Website Creation Tips Most People Never Learn Until It's Too Late

When I think of all the money and time that is wasted when people try to make money online, I feel this page is a MUST and it's long overdue.

I hope you don't just skim over this page because I guarantee it will put things into perspective and cause you to fine tune your approach before you start.

Also, if you've never made money online and aren't sure why your site failed, I think this article and videos below will be eye opening for you.

Be Careful of Your Focus Early On

If you don't really know how you want to make money yet, that's OK. Don't panic.

Just don't make the critical mistake of focusing too much on the money right away (AdSense, affiliate marketing, etc.)

Instead, think more about WHO the site is going to reach.

• What niche interests me and how can my information help those in this niche?
• What problems do people in this niche have?
• What information is missing or too vague online and how can I make learning more interesting or fun?

Too many people spend so much time obsessing over what products to sell or what programs can make them the most money instead of choosing a topic or kind of site that is most enjoyable so this doesn't feel like work.

When you build a website based off your interests that connects with people, how the site will make money will naturally evolve.

This doesn't mean to completely ignore HOW the website will generate an income, but don't forget that successful websites connect with people because they are useful, credible, personal, honest and trustworthy.

I illustrate this point in the video below with my natural hair site and how I used that blog to promote my T-shirt store...

Stay Away From Wikipedia-Like Websites

Before you just throw up a website, take time to understand the importance of topic choice AND the angle you take.

Another common mistake I see is people often build "wikipedia-like" websites that do nothing but regurgitate information that is already online.

Booooooring!

Instead of just paraphrasing existing content, choose topics that allow you to add your own creative, personal spin.

Look at it this way...

If you are searching for information online about how to lose weight, wouldn't you rather read a website with the same generic tips on weight loss, or would you rather view a site written by someone who has lost 100 pounds and shows you how they did it through video and their own unique and very personal tips?

First of all, the latter site is much more fun to create because the person has been there and has their own unique tips to share. These kinds of sites have a better chance of going somewhere because people like websites that appear genuine, helpful and personal.

This whole process should be fun, not a chore. And it starts with topic choice.

Think about websites you share on Facebook or Twitter. They are usually creative, funny, relative, fresh and/or unique in some way.

I talk about this in great detail below. Sit back, hit "Play" and enjoy!

What if I Already Have a Product to Sell?

As I said above, I don't want you to completely ignore how you're going to make money, but it's important you understand how people find websites.

Online is completely different from offline.

People don't just stumble upon online stores and start shopping like they do in their local neighborhoods.

People find websites through Google, word of mouth, social media, etc.

Think about how you find stores online? You are either already familiar with their brands (Target, Walmart, etc.) a friend recommended them, or you found them in Google through a specific, targeted search.

So if you already have a product you want to sell, you have to think about how people are going to find your store or website since you don't have the luxury of brand awareness like popular retail chains.

Since Google is probably the best way to at least START getting free, targeted traffic, you need to understand a little bit about how the search engines work.

Google loves content websites that are centered around a theme. And if you want your website to rank well, you need lots of unique, relevant content AND people also need to "vote" for that content via social media, etc.

In other words, Google also looks at how many "Likes" and tweets your content receives in social media. That now plays a large role in the rankings.

That's why people often start off by creating a blog or website on very niche topics. That's a great way to start building an audience.

Learn more about creating a blog with WordPress here.

So if I was going to sell a product, rather than just putting up a store, I would first build an information website that talks about topics related to what I'm trying to sell.

Since it's easier to get a website ranked compared to a stand-alone store, a lot of people choose to build a website and then use that to funnel traffic to their stores.

That's what I did with my natural hair Zazzle store. I created the blog first and then used the blog and forum to funnel traffic to the store.

Sure, I could have created the store without a website, but geez... that would have been so much harder to promote because of the way Google ranks websites.

Word of Mouth is Not Enough

While I know it would be awesome if we could launch websites, send a shout on our FaceBook page and hope our friends and family will start buying everything in sight.

If it only worked that way.

Friends and family will give you some courtesy visits, but you need much more traffic than your Facebook buddies if you want to build a successful business.

That's why I recommend creating niche websites and spend time learning about how to build traffic.

It takes time, but you will have a MUCH greater chance of success if you follow the advice and heed the warnings above.

Ready to build your site? Start by registering a domain.

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