How To Find The Right Path
I have gone through a growth spurt lately. I'm wondering if any of you have had a similar experience. I've been in WA for 2+ years, and have been very stressed the last couple of months about my website.
Why am I making no money? Oh, a couple of little sales here and there, but nothing to get very excited about. In recent times, have been trying to find someone in here who can tell me what I am doing wrong.
It's taken me a long time to reach this point. I now realize that no one is going to take me by the hand and tell me what changes I need to make. It's time to figure it out for myself.
The one thing I do have to say about my two years in WA is that I have learned a great deal about building a website. I like my websites and how they turned out. Thank you, Kyle and Carson, for creating such good training materials to teach us how to build.
I feel a bit like these last two years represent my "internet childhood." Now it's time to let go of the guiding hands and stand on my own two feet.
Now I am an "internet young adult." It's time to figure things out for myself. I have a few major problems I have to overcome.
1) I need to find ways to drive traffic to my site.
To help myself figure out what methods I need to use, am starting by researching and writing a post for my MMO site on the topic of ways to draw traffic to a website.
From those suggestions, will select the methods that seem to be best suited to my needs. For one thing, will be doing an intensive restudy of SEO to find ways I can improve it on my site.
One thing I will do for sure is to work on improving my headlines. If the headline is compelling enough, more people will be apt to read the post.
2) In order to drive more people to my site, it is important to find out what they are looking for. I need to research my audience. To do so, will start out by using a resource that I've had for quite some time.
I receive a number of online publications regularly in my niche, and have just glanced at them. I intend to look all of them over carefully, so I can learn what the competition is writing about and, from this information, perhaps I can get an idea of the kind of questions people have.
3) An improvement I need to make to the site is to figure out a way to make the items I have for sale easier to find. They are scattered throughout the posts, but unless someone reads the post where the item is listed, they won't even know I carry it.
Perhaps I can create some kind of index of all the products available, and what post they are in, so people will know where to find things.
I think I'll also start featuring one product each month, perhaps in a widget at the bottom of the page. By shining a spotlight on something I feel is special, it might lead other people to consider it.
As this project goes forward, I will be beset by many other questions which will have to be dealt with as I continue.
I feel that this is a start. I hope I'm going in the right direction. I am very open to ideas and suggestions, so if you can contribute any ideas to this list, please do so.
AND best of luck on your own journey.
Recent Comments
42
I use the Rank Math plug in Fran, it's free. It scores the SEO and tells you where you need changes. It has a place to add a title pic and reninds you to add the title(keywords) into at least one picture.
It was through that that I discovered a full stop, question mark or anything like that in the title lowered the SEO score. That made a difference.
While waiting for the SEO to build traffic I also find sharing on social media makes a dfference and brings traffic. Top for me are Pinterest and Twitter.
I don't think anyone can really say, do this or that, because what works for one doesn't always work for someone else.
Good luck.
The good news is your focusing on the traffic aspect of the website and not the money!
My #1 goal is to get traffic to my site. I am constantly looking over my reports to check on keyword ranking and how my articles are being received.
I also pay attention to my visitor stats and what causes spikes, I keep my own stats on spreadsheets of what I do and when I do it so I can compare it to my visitor trends.
My site is only 2 months old right now and I have only just opened my Google Search Console account which will definitely help in getting my website out there more. So far, I am very happy with what I am seeing.
Work hard, post often, posting good content, share in Social Media and getting comments are the main things I am focusing on. I think its a good strategy and will only get better as time goes on and I gain more authority with Google and Bing.
Thank you for the update and information! It really helps all of us in bringing these kinds of things to focus and concentrate on.
Thanks for your great comment. Of course, part of my purpose is to see if my experience can help someone else in the same situation. I'll be working on it.
Hi Fran, I have been frustrated so many times here. I ask so many questions to the community. It helps me a lot but some answers does not make sense to me. I agree that no one is going to take you by hand. The best solutions are on your list. In fact, no one knows about Google. You are the one who will find the right directions and you have done it. That's grate.
Tomoko
Thanks...I hope you are right, but from what I've experienced it sure looks like I've laid out the right direction to go.
Fran, it sounds like you have a good plan put together! Best of success to you in the endeavor!
Jeff
See more comments
I like your systematic and methodical approach to the issue. The points that you address, are 'on the money', no pun or irony intended.
Social media is definitely an area worth pursuing, in my eyes at least. Building up a following and posting regularly, as well as being in niche-related groups, has to be beneficial to the cause.
I have also seen quite a few posts paying homage to Pinterest, when it comes to traffic.
I look forward to reading other members thoughts as well as your future posts on this subject.
Will keep you all informed as to how it goes.
Looking forward to that.😁