Can I Build a Profitable Website With a Teen Site?

[Scarlet]

Hello All,

I have a blog that is targeted towards teens. Here I provide information on how to survive teen life. I cover all sorts of topics. I've talked about hygiene, sex, parents and curfews. I'm wondering if this particular niche would even be profitable. Teens are a hard bunch to get through to. Most of them also don't have open wallets like their parents do, so it would be hard for them to purchase anything. I'm wondering if my only means of monetization would be Adsense. However, I don't want to depend solely upon it. I think teens need direction because so many of them are misguided. I really need help with this. My site is at teen-babble.com. Any help would be great.

Thanks,

Scarlet

[Lynn Terry]

Hi Scarlet,

I assume you are active on Social Media sites. Are you getting a response there, and comments at your site - is your market engaging with your content?

I would definitely try Adsense. That doesn't mean you have to depend on that alone. You can also find sponsors for your site.

And I don't know about other teens, but mine order online all the time. More than they shop anywhere else, even. I'm happy to keep them off the road, or not have to go the mall myself (lol).

[Scarlet]

Hi Lynn,

Not getting many responses from Facebook. I have people who like my page though. I don't get many comments on my site either. You comfortably work from home and have money like that to spend as well as your kids. However, many parents and teens don't have that luxury. Not many parents give their teens credit cards and let them just order whatever. The only parents that I know who do that are the parents who have money to spend like that. Not that one has to be rich in order to purchase something online from me, but teens would have to ask their parents first. Money isn't easily accessible to most of them.

[Lynn Terry]

Hmm. I don't agree.

My children do not have their own credit or debit cards. And neither of mine are spoiled or materialistic. Quite the opposite, they ask for very little and are appreciative of new things.

But when it comes to buying a new spring jacket, birthday gifts for friends or family, or a new pair of gym shoes for school, these are necessary expenses - and I love that they're content to shop online instead of dragging me to the mall.

[KelliSmithgall]

Hi Scarlet,

My children also enjoy shopping online, and are far from spoiled and don't feel a sense of entitlement. For birthdays, or Christmas, etc. they often receive VISA Gift Cards because they like to shop online. In fact, my 12 & 14 year old who had their birthdays in April received VISA Gift Cards from different family members, and I just found out that my 12 year old purchased something for me online for Mother's Day with his bday VISA gift card!

Also, my 16 year old has a job, and just opened his own checking account with a debit card. He already manages his money very well, and just purchased a new pair of jeans online over this past weekend! He and my 17 year old son started their own website a a few months ago with future plans of designing/selling/catering to the teen market because they have many friends who also shop online whether it's through their parents money or their own money.

Like Lynn, regarding necessary expenses such as volleyball shoes, or even hard to find "cool" clothes for my son who is almost 6'10" - I'd much rather have him shop online instead of the gazillion stores we'd have to go to maybe find something that looks good and fits. And, ordering online gives him a vast selection and more choices over what brick-and-mortar stores carry.

[Lynn Terry]

Good points - both of my children worked as well. My daughter got a job outside the home at only 15 (we live in a very small town, rural area). Prior to that she worked for me. My son also worked for me as a young teen, and freelanced online until he started his company and left home last year. So they had their own earnings.