Why do people ignore my websites?

[Blooish]

I have a feeling that people igonre my websites, but i don't know for what reason... I have created several websites like [snippage] but few visitors come to my websites. I have put a lot of effort in creating these websites and now i am rewarded with nothing. I am offering good content (if we talk about my first website), then quality tools for webmasters(2nd website), but the websites do not acquire any popularity. The first website is more than a half year old, but it got only ~13k visits. The second one is 3 months and it got 4k visits. Where could the problem be? I know the first thing you'll say will be something like "Try optimising your websites", but i don't know where and how to start this. How could i get and where could i find some sponsors for my second site, to promote it and buy for it a good domain? To be fair i am young person that has no professional studies in marketing and advertising, but i like to code, invent and create new things. Please somebody enlighten me, cause i don't know what else to do. I thought of selling my second website's tools and with those money to start another website, but then i think i don't know how to do that.
People,what do you think? Maybe you have passed through the same situation as i do now or maybe you have a good word to say or a good tutorial to share. Anything is welcome! Thanks in advance!

[edited by: phranque at 10:48 pm (utc) on May 1, 2008]
[edit reason] No urls, please. See TOS [webmasterworld.com] [/edit]

[thecoalman]

The recipe is simple, provide a site that has something that people want in market that isn't already saturated. I could put up a forum in 5 minutes with all the trimmings for webmasters and declare it open for business but it's never going to compete with webmasterworld. Not only am I competing with webmasterworld but I'm also competing with a few other well established sites. The market is saturated.

If you could put a different spin on it somehow and offer something unique you might get somewhere.

[Stefan]

Agreed with the above.

But, if your site is truly unique, and really should stand out, you may need to find some quality links to get it noticed in the first place. After that, it should grow in a viral fashion (not meaning like you'll get a bad flu or anything).

Getting good links isn't easy. You have to research sites, directories, whatever else you can think of, ask and submit, and try to not piss off people while you're doing it.

Good luck with it. Don't give up.

[jdMorgan]

> The first website is more than a half year old, but it got only ~13k visits.

In perspective then, this site is shiny-brand-new, and 13k visitors may not be so bad.

One thing I notice about people that do well on the Web, and that is that they have patience and do not give up easily. Six months is too short a time to judge a site -- Give it two years... at least.

> I know the first thing you'll say will be something like "Try optimising your websites", but i don't know where and how to start this.

Start with this classic [webmasterworld.com], and other threads in the Google News library [webmasterworld.com].

Jim

[Blooish]

Thanks for your replies, but could you be more specific in where could i find quality links?

[piatkow]

Finding quality links is largely down to your own knowledge of your sector. For relevant search arguements they will be the ones on page one but don't go direct for sites in competition, go for the "long tail".

So if your site is about the Folk Music of Elbonia then look for generic Folk Music sites, retailers of authentic Elbonian musical instruments, the Elbonian Tourist Agency etc.

[Blooish]

Thanks for your reply piatkow. But could you tell me where could i find people to exchange links with. Maybe a forum,a website,maybe on this forum even?

[nomis5]

Piatkow has told you, but maybe it's not clear for you. Search for the type of sites he / she recommends then email those sites and ask them if they will exchange links with you. Most won't but a few will. There are no magic websites that will find links for you, you have to find the sites that will exchange links. It's hard work and the results may be poor at the start but hard work will pay off in the end.

[dailypress]

give it at least 2 years. be persistent.

[LifeinAsia]

But could you tell me where could i find people to exchange links with.

Google.com

Do a search with your site's keywords and you should find a list of thousands (if not millions) of potential link partners. Note the important word here: "potential." Not every site that comes up will nmecessarily be that relevant to yours. But it will give you a start.

From reading your first post and replies, you seem to have the "build it and they will come" mentality that has doomed thousands of others web sites through the years. Building your site is just one step of many. You need to continually build it, shape it, change it.

I know the first thing you'll say will be something like "Try optimising your websites", but i don't know where and how to start this.

This is a critical step in the process. There are lots of resources out there, including this one. Definitely start with the links jdMorgan gave and go from there.

[piatkow]

You really do need to understand your niche to find links. If you have just picked a topic that you think might make some money then you will have problems.

My site relates to a sector in which I have been involved for many years and from my subject matter knowledge I know who to contact for links.

[Musicarl]

i like to code, invent and create new things.

Instead of trying to be a Webmaster, how about offering your services to the gazillion websites that are already out there. There are plenty of people who will take care of the business end and hire you on as a coder.