The Long Monetization Wait in SBI???

Multimastery · #1 (**permalink**) 07-04-2008, 09:48 PM

I'm currently in the process of building a website with SiteBuildIt! but I'm just wondering why it recommends that we wait so long to do any type of monetization. I understand holding off on monetization to a certain extent in the building stages of a website. But for months & months that could means losing out on HUNDREDS in revenue! I made the following post in the SBI forum and didn't get any additional feedback yet...maybe Website Babble can elaborate:

"Oh ok so it's ok at the early stages to still recommend/point readers to products or services that support that page content...but just as long as it's not an affiliate link or adsense in the early stages? Do search engines know the difference between a monetized "affiliate" link and a regular link or something --even if it's hidden??

Seems like affiliate links can be cloaked or masked some kind of way these days so that it looks like a regular link. I've seen it done before I do believe. I'm understanding a little better, and appreciate the replies, but I just don't understand why i should put time & energy into writing quality content and then just hand my hard-earned visitor over to someone else to profit???

I do understand we have to build-up traffic but seems like there has to be some type of 'monetization compromise' in all of this somehow - while we're building. Months & Months of building up quality content and just handing it over to third parties that i have no vested interest in could mean Hundreds out of my pockets and into someone else's who didn't even do any work whatsoever of "Preselling" that visitor."

lisa · #2 (**permalink**) 07-05-2008, 01:25 AM

I actually think it's good that they encourage you to wait. I've seen it so many times in this forum and from emails I receive. People get in a hurry to put up ads with no traffic then they start stressing about the fact they're only making .50 cents per month with AdSense. They then look for another program and more programs, thinking that the program is the reason they are not making money when in fact it's the traffic. So they get distracted and focused so much on chasing the money, they lose sight of the real goal and that is building quality content to a targeted audience.

Now I can't remember the exact terminology and explanation SBI! uses for waiting to monetize but the basis of that is they want you to have traffic. You won't be missing out on hundreds of dollars in monetization if you don't have the traffic.

Some people build traffic earlier than others. So if you are one of those people that starts building up a good traffic base, I don't see anything wrong with monetizing earlier than the average person. But I believe the reason they focus on waiting so much is they want people to focus on actually getting traffic.

I can't tell you how many posts have been here from people asking about which affiliate program should they join to make the most money. That always lets me know they are focusing on making money waaaaay too early. I think once you have the traffic and know who your audience is, then choosing the right kinds of affiliate programs is a pretty simple process.

So that's why SBI! tells you to wait. And remember everyone's situation is going to be a little different. So while these guidelines are good, feel free to do what you think works best for you. I monetized very early because I started getting good traffic in the 2nd month of having my SBI! site.

I also think a big part of them telling you to was for directory submissions. When submitting to multiple directories was more important for search engine rankings, it was crucial that your site didn't look like an affiliate site because actual humans reviewed your site. When I used to submit to DMOZ, and other important directories I would always do it before I added affiliate links. But this was back when directory submissions had more weight.

alpha7 · #3 (**permalink**) 07-05-2008, 07:57 AM

SBI! also says that the directories will receive your site better if you don't have any advertisements on them. They say that you should build up 30 - 50 pages first, then submit to directories, then monetize a little later.

Don't forget that these search engines and directories want people to keep coming back to them. If all people see when they visit a site is "I want your money, I want your money", they may not return.

I agree with Lisa because 1. I'm trying to get to where she is in this business and 2. I am seeing some interesting things happen with my test site and I have only employed 2 strategies that I've learned from Lisa.

I believe this it the directory's and search engine's way of weeding out the no content money hungry people.

Most conventional businesses don't turn a profit for a few years. Serious business people understand this and are patient. I learned this the hard way. I decided to stick it out and trade a few hundred dollars in profits for several thousand.

I believe that if you wait, it will be more worth your while. Give the surfers what they are looking for then take your tip as they leave you site.

Multimastery · #4 (**permalink**) 07-05-2008, 01:52 PM

Thank you both for replying. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand the concept & importance of waiting. But what i don't understand is what's the difference between me writing quality content and pointing a visitor over to another site that i have no vested interest in so that they can monetize the visitor -- as apposed to me just recommending them to a product/service that I personally have a vested interest in like like an affiliate program or something (and affiliate links can be masked these days). So I don't see what the difference is and how search engines or directories will differentiate the difference. I hope this makes sense as I'm trying to explain my views the best way i can but I don't know if I'm getting my point across clearly.

James · #5 (**permalink**) 07-05-2008, 05:18 PM

Multimastery

Everyone has to determine when the best time to devote some time to selling as related to building their name. If you are selling a product that already has an established value you may get to it sooner, for example. But here is how the math works.

If you start selling right away that means you are devoting time to that effort. As a result, you may have a dribble of sales from the beginning and build up to a certain level in say two years. On the other hand, if you focus on content and avoid not only monetization but a lot of the other things some of us can't resist like learning more about code, graphics, etc., you may establish the same content level in six months to a year so that monetization will grow much faster when started. And those larger sales will represent consumers who will refer others to you in addition to many other factors that will enhance sales.

This model is seen by many of the most knowledgeable and experienced people in the field, like Lisa, to be by far the most productive.

Now you have every right to go another way. And you may be successful. But one of the best principles of success in business is that the best way to succeed is to find someone who is successful and do what they are doing. It is the most dependable way to succeed. There are examples of people who go their own way and become very successful in spite of the odds. There are thousand more who try it and fail.

alpha7 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-05-2008, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Multimastery

Thank you both for replying. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand the concept & importance of waiting. But what i don't understand is what's the difference between me writing quality content and pointing a visitor over to another site that i have no vested interest in so that they can monetize the visitor -- as apposed to me just recommending them to a product/service that I personally have a vested interest in like like an affiliate program or something (and affiliate links can be masked these days). So I don't see what the difference is and how search engines or directories will differentiate the difference. I hope this makes sense as I'm trying to explain my views the best way i can but I don't know if I'm getting my point across clearly.

Oh, you mean the links that you are not affiliated with. I believe that is for the trust factor in pre-selling. For instance, if your visitor sees that you are endorsing another site that does not appear to be an affiliate site, they may say, "Wow, that was a great reference. I'll have to visit that site again." That's kind of like a conventional store giving away a free t-shirt at the grand opening. People remember free stuff.

On the other hand, if you have all affiliate links, some visitors may think you are money hungry.

lisa · #7 (**permalink**) 07-06-2008, 12:46 PM

I didn't really address your question from the angle of the search engine penalties. I realize now that's your main point/question.

Keep in mind the reason for SBI!'s suggestion is not just because the search engines may penalize you for an affiliate link. In my opinion, your rank won't suffer too much if you have a few affiliate links here and there in addition to an abundance of growing content. BUT SBI! knows that the average person tends to go hog-wild too early with AdSense, Kontera, AdBrite, Amazon.com, CJ, etc. and their content-building becomes secondary. They (SBI!) just don't want you so focused on making money when you have no traffic.

And I do think you may get penalized (rank wise) if you have an excess amount of affiliate links early on. So you need to find balance. If you want to add a couple of affiliate links here and there in the beginning, I don't think the search engines are going to penalize you all that much (I did this on both my sites) as long as you understand that you aren't going to make much money until you have traffic and building useful content is still your primary focus.

Remember SBI! is speaking to the masses. And they understand how early monetization is a huge mistake made by newbies so that's why they emphasize "the wait" so much.

But you have to find what works for you. I certainly didn't follow EVERY SBI! guideline to the letter when building my site, but I do understand why they make that suggestion.... especially to newbies who are still learning "the process" for what it takes to succeed.

Multimastery · #8 (**permalink**) 07-07-2008, 01:29 AM

Yeah i see Thank y'all for the comments! And Lisa you're definitely right in saying that SBI is probably making a general statement to the masses, while also making a wise statement to every SBIer involved. I'll just hold off and not buck the system. But if I just can't take it anymore then i'm gonna monetize tastefully that is

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