Finally seeing the light, things I've learned past few months

[sunfunbill]

After some starts and stops, highs and lows, I'm finally seeing somewhat steady sales. Some of the things I'm doing to make this happen is different than what some think should work.

Now I don't mean I'm seeing any real big bucks, but with my very modest living standards (VERY MODEST) if things keep up I can stop my writing for others and go full time on my own sites in a few months.

1. One thing I'm seeing is, don't be afraid to think outside the box. I started in my niche pushing the big sites everyone else does. Then just recently I have started pushing a few smaller sites that most in my niche think is not what they want.

Well, those are the ones getting sales! I actually told others on a different board about how they should make a site like these before I ever saw them. So, now that I know what sells I'm getting a few more like them and dumping the others. Sometimes it pays to go with your gut.

2. LINK!!!!!! Damn, linking is my weak point, I never have time to link. Yet as soon as I started doing that, my sales started, even though I get lots of SE traffic too. Jim drove home that point to me, and it's paying off.

Top list, link lists, other blogs, sites, pic post, stuff like that are good, at least for me with a blog. I don't think directories are worth a damn anymore.

I know others do free sites and TGP's, but with how slow I am it's better for me to get fast links and work on my site.

3. All my sites are blogs, big ones. I find the more you post, the more you get. Not only does google like that, but it just makes sense. The more post you have, the more key words you have to score with. Post at least every other day, hand written, not copys or RSS feeds.

Some of the best post you can make for key words are not pushing any site. My best post that get lots of traffic are ones I was just talking about a subject or cool thing. Write about related stuff without pushing something.

4. NEVER GIVE UP!! I've been there so many times, but for me working online is almost needed. I am 90% deaf, which makes any regular job damn hard. To be able to talk to anyone by email, do all my work with my keyboard is perfect for me.

5. Don't waste all your time writing about how your finally seeing the light and posting it on a board,,,,, uh,,, yeah.

So thanks everyone, I have much more to do, I see so much more now in the past few months than in the 5 years I've been doing this. Clickcash and some new sites are my next project!

[Cozy Monica]

Bill, it's been really awesome to watch you grow and work your way up the ladder in this biz. I find it inspiring and it makes me dive into my own work with a little more energy, thank you

[balls_deep]

i've never heard more bogus advice in my life. Who really thinks that working hard on a site will pay off?

Doesn't everyone here make several thousands of dollars just posting on message boards?

Link building... useless
posting stead... a waste
various traffic sources... why?

[housekeeper]

Originally posted by sunfunbill
Well, those are the ones getting sales! I actually told others on a different board about how they should make a site like these before I ever saw them. So, now that I know what sells I'm getting a few more like them and dumping the others. Sometimes it pays to go with your gut.

It all sounds fabulous, though I'm not certain it would be in your best interest to dump your other sponsor sites, there may come a time when they will be the ones converting and the others won't.

[sunfunbill]

Hey there housekeeper. Well I will not completely drop them, in fact some of the sponsors have some of the sites I mention that are doing well. But the others that just don't seem to be doing anything for me, will be getting just a banner or something.

There are only so many sites you can push on one blog. Too many and you get less sales. No sense in pushing a site that does not work when others do.

What works on one person's site does nothing on another person's.

[housekeeper]

That's very true....

[sunfunbill]

Just wanted to add that just within the last week I got 5 new members on my forum, and today one actually introduced themselves. Ok so that's not much, but my point is this all happened soon after I did a lot more LINKING!!!!

I've gotten around 100 new hits a day just from about 6 links. Imagine once you have several hundred links. You also can get lots of one way links from comments on blogs and finding places that allow one way links.

I know there has been two sides to the argument about a links page. In my case it makes sense because once they get to my links page, which I will redo within a week, they can see all the other pages to check out.

I'm not doing it for the PR at all, I want the traffic!! Plus I mix in top list links, so they help me if all they do is click another link in the link page, but the top list visitor goes to my front page, since they allow that.

Now I want 10 more hours a day to do all the things I suddenly want to do to my site, so many things I see I can improve!!!

[KatieAnn]

Hey Bill, aside from the great news and well deserved success you are finding . . . that was a great list of newbie tips, glad you posted it

[sunfunbill]

Hey there KatieAnn, how is everything going? Yeah linking sure helps a lot. I even bought a banner spot today on urnotalone.

They have so much CD traffic, but time will tell how good it is. I need to make a better banner, one that really gets their eye.

Hey, could you PM me how much content and so on your site has now, so I can update my review I have of you? I'm trying to update everything. Thanks!

[KatieAnn]

Originally posted by sunfunbill
Hey, could you PM me how much content and so on your site has now, so I can update my review I have of you? I'm trying to update everything. Thanks!

You got it. Let me know if you need anything else!

Katie