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Passion - The Missing Ingredient Of Many Failing Websites
Many people are trying start commercially-oriented websites just because they heard you could make money online. These people oftentimes find out about the high profit niches (like travel, mortgages, and credit cards) and then create sites in those niches. There’s nothing wrong with following the money. It’s actually a great business strategy. However, if you have no passion for your niche, no one will visit your site.
I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. I created websites in niches I wasn’t passionate about. Soon, I got bored. Then, I got frustrated because I wasn’t getting traffic or revenue. I had the wrong mindset of good business.
Now I’ve realized that passion is so important. Passion gives you the motivation to research your target audience and find out what they really want. Passion gives you the motivation to offer relevant solutions to your audience. If you’re not passionate about a niche, you need to hire someone who is. Or you need to stop thinking about the money and start developing a passion for your niche.
Are you actually interested in your niche? Or do you just want to make money?
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I am a huge advocate of the need for passion - I blogged about the very same subject back in June, although with a focus on online communities.
Passion keeps you going once motivation and initial enthusiasm wanes; I am surprised so many people fail to consider it.
- Martin Reed
Nice post. I find that building a website is hard enough even if you do have passion for your niche. Why would you make it harder on yourself by choosing a niche you’re not interested in?
Passion is very important for me. I started out the same way building sites around topics that I had no interest in. The sites were not fun for me to update and it showed - no traffic at all. Once I chose a topic I truly enjoyed, I found success (traffic and revenue.)
Success does seem to be a by-product of pursuing our passions. Glad to know things are working out better for you.
I totally agree. You really need passion, especially in blogging, and it just makes your writing all that much better if you really care.
Couldn’t agree more. I get tired of all the people who just think about getting more money, preferably over night. 5 years ago when I started my first site I was thinking about “how to make this the best Karate site in Romania”. And how to offer the most content I can possibly muster and be useful for my visitors. I have started many sites afterwards and thought only about how to make my visitors/members benefit from the experience. I do monetize now, but after such long time and so many hours of work.
I don’t start sites in niches I don’t like. I start them on topics I am knowledgeable and passionate about. Start on something you like and money will follow ;)
Great comment. Too many webmasters are focusing on monetization before building a useful website and attracting relevant visitors.