A newbie guide to arcade webmastering

As an arcade webmaster, I have written this small guide for webmasters who want to start an arcade website. This guide will help you in starting your first arcade website and getting a decent traffic. As you get into this niche, you learn the other tricks to make the website even more successful.

1. Choose a good domain name. It is very important for an arcade website. Try to get a domain which has Game(s), Arcade, Play, fun, etc. in it.
   If you have a nice, short and one word domain which sounds catchy, then it is also fine.
   
   
2. You can use any arcade script as long as you do not use the default or a free template on your site. You can hire someone to get a unique template designed for your arcade website. Make sure that the website looks pretty and unique.
   
   
3. I'd NOT recommend you to buy a gamepack with loads of games. The reason is simple, the duplicate content. Gamepacks are not unique and you'll find same games with exact description on different arcade websites.
   The better option is that you visit different arcade websites and download the games which you find interesting. Put them on your website and write the description for the games yourself. You can start the site with 200 games and then add new games on a regular basis.
   If you don't have time to do this, then buy a gamepack and hire someone to write unique description for each game.
   
   
4. There are many ways to get traffic. I'm mentioning the techniques which were the main source of traffic for my website.
   • The main source of traffic is organic search. That is why I told you to get good games with unique description or you'll be penalized by Google for duplicate content.
   • Stumbleupon is a good way to get traffic for arcade websites. My site used to get a decent amount of traffic from stumbleupon. So submit your website to stumbleupon and other popular social bookmarking websites.
   • Join a few arcade banner exchange websites. They are a good source of getting traffic. I'd recommend you to join a maximum of 5 banner exchange websites. The optimal amount is 3.
   • Do some link exchange with a few arcade websites directly. They will also give you a pretty decent traffic and can also contribute to PR. Though arcade site owners with a good PR will be reluctant to do a link exchange with a new website but you can always persuade them to go for it, if you have a nice looking website with good games and unique description (as stated in above points).
   • Give your visitors a reason to visit the site again. You can offer small prizes to make them come back to your website.
   • You can also join a few arcade topsites but they generally provide you with a very low traffic. That’s the reason I think that joining an arcade topsite is waste of time and resources (You've to put a banner of the topsite on your homepage which will take the precious space of your homepage).

This was a small guide for the newbie arcade webmasters. Other experienced webmasters also contribute, especially on monetizing the arcade sites.

-- fundu

 

That's a definate short tailed tip guide, but excellent points. One thing I didn't like though.

When you mentioned not buying a game pack because the descriptions are wrong, I don't argue. It would take way too long to run around looking for games. As a tip game packs are a fast way to load up an arcade but people should make sure to change the description.

 

That's the reason I mentioned to buy a gamepack and hire someone to change the descriptions.

 

Nice write-up.