I took a few days off to enjoy the sunshine - it’s been lacking the past few weeks out on the west coast and I’ve got to admit that I was really wondering where summer was hiding.  This past weekend, sun = beach.  That was where I was hanging out.  I stepped away from the computer mostly.  Meaning - not so much work, just checking the email once in a while.  It was really nice to come back a little more rejuvenated… a little less battle-worn.

So now I’m back and I’m thinking, thinking, thinking.

1. I’ve got to pull my head out of my butt and start more keyword research.
2. I’ve got to check my stats to see what people are looking for when they hit the fan site.  Start to focus more topics/articles on those searches.
3. Look into contest promotion

I thought of having a contest with my Fan Site #1.  I’m just not too sure how I should go about the prize(s).  I could purchase some items and offer them - but I’m more interested in getting possible prizes for free from merchandisers.  But I’m not sure how I’m going to do that - or how I could do it.  It would be great promotion for them - but maybe it’s still early days - the site isn’t all that old.  They may not see it as benefiting them - yet.

But that’s in the future… have any of you run a contest with  prizes?  How did you get the prizes to offer - did you pay or find a way for merchandisers to send you things to offer out (for a link or something else?).

I would like to run a promotion/contest… I’m just not sure where to start.

So anyhoo - my fan site #2 just got a few more articles - but damn I’ve got to start researching my keywords for it if I’m looking to get things going in the same fashion I did for fan site #1.  So far - things aren’t too bad for Adsense - but it could use a bit more love. Maybe next week I’ll be doing some ad position switching to see if it makes any difference.  Then maybe some colour changes to the ads… we’ll see.  Test, test, test.

Back to the ol’ grind.

Popularity: 3% [?]

I am really starting to love Google Analytics. I installed it on my Fansite #1 and it’s rather interesting to take a peek into the discrepancies between Awstats and Google. Not much of one, but it’s still rather interesting to take a peek into. I love analytics because I can narrow down the visitors to the city that they’re IP is from. I’m finding that my fansite, which would be more geared towards the American market (because it’s an American show) is really rather popular in the UK. I would never have thought that myself. It’s eye-opening when I can get into the nitty gritty of the site and maybe that information will pay off later down the road in regards to what I’m advertising on the site.

FanSite #1 had a bit of an index page facelift - I was finding that the ad promos I’d put there for CPA weren’t doing well at all. Lots of eyeballs - not a lot of clicks and even less conversions. I’m going to keep my eye out for better offers more geared towards the topic or along the same lines, but I stuck more Adsense in their spot and we’ll see how that flies.

I also changed the colours of the Adsense ads on the main page. I’m now back to blending it in. Maybe the change will attract more clicks, or maybe I’ll test this out and go then go back to a more in your face approach. Or try different ad sizes. Ohhh the possibilities.

Help Bear
Now I’m not into giving to just any random charity or “help me I’m broke” type deal, but when I read this over at Mark’s site - I swung by because I’m a big ol’ softie when it comes to cats. I read the story and it hit me on two levels - one I love cats… hate to see a sick cat if it can be helped. Do it. Also Jon (Bear’s owner) had a stroke and is on disability and paying the vet bills isn’t really an option. That too hit really close to home and I guess the story hit all the right heart strings and I sent him $10 via his Buy me a Beer promo.

I’m not going to push it - but if you read the story. Feel it’s the right thing to do - then please do it. The story is over here.

Jon if you read this - I’d love to hear how the donation drive is coming along!

Popularity: 6% [?]

My Monthly Update for June 2007
Google Adsense: $32.31
TLA: $121.54 - Paid
Buy Me a Coffee: $0.00
Auction Ads: $0.44
NeverBlueAds: $0.00
CJ: $0.75
Amazon: $4.35
Linkworth: $40.00 - Paid

 $161.54 - total paid out.  That’s all I’ve been counting for the past few months.  I mean, some of those numbers look pretty darn impressive right?  But I don’t see most of it due to the payout ratio on the affiliate programs/ad networks.  Which is a bit of a bummer.

June has been pretty stellar in terms of revenue from Adsense.  I double what I’d made in May - mostly due to the push of my fan site.  I would have to say that 80% of that income for June was due to my fan site making it’s debut onto the Internet.  I’m happy for that and I’m hoping in a month’s time that fan site #2 will starting earning around the same.  That means this is getting BETTER, and not worse… which was the case a few months ago.

Now, seriously… where did June go?  It seemed to fly by in my online life as well as offline.  It’s just weird.  I think it might have something to do with me getting older

Yikes.

But anyhoo.  This weekend was meant for a little cleanup around Building My Empire… and nothing was accomplished - but my backyard doesn’t have quite so many weeds in it.  So I was doing SOMETHING this weekend… just not so much online.  So now here I am, thinking of maybe having to look into other avenues of income - since some of these have pretty much flatlined.

I have a question for you.  For Fan Site #1 I had someone make some really good looking MySpace templates.  Now I’m having a bit of a dilemma - do I post them for free and give my site some link love action that way.  Do I ask for a donation… or do I charge a sum… like $5 a download?  I would like to make some money from this - but I’m not sure how to go about it.

Suggestions?

Popularity: 10% [?]

Since I’ve been focusing on my fan site, I’ve had a bit of an issue with the way to convey the information.  Did I want to be all “news-y” and very formal, did I want to just access RSS feeds and let them play away on my pages, did I want to make it more a personal site - speaking from me about the things going on in that bit of the fan world.

I ultimately picked speaking from me - a personal site.  I am writing about the characters from news sources and adding my own thoughts and ideas.  Taking content that’s already out there and making it unique.  I also find writing this way easier - and I don’t get bored.  Which is kind of nice

Boredom has killed many a website idea for me.  I’ve had plenty of ideas - I’ve spent hours and hours working on the sites, datafeeds, and what-not to try to get these sites up and running, but the content was freakin’ boring.  I can’t imagine what I had up on those sites would have been much use to anyone.  Seriously.  I would have to say, that honestly the money I’ve earned doesn’t come anywhere near the hours I’ve taken to make the sites, bought content, photos, etc, datafeed software, etc, etc.  It has been a really expensive learning curve!

But I wouldn’t take it back.  I’ve learned tons from those experiences.  I’ve learned that right now… where I am… I would rather spend my money making websites doing something that I’m interested in.  I’ve done way to many that didn’t hold my interest.  There just isn’t the enthusiasm anymore for that sort of thing.  I just want to do things that I enjoy.  Work from there - expand out from there.

I’m letting go of domain names that I’ve had for a couple of years.  It feels really nice.  A big burden has been lifted from my shoulders.  I’m starting to be more aware of what I’m spending and what I’m earning.  Why didn’t I think of that sooner?  Well, I think we all get a bit sucked into the money making dream - the whole “it takes money to make money” - I believe it.  I’m also being much more careful about how I’m going to do it.

So I’ve started Fan Site #2 and I’m going to do it the same way I’ve done Fan Site #1.  Same template (different images) - it seems to work and it’s a nice clean look.  Work on content the same way I’ve been working on #1.  See how it goes.  If I can double my income again for July that would be a bonus.

Now I’m off to do some keyword research and start writing some content around it.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Well as far as things go - my fan site isn’t doing too shabby all things considered.  I’m getting over 200 visitors a day and a few Adsense clicks here and there to make it one of my top performing Adsense sites (although it isn’t a MFA… it’s just an advertiser I’m using until it craps out or I find something better).  Basically I wanted to test this site with Adsense… and so far it’s working rather well.

Since I’m finding things going well with the SEO, money is coming in slowly, I’m slowly building it up - it appears to be working.  So guess what!

I bought another domain for a fan site.

I’ve been letting go of a lot of domain names, and I just felt that since I see this working - and there is something else I’m enjoying watching, that I would build a site around it.  See where it takes me.

If it works out in a similar manner as fansite #1 then I’m looking at doubling things Adsense wise - which means a paycheque cometh - earlier!  See, method to the sheer and utter madness in my life!  I think this site will be just as fun as the first.  I’m going to do some keyword research and start basing some of my first articles around them.

On fansite #1 - I’ve not done so much of that lately.  I did add a new keyword into the content realm of that site - and I ranked in at 100 over at DigitalPoint’s keyword tracker.  Woot!

So there you go - I’m officially crazy.  Enjoying every minute.  And now I get to bore you with even more stat images!  Woot! Woot!

Popularity: 2% [?]