SEM Tycoon

**imported_kdoggfunkstah** · 07-31-2006, 08:47 PM

I currently have a blog up that I started recently and I'm just not sure it's geared towards traffic, I'm considering that I should just keep that as a personal website (keeping a journal, photo album, etc...).

However, I really would like to start a website that will generate enough traffic to help me pay my way through school. Since I will be going to grad school, I'm assuming I will be able to only put in 1~2 hrs a day (more if I'm really feeling ambitious that day and I see results).

So here is my question:
* where should I host my website? (included free domain reg?)
* what kind of medium? (blog, forum, etc?)
* how to monetize early on

I have some experience w/ php,mysql/sqlite,css and i've done html for 10+ years. I'm competent enough to learn new stuff.

I just want to know how a lot of you started and what kept you motivated. Please help, I really need this, and I would really appreciate the help of seeing which direction I need to go. Thank you!

**imported_Henry** · 07-31-2006, 08:55 PM

I build a site using Blogger.com (free) then I exchange links with popular sites with similar topic as mine (usually I contact webmasters directly thru their email). That will bring you good traffic and good backlinks.

**garg** · 07-31-2006, 08:56 PM

It really depends what you are most passionate about.

One of the the simplest thing that you could do is start a content blog of some sort but you'll have to write articles daily and come up with new ideas for new articles all the time. Only if your articles are interesting, useful, and consistently updated will you have a money making blog on your hands.

A forum takes up a lot of time and computer resources. It's a huge thing to manage successfully and contexual ads usually don't work. However, if you have a friendly community then you could probably sell forum related stuff to them. In my opinion, a forum is one of the hardest things to manage/monetize because of all the people management. Another problem is that it takes up a whole lot of server resources and you'll have to upgrade your hosting fast. I've had a big board since 2002 and it still gives me problems hehe.

Other choices you might have would be to probably affiliate programs. Sell stuff for people on your websites. Again this is difficult and you'll probably have to advertise your site everywhere.

You say that you have experience with php and mysql then I think you could create some sort of application site that will be so cool that it will become popular using word of mouth. You could put ads on it and stuff.

Basically, anything that you make needs to get HIGH traffic and you'll pretty much be set

.

As for hosting... please check out my sig (the yinyang smiley). I host with ASmallOrange and I can HONESTLY say that they are one of the best hosts that I've hosted with

. If you follow that link I'll get one month free hosting. You can check them out and you'll find reviews consistent with what I have to say (that they rock!

.. if you do choose them please write garg in the reffered by field (i'm so shameless :O )) .

Good Luck! I have the same sort of goal as you. I'm seeing some results but I feel like I reaaaally have to push harder

**imported_kdoggfunkstah** · 07-31-2006, 09:09 PM

henry -- how long did it take for you to get a good earning (when I say good, lets say when did you start getting 100+ a month?). And also how often did you update your blog?

I think one of my biggest worries is that I will run out of stuff to talk about. And I'm not sure often people would talk about another person's blog or something and consider that an entry. But I would assume that wouldn't be unique and won't generate much traffic.

**imported_kdoggfunkstah** · 07-31-2006, 09:12 PM

garg -- same question goes for you, how long did it take for you to get a decent income flow from your website(s)?
I think I agree that I won't have time to keep a forum, it seems like a full time job and I can't afford that kind of time in that (although it would be nice to).

I guess since php/mysql is still booming, maybe i'll write snippets of code and have it host it on the site. However, my main "passion" would probably be electronics and circuit design. I'm not sure if there is a high demand out there for that :-p.

**imported_kdoggfunkstah** · 08-01-2006, 05:28 PM

*bump*

**imported_Luke** · 08-02-2006, 09:41 AM

kdoggfunkstah, if you are after making money from a blog I would have to suggest you do a blog on a certain topic or better still popband/model. That way you know you will get traffic and content is readily available all the time.

If things dont seem to work for you then you can always sell and make a nice few hundred quid and start something else.

I always find people dont make alot of money by running personal blogs or blogs on SEO/Business mainly because everyone seems to have one

**imported_mattd** · 08-02-2006, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kdoggfunkstah

I guess since php/mysql is still booming, maybe i'll write snippets of code and have it host it on the site. However, my main "passion" would probably be electronics and circuit design. I'm not sure if there is a high demand out there for that :-p.

It might be a good idea to do the "snippet" site idea - e.g. have like tutorials, "how to" articles etc. PHP and SQL (not only MySQL!) are huge huge areas so there is a lot of traffic - indeed there are a lot of people who barely know the basics so there is a huge amount of content you can write about, like getting started tutorials about SQL-DDL & DML etc.

Persoanlly I'd not approach it as a blog - I dont think the time-ordered approach really suits sites like this. I'd go for a CMS system that will automatically generate site maps and category listings and so on automatically.