Yet the answer to that isn’t hard at all. It’s quite easy really, and I find myself repeating itself enough times that I decided to turn it into this article.
The reason your site isn’t making money is very simple…
…it is not a valuable resource.
Or to be more specific:
It is not a valuable resource to your target market.
It doesn’t matter who you site is targeted towards. It doesn’t matter what your sites content is. Your only goal with your site should be to make it the most valuable resource possible for the people that are going to come visit.
Think about the websites that you visit daily. Think about the sites that you have bookmarked. Think about the sites that you always see recommended, or linked on forums. Think about the sites that you know the URL of, and will type them in without even stopping to think. Why are they so popular? Because they are one of, if not the most valuable resource for the market that they target towards, and they provide you with exactly what you are looking for.
Let’s look at two examples:
Google:
Google is the most popular search engine. The reason for that, is
because they provide what visitors want: relative search results. I
remember the days of using Yahoo, of using Altavista, of using Lycos,
and often having to go 3 or 4 pages deep before ever finding what I
wanted. With Google, I never have to go past page 1, and usually it is
the very first search listing. Why is Google so popular? Because they
provide the searcher with the results that they want.
ESPN: ESPN
is the biggest sports sites online. That is because they are the most
valuable resource for a sports fan. Interested in general sports news
and updates? They got it. Want to check out WNBA scores? ESPN will
provide it for you. Want to watch highlight from the games last night?
They’re just a click away at ESPN. Even better – they cater to the
visitor. Columns are in both audio and written formats. Multiple RSS
feeds are available. You can register an account, and customize your
ESPN experience. These guys – they get it.Too many people focus on the wrong things these days. They are interested in cosmetic changes to their websites. They worry too much about design issues, about search engine optimization, about link exchanges, about what banners to place.
When running a website you should be focused on one thing and one thing only – turning it into a valuable resource for your visitors.
By turning it into a valuable resource for your visitors, you are giving yourself the biggest chance of success. You are telling all your potential visitors to stop searching – they don’t need to search any longer. They’ve found the site they’re looking for. Your site.