1) You Compare Yourself to Others Too Much
There’s nothing wrong with using successful people and their stories for inspiration. After all, everyone needs someone to look up to when learning.
However, many of you just get carried away. How long it took blogger ABC to reach X amount of visitors or make X amount of money has absolutely no relevance to your individual situation.
There are just too many variables involved when it comes to building traffic and making money so it’s impossible to compare.
And if you discover you are behind the pace of someone who is successful, it’s like getting a one-way ticket to Discourage-ville. Don’t put yourself through that mental exhaustion because it doesn’t even matter.
Who cares if it takes you six months longer to make money than someone you admire. As long as you are learning, growing and having a great time, enjoy the ride!
2) You’re Surrounded by Negativity
It always floors me when I read such comments like “You can’t make any worthwhile money online.”
Seriously?
I often wonder where these people are hanging out online and who they’re subscribing to? If you’re following the right people, it’s not hard to find successful, small business/affiliate websites online.
A lot of people who are struggling get their information from others who are failing (or have failed). Negative people like to surround themselves with like-minded people because they validate their beliefs.
If you want success, surround yourself by more successful, positive people and get out of that sea of negativity.
That’s one reason I started a Website Success Stories forum. I want to inspire newcomers and give my forum members some positivity to chew on. I just love reading the stories there.
Also, if you’re just starting out, be careful who you share your dreams with. A lot of people still don’t understand this “internet thing” and it’s easy for them to chalk it up to “playing around” or “wasting time online.”
I’ve met so many people who have let their families and friends discourage them achieving their website goals. It doesn’t matter what other people think. You know what’s possible out here and that’s all that matters.
Stay focused and keep your eye on the prize!
3) You Don’t Network
Networking is a must, especially because search engine optimization is becoming more personalized and all about who has you in their social circles, who’s following you, “liking” your content, etc.
I haven’t spent a lot of time on specific social media strategies, but if I were starting today and looking for a way to build my exposure online, this would be one of the first things I’d tackle.
Even though there are negative sides to social media that still bug me (it creates distractions, narcissism, etc.) it’s become so big, you can’t ignore it. Not to mention, it’s free to use!
When was the last time you’ve researched website owners in your niche and introduced yourself or shared their content? Or are you just writing in your own corner of the Internet waiting for people to notice you?
Take a lesson from bloggers like Ileane Smith of BasicBlogTips.com and Brankica Underwood of Blog Like a Star. Both are very well-known in their spaces and will probably tell you they’ve built the majority of their following through social media.
They don’t just produce great content, but they generously share other people’s work and build relationships with their followers. Follow them. You’ll learn a lot.
4) You’re in the Wrong Niche
This can be a painful realization — especially if you’ve worked very hard on your site for a long time.
However, if it’s always a struggle for you to come up with new content and be creative, that could be because you aren’t as interested in your niche as you thought you were.
That’s OK. It happens to a lot of people. I went through several sites before I came up with 2 Create a Website.
There’s no rule that says you have to do this right the first time. If there was, I’d be long gone. So don’t be ashamed if you have to try something new.
Remind yourself that you’re human and it’s all part of the process. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
5) You are Disconnected From Your Readers
Polling my subscribers was one of the best strategies I’ve ever implemented.
It’s so easy to get caught up in what you THINK people want to read, but unless you ask, you can never really be too sure.
Want to win over your readers?
Ask them what they want to learn…
Listen to their feedback, and
Deliver!
I’m doing just that with a niche website book that will be free to all my e-mail subscribers. I’m using the feedback from my subscriber poll to ensure I give my readers what they asked for.
This book is long overdue, but better late than never, right? 🙂
Great post, Lisa. While I was reading I kept hoping a piece on niche content would appear, and behold! Thanks!
reat blog…..i do think that if you’re following the right people, you wont find it hard to find successful, small business/affiliate websites online, theres so many of them.nice post…:)
Thanks a lot for this article , i am missing interaction with my readers as per your article and i would also go upon looking on other factors as well !
Thanks a lot for this informative article !
Lisa, you’ve made some valid points. I spend way too much time comparing my sites to others when I should spend more time focusing on mine.
I’m in a tough niche (teens) so it definitely makes it harder for me to catch and keep their attention. It also doesn’t help that I don’t get that much traffic either.
I also don’t network as much. I have a Facebook, Twitter and YouTube page, but I don’t use them as often. I figure because I don’t have any traffic, what’s the point of networking now.
However, I’ve learned that that’s a huge No No. Most teens are constantly on those social networking sites and if that’s where they are then that’s where I need to be. I really have to figure out how to use them to my best ability.
Thanks for the tips Lisa, they really help 🙂
Hi Scarlet
Yep, you could be leaving a lot of opportunity on the table since that’s where your target market is…. on the social networking scene. Glad I could shed some light. Good luck!
Your point on not being connected with the readers totally hits home with me. i was initially looking mostly at what i want to share and expected people to like reading it as much as i had enjoyed writing it – a minor tweak in perspective has worked wonders for me.
Hi Lisa,
Great post. Okay, right now, I’m going to try my best at getting away from the negativity in my life. Friday night I had a near death experience (a space heater caught on fire) and my entire family could have been killed if I hadn’t been awake at 2 am working on my websites) .
I hope to take this experience to spur me to get away from being negative myself. Maybe this will now help me with my blogging as well as with other things.
Thanks,
Brian
Thanks for sharing such post. hope this post will provide a mile stone for blog readers.
Respect of Women in Islam
yeah you’re right, social media plays a very big part in building website traffic nowadays.
Many blogger often do the wrong method. I also don’t understand why there is so much negativity. Hello lisa, I always freeze when I follow your posts, I like them very much, well I know that I’m a bit lazy in developing my site.
Even I was pretty late in these things. Started socializing about my blogs pretty late. Was never interested to know what my readers would want to read and find out. And above all compared my blogs with the best blogs out there. Nevertheless I am now a happy blogger having realized my mistakes and corrected them 🙂
Lisa, I have a great subject for a video that I have never seen on the internet. Make a video that shows people how to “find local files” using firebug or google chrome dev tool. all the videos i have seen only explain how to find the css files but not the actual local files that contain the html that need to be edited. the css files have a box that tells you the file path to the css file but not the html files.
Yep 5/5 for me
yes it true we compare our website with other website.
thats the bigest mistake we made.
i am runing an adsense revenue forum http://www.debateinn.com
me and my user earning good amount from it.
I like what you wrote, i personally feel content is king along with accurate seo but paying attention to the competitors is vital in site performance, its not alway you…it’s them
All what you’re mentioned are quite right lisa. Many blogger often do the wrong method. The 5 reason above are the main reason why our blog are always struggling to reach the top 10 of SERP. by reading your post i’ve got inspired to fix my fault. thanks lisa..
hey Lisa, great post and good tips all the way around. so many people get into the hype of the get rich online claims, and the overnight success stories that its hard to get people to quit listening to all the hype.
One thing that I recommend that really helped me is to focus on your own journey, and enjoy every minute of discovery. I don’t make as much as I want to from my blog, but I also know that I am making more than many other bloggers that I see. So, rather than looking at all the people who make more than I do, I look at all the people I have already surpassed. Also, by staying open to the opportunities in front of me, I am opening up and seeing new ways to grow and develop my blog.
I don’t think I fall into any of these categories. I think it is just going to take longer to become successful than I thought. I just have to continue putting work in and I’ll get there. (see, I’m being positive, lol)
Great points Lisa, especially #1!
It can be so easy to get down on yourself when really you are still doing a great job.
Taking time to realise what you HAVE achieved can help you feel better and to keep going.
Thanks for sharing!
Rachael Macgregor
I am agree with you about niche , it should be first step.
I know exactly how you Feel Bill my GF just doesnt understand when i say im busy… im a website designer and as we all know you have to keep striking the iron by email before it goes cold
@Bill,
Youre not alone:-)
I’m surrounded by people that think that I’m just playing video games all day on my computer and people that tell me to get a ‘real’ job, but that keeps me motivated, kinda.
very nice lisa.agree with every thing you mention.
Admin
Romantic Shayari Blog
Working hard and community building is very important to make any site popular easily
hey does anyone know how to find a file to edit (not a css file)
with either firebug or chrome dev tool. I have some text i want to update in my site but cant figure out and find the file to edit but i can see it in firebug and chrome dev tool?
yeah,, i thing u’re right,, sometimes that happening to me,, thanks for share,,
Hi Liza,
You are a very talented one.. This blog you post is very helpful because now I can see a future success with my small online business. Thanks for a great tips!
Sometimes I cannot stop comparing myself to others but at the end of the day I realized that we have our own strengths and weaknesses. The reason why I am still venturing online is that I’ve always believed on myself that I can succeed online.
Hi Lisa!
Well I don’t think I fail at any of the 5 points here but I also don’t think my site “fails” either (considering is not even 2 months old).
It already has brought a few affiliate commissions and even some Amazon luv as well (I told you on twitter lol).
But (and it’s a big one) I think I’d probably do a lot better in something I dominate more, like teaching how to play guitar.
However I don’t plan to be carrying a guitar under my arm for the rest of my life, much less while traveling, so I have mixed feelings about diving into that niche or just stick with the IM related and some techie aspects of it.
What would your thoughts be on this?
Thanks in advance! 😉
Sergio
I think it really comes down to passion. If you are truly passionate about the guitar and can write for months and months on this topic and continue to come up with creative ways to teach then I say go for it. But if it’s something you feel like you would run out of ideas after awhile you may want to stick with your current site or try another niche.
Thanks Lisa… I will give you a piece of the pie once I hit it good! 😉
Have a great day!
Sergio
Hello lisa, I always freeze when I follow your posts, I like them very much, well I know that I’m a bit lazy in developing my site. but that’s because of the postgraduate study i’m involved in.. , I’m still working on keyword optimization, and will add -ISA- more content as I finish my exams.. but I do not know why is adsense keep refusing my site to put ads on it, I own this site for 3 years and still did not get a cent from it.. some people in the field of internet marketing see that I have a bad niche but I don’t think so, what do you think?
Have to agree with the “following” and “liking” part of #3, Lisa! I work with public relations companies to get opportunities to review products and visit new restaurants. It used to be enough that I was a blogger, now even more they want to know stats on my web traffic, Facebook followers, number of Twitter followers, and now my Klout score. Essentially, they’re looking to see how big my network is. The more I network with other bloggers in my field, particularly through Twitter and Klout, the more appealing I am to the PR folks, which means more opportunities to get fresh, new content for my website.
Thanks for the post Lisa and the reminder about the importance of social media, which is something I tend to ignore. Like most people, I don’t have a lot of free time (still working the 9-5) and so I try to spend most of my time writing content which doesn’t leave a lot of time for social media networking. I guess I should learn to make time for it since it is import these days. Also, can’t wait to read your book! I’ve read everything on your site and would love to read more. You always have great information and your writing style is excellent too, which makes your content fun to read.
love the post lisa. Heres my biggest mistake..trying to be a jack of all trades, cant remember what the saying is but implying that you spread yourself too thinly. secondly not being passionate/knowledgeable enough on a subject to have the staying power!. I am a product girl through and through and its took three years of learning to remind myself this.
I hope I have finally found my future proof, niche. but its taken a long long time to find.
Customers are craving transparency online as well as being alot more specific about what theiy are reading…and lisa if anyone is a master at providing that, its you. thanks very much.
I’m super excited that you mentioned me and my blog – thank you so much!
I know that people are always told that they should focus on developing content and I agree that it’s very important. But don’t spend so much time focusing on content that you don’t have any energy left for networking and engagement. There has to be a balance and the great thing about networking is, in the long run it will help get exposure and expand your reach.
Thanks for all your advice Lisa. You always keep it real!
Maybe I have a problem with the networking part hehe
But, nice post. I can see that comparing ourselves with others too much can hinder productivity and that’s not what we want.
Great insights, Lisa. Very straightforward. Love it!
One other reason why blogs and websites tend to struggle is because the owners don’t really have a specific idea on their target audience when they set their goals. Aside from knowing why you’re blogging, it’s also important to know who is it you’d want to reach? Knowing this will give you an insight on the kinds of information that they would be interested to read about and products that they will be willing to buy. Without this, you’re basically just shooting arrows blindly and hoping that you’ll at least get one to hit the target.
Your first point was true for myself, Lisa. I stopped comparing with other people blogs and trying to put my best focus on my work possible…
Thanks
You are always on a roll, Lisa. I was in the wrong niche when I started my blog a year ago. After re-focusing my efforts, things really started to change for me. It feels so good to just do what you love.
And networking, FaceBook has been so wonderful for me. So far, it is my best social media network. I am trying to find the time to add in Twitter because when I do, it seems to be so effective with engaging with people in your niche in real-time. My blog is still the heart beat of all of my websites, but social media is what is driving people to my blog. As a small business owner, I cannot even remember how I survived without it… I love FREE. 🙂
Hi Lisa,
Great post!
Ive been there – and got the t-shirt – but no way am I giving up.
Many thanks.
lol, yes I have many of those shirts myself. 🙂
Hi Lisa,
Another great post from you. Number four really struck a chord with me. My heart sank a little when I read it. One of my sites (The first one, as a matter of fact) is like my baby. I chose a niche which is representative of my traditional work life – customer service. The problem is, I just don’t see how I can generate revenue from it. I’m sure it is possible, however, it has been an upward struggle. I really don’t want to give up on this site, it’s where my true passions lie. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can generate revenue in this niche?
I always fall back on writing an eBook to help people in that niche. So what problems do people have working in customer service or how can you help employees earn more in CS jobs? Think of helping people and write a book to sell. 🙂
Funny you should say that, Lisa. A while ago I said I was going to write the ultimate customer service guide as an ebook. On that note; have you any experience with selling short ebooklets; and what is your view on them?
As long as they are valuable and appropriately priced, I have no issue with it. I met someone at a conference last year who sells small ebooks to his mailing list and it’s the primary source of his business income. There’s definitely an art to it because if you price too low it could be considered cheap, and if you price it too high you can tick people off because of its size.
So if you’re going to go short, pack that thing with so much useful content and price it reasonably low so people feel they are getting exceptional value.
oh Lisa you are really smart and I love your website more everyday 🙂 those 5 Reasons tells those people that dont believe in making money online the truth,great post Lisa.
great blog….i am good at getting caught up with such negativity, it is possible to make money with online marketing, your tips have helped me a lot…thanks
This is a great Monday 🙂
I woke up in the great mood, I started the day nice and I see my blog’s mention here! Seriously, you can’t imagine how happy you’ve made me, because getting such nice words from you mean the world to me. I guess I am doing something right!
Thank you.
As far as the rest goes, you are so right. I also don’t understand why there is so much negativity. I think those people tried some of the get rich quick promises some bloggers and internet marketers make, didn’t make it happen and now are hating on everyone. The thing is, although I hate those quick schemes, even they may work for someone if you actually get to work.
You don’t get a job in Coca Cola as a CEO right after college. So why would it be any different online. Work hard (and smart) and the money will come 🙂
lol! Glad I could help make your day. 🙂
Love it! Lisa, you were dead on with point number two! As the old saying goes …”Misery Loves Company”
Yes! Very true.
Some good reminders Lisa. Most sound cliche I know but very true nonetheless. You are correct in that networking / social media is becoming more prevalent and weighted today.
Many of us (including myself) are so consumed and focused on the actual blog / website that social media and all else take the back seat.
From experience, the single best way in my opinion one can make a site/blog effective is to cater to a market that exists (therefore research is critical) and then delivering actionable/practical value that is specific to that market.
Deviating can turn some audience off, and discussing high level theory without practical guidance can get old. After a while, readers start to think “what’s in it for me” before deciding whether to click through and spend their valuable time on your material.
great blog…..i do think that if you’re following the right people, you wont find it hard to find successful, small business/affiliate websites online, theres so many of them
I don’t know which one from the 5 reasons above I violate but my site is still struggling. However, I will never get discouraged because I don’t set high goals for my blog. I will continue blogging as long as there are still readers and i know my information is still useful for others. Of course we all hope our blogs will get more readers and earn more money. 🙂
Lisa,i just love hanging out at your post .it has been great deal of inspiration and learning point to me.
I had been caught up with such negativity that i almost quit but thanks to Jimmy Brown who arouse in me that it is possible to make money doing online marketing.And this has been helping me get ahead although the earning is in trickles.
Those are some great points, Lisa. I think many websites fail because they set goals that are too high to reach when first starting out. While it is great to be able to make a living online, many people think it can be done very quickly, and then get discouraged when it doesn’t happen.
Such thinking can then lead to negativity within the website owner, and they will usually quit.
It is important when starting out to create small goals that you can achieve, whether it is getting 10 visitors a day, or making 1 sale a week. Reaching a goal will help keep a website owner positive by providing a sense of accomplishment, which will help remove any negativity and make them want to work harder towards a new goal.
At least, that has worked for me :).
Agree, Paul. Goal setting is so very important!
I am also agree Paul and Lisa with you both goal setting is really so important.
Yes, I knew it now ,Thank you
Hey Lisa’
Just starting out and while I agree with you Lisa – the truth is too many people think this is Disneyland and all will come their way “just be creating a cute website.” What nonsense. That is sooo little of the equation… and a lot of people just don’t have the skills to move beyond search engine listing! I cannot believe how complicated this whole game is. My advice, don’t even get into this unless you realize your diving into a very deep ocean. There is soo much to ranking effectively it is not even funny. Good Luck!