Profitable Niche or Waste of Time?

You can also use motivational quotes to promote diet/weightloss products, exercise equipment, topical books, business opportunities, etc.

Getting the attention of prospects especially within such competitive markets using pithy quotes can be particularly effective.

"It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read a book of quotations"
- Winston Churchill

You can also do some self branding via something like alibaba.

Motivational calendars is great, also mentioned above narrow down by niche.

And regular planners/calendars, paper products.

Going to pm you a link that might give you some additional ideas.

Honestly, while I think there are some potential ideas above, I kinda think what the OP should stick to what she's doing already. There are a gazillion sites out there already with motivational quotes. A big question to me is how you're going to differentiate yourself from the competition.

One way to do so is to do what you're already doing: sell high-quality quote-themed posters. And to my way of thinking trying to pitch people self-help products or -- god-forbid -- coaching is only going to detract from your competitive advantage. You need to stop thinking of yourself as being in the "Motivational Quotes" niche. That's not a niche at all -- it's just a very, large topic area. But a site that creates and sells high-quality decorative art around motivational quotes seems like a niche you can roll with.

Of course, you might eventually want to add other related products based on your artwork such as t-shirts, coffee mugs, etc. But trying to sell everything under the sun related to motivational quotes seems like the exact opposite way you want to go.

I do think, however, you need to have some realistic expectations about where you should be right now. Obviously, I have no idea how you much money you're making, but I'd be surprised if you're making more than a couple hundred bucks a month. So even if you perfected your monetization scheme perfect (as if that were actually even possible) and you somehow got 50% more revenue, that would amount to a lousy $100. Whoopdeedoo.

If it were me running your business, I'd spend the bulk of my efforts on two things: (1) product development (i.e., creating more and more quote posters) and (2) building traffic. To be blunt, 7500 pageviews per month is nothing to write home about -- and with strategic effort, I have no doubt you could get many times that number. Your type of business, for instance, to me seems to be a perfect match for social media.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest all love great visuals -- which you'd already be creating. Post your design, include a short paragraph with the bio of the person who you're quoting, put a link to your website so people can buy your poster and you'd start the slow -- but worthwhile road -- to building a following, and building up your targeted traffic.

Anyway, I know I'm going against the grain here. But I do think you need to think long and hard about what your core competency is and what you're competitive advantage is before trying to rush to monetize monetize monetize. Building a business is slow and while everyone wants to make oodles of cash from day one, often it's more strategic to focus on other aspects of your business today, so you can better monetize in the future.

Good luck!

Chantal,

This is just my opinion - different from others that have responded.

The traffic you are getting is not buyer traffic. You are experiencing the same lack of sales that most other sites do in this type of niche. Quote sites, recipe sites, joke sites, funny video sites, and the like attract people that are not specifically looking to make a purchase. They are offering what is freely available online already.

The audience is not targeted, not in the buying mood right then, and you are hitting them cold with whatever you are going to offer for sale. None of these circumstances are conducive to pulling income out of these viewers.

Don't feel bad personally . . . but it is the reality for this type of niche market and you are not going to change that reality any time soon.

Sure, you can get lots of hits to your site because viewers will come to be entertained. But giving entertainment is not what is important when you're trying to make money online.

I think you are going to struggle (at least financially) if you try to monetize what you're doing with your site. Yes, you will make a few dollars here and there when people click away from your site (the advertising model). But if you're after full time income, you will be hard pressed to squeeze it from this market.

Personally, I think there are better and easier ways to make money online but you have to focus on money niches - markets where people come to spend their money. That is not the market audience you are appealing to right now.

The best to you,

Steve

How about just plainly selling adspace on a weekly or montly basis in buysellads.com.