I have been running a website for over three years now and I have learned quite a few things even in my limited experience. By no means is my blog a traffic monster but I have found valuable ways to have you enjoy checking out my site statistics. I have created a general website for personal and semi-business use as well as for a forum community.
Here are the basics you need to know beforehand. They are no brainers but it's always good to remind each other on what the basics are so we don't forget.
Key Words:
This is very crucial when first starting out. Key words will play an important role in making sure your blog is one of the top 1,000,000 website links pulled up on a search result on Google. It's smart to jump on a rising trend. For example, if the appeal of a new technology is increasing and your blog's theme is to covering new technology, write some articles on it even if you can find only a little bit of information. Your articles will come up as search results, which means your blog can potentially be looked at. Use product names! Even if the articles are on page five of a search result, don't worry; it's still better than nothing.
Uniqueness and Originality:
This is one of the toughest basics to cover simply because it seems like almost everything has been discussed or at least mentioned a long time even before you thought of it! But don't fret; with careful thinking and patience, creativity will take over. Try to find a way to be able to offer content that may be generally inaccessible for most people. Articles about personal experiences are what I find to be extremely useful because I am able to relate. They are easy and fun to write for the posters. Although I can't relate to everything I search for, I can still find usefulness in other people's personal experiences because it allows me to look at what my other options can be in various situations.
Visual Appeal:
Websites that have a lot of advertisements and cluttered, unorganized content can be very distracting and uninviting. Please, please, please have a nice and neat layout for your website. If it takes me more than a couple of seconds to locate the link to the page I want to go to, I won't bother with the website. The reason why we have fast internet connections is to minimize the time spent on websites. Slowing down the time it takes a visitor to find what they want on your site will only irritate them.
Now you know the basics. How about these? They are things bloggers soon run into after successfully launching their website.
Losing Interest:
A website doesn't explode with overwhelming traffic within the first few months. I understand that it is difficult to get the word out on your blog or website. You want to sell custom made clothes and you advertise your site in every way possible, but no results! What happens when your efforts don't show results quickly? It can be intimidating and upsetting if your site statistic's graph is a barely wavy line nearly flat at the bottom. But don't worry and don't give up! Dedication, patience, and hope are what will keep the potential of becoming a hit alive.
Running Out of Ideas:
So, what should you write about today? Are you all out of ideas? Is it panic time? At the very beginning you will have a plethora of ideas flooding your pages. But after a couple of months, you'll be looking everywhere in your imagination and creativity chamber for brand new ideas to write about.
One of the bigger mistakes people make with their blog or site is pumping out article after article multiple times a day for however long they can go on for. Do not do this! Wait up! At the beginning it's generally OK to post and update more often than usual to fill up your site with great content, but slow down to perhaps one article or update per day once you get situated. Save up on ideas and think of new ones before you need to post. I generally have two or three articles saved as drafts when I click on the "Post Article" button.
Facing those two obstacles will almost guarantee that your traffic will plummet. If you are the sole webmaster or poster for your blog, then you must devote your time and effort into what you're doing. My site got the most traffic when I truly enjoyed working on it.
My website originally started as a hobby. I had a tremendous amount of interest in it and threw in a lot of my time, but it quickly died down when I got side tracked with other personal life issues. However, it became active with traffic once I returned to blogging with a new attitude and new unique ideas. As cliché as it sounds, success doesn't happen overnight. Just keep doing what you're doing with real effort and devotion.
