[smadison]

I started building a website in a health niche about 6 months ago. I believe its a really good niche and has the potential to be profitable.

My first month officially published I made about $50 and I did the next two months after. The problem was, after I officially published I was so exhausted with the niche that I stopped writing and have only been making a few dollars now - if that. Most articles I write I have to read medical research and then translate that into articles (and I am no doctor!) that are easy for the reader to understand.

I've been doing alot of research lately on SEO and article writing and have been trying to motivate myself to keep at it because it does have the potential to be very successful. I just hate it so much and am not enjoying my time spent on this website. I'm a stay at home mom with two children under two and feel like this particular niche is difficult because I really need to focus alot of making sure that the medical information is correct that that I and my readers fully understand it.

But...My husband and I are both the types of people who start something and then quit shortly after. So should I try to plug through and make it work just to prove to myself that I can? I feel like it would be a huge accomplishment but it's going to take forever. My husband wants me to stick with it. I'm also afraid that if I switch to a different niche (like pop culture - definitely not another medical related health niche) that it may not be as profitable or i'll make up another excuse as to why it'll work out with a different one, and then a different one, and so on....

What should I do?

[Convergence]

Originally Posted by smadison

So should I try to plug through and make it work just to prove to myself that I can?

You found the beginnings of what works - now just apply your practices of article writing into something you actually enjoy. Product is product. Can be rubber dog poop out of Hong Kong or Pop Culture...

[teezone]

Convergence is spot on... the topic can change, but the winning formula will stay the same.

If you don't enjoy the niche, or if it doesn't come easy (I would rather stick pins in my eye than try to make medical research sound simple!) - absolutely flip to something you know and enjoy. How about something related to your home life..? Healthy tips for parenting, fun activities for kids.. or more grown-up stuff, like things that make your daily life easier.

If you choose pop culture, be aware that photos can be expensive - if you bypass licensing (even by accident), you could be on the receiving end of a copyright violation notice. And that will now cost you in Google.

Whatever you choose, it has to be interesting and fun for you..

[Bill]

Have you considered tailoring your medical niche to the medical issues of very young children? Might be a bit "closer to home" and, therefore a bit more interesting.

[Mr. Sal]

Originally Posted by Bill

Have you considered tailoring your medical niche to the medical issues of very young children? Might be a bit "closer to home" and, therefore a bit more interesting.

Considering all of the rules and regulations on the health niche, I don't think it would be a good idea to encourage her into the medical niche and much less into the medical issues of very young children.

First, because she just stated that she is new to this business and to the health niche.

Second, since she just said that: "I believe its a really good niche and has the potential to be profitable.", while it's true that in the health niche some people can make a killing, it's also true that anyone that don't know what they're promoting on that business niche can also kill somebody by a wrong product promotion...

[Bill]

Well said, Sal. However, with two young children I would imagine that they are a major focus of her life and interests. There may be something with children that can catch her eye - without the inherent dangers of anything "medical." Clothing, cleaning, early childhood education, preparing for the "The Terrible Twos," traveling with very young children, etc.

[msladybug]

smadison - We all go through periods where we become a bit lax in our niche but usually a new product/idea will quickly excite us and we can't wait to write about it. If you are already feeling exhausted then I would search for something else to promote that you will enjoy. Working harder and devoting more time to a niche that you HATE isn't going to change how you feel or guarantee long term success. Forced article writing isn't fun at all and usually it shows in the writing. When you find a niche you have a passion for the writing usually comes easily to you. The bottom line, you should enjoy what you're doing.

You might consider keeping your current blog and starting another one and work between the two. This has helped me from getting burned out on writing about the same niche all the time. Good Luck!

[Chuck Hamrick]

Are you pointing your traffic to a white label program or networked program. If its a Clickbank product it may be over marketed or is the landing page spammy? We have a review forum if you feel comfortable having members view your site and comment.

[Convergence]

Originally Posted by Chuck Hamrick

Are you pointing your traffic to a white label program or networked program. If its a Clickbank product it may be over marketed or is the landing page spammy? We have a review forum if you feel comfortable having members view your site and comment.

She hates the niche/hates writing for the niche - has nothing to do with reaping rewards...

[Chuck Hamrick]

She hates the niche/hates writing for the niche - has nothing to do with reaping rewards...

Since she already invested six months in the site thought it might be worth her time to see if there is a better merchant who would convert. That rather than throw it away for another niche.

[Convergence]

But she's not on about conversions.

She doesn't like the niche - in fact, she said she HATES it...

[Chuck Hamrick]

You win, I'm off!

[Convergence]

Oh, cut it out - has nothing to do with winning...

[Chuck Hamrick]

All I am saying is that smadison can send the traffic developed to a better destination then move on to a better niche. Work has already been done for the most part, hate to see it wasted. Maybe she can respond what makes sense to her and her husband.

[teezone]

Chuck, speaking as a publisher, if you hate your niche there is NO point carrying on with the same site.

Merchants (and AMs) often don't realize the work that goes into generating content (I'm saying that in general, based on conversations with my own merchants, usually when they are looking for increased exposure).. if it doesn't come easy, it's impossible to sustain.

You don't have to be an expert, but at the very least you have to enjoy the topic!

smadison has figured out a winning formula and can apply it to a new niche - the work thus far won't be wasted.

[Rhia7]

I don't think it is necessary for a publisher to like the niche although liking the niche can help. Some publishers just like to make money.
There are websites marketing methods to get rid of bedbugs and lice.
I don't think the publishers enjoy the topics of bedbug or lice removal but
there is a possibility that a good website marketing solutions could be
lucrative.

This is an example of liking the commissions generated from an icky topic.
I'm not telling smadison to focus on these topics, I'm just pointing out that if a
publisher is generating sales that publisher will start to like the niche.

Cosmetics/fashion etc. are topics many people like but the web is crowded with sites on those
topics. If the publisher is creating affiliate sites for a hobby, then liking the niche is very important
but if the sites are created for the income stream then the affiliate should do some research in
a niche that is not as common on the world wide web.

People marketing septic tanks or working on overflowed septic tanks probably don't like septic tanks but like the income generated by specializing in such.

Doing something with the domain you paid for and generating income (or whatever you seek to
generate) is a lot more fun than being stuck with an idle domain.

[teezone]

You bring up valid points, Rhia..

For me personally, I chose a niche that interests me, so I find it easy to keep content fresh. But the niche should still be a topic the affiliate knows something about - those bedbug & lice folks probably have some experience in the field. And if they don't, then they know how to capitalize on the timing!

This is an interesting discussion - choosing a niche is probably the most difficult decision when starting out in this business. It's tougher than ever to get ranked these days - personally, I would have to be making serious money to continue with a topic that I actively dislike!

My experience may not be the norm - I chose a niche that interested me, when I could have created a site based on my previous career (where I had more expertise). At the end of the day, I still love doing this, no matter how tough it gets..

[Rhia7]

Teezone, your belief that creating/maintaining a site is easier
when choosing a niche one actually enjoys is a good point; I just
thought I'd point out that while there are benefits to choosing a niche
of interest the publisher might end up liking a lucrative niche.

If a publisher has purchased a domain and put 6 months of work into
a site but now hates the niche, I would ask why did that publisher start with
that specific niche? What was the attraction in the beginning?
Is there a way to focus on an angle that would make the site work?
What expectations did the publisher have? Chances are that the disappointing
results are what turned the publisher's feelings against the niche.

[Rhia7]

Originally Posted by teezone

But the niche should still be a topic the affiliate knows something about - those bedbug & lice folks probably have some experience in the field. And if they don't, then they know how to capitalize on the timing!

It is possible to educate oneself on various topics.
There are constant articles on bedbugs that can be found
in online newspapers and magazines; plus there are dedicated
informational websites.

An affiliate can learn about a topic that will be either a major part
or a minor part of a website.
Research and then excellent copywriting can help to make the
website stand out [of course there are other factors too].

[Rhia7]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sal

Considering all of the rules and regulations on the health niche, I don't think it would be a good idea to encourage her into the medical niche and much less into the medical issues of very young children.

That's correct, Mr. Sal; she doesn't want to promote herself with credentials
she doesn't have.

However, it's possible to take healthcare and children in terms of
general health that the FTC couldn't crack down upon and claim fraud.

Kids getting scraped knees and Bandaids is a health issue.
There are many types for sale -- I bet anyone could find
a bunch at drugstore.com

That's an example focus on health & kids: a general knowledge enhanced with some research
would be fine -- one doesn't have to have a medical degree from an
Ivy League medical school to write about small bandages that a mother
would put on scraped knees.

[Mr. Sal]

Originally Posted by Rhia7

That's correct, Mr. Sal; she doesn't want to promote herself with credentials
she doesn't have.

However, it's possible to take healthcare and children in terms of
general health that the FTC couldn't crack down upon and claim fraud.

Kids getting scraped knees and Bandaids is a health issue.
There are many types for sale -- I bet anyone could find a bunch at drugstore.com

That's an example focus on health & kids: a general knowledge enhanced with some research would be fine -- one doesn't have to have a medical degree from an Ivy League medical school to write about small bandages that a mother
would put on scraped knees.

That is a good example, Rhia.

But, just by looking at what she posted and the question she ask:

Originally Posted by smadison

But...My husband and I are both the types of people who start something and then quit shortly after. So should I try to plug through and make it work just to prove to myself that I can? I feel like it would be a huge accomplishment but it's going to take forever.

I still think that keep going forward with the health niche just to prove a point, and then probably quit shortly after if the money don't came fast enough, I think it would be a waste of time for her.

Anyone that doesn't have the time to grow a website business for one reson or another, may have a better luck trying one of those other niches that don't take that long to build and are easly swap or close in less than 6 months.

[Rhia7]

We don't know the domain name or whether it is a general or
very specific domain.
We don't know the topics of medicine she covered.
We don't know her background: did she study nursing or does
she have another scientific background?

Originally Posted by smadison

Most articles I write I have to read medical research and then translate that into articles (and I am no doctor!) that are easy for the reader to understand.

I'm a stay at home mom with two children under two and feel like this particular niche is difficult because I really need to focus alot of making sure that the medical information is correct that that I and my readers fully understand it.
What should I do?

If she has a general domain name or something so that she could shift her
focus to a simpler topic/angle she'd be better off. Articles in medical
journals can be complicated [it helps if one has a biology/medical background].

If she can't sell the domain, then my suggestion is to have a more
general health related site.

If she doesn't want to continue or stick it out, she can try to sell the domain or park it ...

A pop culture site is not always easy to create plus there are many good
ones that already exist but hey try it and see.
If general motivation is a factor I've tried to give some ideas.

[Allan Gardyne]

Hi smadison, You've received a lot of good advice here. I'm hoping your domain name is not too specific - like "ProductKeyword.com" - so you can broaden the topics you write about to cover subjects and products you're genuinely interested in, and don't have to abandon the foundation you've already created.

Life's too short to spend a lot time doing something you hate.

However, whatever niche you choose, you'll inevitably find there are some parts of the business that aren't fun - they're just a chore and bore. So you need some skills to strengthen your mental toughness and self-discipline.

Here's one little tip I learned to help with that...

When you DO find a topic you can be genuinely enthusiastic about, here's one way to help you maintain your enthusiasm through the days when things aren't going well...

Reward yourself frequently.

When I was building up my business online, especially in the early years, 1996 - 1998, I used to set little goals, such as achieving 100 visitors a day, 300, 500, etc., or achieving another 1,000 newsletter subscribers. When I achieved one of those goals my wife and I would celebrate by having a nice meal out.

Rewarding yourself helps you keep feeling good about what you're doing, and provides frequent reminders that you're not just working for the money, you're doing it for the lifestyle changes that building a business brings.

It works. Try it.

Start with very modest, easily achieved goals and small rewards (A picnic? A walk on the beach? A night at the movies? Whatever works best for you) and increase the size of the rewards as your business grows. When Joanna and I started setting small goals and earning ourselves little rewards, we never imagined that one day we would be rewarding ourselves by buying properties in two countries.

[Convergence]

Good advice from Allan, smadison.

FYI, I've been getting Allan's newsletters for as long as I can remember - easily a decade+!

Nice to see you here, Allan...

[Heidi Sturrock]

Hi smadison! I'd say stick with the health niche if you think that there is opportunity to profit - not saturated or over marketed, and is in demand. Then, make sure you are thinking of all avenues to monetize and create (good) content. You may not need to write it yourself. Good luck!