am a writer so this relates primarily to the content I create and publish.
1. This is your business. Make it be about something you understand, believe in, are passionate about, can get enthusiastic about every day regardless of whether it's making money or not and something that, at the end of the day, you can be proud of. People recognize and appreciate honesty, passion, commitment to excellence, quality and sincerity. Your Internet venture could have no better foundation. This is not necessarily a silver bullet for financial success but it takes time to build a successful business and it's a heck of a lot easier to get through the lean times in the beginning when your work is something you actually look forward to.
I'll try to wrap this up for the moment without claiming that any great revelations have been exposed. As in sports, success is often based on execution of the fundamentals. The reason we get up everyday and pursue our own dreams is because we have an aversion to punching someone else's time clock in all likelihood. Making money on the Internet requires the ability to attract an audience. Marketing can obviously help but even the best marketing can fail to generate results if you have nothing of value to offer when people arrive. The most important first step in finding this holy grail that so many are seeking (again IMHO) is to first provide an experience of value for your audience. This experience (I like to think of each website I work on as a unique experience) is where you will eventually be able to embed revenue generating content (whether it be Adsense ads or slots for paid advertising or whatever). If you can always manage to keep the quality of your content above the desire to make revenue in your thinking, you will have your horse and your cart in the proper order and be ready to deliver the goods.
And just to be clear, I didn't say that earning a living isn't important. I just said, that the horse goes in front of the cart. And with that, I'll pass the baton for the moment. There's plenty more to this query but I'm taking a 12-step approach to brevity these days. I'm on step 13.
