Wanting to create a successful website is great. I mean that's why we are all here. The problem I have is that people always try to copy original successful ideas (and I will admit that I have been guilty of this thinking as well). Case in Point: The Million Dollar Homepage. 1 very successful site spawned hundreds if not thousands of copycats that brought much less of that money pie. And the same think is happening with YouTube clones, Directories, Digg clones, Myspace clones etc. Instead of turning to clones people need to create original ideas. Is this tough? You bet. But if you create a youtube clone site I doubt that making your site very successful is going to be any easier. The reality is that once a marketplace has a couple big players it's hard to take them down by copying them. They get taken down by beating them by doing something different or new or fresh. So the next time you need to think up an idea try to come up with something new even if not totally new add some new feature some new spin instead of being the thousands that are willing to just download a clone and wonder why oh why their site isn't successful. I'm done Skinny
You're absolutely right. The people who truly become successful are those who are the originals. I hate copycats, and I always strive to stand out from the crowd.
1000 clones to youtube 1000 clones to myspace 1000 clones to Onemilion Dollar Page Etc etc .... No comment
I know exactly what you mean. I've actually had an insane business idea for a while that is really unique but it'll cost me upwards of $17K to build it. I do make clone sites but only to sell and save up for something huge and unique. Maybe that's just me though. Lots of people just want to sell their clones for a quick buck or 2.
TBH since the advent of the internet original ideas are becoming more difficult year-on-year. It's being the lucky person to really hit a winner (i.e the 2 lads from Google, the YouTube guys, that gay bloke Tom from mySpace etc. etc.) it's searching for that elusive original idea that will work today, as most original ideas have long been taken.
Rule #1 of the "Big Book O' SEO": Heh, I know it's not the same, but there's something to read in-between the lines. People fail because they give up. People own directories. Thousands of directories are around. Sure, the guy who came up with the idea is awesome and brilliant, and was an instant millionaire, but people still make income from their 'copied' ideas. How about the weblog? Whoever made it was amazing, and became rich. Hmm, millions of us copied him, and made weblogs as well. Naughty us. The point here is that there's nothing wrong with copying the idea. It's how you alter the idea to make it unique and profitable for yourself.
Thanks for all the comments. I agree with all of you. Vadym I agree with you 100%, there is nothing wrong with taking an idea and making it better. Google did that with Altavista. What I dislike is that some webmasters are so mindless that they just directly copy a clone site with the sole purpose of making money or getting visitors and think they will hit it BIG. It doesn't work that way. People are too lazy to sit back and cook up some ideas (good or bad) and try putting those to use and making it work out. Skinny
Our own ideas cant be converted to a script that easy. But if we do it we will be famous and get rewards as YouTube gets now. I have a new idea... But building it is not easy. Moreover.. such scripts are easily available and thats why people just buy it and upload it.
Yes, we are all guilty of copy catting other peoples ideas in the hope it will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams, me especially! I've had some really brilliant idea's over the years, and probably too many to stick to one thing. Think hard about what could be the next big thing, you might be the next million dollar homepage. (says the guy with the pixel lotto clone...)
Creating genuine idea is not an easy thing. Its very difficult. Its no harm following other people's success. If something works, you don't have to reinvent the wheel again, thats the idea. Not necessarily the copy cat site will succeed. But I think its ok to get inspiration from other's work, but blind copy is not good of course. I have developed my classified ads site inspired by craigslist. I analyzed their site, tried to find how I can improve it, and thats what I did. I followed them, but I don't feel guilty because I know, no matter I succeed or not, I did a good job.
for instance bebo and myspace were all that,and now in the last year puff out of seemingly nowhere facebook is exploading more and more with members
thats like anything my friend. when somebody see's that somebody elses idea is successfull and makes lots of money, they are bound to think, i want a piece of that pie, and also part of the money that goes with that. thats life unfortunately. unless your able to create an original idea, and patent it successfully there are always going to be copycats.