One web site or many web sites?
What is the best, to build one quality web site or to create multiple web sites on various topics?
I think it depends on your skills, size of your business, budget, etc.
I own about 80 domains of which about 30 web sites are income generating, but I think I made a mistake,
this is why….
I created various web sites on various topics. I did not do this deliberately. This happened over the past 9 years. Normally I would look for information, did not find the information I was looking for and swa that there was a gap in the market. That is exactly how http://www.digiprop.co.za was created. Back in 2000 there were hardly any property advertising web sites and at the time even less of them offered free property ads.
Having multiple sites is not a bad idea if you have people working for you who can update the web sites, look for fresh content and build links and relationships. But if you work 100% alone like me I would suggest that you rather start with a web site where you can incorporte various related topics.
I might own many income generating web sites, but most of them hardly earn more than R500 per month. I reached a point where it became too much and I just cannot focus on those web sites to make them good sites, unless of course I employ or rent people to do it for me.
It is also not only focus that is the problem. Here are some more reasons:
- Search engines like big web sites with many pages, they rank them better. So instead of having 10 small sites with 10 pages each it is better to have 1 sites with 100 pages.
- You have to promote your site. You also have to build relationships and get other sites to link to your site. This is much easier to do with one or two sites than with 30 or 40 sites.
- In order to make a success of your web site, like anything else, you have to have a passion for what you are doing. It is not easy to have a passion for each of 30 web sites.
- When you advertise your web site it is more cost effective to promote one or two sites than 30
- It is easier to offer good support for one or two sites than for 30
So, I admit it, I screwed up and hope that you will learn from my mistake.
When you want to start earning on the Internet using your own web sites, rather focus on one or two good sites.
The only real benefit I can see from having many web sites is that I learned which subjects are good earners. By building a web site on each subject that interests me showed me which are the ones worth persuing and which ones to rather leave.
One of Warren Buffet’s phylosofies in investing is that he only invests in a business he understands. If he does not understand a business he do not invest in it.
At least i got that right. All the web sites I have build over the past 9 years (besides 1) were build on subjects in which I had an interest in. Whether it was cars, 4×4, investment, real estate, etc. Only only built web sites on things that interest me personally. I think that helped me to stay interested in all of my web site for so long. So if you start building your own web site start with something that interests you, something you have a passion for.
Part of my eBook which I sell at http://www.passive-income.co.za shows you step by step how to build your own money generating web site.
Thanks Pieter Very good advice. I was on a mission to build a whole lot of websites. Ek sal die bus nou stop. I will save myself some money.
Regards Butch