I've always developed quality content websites and they always had miserable traffic. Yet i saw other sites serving nothing but raw shit and they got pretty successful, so: If you wanna become popular serve shit on your website, thats what people like . Example: Shitoogle (99,9999% shit)
Unfortunately, this is true. Sometimes these s**t are doing well because they are being marketed properly. If we look around, there are tons of not-so useful products that are doing well in the market. This is even when Internet has not been created yet, and this is due to effective marketing.
In the long run this is not true however. These sites eventually dive. Anyone remember those directory generator sites? They used to be "da bomb". Now look at where they are.
Rubbish, you don't decide if your content has quality or not. If users don't find your content useful, they won't visit your website often, no matter how much you brag to others how great your content is.
It all comes down to marketing. However, if all you serve is crap to your visitors, you will eventually lose. For long term success you need quality content. Maybe you need to polish up on your marketing skills.
I would say quality content is not ALWAYS the solution. I do very well with some sites that have minimal content and just pretty much throw images and advertising text in people's faces. These sites convert much better than sites where I have lots of helpful articles that aren't so heavily monetized. It depends what audience you're after - somebody searching for information who might buy your related ebook or click on your Adsense links - or you're targeting keywords like "where to buy X product online" and you have simple pages that encourage those people who are already presold to buy through your links. In the latter case, more content can actually work against you because it serves as a distraction and interupts the buying process. Dan
Wroooooaaooooong. If you have crap content you will loose. Some sites are older and have crappier content but it's not total crap, so it was successful. Sometimes age becomes a factor even for quality content. And trust me, really quality content requires no advertising. Marketing is to get that initial 150 people or so, to be introduced to your site, and after that word of mouth can carry you anywhere. For some sites this number may be bigger for it to get popular. Marketing itself is ineffective and a waste of time usually.
"because they are being marketed properly" What is exactly being marketed properly? Im on web for more than 10 years and the only thing i learned is that free marking doesnt work.
Compelling argument I appreciate it when someone challenges the "group think" stereotypes of how to do things. People like to visit websites that they can pick and choose (like drudge report) "quality" website try to tell people how and what to think. (like the NY Times most of us unconsciously resent it) Drudge is more popular than the Times. Thanks!
It isn't necessarily that people like it, it's just that just about all the sites out there are ugly, so they are use to it, they don't pay much attention to it. But nice-looking sites do well too. Like mine. heh heh PlentyOfFish is one ugly-ass site, but he has a free service, so that is another reason. Look at DrudgeReport.com. That is one hairy-ass ugly site, but people don't care because they go there to read the news for free. There is a lot of good content there. When it comes to selling a product, a service, I would rather put out a nice-looking but very simple, idiot-proof site, than a Quasimodo site. I think they convert better.
Internet marketing is NOT a "build it and they will come" type business. I don't care what kind of quality content you have. The biggest part though is getting people there, but once they are there finding something interesting there. If they don't, they won't be compelled to stay, tell their friends about your site, or give you a backlink by recommending to others on the internet. So basically, quality content is a long term investment, its not something that will directly provide traffic.
Stumbling upon a sales funnel that converts. When the niche, the SEO, the Content, the Website design, the product/offers, the visitors all line up just right you've hit gold. Some are lucky to stumble on such an alignment with a few of their projects. Others aren't so lucky. I've got a beautiful blog with good information that visitors are commenting positively on earning a few dollars here and there from Adsense and CPA. I do think it will be successful in the long run, though. I've also got a simple Learn to Play Guitar style site with a few short posts written for SEO and a couple of links to a CB product. I haven't really marketed it and much to my surprise I landed a $27 commission last week.
I don't think quality content is always the solution either. Use your brains and try various ways . More ways and channels is better than one way promotion .
quality content helps a lot, but you need other things as well. You need backlinks, you need to submit to directories, etc.