Forum Moderators: mack
I need some advice. I realise that it's always preferable to choose a niche in order to earn an income online. However, I have really tried identifying specific areas to concentrate on and I am not sure I can do so. Therefore, I started a website with a generic domain name that has links and articles to different subjects and adsense sites on it. Could this work, since some of the subjects have only one page written on them? I can give you the link to the site if you're interested in seeing what I have done.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Andrea
Or, one of my favorites for inspiration, stop by your local newstand that's very well-stocked with magazines. They might say print is dead, but you'll find mags on every concievable niche there is. Grab a handful and start running keyword checks.
Or, maybe just plain fall into it. I got involved in a new hobby last September. It's so niche that major keywords return less than 25K results. What's so great is that folks who are into it love to read about it, are faily well-heeled, love to spend money, and love to click ads. Affiliate marketing plus AdSense work very well on that site.
Just pick a topic and go for it.
Thank you for replying Jim. Actually, I am interested in animals, although I don't have any pets. We do have cows however and one of them has become a pet. I quite enjoy taking pictures of them with my camera and I thought perhaps I could start a type of website displaying pictures of animals I come across on the web and perhaps my own. I could add some information to the pictures and let people know some information about digital photography. The thing is, I am only starting with photography now, so would it be allright to create a site of that nature?
everything is ok in my book, just go ahead and do it.
i've been involved in various web projects/topics/niches/styles over the last few years and sometimes the 'dead certs' have gone totally flat and the 'long shot - just for fun' one shave done really well
there is often no real way of knowing in advance
...so would it be allright to create a site of that nature?
The only thing I see that might not be all right is:
...displaying pictures of animals I come across on the web...
As far as what to make a site about, there's no one answer. If you're enthusiastic about something, and have at least a little knowledge about it (and are willing to learn more), give it a shot. IMHO, though, it's not necessary for you to dismantle your "one page" sections. Keep an eye on the traffic and if one area seems to be attracting interest, build it up.
ETA: As far as "earning an income" from your site(s), assuming that you mean a real income, think of that as a long-term goal (a little extra pocket money is a much closer goal). Concentrate on building original, useful sites that get some traffic, then look at ways to monetize them. Digital cameras/photography is a hugely competitive market, but if you can offer a truly original spin on the topic it could work. Or you might find yourself overrun by cow enthusiasts. Hey, it could happen. ;) Use the stats that your webhost should have a way for you to see (if not, get a new webhost) to watch where your visitors come from, what pages are most visited on your site, etc. The more facts you have, the better you can develop something income-producing.
[edited by: Beagle at 3:30 pm (utc) on Jan. 20, 2007]
Mack.
Thank you for your advice. Choosing subjects to create websites around is something I am finding difficult to do. I've really brainstormed and I still seem to be stuck. Anyway, I have an interest in animals of all kinds, although cows are the only animals that I am in contact with really and I have come to see they can be cute and quite pleasant. I'm also interested in photographing them and in searching through public domain sites for pictures of different animals, which is why I thought that perhaps I could display those on a site and perhaps include some of my own and some information on photography and animals. I'm not sure really how to proceed. I'm not interested in talking about farming as such.
I'm also in the process of adding pages on different subjects to a general site which I hope can help me to decide on the type of information I would prefer to write about.
Regards
Could this work
Wrong question.
Right questions:
A) How will I get a significant volume of traffic to visit my website?
B) How will I turn website traffic into income?
Example bad answer:
The search engines will send me lots of free traffic and I'll just slap some AdSense on there and make good money!
Example good answer:
I belong to the 1,000,000-member Cow Lovers Association, and they've been after me for years to put up a website of my cute cow pictures. I'll get traffic by talking up my website on the members-only forum, and I'll make money by contracting with an online photo service to sell prints.
Perhaps - photograph rare breeds. Produce articles on rare breeds, character, looks, quality of meat and milk.
Then link to and look for return links on specialist suppliers, farmers markets, open farms etc.
Thank you for replying. Some nice ideas, although I want to try and want to try not to concentrate too much on the farming aspect of cows. However, including some information about the variety of breeds is a good idea. Let me know if you have any other ideas.
Andrea
