[showmethemoney]

Hi everyone,
I'm seriously debating just dumping the whole affiliate marketing thing and trying to find a new avenue with the business.

Here's the sitch though - I have a site that I've worked on and developed for two years - but not enough in profits even with all of that.

The market is just inundated - and because mine is not a niche site but rather a mall type - it's harder to optimize.

If you were me and had a working site with all of the necessary coded modules in place for stores, coupons, datafeeds, etc.... how would YOU turn that around into something that has a better potential for making a good profit? Is there a way to utilize the various coupons, datafeeds and store input modules for somethng else?

I guess I am going through burnout - and then the CJ thing besides.... I'm just kind over it.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Haiko de Poel, Jr.]

Step away from it for a few days and rethink an approach, maybe a new domain to drive niche type traffic to the mall? There are many was to repackage a good system - don't trash it.

[UncleScooter]

Haiko is a wise man. He hit the nail on the head.

Don't abandon your mall, but find a topic that you:

• Know a lot about
• Can monetize with affiliate links

Write content. SEs like pages of original content. Don't put affiliate links on your content pages but link them to pages with affiliate links in the same site. Find something you are passionate about, be it positive or negative passion. Passion shows through your words to your readers. If they agree you get a positive response, if they disagree you get a negative response. Either way you win because a response is better than no response at all.

[JudiMoore]

What they said.

Here's what worked for me. I added a blog to a side directory in the mall and called it coupons. That gives me fresh, pingable content daily. It is linked forwards and backwards from the main mall.

Main mall becomes my incubator for niche ideas. Stop trying to give the customer the "mall" experience. Make it as inviting as you can, as organized as you can and develop little niche stores inside that will pull the search engines in.

Invest the time to make and submit a Google site map.

Build small sites focused on a niche and then link with interior compatible pages at the mall.

[Rhia7]

Originally Posted by jmoore61103

Build small sites focused on a niche and then link with interior compatible pages at the mall.

That's what I would do.

I link my sites to eachother but aahh said not to link


To link or not to link, that is the question ...

[MoneyBusiness]

Burnout stinks. I know where you're coming from. Like the others said, consider leaving that project alone for a little while.

Whenever I feel dead regarding any particular project, I immediately drop anything to do with it (as long as it's not of major importance), and begin scouting other programs to join, or get started on another project that has been simmering in my head (the fun part).

Keeping myself busy in this manner (which is a constant cycle of activity) keeps me from going crazy!

[Celicaphile]

I had a mall type site early on & let it go to focus on niche sites... I now think that was a mistake & not just because the current owner is selling it for $5,000 undeveloped. I do this because I think both designing web sites and making money is fun... So, if you enjoy it, stick it out. If not, find something else, but make sure you don't regret your decision either way.

[showmethemoney]

Thanks for the replies so far - keep 'em coming if you have more.
I don't want to let it go - BUT - if I'm not making the money I need to - it's so frustrating.
I have over 2000 coupons and stores -- tons of stuff - yet google is not caching us well - only about 38,000 pages out of much more.
I'm trying to do more SEO - but you know....
Then the whole CJ thing with new links - means more money outlay to create new module to handle the java.
I'm constantly adding coupons and datafeeds. I'm pooped updating.

Anyone know if I'm doing something wrong? I have about 200 datafeeds on site...maybe a little less - not quite sure. Anyway, I'm uploading them all manually -- meaning I have my site working in such a way that I upload the csv, pick the fields necessary to that feed, and my site processes.
Is that how you guys do it too?

I hear that now google is just gonna trash those of us who do this...because of the duplicate content - so they don't like malls.
???
I see of a bunch of other sites - happycoupons, I think is one - that don't have a lot of content rich stuff and yet they, I've heard through various contacts in this business, that they do great.

How do you deal with merchants that want to drop you because you're not getting them the sales they want? I mean, you don't just build a mall and start sending whammo traffic right off the bat - it's hard enough in the real world, let alone on the internet!

ANY more suggestions? They are very appreciated. I do have one or two niche sites -- but not sure how to work them into the mall since they are very, VERY small....

Thanks..