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Experienced Warriors: What do you do when you're addicted to making sites?

by cupcakemonster
20 replies
I ventured into the world of IM last year and it took the better part of it to figure out what I was doing (am about 65% clear now). During that time, I made 3 sites. They're all in different niches, but I'm interested in all 3. All 3 sites are making money, although nothing to write home about.
Since 2013 began, I've made 2 more sites. It's getting easier. Both of the two sites are in niches I also like. They haven't made anything yet but each of them have over 50 original, really helpful, detailed articles. They're in unrelated niches, to each other and to my other 3 sites. I think they'll start making money soon.

Here's my dilemma:
I've made 5 sites and now am in the process of building...9 more. All in different niches. It's like I can't stop. I keep getting new ideas for sites (I have a LOT of hobbies and interests) and I love the process of creating new sites for them. I also really enjoy writing.
But I sort of feel like I should be doing other stuff (like marketing and backlinks and such), especially if I want to really make money with these sites.
At the same time, all I want to do is create more sites. Plus, the first 2 sites I made last year are getting something like 10,000 visitors every month - with no promotion and no backlinks.
Do I even have to market all the new sites I create? Should I just keep creating and letting search engines pick up on my content when they feel like it? Should I be hiring someone to handle the promotions?
When do I stop? How many sites is too many?

Is there anyone who's been in this quandary who can help me out?
Thanks!
#addicted #experienced #making #making new sites #sites #warriors
  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    You have two options.

    1. Keep building sites and keep the money they generate.
    2. Keep building sites and sell them for a profit.

    If you really enjoy making these sites then you should find
    a way to automate some part of the process so your
    income will eventually deserve writing home about.

    Congratulations on having a great problem.

    -Ray Edwards
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    This is fairly common. The answer is to focus on one site at a time but almost no one will listen to the answer.

    So keep on doing what you're doing until you personally discover you need to focus exclusively on one project at a time. I believe that only then, with the sting of a bunch of watered down efforts, will you realize how to go about working smart. Good luck.
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    • Profile picture of the author NewRiseDigital
      As an earlier poster said, it's all about focus, what is your goal? Is it honing your site building skills to become a web designer, or is it to turn the sites into an income generator. Both are noble goals.

      If you're getting 10,000 (targeted?) visitors to one of your websites the easiest way is to start promoting affiliate products through it (you are capturing some of these 10k visitors email addresses aren't you?). If your not selling or capturing your site won't be as valuable as you think. Traffic comes and goes but you can't argue with sales and real customer data you own when you come to sell....

      Good luck whatever you decide!
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    By building sites with unique content that attracts visitors and letting them age, you could most likely get a decent price by selling them at some point if you find you want to focus on a couple or few of them, so it's not a wasted effort.
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  • Profile picture of the author khooster1
    Nice to hear that your sites are driving good traffic.

    Have you try to monetize your sites?
    You need to start calculating your ROIs for your investment.

    It is great hat you have great ideas for your new sites.
    You need to have money coming in for your next site project.

    One immediate way is to offer your website building services.
    Can build sites and make money from them.
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  • Profile picture of the author pdrs
    If your first two are getting 10,000 visitors per month and still not making "anything to write home about" - I would at least start to analyze why they aren't making very much so that you can avoid the same mistakes in the future. Nothing wrong with building lots of sites, but make sure your using the ones you already have to help crack some more of the puzzle.
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    • Profile picture of the author cupcakemonster
      Originally Posted by pdrs View Post

      If your first two are getting 10,000 visitors per month and still not making "anything to write home about" - I would at least start to analyze why they aren't making very much so that you can avoid the same mistakes in the future. Nothing wrong with building lots of sites, but make sure your using the ones you already have to help crack some more of the puzzle.
      Hmmm. Is 10,000 visitors a lot? How much could I expect to make from them and through what kind of monetization?
      Right now, I've monetized both sites with only affiliate offers but pretty much ALLL of the traffic to the first site comes from just TWO keywords for which I'm ranking quite high but one of them I can't figure out how the hell to monetize. So I only have one affiliate offer that's converting for that site...
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      • Profile picture of the author cupcakemonster
        Thanks for all the replies, guys! It's awesome knowing that there are people who've already gone down this road (I don't personally know any other IM people, other than myself). I will probably finish up the last 2 sites I've started, but then I think I'll take your advice and put my ideas journal away for now. At least until I can make enough money from my 2 main sites to invest in outsourced help.
        What's interesting is that it seems like most of you guys think that 10,000K a month can be properly monetized for decent income...now if I could only figure out how. Any suggestions?
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        • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
          Originally Posted by cupcakemonster View Post

          ....now if I could only figure out how. Any suggestions?
          See this is the problem.

          "Okay, I've got all this stuff, now what the hell do I do with it???"

          You're building out sites with plan or strategy in place. To me, it sounds like you're building sites for the sake of building sites.

          You gotta have a plan in place, and be able to answer questions like, Who is my ideal target customer? What's my offer? How can I monetize this? BEFORE you start, not afterwards!

          If I were you, I would stop doing everything and think about that first, before you do anything.

          Oh, and if you can, consolidate what you have, and roll it into one big authority site.
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  • Profile picture of the author Julia Russo
    If you are getting 10K visitors to your site, let me buy it. I will find a way to make money on it!
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  • Profile picture of the author 101AnonymousGuy101
    I had a similar problem. I made tons of sites, which I eventually abandoned or deleted.
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    • Profile picture of the author fluffythewondercat
      OP, it sounds like you're under no pressure to make money. You probably have a spouse who makes enough to support the family. Congratulations -- that's a great luxury.

      If you're okay with site-building being another one of your many hobbies, just keep doing what you're doing. Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, and I don't see any reason why you should force yourself into the role if you don't have to.

      fLufF
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    I wasted years f*cking around with dozens of websites, and different projects, all the while thinking "more sites, more money". Total wank factor. You end up doing a lot of things terribly, instead of one thing well.

    I can tell you right now, you're wasting your time, but what would I know?

    If you're so keen on building websites, then you should consider becoming a web designer instead.
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    • Profile picture of the author Pluton
      Originally Posted by John Romaine View Post

      I wasted years f*cking around with dozens of websites, and different projects, all the while thinking "more sites, more money". Total wank factor. You end up doing a lot of things terribly, instead of one thing well.

      I can tell you right now, you're wasting your time, but what would I know?

      If you're so keen on building websites, then you should consider becoming a web designer instead.
      I totally agree with John.
      Been there done that - mainly in my "Next shiney Object" phase.
      I'm currently restructuring my business with well thought out business plans. All the dross, low income sites, are being binned.
      Whatever you do FOCUS and FOCUS again DO NOT get sucked in to the mind set of "must make more sites" - make some good ones and build on them.
      If you continue making a ton of time and effort, not to mention $$$$ consuming websites you will end up by self destructing !!!
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  • Profile picture of the author marc7
    Hey Cupcakemonster!

    You are more like a website building monster :p

    But if you like building sites that much, you do have a few options.
    Some are stated above but I will add them here anyway.

    1. Create websites for other people or company's and put a hefty price on it.
    2. Spend time marketing and monetizing your website that has the most activity.
    3. Build niche sites. Rank them, turn a profit, then sell that bad boy!
    4. Create a website teaching other how to build websites.
    5. Stop building for a while and focus. You have 1 site that gets 10,000 UV's per month. Think about if you put time and effort into that site!

    Overall, if you really love building sites, build them, rank them, make them turn a profit, and sell it!

    To Your Success!

    Marc Bell
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    Marc Bell Marketing.com | Branding. Selling. Networking
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    • Profile picture of the author livo
      The trouble with building lots of sites is the upkeep you will have to do.

      Running a few sites can be pretty easy to do, but once you branch out into creating more sites you will have to add more content regularly and it can be really time consuming.

      Its fine if you have the time do do this or can outsource the work!

      A few years ago in the days of build a one page website leave it and build another one,as long gone since the panda updates.Unless there is anyone out there who is still having success with these type of websites?
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  • Profile picture of the author Stuart Walker
    Stop building sites. I've got notepads full of ideas but I'm not going to try and follow through on all of them because I couldn't possibly work on all of them at the same time, not enough hours in the day. Just keep a note of the ideas and keep them for the future.

    Focus on one of your sites for now. Turn those 10,000 visitors into profit instead of doing nothing with it and them going to waste. Once you've figured out how to turn it into some serious cash then repeat with the other sites.

    Either that or try and sell the big traffic sites, someone will see the potential to monetize them and possibly take them off your hands for a good price.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Perez O'Connor
      Originally Posted by RockingLastsForever View Post

      Stop building sites. I've got notepads full of ideas but I'm not going to try and follow through on all of them because I couldn't possibly work on all of them at the same time, not enough hours in the day. Just keep a note of the ideas and keep them for the future.

      Focus on one of your sites for now. Turn those 10,000 visitors into profit instead of doing nothing with it and them going to waste. Once you've figured out how to turn it into some serious cash then repeat with the other sites.

      Either that or try and sell the big traffic sites, someone will see the potential to monetize them and possibly take them off your hands for a good price.
      First time I agree with you or we have something in common xD

      That amount of sites in your first year is nothing. I went through over 50 different domain purchases, but a lot of them I didn't go on to develop, and some I've still got to use in the future when I get the time. It's funny how a lot of the domains you buy in the spur of the moment you later look at and think, what was I thinking....

      I've got a gazzilion ideas, but like rockinglastsforever, I simply put them in a notepad file, add any relevant sources that helped in finding the idea and if important I snatch up the domain, but that's as far as I go. Once you create a successful 1st or 2nd site, and you've capped its potential, you can begin to outsource work for the creation of several other sites, so that you aren't all over the place and you can focus on new ideas and marketing or interaction/masterminding.

      My income is increasing ridiculously fast since I began delegating tasks I never thought anyone else could do like I could, and it's a hurdle I had to overcome, trusting others to do work for my sites However, I spent a good couple years building and monetizing these sites myself first So I know what works, and I know what to instruct my workers to get results.

      And with 10,000 visitors, unless it's something like a flash games site you should be monetizing better than what it sounds like currently. As said above, let me buy it, I'm sure I can squeeze something significant out of it
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  • Profile picture of the author jgant
    Get addicted to making money.
    I've done what you're doing. It doesn't work.

    Change your mindset. Get addicted to creating a totally awesome website. I'm in 6 niches, but have been at this for 4 years. At one point I built piles of websites over a 6 month period and lost tons of money. When I focused on one site, my revenue sky rocketed. Now I have a publishing and promotion schedule for each niche. I stick to it and have no plans to add any niches in 2013.

    Bulls make money and hogs get slaughtered. When I built tons of sites, I did so thinking if I had 10 home runs, I'd make a pile of money. Big mistake. It only takes one site to earn 4 or even 5 figures a month. You just need to focus on it.

    Now, I do have a few microsites in my fleet for very strategic purposes that are very targeted. I only build these when they form part of an overall strategy in a niche. I only do this in 2 niches. Otherwise, I focus on building large and informative sites and it works much better.
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