Monetizing is still a mystery

[edacsac]

I'll never understand I guess. I hear from folk that content is king. I'm reading about all kinds of folks, many who aren't even out of high school, who are experts in all kinds of things and making a fortune on content sites.

New interesting content is all it takes. Write everyday. Well, I can't write everyday. Actually I can, but it's not good writing. It's equal to the other 98% of the internet waste. I'm getting an article out about 4 times a year. with each of my 3 sites.

My other thought is, that by the time I "get" something, it's too late and that boat has sank. So how long is good content going to hold up the monetization of web sites?

I need to stop coding. Coding doesn't monetize. It only eats up your time. I need to be an author. Maybe an author about coding or db administration. But there are enough webdev tutorial sites out there. Seems like stiff competition.

Humbug...

[JS_Harris]

The large amount of copied content is one of the main reasons why I think content is not the way to go in the near future. It is to easy to duplicate by just taking the static contents of one site and pasting it to another.

True, but I'll guarantee you can't outrank one of my articles in the serps by copying it to another site.

It's easier still to turn on some aggregating system but at the end of the day how much do you really own?

[ronin]

IMHO, it is important not to get hung up on the medium.

In order to write a successful novel like Moby Dick or Wuthering Heights you need to know how to spell and how to structure paragraphs, but you don't need to know how printing presses work. You don't need to know about the technical back-end of book production.

In order to develop a successful TV programme like American Idol or Survivor you need to know when to use close-ups and when to cut, but you don't need to know how the set needs to be wired. You don't need to know about the technical back-end of TV programme production.

The most brilliant, stunning, worthwhile lectures I ever saw on the net were plain .txt files posted by a most esteemed, scientific friend.

I think that succinctly sums up what I am trying to say.

[edacsac]

Lot's of great opinion and wisdom here! Thanks for all the responses.

Something happened to this post though, and it's confusing. Like it's been changed.

It's unfortunate that some feel that coding is worthless. I wish I could've seen this coming when I thought webdev was for me and jumped in with both feet. My best coding coding is done when there is a problem to solve. What I'm trying to now is create a problem that I can solve and create income from outside of the day job.

@rocknbil - Great post! I do the same thing. I try to make the armchair business a reality for customers that come my way. I just wish I could do it myself. Great story rocknbil.

Moving forward site authority is becoming extremely important, when starting a new site are you ready to compete for it and stick it out for the long haul?

^ I believe in this. You can buy cheap articles all day long, but if the articles are not authoritative they are worthless. This is my opinion as a viewer that looks for information, not as a publisher.

aspdaddy - I'm tired of coding for pay. I'm a creative at heart and it's time to combine whatever skills I've collected and point them at something I'm passionate about. Aside from that, the income numbers your talking about don't exist in my market. It would take lot's 'o cash to stop me from trying to do something different at this point. Either that or your opinion that business is not for me.

Do people really prefer to read daily ramblings? I may write 4 articles a year for each of my sites, but that is along with a demanding day job and what I write isn't commentary. It's original, instructional, it's useful and somewhat entertaining at times. I put lot's of time into a piece of content before I type a single word.

I guess I disagree. Maybe that was true of myself a couple of years ago, but I think my business and content skills are growing. They just need to grow faster.

Oh well. Once again, great replies! It certainly good to hear things from different folk's perspectives.

Have a great week everyone!

[edited by: edacsac at 4:33 pm (utc) on Mar 8, 2010]

[edacsac]

IMHO, it is important not to get hung up on the medium.

You snuck in while I was replying. I see this problem! I do everything. Like one single person trying to run Idol. I can do a bit of everything required for a web presence, just some things better than others. Is it impossible to do it all oneself? Obviously a web business isn't quite the same as a television production.

[httpwebwitch]

So if you're trying to earn a living on the web, which do you value most and concentrate on: producing content or providing the medium?

There may be no concensus here because there's no "one way".

So... play to your strengths. If you're a writer, editor, or just someone who collects and publishes neat stuff, then do that. If you're a coder, an "idea" person, a savvy chap with acumen (like wheel - see above), then do that.

You'll have a job. Or you'll get contract work. Or you'll build a killer app. Or you'll hire someone else to build your killer app and sell it to success. Or you'll be an expert and people will want to read & buy your stuff.

Whatever your strength, the challenge is to find the way to leverage that into a decent standard of living. I don't feel it's fair to belittle someone's skills, calling them "worthless" - sure, you can hire someone to do coding. But folks, you can hire someone to do just about anything.

But coders have to face up to a difficult truth: hiring a coder is a lot cheaper than hiring a business consultant to guide your entrepreneurial attempts and make visionary decisions.

anand84 has an interesting point about coding "saving" you money rather than "earning" it. From the point of view of an entrepreneur, being able to DIY is a skill that make or break a self-startup. Without investment capital, you can't hire someone to build your great idea, unless you can cajole others to work on spec, a deal to which I am usually opposed.

The success stories are examples where all the ingredients have come together. Good idea, Good execution, and good acumen. Any of these can be bought, or outsourced. Do you possess one? two? or all three?
I'd say Zuckerburg has all three. Kevin Rose has them too. Markus Frind has them in spades. That, my friends, is QUITE RARE.

There are fourth and fifth ingredients that haven't been mentioned. Maybe "luck" is one of them. Or "timing".

edacsac, perhaps you need to hire a writer. On spec! (hww ducks to avoid projectiles aimed at his head)

[ronin]

Is it impossible to do it all oneself?

No, no, not at all. I do everything myself and there are many others here on WW who do as well.

I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to writing standards-compliant mark-up, cross-platform javascript, elegant CSS, clever PHP etc.

But that, to my mind, is all just "the medium" - I enjoy it, it's a fun hobby for me but I am not under any illusion that this is what brings in audience, views, clicks and sales.

[edacsac]

Your right, there is no one way. I'm taking a bit of a chance on one project that creates a particular overall experience. Something I wouldn't have thought of without experience in many areas. Hopefully it works out like I plan.

If I didn't have to make money from my efforts, this would be so much more fun!

Your reply sums up a lot of the comments here in a positive way. Hopefully this thread is as helpful to others as it is for me.

[edacsac]

No, no, not at all. I do everything myself and there are many others here on WW who do as well.

I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to writing standards-compliant mark-up, cross-platform javascript, elegant CSS, clever PHP etc.

But that, to my mind, is all just "the medium" - I enjoy it, it's a fun hobby for me but I am not under any illusion that this is what brings in audience, views, clicks and sales.

I'm glad I'm not the only one.