Starting New Websites Versus Managing Existing Ones
December 3, 2007 – 9:05 amIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
The year 2007 was one in which I did not found too many websites. This year I started under 10 websites, and they were all done earlier in the year. After starting lots of new sites in the last 4 years, I found I’ve hit the point of diminishing returns. Some websites don’t need much management, so I might still found more of them in the future, but I realize I just can’t work on any more websites without diluting my efforts too much to be successful.
The lure to start new websites is strong
It’s always exciting to launch a new website. You do so with high expectations and low costs. You probably make a profit right away, and all is well. But as time goes on, you find out you need to do more and more to succeed in your chosen niche. You can’t get away with bare efforts and stay competitive. Only with a real push will you get the types of results you want.
Advantages of starting to new websites
1) The cost is low, so you don’t have that much to lose
2) It’s relatively easy to realize a profit on any website, especially if your costs are low\
3) You may just hit a homerun when it comes to monetizing a new niche
Disadvantages of starting new websites
1) You have less time to work on existing websites, some of which probably only need a bit of effort to make more money
2) Your older domains are gaining age and prestige while you fiddle with an unknown entity
3) You will have a harder time focusing on your efforts.
All in all, you can always make the decision on whether it’s a good idea to start more or not. Right now I have no intention of founding any new websites.
Are you actively starting more websites or focusing on your current ones?
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to the Sootle RSS feed!.
2 Responses to “Starting New Websites Versus Managing Existing Ones”
This post came at a good time. I was just tossing around whether to start a new site or two as my older sites seem to be sinking in a sea of competition. I’ve mined all the links that I can for the most part for each of them with nowhere else to go. It seems to me that the big G does not give preference to older established sites. That may be the rumor, but it certainly does not appear to be a fact.
Claire DeLune
By Claire DeLune on Dec 15, 2007
What seems to me to be most effective is to launch of what I call “spin-offs”.
It’s difficult to have a site about zebras and then create a site about office supplies. Very little common ground and a whole new learning curve for me. So I launch sites that are relevant in some tangible way like a classical music site might spin off a classical guitar site.
There are some distinct benefits in that the links on the old site will help pull up the new site and traffic to the old site may be interested in the new site.
There is an overlapping of work already done that saves me time too.
By Will on Jan 7, 2008