Why My Sites Failed... - Page 2

123ecart · #16 (**permalink**) 01-15-2008, 11:16 PM

Hi Lisa,

I don't see any of my website ventures as failures. Just projects with unexpected results LOL. At the very least, though, they were learning experiences.

I guess that the site with the most unexpected results, though, (was also a business with unexpected results) was my 12dollars.net venture.

At the time, local dialup was being sold for $20 avg, and my reasoning was that if I could offer it for $12, and use the name of the company to promote the business by incorporating the price right into the domain name.

Great idea, except that Net Zero started a huge ad buy 3 months later, offering $9.95 dialup.

I couldn't compete on price, and the price was incorporated into the name, so we ended up putting our weakest attribute...price...right out in prospective customers faces before we could toot our horn about our strong points.

I even got so desperate as to dress up in a clown suit with a billboard and stand on the busiest intersection in town for several dozen mornings, but to no avail.

Unexpected results, yes. Failure, no. I learned a lot and had a blast as Popo The Clown.

Warm regards,

lisa · #17 (**permalink**) 01-15-2008, 11:32 PM

Very good point and great way of looking at it, 123ecart. I am definitely grateful for every site whether it succeeded or failed 'cause I learned something in the process. I think the biggest thing is to not get discouraged and keep going.

foong · #18 (**permalink**) 01-16-2008, 12:01 AM

Hi Larry,

Good point, read the book 'blue ocean strategies' sometime back and that inspire me a lot, there is just not going to be any area that is without competition, if you can go head to head with the giants that is good, if you can't then it is definitely a need to swim out of the red ocean.

Success largely depends on how much you have learn a long the process.

webman · #19 (**permalink**) 03-24-2008, 01:02 AM

O.K. just last year I started a blog after reading Joel Comm's free E-book, Adsense and Blogging. I signed up for Blogger and started a health blog based on Keven Trudeau's books.

Lesson learned...Despite the well-documented evidence I couldn't(and still can't) afford what he recommends. Plus I have a medical condition myself. So who was I to give advice on good health! After several weeks I just thought "what on Earth am I thinking!"

Silly me. But when I do get the money, this will certainly be one of my niches!

So I started a weather blog . I was just crusin' along until one day I realized I didn't have the proper tools. Thus, it became drudgery.

Lesson learned...I need to to walk not run.

Now I've shut down those blogs to focus on not only what I like but also be engaged in. Online Gaming and Michael Jackson.

By the way. I've also jumped on the Adsense bandwagon to fast(I don't even got 100 average uniques a day for either blog). Plus my bouncing rate is just over 75%(but slightly dropping).

Lesson learned... Don't even think about monetizing until you've got loyal targeted traffic.

One question should I close my Adsense account until I'm established or try to wade it out?

I've only accumulated $30-$50 bucks thus far.

Now, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to succeed online! Despite being disabled.

eagleswingwis · #20 (**permalink**) 07-26-2008, 06:24 PM

Webman...

Sorry to jump on your statement here but it really upsets me to hear the word diabled...

Dis to me means NOT, and am sure you are able...

Hustlehard · #21 (**permalink**) 08-28-2008, 12:49 PM

Oh Lisa,

I've just read this thread you posted back in March 2007.

This is lovely. A lot of people dwell on success, success, success. But what I've realised is that you can't succeed without analysing your failures and other peoples failures.

This is great. I'm going to dwell more on failures that way you learn a lot.
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lisa · #22 (**permalink**) 08-28-2008, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hustlehard

This is great. I'm going to dwell more on failures that way you learn a lot.

Interesting that you bring this up. A lot of my recent videos and articles tend to focus on "why people fail at X, Y and Z". I do that because I think you can learn a lot from what NOT to do sometimes even better than someone telling you what to do. I think it makes for a stronger message. Thanks Hustlehard.

ramone_johnny · #23 (**permalink**) 08-28-2008, 09:14 PM

Wow, great thread. Sure beats those "How I made a million dollars in one weekend" BS threads.

However I have so many that Id like to work through them and post them up properly. Like yourself I have been involved in web design, ecommerce and just about everything else since 2001 - and boy, have I had some heart wrenching moments. I still do!

Ill be back on later to post them up.

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