24 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
24 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Cannot think outside the box

by jodiesmitham
21 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Hey guys,

Just wondering how you guys come up with new ideas for websites or for taking your currents sites to the next step.

I have around 3 websites that make ok money, but I've been doing this for 2 years and can't seem to move on to bigger and better things. I don't want to create tons of sites, but I've become stuck for new ideas for even just one or two more sites. Two of my sites are Amazon affiliates and one is Adsense.

I just don't seem to be progressing and every time I come up with a fairly good idea, I just don't feel passionate enough about it!

How do you guys come up with good ideas?

J
#box
  • Profile picture of the author PerformanceMan
    Websites need to solve a problem - or they don't need to exist. What problem are you going to solve?
    Signature
    Free Special Report on Mindset - Level Up with Positive Thinking
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8165144].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author PaidAllDay
    I look for products that are doing well on the affiliate networks that I'm a member of and focus on setting up campaigns for those products. Often I do both paid and free traffic at the same time so that I can get a good jump on the competition. Lately I've been doing much more organic stuff as I feel it's possible to rank things quickly w/ all of the SEO services available out there.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8165149].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Daniel Thomas
    It's a funny thing - whenever you deal with something, you raise your chances to become excited about it.
    Also, being "online" a lot, makes you disconnect from the world sometimes. What's an "amazon affiliate". I mean, you went by HOW you monetize your traffic, not WHAT the websites are about.
    Signature

    $75     CPA >> DigiPartners Affiliate Program
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8165207].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author MatthewWoodward
    Engage with your target audience where they live and see what problems they are currently facing and think about how you can help them.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8165617].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Dayes
    Focus on a subject that you're interested in, and as a genuine consumer for that subject, ask yourself what type of site would be useful / entertaining to you, and does not already exist.

    It isn't exactly easy, and a lot of it is about luck. But when you find that site, that's when everything will change.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8165837].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author tofrar
      I sometimes search and look at website listing on Flippa.com
      Website that claim they have some income.
      How do they look like ?
      What are they doing ?
      What do they offer ?

      This can give you some fresh idea.

      There is lot more of other website out there selling online business that you can monitor for ideas
      Signature

      Wan´t to Guest post on clean authority Travel blog and get tweet with your link for Only 5 USD ?
      http://www.fiverr.com/belive/guest-p...weet-your-link

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8165875].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author nik0
        Banned
        Is it possible that the things that you do don't bring the expected results and that that is holding you back a bit?

        I'm sure it would hold me back if that was the case.

        I think you need to focus more on solid back link strategies, once you see rankings and earnings improve you get more motivated again, increase that even more by adding more posts and you'll see a boost again.

        You can kind of keep repeating that forever and create another site on the side and rinse & repeat. Also look at what authority sites in your niche are doing and just copy/cat them when you run out of idea's.

        Now before you go wild and start to buy all kind of link packages, think again, as that will most probably bring you the opposite results. The best way is buying high PR domains from your affiliate income and build them out to small sattelite sites that link back to your main site, that way you can make some extra cash from those small sites as well as boost your main sites rankings.

        Win-win situation really.

        And you can use those bought domains to boost multiple of your websites and/or even offer it as a service to make some extra money. The Buy/Sell/Trade Link section is a great way to offer relevant links to people for money, and best of all, it's FREE.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8167188].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    If your making toaster sites that can sometimes cause a lack of motivation.

    Don't get me wrong, I like toast just as much as the next guy, I just don't like it enough to build a site about the subject. By toaster, I mean crap niches you don't care about (boring...).
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8167320].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author nik0
      Banned
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      If your making toaster sites that can sometimes cause a lack of motivation.

      Don't get me wrong, I like toast just as much as the next guy, I just don't like it enough to build a site about the subject. By toaster, I mean crap niches you don't care about (boring...).
      The toaster niche can be very interesting if you like food.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8167404].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author yukon
        Banned
        Originally Posted by nik0 View Post

        The toaster niche can be very interesting if you like food.
        Forget that, the niche is all yours.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8167409].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author nik0
          Banned
          Originally Posted by yukon View Post

          Forget that, the niche is all yours.
          Yeah I think it's a great addition to my breadmaker site :p
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8167430].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author yukon
            Banned
            Originally Posted by nik0 View Post

            Yeah I think it's a great addition to my breadmaker site :p
            I think I would rather watch paint dry.

            There's just too many interesting niches in this world to be picking a boring niche for the sake of an affiliate account.

            I can't be bothered with bread products, lol.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8167473].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author nik0
              Banned
              Originally Posted by yukon View Post

              I think I would rather watch paint dry.

              There's just too many interesting niches in this world to be picking a boring niche for the sake of an affiliate account.

              I can't be bothered with bread products, lol.
              On a more serious note, there are two types of internet marketeers:

              1: The ones who are passionate about something and make money cause of that, you probably fall under that category

              2: People who enjoy the process of internet marketing, eg:

              - Seeing the sites increase in rankings (makes me happy)
              - Watching the income increase (makes me happy)
              - Figuring out how to do it more effective (sometimes frustrating)
              - Doing it different when sites tank (good feeling when succeeding)

              I see it as a challenge really, and like to test many things and when something succeeds it gives me a good feeling, and when it doesn't succeed then I might try it in a different way or throw the whole idea overboard without feeling dissappointed or anything as there are so many ways that lead to Rome.

              All this is non relevant to the actual niche topic and it's not like I have to write the boring content myself or post it. As for kw research, it's the same process whether I type in toasters or Aston Martin.

              If the content writers do their job well then the sites will provide value to people who are looking to buy a toaster or a lawn mower, not that I care too much about that aspect tbh. I do what I enjoy, that's it.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8167532].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author yukon
                Banned
                Originally Posted by nik0 View Post

                On a more serious note, there are two types of internet marketeers:

                1: The ones who are passionate about something and make money cause of that, you probably fall under that category

                2: People who enjoy the process of internet marketing, eg:

                - Seeing the sites increase in rankings (makes me happy)
                - Watching the income increase (makes me happy)
                - Figuring out how to do it more effective (sometimes frustrating)
                - Doing it different when sites tank (good feeling when succeeding)

                I see it as a challenge really, and like to test many things and when something succeeds it gives me a good feeling, and when it doesn't succeed then I might try it in a different way or throw the whole idea overboard without feeling dissappointed or anything as there are so many ways that lead to Rome.

                All this is non relevant to the actual niche topic and it's not like I have to write the boring content myself or post it. As for kw research, it's the same process whether I type in toasters or Aston Martin.

                If the content writers do their job well then the sites will provide value to people who are looking to buy a toaster or a lawn mower, not that I care too much about that aspect tbh. I do what I enjoy, that's it.
                I see that more as a short term plan, ranking a page & watching the domain eventually get slapped. I think your doing way more work than I do, even If your outsourcing content. IMO it's far easier to build an evergreen site that traffic will return to multiple times.

                Your building sites where those products might not exist in a year. Even If you still get traffic to click your affiliate links to the dead Amazon page, you still might end up with a conversion on that traffic, but you've burnt your bridge because traffic now knows your site serves no purpose for a return visit, they'll simply skip you & go directly to Amazon next time.

                My point is, your 100% dependent on Google (traffic) & Amazon (content), I have multiple traffic sources & content that will last me for years without being updated, plus email list, plus offline traffic.

                I don't mind doing the upfront work on a site, but I'm not going to be building the same site more than once.
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8167649].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Hansons
    Originally Posted by jodiesmitham View Post

    Hey guys,

    Just wondering how you guys come up with new ideas for websites or for taking your currents sites to the next step.

    I have around 3 websites that make ok money, but I've been doing this for 2 years and can't seem to move on to bigger and better things. I don't want to create tons of sites, but I've become stuck for new ideas for even just one or two more sites. Two of my sites are Amazon affiliates and one is Adsense.

    I just don't seem to be progressing and every time I come up with a fairly good idea, I just don't feel passionate enough about it!

    How do you guys come up with good ideas?

    J
    I won't say to think different and to get more ideas but what I would say is to automate the process.

    As you knew how you would get money you can use this thing at bigger level with the help of your employees this way you can expand your business.
    Signature

    Is your website Hacked? Try -> www.sitebeak.com
    Is Google Analytics installed Properly? Test -> www.GAtective.com
    Impersonal Google search? Check -> www.impersonal.me

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8167928].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Dead Body
    It's a funny thing - whenever you deal with something, you raise your chances to become excited about it.
    Signature
    free movies online
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8167990].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author yukon
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Dead Body View Post

      It's a funny thing - whenever you deal with something, you raise your chances to become excited about it.
      That's what s/he said.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8168768].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author RockNRolla
    Here's how I get my idea for making money online. Look at what other innovators are doing and then replicate, but at the same time adding my own twist and attempting to improve on parts that I think they are not fully exploiting. There's no need to think of the next wonder idea, there is PLENTY money out there in every single niche you can imagine, regardless of how saturated you may think it is.
    Signature
    ---> CLICK HERE! How To Start An SEO Business - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE! <---
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8169320].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jodiesmitham
    Thanks very much for all your replies.

    PerformanceMan/Dayes - you're so right about solving a problem. That's where I get stuck - every time I think of a problem, it's always solved when I start digging around.

    Tofrar - excellent suggestion about Flippa. I've had a look and it has made me think about subjects I previously wouldn't have considered.

    nik0 - a lot of my sites could probably do with some high PR links. Although I have built steady backlinks to my sites over the years, they don't have much juice. I don't know much about creating a high PR network, but it all seems very risky to me. I mean, you'd need to buy a high PR site every time you create a new site to ensure the links are from relevant content? Surely Google will start to identify this process?

    The other problem is that I write all of my content. I just can't imagine trusting someone else to research and ensure the content is accurate enough. By the time I check their work, I may as well have written it myself.
    Signature

    Jodie Smitham

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8173038].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author nik0
      Banned
      Originally Posted by jodiesmitham View Post

      a lot of my sites could probably do with some high PR links. Although I have built steady backlinks to my sites over the years, they don't have much juice. I don't know much about creating a high PR network, but it all seems very risky to me. I mean, you'd need to buy a high PR site every time you create a new site to ensure the links are from relevant content? Surely Google will start to identify this process?
      You got it right but it's not that risky at all, the whole SEO industry uses this concept, not talking about just forum link sellers, talking about the professional companies that charge $2000+/month as well. It's a very standard practice and it's a 1000 times less risky then launching up the next spam software to build 100's or 1000's of links.

      Google is not able to automatically identify the process, especially when you make the sites look real they will even withstand a manual review in case that would ever happen.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8173110].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jodiesmitham
        Originally Posted by nik0 View Post

        You got it right but it's not that risky at all, the whole SEO industry uses this concept, not talking about just forum link sellers, talking about the professional companies that charge $2000+/month as well. It's a very standard practice and it's a 1000 times less risky then launching up the next spam software to build 100's or 1000's of links.

        Google is not able to automatically identify the process, especially when you make the sites look real they will even withstand a manual review in case that would ever happen.
        Thanks nik0. Does that mean you would need to maintain all these high PR sites? You'd have to almost work just as hard on these sites as the ones you're trying to rank so you could end up with tens if not hundreds of websites to maintain. Also, you would need to then ensure PR remains the same, so you'd have to maintain/improve the links to the high PR sites and then suddenly there's masses of work to do?
        Signature

        Jodie Smitham

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8173128].message }}

Trending Topics