From newbie to new income? Lets see...

[xploit]

Ok, so I've splashed out on access to the Dojo now its time to see what I can make happen...

First things first, niche selection.

Before I even build a site I know the most important thing is to look for a niche you have an interest in that has people searching for it and not just people looking for free info.

As a result I have managed to find a list of a few hundred niches to browse through and eliminate the ones I dont have an interest in, then dig deeper into those that i do like and see which have keywords with low competition and high search rate (that are buyer keywords).

Previous experience has been with things like the iPhone 4 where I once had freeiphone4.co.uk ranked #1 for an incentive site giving away free iphones for referring friends/completing offers etc - that was a heavily competitive niche and as such I am trying to avoid the hard work / competition where possible.

Wish me luck as i start this venture - it's not something I am going to rush and I dont expect miracles to happen overnight.

Time will tell...

 

[azgold]

I do wish you luck! Sounds like you're going forward in a very practical and methodical way, which I'm sure will get you off to a good start.

 

[xploit]

I felt if I just jumped in with a random idea I wouldnt get very far - have done that way too many times in the past with failed sites. As this is a case study i wanted to show the right ways to do it all

 

[xploit]

Niche chosen and I decided to try out a .uk domain to go with it - not sure if that will put off international visitors - hope not, will see though...

review theme and blog added to wordpress site...

 

[crysper]

Good luck mate, if you stick to it, it will pay off eventually...not giving up is the hardest part.We're here to help

 

[xploit]

Thanks crysper

Today has been a day for job interviews but will carry on with looking at the base of the site and getting wordpress ready for the content - any recommended plugins for wordpress seo? Also getting wordpress setup as a review site so getting the schema plugins on to show review scores in SERPs

 

[xploit]

Anyone got experience with making profitable review sites?

Looking for best wordpress setup (themes / plugins etc)

thanks in advance

 

[K]

What sort of thing will you be reviewing? Any examples of sites you like etc?

 

[xploit]

Sorry for lack of replies here - I've spent the week in a muddy field in Somerset at a little music festival you may have heard of called Glastonbury

Also my birthday tomorrow so will get back to working on the site after that

K - I will be reviewing digital cameras and accessories as photography is a hobby of mine so looking to make money off sales of cameras / accessories etc

 

[xploit]

Also when starting a review site I guess it's best to write a number of them first then upload them all to have a base to work from rather than just start with a single review?

 

[xploit]

Ok, time to come clean and get some advice...

Right, I've not shared much actual detail about this project yet so here, goes...

Great Digital Camera Reviews | Helping you get that perfect shot is the website i have started

The domain itself has a theme and 5 reviews on it, but thats about it at the moment, I've been really busy with work and will be moving house this weekend.

What specific things would you do to this site to get it up and running properly and what should I prioritise?

Thanks...

 

[K]

Have you installed analytics?

Have you followed http://www.affiliatefix.com/f37/whi...rought-millions-views-thousands-dollars-8802/ for the posts?

 

[xploit]

Analytics is installed yeah and going through that thread too

Any other hints / tips?

 

[Tirade]

Analytics is installed yeah and going through that thread too

Any other hints / tips?

You need more pictures. Not just for SEO purposes, but because the vast majority of people will leave a website immediately when confronted with a wall of text.

You need your standard boilerplate pages--About, Contact, Privacy Policy, etc. Again, SEO reasons.

The header design needs help. The gray streak above the word "camera" looks unprofessional, and the overall tiny size isn't helping. Get a new one off Fiverr. If you bought this off Fiverr, then demand a refund. I'm being harsh about this because first impressions in internet marketing are crucial. Bad header + wall of text = people are going to bolt and probably through the Back button rather than your affiliate link.

 

[xploit]

Thanks for the feedback

I have just moved house, phone line / broadband being installed tomorrow so just waiting to get back online then new theme and images will be uploaded

 

[xploit]

Any other tips while I wait to redo the site?

 

[xploit]

Quick update:

our phone line is installed but the broadband isnt working yet - so still waiting to update the site :/

 

[xploit]

Another engineer has been out today and has found the fault (possibly? believe it when i see it)

Hopefully another 3 days and broadband will be active

 

[xploit]

Been having a bit of a play with the site while at work tonight - what do you think of it now?

Great Digital Camera Reviews | Keeping you in the picture...

 

[K]

Wow, great work on the site - make sure you add some real strong call to action to "Buy Now", "Review" etc!

Analytics installed?