How to Look at the "My Website/Niche Is Not Making Money" Complaint Accurately

Imagine an aspiring painter looking at a blank palette.

She stares at it for a few minutes today. Then leaves the room.

Walks back into the room the following day. Still blank. Even worse; the blank palette has generated no interest in the art community. Nor has the blank palette made any money. Maybe if Andy Warhol licked it, some cash, but alas, he has transitioned from his meat suit.

The following day, she spends 10 minutes painting some broad strokes. No real vision or clarity; just hack work, basically. 10 minutes of misguided practice that did nothing to improve her painting skills. Busy work.

After practicing for a few more hours each day - half-hearted attempts - she gets frustrated and backburners the palette for the next month.

Then she returns to the palette and is kinda surprised that nobody has taken an interest in her work (even though there is no clear work, she rarely practices to improve her skills, and she never advertises the scant work she has)....and she is beyond frustrated that she has not made a stinking cent through her palette.

She then blames the palette for her failure; darn thing never generated any interest or made her a cent!

This sounds so silly when we're talking about artists guys, but it is exactly what you're doing when you say "My website or niche is not making any money."

Buying a domain name gives you a blank palette; a white space compliments of a browser. Doing nothing with the domain name is like when the artist stared at the blank palette. Nothing can possibly happen.

When she makes a few purpose-less, broad strokes, it is like most IMers who mindlessly, without any real helpful intent, spend a few moments just trying to make some money online.

Then after spending maybe a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks or months in real time, without any real purpose save trying to make some money, without any clear and definite strategy, and without persistent practice, first you blame a blank website for not making you any money, then you blame the niche, and then, after you did some undirected, poorly-planned work, you blame the site or niche for your failure.

Websites and online niches are 100% inanimate, neutral and lifeless, unable to do anything.

You make money, or do not make money, based on your:

- 100% devotion to your craft
- 100% devotion to practicing meaningful skills every day over years of your life
- willingness to learn and study your niche
- willingness to create and connect
- focus on creating targeted, helpful, aligned products and services

Stop blaming a blank palette, or your brush, or the handful of mindless, half-hearted brush strokes, guys.

It is 100% on you. Which is an awesome thing

In a world of starving artists who blame their craft, I recall a story from a world famous painter. He set up shop by the side of the road. Someone asked him to paint a masterpiece for them. He whipped one up in 15 minutes. When the recipient saw the work, he was floored, jaw dropping, amazed at the beauty and elegance of the work.

The recipient asked the price. The painter said $50,000 dollars. The guy said that is ridiculous, it only took him 15 minutes. The painter said no sir; it took him 30 years of practice to create such a masterpiece.

It wasn't the palette, paint brush or the painting niche. His 100% devotion to painting over 3 decades yielded his rates and immense fortune.

You get this lesson down guys, and you too will be able to name your price as IMers, and will prosper mightily.

Ryan