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looking for thoughts on improving website revenue

by RoadCEO
37 replies
I have a Boy Scouting website called InsaneScouter.org it gets around 30k visitors a month but is only earning like $30 a month from adsense. The newsletter has almost 2,000 subscribers. There are over 5,500 pages of content. I have not overly worked SEO its almost all organic, since the site has been around since before 1996. I am however gearing up to start doing some backlink building around researched keywords to try and increase my traffic more.

Now my question ... I am thinking I could be doing something better, different that would enable me to earn more from the site. Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank and a million high 5s to those who toss in their 2 cents good or bad.

PS. Yes I know this is a weird niche and not one of the greatest ones in sense of traditional profitability. I started the site long before I even had heard of niche marketing.
#improving #revenue #thoughts #website
  • Profile picture of the author RoadCEO
    Thanks zaidblogger I will check both of them out
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  • Profile picture of the author Bonita T Josephson
    I think you should test your adsense units by changing placements. Changing the placements will give you a clear view from where you are getting the most clicks. Also, try to add different size ads.
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    • Profile picture of the author RoadCEO
      Originally Posted by Bonita T Josephson View Post

      I think you should test your adsense units by changing placements. Changing the placements will give you a clear view from where you are getting the most clicks. Also, try to add different size ads.
      This is actually high on my task list... especially redoing the colors to match the current site layout.

      One other note... The ad in the body of the content of longer blog posts and other content is the ad that generates almost all of the adsense revenue. that is a 350px ad.
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  • Profile picture of the author RoadCEO
    MrBucketBucketsOfFun thanks for the comments and always amazes me where I run into those who were Scouts...

    I have actually experimented some with amazon and have made less then a buck for all my efforts. Maybe I am just not doing it right. Here is one of my very early experiments, probably wasnt detailed enough or just thrown together to quickly All Weather Blanket - Scout Resources

    We also do have an ebook, well its only kindle right now and sells on amazon. It is like 2 or 3 bucks, a fellow scouter manages the book for me. We also have a fundraising book in the makings. Maybe I will try making the book a pdf and sell it directly through my newsletter and as a link on the site and see what happens.
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  • Profile picture of the author johnben1444
    With such huge amount of traffic you should be earning 1k+ and much more if:

    1. Your site is ad sense optimized.
    2. Your CPC is higher than $0.50
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    • Profile picture of the author StingGB
      The amount of times nowadays I hear that adsense only makes site owners about a buck per thousand visits amazes me. No wonder Google's profits have fallen off a cliff, who's interested in that!

      You could probably improve it a bit, but the other advice - an ebook - is much more the way forward. I too have a fairly unique non niche site and my self penned ebook makes me around £250 (about $400) per month from just 6-7000 visitors. When my site gets to 30k visits like you I'll be doing very well from just that one product.
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      • Profile picture of the author Dan Grossman
        Originally Posted by StingGB View Post

        The amount of times nowadays I hear that adsense only makes site owners about a buck per thousand visits amazes me. No wonder Google's profits have fallen off a cliff, who's interested in that!
        Google's revenues grew from $7.5 to $14 billion from Q3 last year to Q3 this year... Google has more advertisers and more AdSense publishers than ever.
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        • Profile picture of the author XYZcontent
          Originally Posted by Dan Grossman View Post

          Google's revenues grew from $7.5 to $14 billion from Q3 last year to Q3 this year... Google has more advertisers and more AdSense publishers than ever.
          Nevertheless they are still lower on profits/cost per click than expected which is why they stock/equity prices fell like crazy.
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          • Profile picture of the author Dan Grossman
            Originally Posted by XYZcontent View Post

            Nevertheless they are still lower on profits/cost per click than expected which is why they stock/equity prices fell like crazy.
            The difference between the expected and actual profits was due to the Motorola Mobility acquisition, not because of anything related to their advertising business. Google doesn't provide guidance and the street underestimated the drag MM would have, that's why the stock fell.
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        • Profile picture of the author StingGB
          Dan - I presume you didn't hear the news on Friday. Anyway, my point was many people (including me) are finding adsense revenue nowadays simply isn't worth the hassle unless you are getting mega traffic, and if you are there are far more profitable options. Without people putting adsense on their sites, Google won't earn Jack.
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          • Profile picture of the author befocused
            I found infolinks.com pays more than adsense I use it on all my blogs and easy to implement on any website. I stopped using adsense a long time ago hope it helps you
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  • Profile picture of the author RoadCEO
    johnben1444 - I so wish I was making 1k a month that would be almost enough to pay all my bills right now. That would be so amazing. Any tips or suggested reading on learning how to better optimize a size for adsense? I have just started researching keywords to try and discover topics to blog about that should return a better per click from the ads.

    One thing I have noticed is the avg ad I sell myself to sponsors gets about 15-25 clicks a month. With 30k visitors this number seems ridiculously low.
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  • Profile picture of the author AllRoundBanners
    Possibly start a mailing list? You know, with cool articles and products (If you may have any.) You can simply gain a email list...and they're easy-as-pie to find...just google "Email List java app" or something,etc...it's a simple code, add it to your site...should be easy to find. Mailing lists are great...great to gain coverage and to promote your product at a severe rate!

    All The Best!

    - AllRoundBanners
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    • Profile picture of the author RoadCEO
      Originally Posted by AllRoundBanners View Post

      Possibly start a mailing list? You know, with cool articles and products (If you may have any.) You can simply gain a email list...and they're easy-as-pie to find...just google "Email List java app" or something,etc...it's a simple code, add it to your site...should be easy to find. Mailing lists are great...great to gain coverage and to promote your product at a severe rate!

      All The Best!

      - AllRoundBanners
      I have a mailing list with almost 2,000 subscribers the signup is on the left side last link of the navigation menu ...

      Maybe I will move from full account, which most people dont use anyway, to just a simple mailing list style ... prob do a lot better on signups that way ...
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  • Profile picture of the author JeremiahSay
    Instead of using adsense, why not try amazon? With that kind of traffic, you must definitely earn more than $30/month.

    Perhaps you could list a few boy-scout products like touch-light, swiss-knife, camping materials, bags, water-bottle, whatever.. (NOTE: These are just examples, I know crap about boy-scout). I reckon you'll see a higher margin profit than adsense.

    No harm trying,
    Jeremiah
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  • Profile picture of the author Gambino
    I would recommend a site update/redesign. I can't even find the Adsense or email opt-in.

    Then, I would add a store or review section and link back to amazon. You could also write an e-book that targets your audience and include a "must have" section and provide affiliate links.

    You could also form some type of membership type, if you can provide content that would make someone want to pay for it. Not sure what it would be include, but I have to assume you can if ours getting 30k visitors a month.

    Lastly, I'd look into getting survival braclets made in bulk then selling them from your site. Maybe even try the silicone "Livestrong" braclets with "Insane Scouter" on them.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeffery
    The site definitely needs a new design because it is:

    1) Difficult for visitors to navigate to the information which leads to low retention levels and low ad rates.

    2) The appearance of the site is 1990s and is a huge turnoff to the majority of people today.

    A good modern theme would produce best results.

    Jeffery 100% :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeffery
    Where do you get your traffic stats from? You said the site receives 30k visitors a month, but my research shows you only receive an average of 475 visitors a month.

    Jeffery 100% :-)
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    • Profile picture of the author ezpay4me
      Originally Posted by Jeffery View Post

      Where do you get your traffic stats from? You said the site receives 30k visitors a month, but my research shows you only receive an average of 475 visitors a month.

      Jeffery 100% :-)
      Yes, I was going to say the exact same think , done due diligence for this site and I think his stats are inflated. Because honestly any site with 30K UV per/month will at'least make over $1k EASILY no matter how bad the layout, content or ad placement is thats 30K visitors your talking about.

      You need to check up on your analytics software brotha..because with 475 visitors it seems reasonable it would make $30 or so per/month.

      best regards,
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      • Profile picture of the author Yudhistira Mauris
        Originally Posted by ezpay4me View Post

        Yes, I was going to say the exact same think , done due diligence for this site and I think his stats are inflated. Because honestly any site with 30K UV per/month will at'least make over $1k EASILY no matter how bad the layout, content or ad placement is thats 30K visitors your talking about.

        You need to check up on your analytics software brotha..because with 475 visitors it seems reasonable it would make $30 or so per/month.

        best regards,
        Good point. 30K UV/month is big traffic. You should get more revenue. The website may be sold more than $x,xxx at flippa.
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  • Profile picture of the author ScottGrey
    A few of things to consider..

    1. I'd look to redesign ASAP. You said the site has existed since 1996 and it looks like it. If I arrived there from Google I'd guess that it hadn't been updated in 10 years before I ever bothered to read anything. Just get a Wordpress (bonus points for Optimize Press plugin/themes) and go from there.

    2. Look at what pages are driving your traffic. Are people coming in through 1-2 pages? Take the content of those and write an ebook, quick guide, whatever (or find an affiliate program that already is and take your 75%).

    3. Package and sell "scout starter packs" (tent, compass, sleeping bag, etc) through Amazon.

    Scott
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    • Profile picture of the author RoadCEO
      Originally Posted by ScottGrey View Post

      A few of things to consider..

      1. I'd look to redesign ASAP. You said the site has existed since 1996 and it looks like it. If I arrived there from Google I'd guess that it hadn't been updated in 10 years before I ever bothered to read anything. Just get a Wordpress (bonus points for Optimize Press plugin/themes) and go from there.

      2. Look at what pages are driving your traffic. Are people coming in through 1-2 pages? Take the content of those and write an ebook, quick guide, whatever (or find an affiliate program that already is and take your 75%).

      3. Package and sell "scout starter packs" (tent, compass, sleeping bag, etc) through Amazon.

      Scott
      A handful of people have suggested the redesign. The main problem is I like my design - not really sure why. What I do know is I want a theme design not just boxes and color that are there for sake of design.

      Traffic comes in all over the site, especially through sources such as twitter and my newsletter which drive traffic deeper into the site. When I have asked people say they come to to find a resource quickly such as say a game for that nights meeting and thus come and run.

      starter packs... interesting idea, never thought of this one before will look into this for sure.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Who's your targeted prospect? Can they afford your products if you put them up on your website?
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  • Profile picture of the author EntrepreneurDude
    Combine some Amazon Associates with your Adsense for sure. Tons of boy scout related products; knives, camping stuff, you name it. Go as far as embedding product links into your pages/articles they pertain to, or just add an affiliate widget on your sidebar or somewhere. Either way, should be a good additional source of income that will only help/won't effect your adsense earnings.
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  • Profile picture of the author O0o0O
    Google Adsense must have put you on their Cost Per Thousand Impressions model. If they did that to your website, then I'm sorry to say your Cost Per Click days are doomed.

    How do I know? I had a website that had 8% CTR for Adsense ads, earning $0.30 to $1.00 per click. I was banking $15 to $20 per day. But as my traffic increased my revenue suddenly went down to almost zero! overnight! Trying to figure out what was going on, I logged into Statcounter and saw that people were still clicking on my Adsense ads. So I figured, where's my money? But when I logged into Adsense, they weren't recording the clicks! They were only recording the impressions. Lo and behold, Google had switched me to Cost Per Thousand visits behind my back and there was nothing I could do about it. Now, to get back up to the $15 to $20 per day mark, I would have to find a way to bring 25,000 more visitors to my site.

    What a rip off.
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    • Profile picture of the author RoadCEO
      Originally Posted by O0o0O View Post

      Google Adsense must have put you on their Cost Per Thousand Impressions model. If they did that to your website, then I'm sorry to say your Cost Per Click days are doomed.

      How do I know? I had a website that had 8% CTR for Adsense ads, earning $0.30 to $1.00 per click. I was banking $15 to $20 per day. But as my traffic increased my revenue suddenly went down to almost zero! overnight! Trying to figure out what was going on, I logged into Statcounter and saw that people were still clicking on my Adsense ads. So I figured, where's my money? But when I logged into Adsense, they weren't recording the clicks! They were only recording the impressions. Lo and behold, Google had switched me to Cost Per Thousand visits behind my back and there was nothing I could do about it. Now, to get back up to the $15 to $20 per day mark, I would have to find a way to bring 25,000 more visitors to my site.

      What a rip off.
      logged into adsense to see where its coming from this month...

      41.3% text, 22%images, 17.8% animated images, and so forth ..
      63.7 is contextual and 36.3% is interest based
      94.3% cpc and 5.7% cpm

      the CTR is pretty low and cpc avg isnt even 50 cents

      this makes me think I need to focus on bring ctr up and doing research to choose blog topics to get higher valid ads on those posts to bring the cpc up ...
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  • Profile picture of the author MLMBrander
    The site can be profitable but you need to research more about the ff. before you try to monetize:
    1. Your Target Consumers
    2. Your Traffic Source
    3. Related Product/Service that converts
    4. Build a relationship to your subscribers (don't let those 2k subscriber sleep on your AR)

    Cheers!
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  • Profile picture of the author RoadCEO
    The stats come from awstats and google anyaltics ...

    How can I improve the navigation, this is something I have been thinking about but with over 5,500 pages of content in over 100 categories plus some 275 blog posts how I can structure the navigation better? Any examples I can see?
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  • Profile picture of the author YasirYar
    Try adding Amazon products on your site targeted on outdoor stuff or backpacking. Things related to hiking and outdoor activities will surely be a hit at your website, so focus on those ads. You can even create a banner ad space for lease at your website as there may be some people or businesses related to your niche who can benefit from the traffic. You can also try PPC ads.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    1. Fix the website. It desperately needs a redesign. The existing layout will be costing you conversions

    2. You have 2,000 subscribers. How often do they hear from you?

    3. In terms of monetizing, think about what/where the money is in terms of Scouting. What services/products/tools do Scouts happily pay for? I guarantee if you sit down and start writing a list, you'll surprise yourself.

    It sounds like you have great potential here. A solid foundation to build upon. I would consider getting personalized help. Someone to guide you. Asking on the forum isnt the best approach.

    GL.
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    • Profile picture of the author RoadCEO
      Originally Posted by John Romaine View Post

      It sounds like you have great potential here. A solid foundation to build upon. I would consider getting personalized help. Someone to guide you. Asking on the forum isnt the best approach.

      GL.
      Thanks John, I also believe it has a lot of potential. How would you suggest one find a good mentor / guide?
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    I'll PM you.
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  • Profile picture of the author murtuza
    instead of adsense I think you must focus in creating a sales funnel and seriously creating a coaching program. If you are not an expert to do this hire someone because with this level of traffic you can do some pretty good sales creating just a 3 product funnel.

    Start with a free squeeze page, $10 product, $100-$400 product then a $1k coaching....
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    • Profile picture of the author leighs31
      30K visitors is quite a lot and people will pay handsomely for that traffic. I would sell it to be honest on flippa. I seen a website about cup cakes with curated content sell for about 30K with that amount of traffic. Also look at buy sells ads or something similar or a broker that will pay to place ads on your site.
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    • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
      Originally Posted by murtuza View Post

      iStart with a free squeeze page, $10 product, $100-$400 product then a $1k coaching....
      How about just helping people?

      They're boy scouts man - not investment brokers.
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  • Profile picture of the author RoadCEO
    Thanks all for all your help and encouragement I appreciate it all. Your all helping me I cant wait to check back again in a few hours and see what others have to say.
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