Stage One – The Excited
The inspiration comes out of the blue.
One day you’re browsing the Internet, and suddenly you come upon a website that catches your eye.
It describes how you can build your own website. You can have a domain name, hosting service and the first page of your website up in a matter of hours.
You perk up and continue reading. With little technical experience necessary and 10 dollars a month for hosting you can begin your website today. Simply figure out what your website is going to be about and you can start building.
Your mind starts to go wild. Ideas for websites pop in and out of existence. Like a giddy kid in a toy store trying to pick a birthday present, you are overwhelmed with choices.
Finally one sticks. You smile as you think about your perfect website.
You feel like having a website has been your destiny all along. You love to write, you enjoy spending time on the computer, you are tired of your job and want to work from home. Now you can do all these things – and make money!
You get a domain name, a hosting account, a website design application and begin to write and design. In the shower, on the bus, walking the dog, you are thinking about your website. Every free moment is spent on the computer reading about websites and writing content.
You are very excited. And you should be. Starting a website is a very exciting and rewarding experience. Creating something out of nothing, learning new things, dreaming of the future.
Stage Two – The Disappointed
The excitement is great because it turns you into a website making machine. In a matter of days 10 web pages spew from brain to page. And only Galileo peering through his telescope can match your thirst to discover everything you can about HTML and CSS.
Then your website goes live. It is out there and ready for all to see. Spending so much time and effort you finally sigh with relief – the hard part is done. Now come the rewards: fame and money.
Unfortunately, for those who enter this stage, reality does not tip-toe in through the back door. It barges in through the front and sends the door flying.
Crash!
Your website has been live for three months and you receive an average of 15 visitors a day and made of total of 3 dollars.
All that work, all that effort, the nights spent in front of the computer writing and writing. The hours spent agonizing over the layout and design of your website. The mental acrobatics performed to understand CSS. For what? 15 visitors and 3 dollars?
It’s just too disappointing to continue. You cannot build up the energy to write another page or to read another word about backlinks.
This is the point where most websites die. People give up and move on with their lives, believing that the website business is rigged and they have been swindled.
Sadly most new website owners quit, but there are still lots that survive this stage. They wade through the disappointment and keep moving forward. These are the fortunate ones who make it to the next and most important stage.
Stage Three – The Realist
Everybody goes through the first two stages, but only some make it to the third stage. The disappointment stage weeds out those without the necessary self-determination and those without belief in their websites.
What remains are those who realize that having a successful website is a lot of work and takes time. You need to work day by day, constantly adding content and marketing. And you must do this without expecting instant reward.
The Internet is not a magical place where leprechauns skip around leaving pots of gold for you to scoop up. Creating a successful website is no different then any other business.
There are start-up costs, there is competition and failure is always around the corner. Just like everything else that promises big rewards, it takes hard work and time.
The realist is the website owner who does not focus on checking their stats everyday and wonder why there are only 15 visitors and 3 dollars.
The realist turns their focus on creating a website with good content. The realist does not only add good content to their website, they also delete poor or outdated content.
The realist works on creating a website that provides a service or product that people want. The realist is building a business. The realist is patient.
What Stage Are You In?
If you are in the excitement stage then I hope by making you aware of the disappointment stage, the upcoming blow will be less shocking when it arrives.
At least now you know what’s coming so you will not be too surprised. You will not be hit on the backside. You can prepare yourself for it and try to minimize its impact to your psyche. Reality is coming – be ready for it.
Sorry if you are in stage two, but everybody has to go through it at least once. Fortunately by believing in yourself and your website this stage can be surpassed.
There is nothing wrong with taking a little break and re-analyzing your strategy, but the most important thing is that you keep going. Keep learning and improving. Do not quit.
Obviously stage three is the best one to be in. Not only did you successfully make it through the dreaded stage two, but you are well on your way toward success. Now you are creating quality content and you have the patience required to make the website of your dreams.
——————————————-
Lisa’s Comments
You can probably relate to Roman’s article in some way. I definitely spent some time in stage 2, but I also want to point out that how you label each stage makes a difference.
I spent some time in what Roman calls “The Disappointed Stage”, but I don’t ever recall feeling disappointed. If I did, I don’t think the feeling lasted very long.
I knew I was doing something wrong, but I also enjoyed the journey while I studied others who were succeeding. This forced me to reflect on my mistakes and how to adjust.
So if you find yourself in stage 2, the big question is, How are you dealing with it, and are you mentally prepared to get through it?
If you are disappointed, ask yourself why. Did you expect to start making money right away? Did you assume mounds of people were just going to flock to your site once you launched it? Are you comparing your results to someone else?
Your mental toughness and expectations definitely play a huge role in how you handle any bumps along the way. It’s OK to feel disappointed, but what’s more important is how you handle it and what you do next!
Do you agree with Roman? Do you think every successful website owner must go through every phase? Do you feel that you skipped the “Disappointed Phase”, or perhaps you’d like to call it something else? Have you discovered any other phases along the way?
Is it just me, or does anyone else enjoy stage 2 just as much as the others? To be completely honest, I might be the prototype stage 2 individual right now, but I absolutely love the challenge.
Thanks for posting this. I really like the succes story of succesful people who failed misserably at first but kept working on their concepts and eventually succeed.
Faillure is mostly the first step to succes, so you can experience faillure as a ‘good’ thing that everyone who’s ever been succesful in this business has been through.
Michael Jordan was excluded from his school basketbal team. If he stopped believing in himself, none of us would’ve know that this little boy would’ve grow up to be the best basketball player that has ever lived.
So, keep believing and know that hard work pays off.
I am sure I am in stage 2, it was a perfect story of my life, There is only one thing inconsistent. I missed that $3. : )
Hi Liza, you are such a charming lady, please be my mom.
: ) part 2
I think this article is great and I do think there is truth to what’s being said, however, I’ve had my site for 4 months now and I really don’t see myself ever leaving the excitement stage. Every “disappointment” is a new challenge for me and every “success” is so gratifying that I’m surprised it took me so long to pick up the hobby. I’m even making a little money-who knew?!
Maybe I have too much confidence or too much support from family and friends, but I’m certainly not complaining! 2 Create a Website also deserves a lot of credit. Thanks Lisa! Maybe someday I actually will reach stage 2, but regardless, I wish everyone success getting through the disappointment stage…and I encourage everyone to wear sunglasses-the light at the end of the tunnel can be really bright! Haha!
Hi Lisa, Great topic, I have been going though this disappointing stage for a while and was slowing embedding in my mind that, maybe this is not for me? I have been watching your video’s and following you for a few years now, I ask? why, I only get a few visitors a month with no sale or commissions? I stop posting on my websites and blogs for a while. I just simply backed up from my websites to take a break from it for a while to focus on other things in the mean time. While taking a break i was always keeping a log book of idea’s i wanted to add to my websites. After a while i went back to rebuilding somethings on my websites and focus on what people want and what people are searching for, my whole perspective has changed about my websites. Lisa, your absolutely on target with the 3 stages we all have to go through when doing business online or any other business offline. All 3 stages are learning curves and are well worth it for those who persevere and push forward in what ever they’re trying to achieve. I always read your post here at 2 create a website and i have found that your information is very informative and what people need and what we all can learn from to be successful in business or in life.
Thanks You A Million Times Lisa, Keep up that great work your doing to help others.
I agree with all the three steps. I started up with http://www.pneumatic-systems.com using SBI! and I ended up with less traffic, but the mistake was entirely mine.
I was unable to spend my time in website because of my daily work.
I’ve studied XHTML, CSS, CMS systems, Flash, SEO and many more to understand the internet fantasies. I quit my day job and turned to full time web designer.
Right now I’m devoting my time to learn more and more technologies to avoid such disappointments in coming future.
I’ll continue making pneumatic-systems.com in future with more aggressive marketing strategies and Content optimizing.
Thanks for sharing such a nice topic, it was truly inspiring.
in stage 2 currently, expectations have to realistic levels and hoping to reach stage 3 someday….
Great post.. really enjoy reading your posts….
Thank you so much for this post. I am in stage 2. Fortunately for me, I have a sister that is trying to get her blog started, too. We have been holding each other up, emotionally. I have several websites/blogs, it’s been fun setting each of them up and adding the content. I’m glad to see that someone with you experience and talent will tell us newbies that it will take time and work. Thanks again.
Excellent post Lisa! I saw myself at this post but on my first project 🙂 The thing is that once you have some failures, you start realizing that all what it takes to succeed is hard work and persistance, the rest will come.
I am just new at this. I am in stage 1-2. Funny thing about it. If I made the $3 I would be happy. I must be doing something wrong? That’s what I keep telling myself, until now.
This post has told me that as long as I am doing what is right (serving my visitors what they need) then I can’t be doing something wrong. I need to think about this in the right way. Onward and upward and away we go!
Good,Tks for your great post
I’m on the third stage now. i first felt disappointed, but after reading some of your advices on this same website, i realized that it’s a phase most website owners go through. Since then, i made the decision to cling to my dream.
Hi Lisa,
First of all. I like the way you are making a living from the internet.
There are several ways to earn money online but this is the right way.
Just learned (the hard way) that some people run scripts so they can be the first to register domains that come out of a 40 day quarantaine. Than they place only ads on them and than piggyback (is that the word?) for some time on someone else’s backlinks and pagerank, disgusting…
I have a site that is a bit of a moneymaker, my oldest, but I like my latest far better. I’m giving (almost) all I know and have away on that one.
Keep it coming,
regards,
Bart
I am in stage 3 now. I hope my earnings increase in the future in order to get to stage 4: the millionaire 😛
I’m still very much a newbie, I registered my domain August 28th (I think), Started blogging two days later. Two weeks down the line I had an Alexa ranking of 14,000,000+ and today I have a ranking of 1,500,000+ and 27,000+ in the UK. I market constantly.
I participate on other people’s website and give good advice/comment etc.
Though my website is an ‘Entertainment blog’ and although the net is saturated with them, I do believe in mine. I have a great personality that hopefully comes across in my delivery.
I’ve made only £9.60 LOL but that means I’m £9 richer right? LOL
Realisticly, I’m not expecting to make money until atleast a years time.
Right now my only focus is content and building up a loyal readership.
I also have another (e-commerce) website that is doing ok.
Good luck to everyone, I wish you all (and myself) much success! x
YOu have to find ways to stay excited about your website.
Hi Lisa,
If you could do me a favor, I`ll like to have a verbally
conversation with you. I am living in Japan.?So if accepted,
then it can only possible phone.
Looking forward to read from you.
thanks.
I think that creating a site or a blog takes a ton of work and there are just some things that you just HAVE to do in order to make your blog successful. Great tips! Definitely a great outline of the stages that every site ought to go through.
awesome….tq
Thank you all for your comments. Like Lisa, I am really enjoying all the feedback. Its nice to know that you are also going through these stages and it is not something I imagined and is happening only to me 🙂
Hi Lisa and Roman:
Thanks for posting the article! I started my website in November 2009 and was enjoying stage one while I was working feverishly, learning all I could and starting to build, build, build. Stage two actually occurred over the summer when everything seemed to slow down. Numbers started to dip and even my rankings dipped. But I kept going and am writing very purposeful articles that build deeper content in the major themes I highlight on my site. I also developed a marketing plan-with outside help- to get the word out in a systematic way. Things are slowly picking up, but like others have indicated, if you are serious about making it in this business, then you are in it for the longhaul. There will continue to be peaks and valleys but by continuing to learn, the process stays fresh and the creativity continues.
I am thoroughly enjoying the comments here. Great discussions and insight!
Lisa,
A few bloggers actually swing back and forth between stages 2 and 3. Most are frozen in stage 2. So this blog post is really an exercise in confronting our business model.
If your blog is performing below your dream, try other models. Example: http://www.BankAholic.com was never a high traffic blog nor one with lots of comments, yet it sold for $15 million. http://paidcontent.org/article/419-bankrate-acquires-bankaholic-for-up-to-15/ So who says you have to blog until you bleed blood.
Another example, http://www.TechCrunch.com is in the news and looks ripe for an acquisition by AOL for millions in dollars.
What’s my point? Set up blogs as if you will someday sell them. Look for some industries where you can position yourself and with time sell your blog.
Blogging for me is a marathon, a relay marathon not a sprint to the finish line. Blog to serve an industry and sooner someone with bucks will come banging on your door. I’ve set up blogs in as little as one week and flipped for $500.
Thank you, Lisa for this blog post.
It is mostly as Jared told – the stage 2 and 3 cycling most often as every new turn brings more challanges and rewards.
In my case, I never was disappointed as I always believe that you will be rewarded by your toil. Yes there were not much fruits many times, but I understood there’s certainly a way to work better. One of my websites started to earn good money for me and now my feets are more stronger. I can stand long and work harder to make my new blog seommotips.com a successful venture.
Thanks lisa for your wonderful post. Its in fact a closest dissimination of evolution. Every new bloggers after going through your post takes a deep breath and gathers courage to march forward for the next stage!
I was caught inside a time loop in stage two. Well, I still am. Even if giving up crossed my mind like a dozen times, I never do it. You don’t just let go. All that work that’s been done are gonna go to waste if we just give up right?
So thanks for this, it added a little more fire for me to keep going. Hehe. Maybe I’ll get there before turning fifty. 🙂
I’m in the stage 2! My visits per day are increasing by the month. Last month I had over 1000 which is low, but to me its great! I’m looking to make it to stage 3
There are many ways to cure stage 2. Invite outside help, someone who can compliment your efforts. A partner or associate will inject the energy, priorities and positioning needed to move a step further to success.
Next, flip the site or blog. Make money selling it to someone else. This is the one I did a lot. It made sure I never ran out money.
Finally, I’m now building a blog that I intent to hold for a very long time. I will still sell it but not right away. In building this blog http://www.BrazenNetworker.com, I’m not in a rush nor illusion that it will make money over night.
To make money while you build your dream home-based business, try flipping blogs and websites. You can make as little as $500.00 and or more than $2,500 a month doing this sort of business.
Besides, websites or blogs are not really going to make you lots of money unless you are offering some ecommerce. Posting contents alone will never make you money.
Ha! Ha! This article reminds me of my attitude when I was just staring my website… I think everybody feels the same for their first time but the best part is fighting that fear and move on and try and try and try until you reach the top.
this hit me bulls eye.
when i knew that i can earn online from making a website before, i felt stupid on why am i still working on my 8-5 job, realizing all the time i have wasted on the office. i even said that i can do or write better than them (that includes you liza). then disappointments came. now i have met reality, my blog earn an average of a dollar per day from the two kinds of ads on my blog.
The fun thing is that for each website you get through the 3 stages all over again.
They don’t always last the same period/length of time and even with experience some sites just don’t have me reach level 3.
I’d add that the 4th stage is boredom and that’s when it’s time to cut your losses or sell it for someone else to experience stage 1-2-3.
The title of the post is 3 stages that every website owner MUST go through. I truly hope the 4th stage is not boredom 🙂 I think that would be harder then the 2nd stage – for me boredom would be a definite showstopper.
Only the strong survive in the Internet marketing world. I rebuilt my first website three times.
-The first time I just threw everything on there.
-The second time was when I first started learning SEO
-The third time was after I had really learned the proper way to optimize my website
I did not take me long to realize that income increases were directly dependent upon the effort invested.
I am now in stage four: Auto Pilot!
This is an excellent article Roman.
I’ve been through EXACTLY what Roman describes in this post. I built my first website for my small local business, and fell in love with learning about websites, optimization, monetization and the whole 9 yards. I wrote a Hubpage article about building the website, my initial disappointment, and how I started to take an interest in SEO. Since then, I’ve read everything about these subjects that I can pull into my browser, and tried to narrow down the type of site I’d like to build. It’s been 18 months since I built that rickety website, and my interest hasn’t waned.
A tweet caught my eye the other day (forgot who the tweeter was)…it said “Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about”.
Good advice for those who have an interest in succeeding on the web 😉
Hi Lisa and Roman,
I think I’d call my second phase: The Discovery phase, because like you, I felt like there was something I was missing. So when I didn’t see the results I wanted, I started re-educating myself and at every turn I discovered something new. That is what I believe push me onward. I gained new inspiration and new hope as I applied what I learned and saw improved results.
Love, love, love the analogy “The Internet is not a magical place where leprechauns skip around leaving pots of gold for you to scoop up”.
I’m at stage 3- I really enjoyed stage 2 in some respects…
I love to learn, so affiliate marketing & blogging are perfect for me…….when I start a blog or website in a new niche, I can learn more about that subject, while still learning about blogging and marketing.
I think you have to love what you are doing to be able to persevere in the tough times.
I agree that reading the blogs of those who are “ahead of you” in the blogging game are good ones to follow- we can learn from them and they keep us inspired.
I am going to bookmark this post to share with new clients.
Thanks for this great explanation of the blogging process!
I am in my way to stage 3… 🙂
Damn!!!!
i have been at stage two now!!! and I am down!!!!
starting website on Nov 2009 with average visitor 500(last three month) but still cannot make money from it. I wonder I can make a lot of money when my website launched, NOT IN REAL. sometimes i was thinking all of my work are waste, because I still cannot make money from it.
Anyway this article every encourage me, not to compare with the other, do not to expect money first(of course I expect money but after past this stage). All I have to do is ask my self why i stuck in this stage, because i have to keep forward , and I have to!
good article, thanks!!!
(sorry poor english)
Wow! Another Masterpiece of honesty, confidence, motivation (for honest people), hope, saving money, bravery… in a sea of get-rich-quick jugglers and hype.
I do not know much about this, but I think there should be an award to differentiate blogs by honesty, etc, so that people can get useful tips, save money, buy with confidence, and the likes.
If there is an award, for sure, Lisa and Roman would be the first nominated in the list.
– Marcos
I’ve been at stage two before…but I think the thing here is consistency. What drives me is NOT the money making factor…it’s the fact that I have a genuine passion for the web and making websites 🙂
I remember the days when all I got was 15 visitors. I thank God that it’s multiplied since…but it did take hard work. Nonetheless…thanks for another great entry 🙂
Those that reach stage 3 (the ones who persevere) are the ones that push through over the hump and make it to the successful end. By the time one reaches this stage, they are wiser, calmer and more methodical in their approach. They have usually understood and come to terms with what it takes to succeed when they get to this point, thus the rest of the journey becomes a matter of steady execution.
If one goes into it with the understanding from the get go that the fun is in the journey itself, and if they truly feel that way and believe in it, then all stages in my opinion are one in the same.
It takes a rare breed for the later however…
Hello Roman, All I have to say is, “Thanks God For Stage 2” can you imagine the amount of garbage there would be on the internet if everyone would pass through stage 2, I am all about quality, 98% of bloggers fail within first 6 month. Only the top ones stay in business and thats all we want 🙂
Great Post,
Marios
for me the stages were:
1 CRAZY excited to have a site of my own, and be big (to at least some extent) on the internet
2 CRAZY disapointed because i wasnt making any $ or getting ‘big’
3. realizing that its gonna take some time
4. now accepting that its gonna take some time and just focusing on building good quality content
I am in stage 2 but I have not been disappointed. I am realistic about the amount of work I am putting into my website. And I believe I am getting the amount of traffic and money for what I am putting out.
I just past my 1 year hump (as it’s called at SBI) and I am polishing all my content and adding new content the way I should have from the beginning. But never. Doesn’t matter though because I’m in for the long haul.
Take care and good luck to all,
Michelle
What a great article. I was in fase two, but kinda skipped it fast cause I am pretty realistic.
And one more thing that helped me a lot was reading through so many success stories and I just said “I can do it”.
I did so many things in life people thought were impossible so no little website is gonna stop me :)))))
I’m in Stage 3 now. I think it’s important for bloggers to have realistic expectations and then match their efforts to those expectations. A lot of people spend several hours a day either writing blog posts or commenting on other blogs or promoting themselves on Twitter and other social media sites. Sometimes the return on investment isn’t there, at least in the beginning.
My first couple of websites were failures. Not necessarily because I was a failure, but because I wasn’t doing them the right way. I think now that I have my feet wet I can move past stage 2 and merge in through the trudge of stage 3 to get my cheese at the end of the maze. If the cheese never come, than I guess I had fun trying anyways. Great post! Motivational!
I am so in tune with Roman on this one. Stage 2 for me was the visitor count. I only got into monetizing my site in stage 3. What kept me going was the fact that I love web design and development as well as writing about my profession. The break I took lasted less than a month, but then I came back to my good old self and pressed on. Today I have no regrets. I’ve built many great relationships on the internet and there’s a constant flow of ad revenue.
Hello Wayne.
Same thing for me. What got me through stage 2 was that I really enjoy writing and I that took lots of breaks. I call them breaks now, but they are better described as almost-quits. During these ‘breaks’ there was always the chance that I would never get back to it. But fortunately I always did. These ‘breaks’ prevented me from burning out.
Now I have breaks but there is no worry that I will quit. I enjoy the challenges and rewards and will keep going. The short term goal is no longer to quit my day job and move to the beach – and that takes a lot of pressure off. The short term goal is to try to enjoy myself.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for sharing this! It probably brings out the emotions of what most of us are actually feeling, and I’m currently at the disappointment stage actually, but I’m sure I’m able to get out of this soon. Thanks again for this post!
I would like to call the second stage, “learning.” This is where reality smacks you, and you have to learn how to solve various problems. The third stage should be called “refining” This is where you find out what works for you and what doesn’t.
I was better prepared for the “Disappointed” stage because of the training on your website, Lisa. I remember one of your videos in which you said, “Don’t worry about ads for the first six months.” I still don’t have ads up. Maybe some day. I really don’t have enough traffic. I’m really doing this because I love it so much that no one can stop me. Besides, I’ve been dancing in the dark for years. I wrote four novels before I started blogging. Never published anything. I just want to improve my technique. Maybe some day I’ll be ready to publish. Web publishing is a good step.
One part of “Disappointed” that could be added is the duties of the “admin.” Holy cow! There are pitfalls there. You can have a problem on a server that you have no way of fixing. And if the server support is not aware of the problem, you are stuck until you can get your point across to them. And right now, my page loads are very inconsistent. Sometimes slow. Sometimes perfect. It’s a challenge. If I were fretting over money right now, I’d quit. I’m in the Realist stage, now.
I completely agree with all 3 stages. I was in Stage 1 November of 2009 building my website and then finally making it live. I haven’t let myself feel disappointed, although I am at that stage-But my 1 year is coming up, I have spent all that time analyzing what I am doing right, what I am doing wrong. And right now I am working on a new design, updated content, etc. And I will hopefully get past Stage 2 and make a nice safe landing into Stage 3 soon.
I have bounced between stage 2 and 3. I have had setbacks, and continue to do so, but then stage 3 kicks in and I begin to analyze my blog and determine what I need to to do achieve my goal.
After running my blog for a few years, I know what to expect, and what I need to do to achieve my goals. In the beginning I was like everyone else – expecting to make a ton of money very quickly. If that was possible, everyone would do it.
I now know it takes a lot of work, and disappointment, to achieve success, and I’m willing to accept both.