Say i wanted to make a successful, high profit site like sitepoint, how would i do it?

Thanks, Alex

hahahah


good luck

I wish there was a proven plan to making a successful site like this one, but there isn't. Find a topic, and write about it, and you might have a successful site, or maybe not.

If there was a proven plan, then we as web developers would be out of a job

Somebody wise once told me (I think it was a SitePoint article) that 'Build it, and they will come' is far from the reality of a successful website.

Most of your work will be in finding new and inventive ways to promote it, and promote it, and promote it, and then people will trickle in. Don't be disheartened. Just do a lot of hard work.

Porn.

Oh Freakysid, you are too funny!

Supernerd - From my experience there are many facets that combine to make a successful site. The problem is until you know what you want your site to be about these facets are not always clear.

Your concept of the site you want to do is the first thing you need.

Good luck

To begin to even explain how you make a successful site would take a load of work. Your question is so broad that to really would need a whole book to explain it thoroughly. Speaking of that, hey Matt, why don't you write a book on how to make a successful web site?

Maybe an SP programmer can make an app where we input the site name and topic and it creates a successful website for us. If none of them want to write this then I'd be happy to.

Hee hee I might even consider paying up to a tenner for that Quinn.

If there were a set plan saying "do this, then this, and then this to be rich and successful off the Internet" then everyone here would be rich and successful and we wouldn't need to be posting here. But obviously, this isn't so.

Here's the key to wealth and success....you ready? Jot this down, I think everyone here will agree.

1. Determination
2. Persistence
3. Sticktuitiveness
4. Hard-work, which includes LATE nights
5. And lots of caffeine

RK

you forgot Pizza

At the moment my site is going to be about freewebhosts. Do you tink this is a good idea or is there better topice that people are more interested in?

I think that now it's more about finding a topic that hasn't been that is still attractive to people. Or at least something that you can do better than most existing sites on the subject . I'd say that the freewebhosts thing has been done, or doesn't need doing. Try something else.

Oh yes, and pizza! (and a good CD, or 70 )

But there is one thing I forgot to mention last night. Don't ever, ever let someone tell you it's impossible to make money on the Internet. They don't know what they're talking about. It's a business, nobody said making the money would be easy...

Definately. At the moment the web seems to be swamped with 'directory' type sites listing free hosts/free software etc etc. We even have directories that list directories! Unless you can do this and make it bigger & better than what's already been done, so that you draw the traffic to your own site and away from the competition, then forget it. Sorry.

Actually, even if someone did create step by step instructions, 98% of the people who read them wouldn't act on them, and therefore would not be successful.

That's the bit secret of the self-help industry. People buy, but they don't apply what they learned, at least not in a consistent, persistent manner where it becomes a matter of habit.

Ok, What do you think would be a good topic for a website?

That's up to you. We can't tell you what a good topic would be. If you're working on it, then you have to decide what YOU will be interested in working on.

Creole hit the button. Be sure to choose a topic that you won't get bored with.

That depends on what you are interested in, and whether or not it has been overdone or not. Sites like SitePoint have been overdone, especially around last year. Only the best ones are around today, and that is why SitePoint is with us today.

The main thing you should look for is to try to do something that hasn't been done already. Be unique. This is what I tell to people who want to make a Simpsons fan page. That's fine, but there are plenty of good ones already, no sense in having another one.

Think of a unique idea. A good friend of mine is getting a site ready on Most overplayed songs on the radio. That is a unique idea. Don't copy him, but use the same kind of creativity he did.

Here are some ways to do preliminary research on a topic.

Write down what you are interested in. I mean everything!!
Think about:
1)What you enjoy at work, home, play etc...
2)What you do at work, home, play etc...
3)What you could fix at work, home, play etc...

Think of every aspect of your life and what you like and write it down.

Then, narrow the list down to a max of five things you could write or talk about for hours at the flip of a coin. You don't need to be able to give a three hour lecture about it but if someone wanted to have a conversation, you could inteligently engage them all day long.

Next, think of 10 key words that relate to each of the five topics. This is important. Do it.

Ok - now you have a list of 50 keywords under 5 subjects, right?

Go to Altavista - I like this one because it's big and is not a directory or pay per click.

One by one type in the 5 subjects. Make sure to use quotes to increase accuracy. Write down how many websites were returned.

Do this for EACH keyword under each main topic. You may want to record the results in a spreadsheet to make it easy.

You should now a list of 50 search results numbers.

This part requires an account at GoTo.com
Go ahead and get one, you'll need it eventually anyway.

Log in to the Direct Traffic Center and click on manage listings>add search terms

On the bottom of the right column should be a search suggestion tool. Click it.

Now go through your list of 50 terms (or phrases - whatever) and type them each into the tool. Record the number of searches for that phrase and variations thereof next to the search results you got from altavista.

Now divide the number of results from Goto by the number of results from altavista.

You now have a list of the supply vs. demand for those given subjects and keywords. You may even want to add them together to come up with an average number per topic.

You now know what you may want to start working on. Whichever has the lowest supply and the most demand *might* be a safe bet.

Of course - this cannot guarantee anything at all. It may be flawed in the worst of ways. But, it's better than doing nothing at all - or doing something that's doomed, like the free host site.

Just something I've done in the past.

Ahhhh see you just all have no idea at all. Allow the master to show you all. This will make you billions, thats right billions.

Okay follow these steps

1) Make a gif that flashes red and black fast and set it as a background for a web page

2) on this web page make a big font, centre it and use <blink> to display this message "I make websites".

3) At the bottom of the page put the text "I love these" underneath put the Microsoft and AOL logo, followed by a picture of a sheep.

4) Provide a email link underneath set in the smallest font you can find and then host it at geocites.

Thats it you now have become the most sucessfull web designer in the history of the world and clients will all come rushing to you. Simple really, when you know how.

Wow, man you just blew my mind!

I've gotta try that!!!

people dig the flashing red and black background.

Ha! You just stole that idea from Bill Gates' new book, "How to create sh*tty products and still make billions."

Excuses me but this is a work of art.

There's most often a forum or site that you envy as you're working on your own. What's to make people go to your site rather than that one? I think that's where a lot of time and attention needs to be placed. What catches my eyes most often are sites that maintain a level of uniqueness, this shows they have a plan happening there. What I find most difficult is competing with sites that have more in funding than most people see in a lifetime. Lots of work, lots of time and lots of thinking, if only I had the time for all of that.

Some of the most successful sites are those that people have a vested interest in.

If your hobby is building train models and you are the best train modeler you know then that is a topic worth pursuing. Success is measured in many ways. If you simply want to make money then open a store not something that requires unique content.

If you want your success to be measured in how valuable your word is then pick a topic you have fun playing with as a hobby now. If it enlightens your life then it is successful.

... or a site for webmasters of webmasters' sites.

Freakysid - you are a genius!

That has to be the single largest, money spending market on the web.

"Helping Webmasters SELL to Webmasters"

Brilliant.

Forgot about FREE porn, i'll say it again: FREE porn

Nocturnal, you forgot FREE porn

Sounds like a great idea...until it over-inflates the "webmaster resource" site market.

How about "The most overused sites on the internet" or "The Wierdest sites on the internet".

I know it has to be something i'm interested in but just think, Whats a site thats never been done before? Something that everyone (Well, most people) will love?

I kinda like my idea "The wierdest sites on the internet"

But honestly, Has this been done before?and what would you like to see?