Getting your site off the ground is definitely a hard thing to do. It takes lots of time, money and hard work. If you are planning on making it work and not waste what you have invested in it, you better be determined to work hard and for extensive hours. For some reason many people have a completely opposite perception when it comes to starting a website. It might be true that it takes a relatively low money investment, but you still need to put a great amount of time and hard work into it. Many people who own successful websites know what it takes to get there. It is not just luck what got them there. It is a great deal of sacrifice. Basically anybody with a few dollars, internet connection, and basic technical skills can start a website. This makes it sound like something very effortless to do, but these very factors make it very tempting to plenty of people to start their own site. Therefore, competition is abundant and fiercely in the online world. Currently there are billions of websites on the net, and if you want to get ahead you have to be determined from the very beginning to give your best. Getting your site off the ground is not only about setting up a domain and some files online. There are so many areas that you need to pay attention to. You have to create unique and quality content, generate traffic, maintain the site, analyze statistics, keep visitors engaged, SEO, and more. The list varies according to the type of site that you might want to start. However, there is one thing that is always common among all websites: webmasters need to work hard in order to see the fruit from the tree. In conclusion, starting a website is just like opening a brick and mortar shop. The hardest part is at the starting point. Then things become somewhat easier, but if you really want to be successful you have to always go the extra mile. Otherwise, the competition will run you over; especially in the online business world.
"Keep visitors engaged", I like that sentence. But you have missed one important piece, "How a site can go viral"
Wise thread. Start may not be so difficult because we are often motivated at the beginning, it's important to maintain the motivation to continue working and everyone needs to learn it by himself.
Bitz, you have a great gift and thanks for sharing it with us! It is far from expected that to start up a web site, not an easy task at all. Good traffic takes tons of efforts and hours and at the end the results may not be so promising. Maybe its the contents not so interesting or updated, maybe it is hard to get, as you said, "visitors engaged". That depends on the niche. SEO and social networks are good places to start marketing, but easier said than done, how to do that effectively and not costly is an art. Thank you once again for your insights and hope you can bring us more very soon.
I agree, any tips from you on how a site can go viral? And thank you @BizzDefender for the great post.
Well if they've found your site then they are obviously interested in your niche. I think you are right when you mention the content. Keep it interesting by all means but also keep the new content coming too. Old content with no updates is the death knell for any site these days.
Very true words. Maybe someone can share some tips for motivating yourself when things are slow or you're becoming frustrated?
Have a great info. In order to make your website stand out you must consider the usability angle which focuses on functionality and the effective presentation of information also the aesthetic factor which is all about the creative value and visual appeal of the page.