Niche Site Wanted

I am going to try something COMPLETELY different than I have seen on any site out there. I am going to buy and build a website that makes money online and then I am going to GIVE IT AWAY IN A CONTEST!

Yes that’s right…I am going to develop a website and give it away to a reader. I haven’t worked out the details of the contest yet but make sure you grab my feed so you won’t miss it when I do.

Details to come, for now let me get to it.

It’s been a while since I have written about niche sites which is really what I intended to build this blog around. I am going to rectify that and make sure I get back to the mainstay of my blog in the coming weeks.

I have written several articles based around my methodology and techniques when it comes to niche site creation and/or purchasing and you can check two of my favorites out here and here. I don’t profess to be an expert at this but I can tell you that I am enjoying more success than many AND I am willing to share what I do so you can see if it will work for you.

Why Share?

The knock on many “Make Money Bloggers” is that they talk about making money online but they never really show you how they do it. I’ve seen it all from 10 year olds, to one armed dyslexic guys who claim to be from Mars all claiming to be making money online. In reality, I think it’s a safe bet that the overwhelming majority of them haven’t made enough to pay for their hosting bill.

turd.jpgThe stereotypical “income” report is a giant piece of steaming crap that they post on their blogs hoping to sucker in other newbies who are chasing the dream. Unfortunately it works and bloggers everywhere waste their time reading these blogs thinking they might someday learn something. The reality is that THOSE very bloggers are how the “gurus” actually make their money. Enough about them, you can follow them if you want but please use common sense when reading most of the these blogs. If it looks like they make it too easy, then trust me, it is.

What is Different About This?

I am going to try something different on this article series and do everything right out in the open. I not only encourage input, but I need it. After all, if we are going to be giving away a website then you should have a say in what you get right? The more input you give on this project then the better your chance of winning. I am going to tailor the contest to be weighted to reward reader involvement.

lazy.jpgI debated whether to go the way of developing a site from scratch or buying a niche site. It was a toss up as I have done both in the past with about the same success so I could go either way; one contributing factor that should be considered is recognizing the fact that most bloggers are lazy and they want immediate satisfaction.

If you are after fast results then I would definitely recommend the purchase route as much of the work is already done but the real task is to identify a bargain and make a purchase at a price you feel good about. This could mean either a developed site or a domain that just makes sense. It might be a blog, it might be an affiliate site, who knows. As I said, I can go either way for this project but I am leaning towards buying an underdeveloped site and giving it a makeover. We’ll see what presents itself.

What are we looking for?

The term “bargain” will mean different things to different people but basically we will want to attempt to buy at a discount to fair market price. We will want a site that has a lot of room for improvement when it comes to traffic and monetization and we will want a site that has value to a broad range of readers. When we accomplish all of this then we would have the choice of either selling the site at a profit or holding and enjoying a monthly income.

If I were developing a site to keep for myself then I don’t have a lot of time for very many more sites than I already own. I still have a full time job and I won’t “pretend” as many do, that my only source of income is my blog and actually admit that I still work a day job. This restriction places some limits on the types of niche sites I would be in the market for so make sure you realistically assess your own situation before jumping in and making any purchases.

Here are some of the things you should consider if you were looking to purchase or develop your own site.

  • Time - How much time do you realistically have to invest in your site.
  • Technical Requirements - Are you technically capable of running the site. Does it require coding? Graphic designs? If you’re skill set doesn’t match the needs of the site then don’t set yourself up for disappointment.
    • Cost - How much can you invest? Your financial means might outweigh your common sense but you should always consider how long you expect it to take to recoup your investment. A rough and I mean ROUGH standard is 10-12 months as a maximum length of time to recoup the initial investment.
    • Niche - Does the niche fit your overall plan? Can you cross promote your sites or are they completely different. If the site you select requires a lot of maintenance then is it something that interests you? Will you stick with it?
    • Monetization - Understand how you plan to monetize before you purchase. If you plan to use adsense but you buy a domain that has been banned from Google, then you just made a big mistake.

      I am sure the list is considerably longer than this so any readers who recognize something I missed then please feel free to share with us all via the comments.

      Wanted: High Potential Site or Domain.

      Alright, all of this said I am in the market for a website. I will be canvassing the For sale forums for a site or a blog toforsale.jpg purchase. Once I have identified the candidate I will use the 15 Must Have Tools to research my purchase and make sure I understand what I am getting. I will share my purchase with you all in a future post and then build an entire article series charting the progress of our niche site.

      If anyone has a site for sale or a suggestion for a purchase or even a thought on the subject then feel free to share with us all. This project is meant to be completely out in the open and I won’t guarantee success but what I WILL do is share the entire project with you.

      I am not setting a timetable as I won’t buy anything just to do it; I want the right site or domain. Being a feed subscriber will be requirement anyways so grab it now and see what you have to offer the project and we’ll see what we can build as a group. Who knows, maybe we can even enlist one of those famous A-Listers to help….you know the ones who claim to have the secrets but just won’t share them.

      Who’s game?

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