Can This Website be Profitable?

[quantikev]

Hello community.

For some time, I have been working on making my various websites profitable. One of my more recent projects is this one (it has undergone 2 revisions).

Unfortunately, it has suffered a similar fate as the others - much traffic (which according to my stats spends considerable time at the site) but no sales.

From what I can tell it is possible to make websites like this profitable, so I must be doing something wrong.

Therefore, I would appreciate your telling me how I am wrong!

Thanks a lot..

[jkgourmet]

I'm very new at this, so take my comments with a grain of salt. And also know that I viewed your site on my itouch so I didn't get 'the whole picture'.

A couple of things stood out quickly. First, I couldn't find anything that made me understand who you are and what expertise or knowledge you have developed about this topic. I couldn't even tell if you were an ex smoker and could empathize.

The bigger thing was that I read the first two articles - the six reviews and the natural products stuff- and still didn't know that you were selling anything! I had to go and search all your catgories before I found out what you offering to sell me.

I did like the look of the site-clean, crisp, easy to read. You're articles are very well written and interesting. I think you've got good information and a good looking site - but not a connection from the information your reader has searched fo and what YOU can do to help them.


I hope that helps but remember I'm just a newbie.

[quantikev]

Hi jkgourmet -

Actually your response does help me - it tells me the site lacks credibility. As for the ads, I recently removed them.

Important people in my life have smoked, hence how I empathize. Of course, translating that into an about me page is a different story.. a possible point of focus.

My other sites have more emphasis on credibility, but they don't seem to do much better!

The only thing I can think that I'm doing wrong universally is not focusing enough on selling the problems & solutions (product) in the articles.. they are just general information on the topics.

[jkgourmet]

as I'm learning more and more about IM, One of the things I'm realizing is that certain things are the same whether you are selling face to face, on the phone, on a website or in a direct mail piece. You have to be willing to ASK for the sale. For some people, this is easy. For others, it is a struggle - it feels like asking somebody for money and we kinda feel like that's rude or something. Some people are just plain shy. Others (like me) have no problem asking for the sale AS LONG AS I know for sure it's a good product and worth the money. The second I lose confidence in my product, I've lost my ability to market and sell it.

I bring this up because you almost have your products hidden so deep in your site that I had trouble finding them when I was LOOKING for them. What chance does a buyer have of finding them? Which makes me wonder: are you comfortable asking for the sale?

[David Jackson]

if you dont have time, maybe hire an internet marketer/seo to get more leads.

When did he say he didn't have time? Also, leads aren't the problem. He said the site's getting plenty of traffic, but they're just not buying?

David Jackson

[Gord Young]

Who is your target market?
I assume the site is aimed at people who want to quit smoking?
Answer the W.I.I.F.M. (what's in it for me?)
Tell them how you hope to help them.
Tell them how smoking has affected you, a friend or a family member.
Do you have an email series prepared if they sign up for weekly updates?
What will you hope to sell them through said email series?
Do you have your own product, or an affiliate product to sell?

[Kayla Fay]

I also think your biggest problem is that it's not obvious that you're selling anything. My first website was - and sometimes still is - like that. Each page/post should have a purpose - something to get the reader closer to what you want them to do, whether it be sign up for your newsletter, download a free report, or make a purchase.

Lynn wrote a great post on 'How to Write a Blog Post (http://www.clicknewz.com/1993/how-to-write-a-blog-post/)' that you should read.

[David Jackson]

In addition to the excellent advice you've already received, I think one of the the main reasons people aren't buying is because your site lacks credibility. It's a cold, sterile site without any personality whatsoever. You have to tell people who you are, and what makes you an expert on the topic of smoking. Also, I don't know why, but so many newbies are reluctant to show people what they look like. I've noticed the same problem with many members of this forum.

Trust me on this. Not having your picture on your website is hurting your credibility - which in turn is hurting your bottom line. All the professional marketers I know have their picture on their sites. They do it for one reason - credibility.

Oh, and one last thing. Do yourself a favor, and lose the Adsense ads. It doesn't enhance your site one bit, and it may actually be hurting you. Your content should be able to stand on its own merit.

David Jackson

[David Jackson]

I've built over a dozen of these sites, some of which are well over a year old. I've performed many revisions, with more and fewer ads and ad types. Text links in the articles, picture ads on the sides or top.

From all of these, only 1 produced income, and that was only for a little while.

You're not making money, because your approach is entrely wrongheaded. You're focusing on making money. In other words, you're thinking about yourself first. That's a sure recipe for failure. Instead, focus on building the best website you can with quality content that actually helps people.

Also, get away from doing what everyone else is doing. Come up with your own unique twist. If you do this, I promise you the money will come.

David Jackson

[quantikev]

You're not making money, because your approach is entrely wrongheaded. You're focusing on making money. In other words, you're thinking about yourself first. That's a sure recipe for failure. Instead, focus on building the best website you can with quality content that actually helps people.

Also, get away from doing what everyone else is doing. Come up with your own unique twist. If you do this, I promise you the money will come.

David Jackson

I do agree with what you're saying, but I've attempted to make the website (and my others) as helpful as possible.. In your opinion does the site come across as such? I realize I could build it up more, but it doesn't seem as if these other sites require 100 pages of content before they are monetized successfully..



As for product links, I wonder if using my review category as the front page would suffice?

[David Jackson]

I do agree with what you're saying, but it doesn't seem as if these other sites require 100 pages of content before they are monetized successfully.

Let me tell you the secret behind those so-called mini sites you keep talking about that happen to catch lightning in a bottle, and make a ton of money very quickly. They all feature sales letters that cost the merchants thousands of dollars.

How do I know? Because I've ghost-written several of them for clients of mine. And my minimum fee is $3500. Believe it or not, my fee is on the low end of the spectrum. There are other more established copywriters who won't even talk to you for less than $10,000 or more.

One last thing, even with an expensive, high-powered sales letter, there are still far more failures than successes. Even with the best of circumstances, you have to get a little bit lucky too!

David Jackson

[Nelson Swett]

I am a total neophyte at this and am still learning. And there have been some great comments here that I couldn't hope to top.

I read a couple of your posts and thought that there were several opportunities to monetize. For Instance (and this may be wayyyyyyy off) your first article on Quit Smoking Tools mentions several drugs (nicoderm, Zyban, and Chantix) as ways to quit smoking. Why don't you review each of these (there are reviews on the web, i googled it) and link to those reviews from your post. Then in the review, you offer them the opportunity to buy those medications (through your affiliate link, obviously). I googled chantix really quick and found 2 rx programs that have affiliate programs which sell those medications: amerimedrx.com & edrugstore.md.

Again, I am a total neophyte so take my suggestions with a grain of salt, but it was an initial thought. It goes with asking yourself the question: How can I help this person succeed at smoking cessation and be reasonably compensated for doing so? Someone who wants to quit smoking comes to your site, reads the article about cessation tools, wonders if chantix is effective (side effects, etcc.), wants to know more, reads your review (rather than one off your site), decides to buy, your provide that opportunity. Win-Win!

Okay. This peanut has said enough.

[jkgourmet]

I don't know anything about those medications - but if they are prescription medicines, I'd be very careful with those links. . .