Selecting
Website Topics for Success
This issue is not just about
picking the correct topic for a website, it is about selecting the correct
topic FOR YOU.
No matter what the topic of your
website is, it won't be successful if it is not based on your personal
experience and personal interests. Like the graphic to the left -
you'll have to fill in the blanks a bit.
It is important to approach a
website as a hobby. As something that you enjoy spending time on,
otherwise, it just won't work. On the
Mistakes
page I will talk a bit about my first website, which interested me a bit,
but not enough to really stick with it and make it successful. It was
a flop.
My second and third websites were
of deep personal interest to me and easy to write about, easy to develop -
and each became successful in their own ways. It is the goal of this
website, to show you how to optimize what those type websites do - and
create enough income for you to retire early. And, probably, to develop
many more websites.
I have to admit, that selecting
your FIRST website can be a bit difficult. For some reason the idea is a
bit abstract and hard to get a handle on. So, let me explain how I did it -
the good and the bad.
My first website was
www.HomeFitnessResource.com
- yeah, you won't find it there anymore - unless someone else took the
name. I've always tried to be fit and thought that always going out to a
gym was a problem for many people, and that finding a way to stay fit at
home would solve that problem for them (and me). Great idea, but it just
didn't capture my interest enough (maybe why I am fat and happy?).
Part of the issue is that if you
recommend products you SHOULD have experience with them so you really and
honestly recommend them. People KNOW intuitively if you are sincere and
honest, don't they? I didn't own all the equipment and supplies I was
recommending - so it just didn't work. I did have a great treadmill in my
apartment at the time - but that just wasn't enough.
My second website was a travel
website about the area of Thailand in which I live. I love it here, love
exploring the area, even vacation here (even though I live here!), and find
the area very interesting. Needless to say, the website was moderately
successful and I didn't mind spending time working on it, as I could easily
write from my own PERSONAL experience.
Another website I put together
was www.TEFLDaddy.com which I could
write from my own experiences teaching English overseas in Korea, Taiwan,
Saudi Arabia and Thailand - and my experience as a TEFL Teacher-Trainer
during those times.
The point I am trying to make is
that none of these websites required that I do a lot of NEW research - I was
just writing and developing the websites from my own personal experience and
interests. Almost all 94 pages of
www.TEFLDaddy.com came from my head - very little research required.
Also my two other TEFL-related websites that I developed - pretty much wrote
themselves from my experience and knowledge in the business.
These are websites from my early
days and have been around a while - you can see that my design experience
isn't great - but the sites still get good traffic and are growing all the
time. Don't worry too much about design, just keep things simple - a very
important idea we'll talk more about later.
What all this means is - look
inside yourself, your personal experience and interests - and select a
website that reflects who you are and what interests you. If you do that,
you will enjoy yourself. The website will never be a chore - but will
instead be a pleasure. And, it will be a pleasure that will put money in
your bank account - every month.
That's a GREAT hobby!
