Now that my series on building my new house is winding down I felt it was time to start a new series here at Stumble Forward but this time I really want to make this more of a challenge and that’s why I’ve decided to build a niche site from scratch. Along with that I plan to give periodic updates and document how to build a niche site as I go and share what I learn along the way as I build my site.
One of the big reasons I decided to start a niche site was because I’ve been reading a great series on how Pat Flynn built one of his niche sites back in 2010 and has been very successful with it. In fact, on his January 2013 income report he shared that he earned $3707.17 with that site. That’s not bad for a site that was entirely based on security guard training.
So in this article I’m going to cover my goals with my niche site, why I chose to build this site, and what I will be sharing about my site.
My Goal With This Niche Site
My goal overall is to earn a $1000 of residual income from this site on a monthly basis, and maybe more overtime. Now I can’t personally guarantee that this will happen but I will be working hard to make it happen. On top of that the reason I chose a $1000 a month is because I’ve built websites that have earned a $1000 a month and I know I can achieve that kind of income.
Now I should also mention this goal is also a challenge for me as well. In fact this is a challenge between my brother and I, who also happens to be my twin brother. The reason for the challenge is to push one another to achieve success. My brother is also in the process of starting a niche site right now which is perfect timing.
The great part about the challenge is that it will force us to try and outdo the other person. On top of that I also have a steak dinner on the line for this as well to make things fun.
Why Build a Niche Site
There are a lot of reasons I chose to build a niche site. Below are a few reasons I considered before I even got started.
- Simple. First off niche sites can be very simple to run. There will still be work involved to keep it running such as updating content and such but for the most part it won’t require a ton of work to maintain, which is exactly what I’m looking for.
- Focus. Secondly, niche sites focus on a very specific topic, instead being more of a general site covering many different topics.
- Not Hard To Get Started. Third, niche sites are not hard to get up and running. In fact, all you need is a little know how and you can be up and running in minutes.
- Cost. Finally, one of the biggest reasons I chose to build a niche site was because of the low barrier of entry. The cost to start your own website is very inexpensive these days. On top of that if the site doesn’t work out I won’t be out much either.
What I’m Going To Cover
Now that I’ve covered my goals and why I plan to build a niche site, there are certain things I plan to share along the way as I build my site out. My goal here is to be as transparent as possible and share as many of the details as I can. Now I don’t plan reveal the exact niche I’m using but I will reveal almost everything else from traffic, to rankings, to earnings.
Below is exactly what I will be sharing with you.
- Traffic. I plan to show specific traffic numbers and where visitors are coming from whether it be search, referral, or even direct traffic.
- Earnings. I plan to show a complete breakdown of where I’m earning money with this site and how much from each source.
- Rankings. I also plan to share the exact ranking for my main keyword, but I will not reveal the keyword itself. On top of that I will also be sharing how many different keywords I’m being found for in search as well.
- Site Stuff. Fourth, I will be sharing specific things I’m doing with my site such as page layouts, link placements, and so forth.
- Tools. I also plan to share tools that I used along the way as well. This could be keyword research tools to themes and plugins.
- Process. Finally, I plan to reveal any process I’ve done such as how I picked out my niche or how I set up the content management software and even do a little outsourcing.
Do You Want To Join The Challenge
Now that I’ve covered the basics of the challenge and what I plan to do, would you like to join in on the challenge and follow along as well. This could be a great way to earn some extra cash and if nothing else learn more about building a website.
I would certainly like to get a few extra people in the challenge to talk to and to see what we could really do here. Of course we don’t have to have any real bets between us. In the end if this could earn you an extra few hundred dollars a month and could be well worth the money, and if not that’s fine too, but I’d still like to hear your thoughts about the challenge as well.
Also depending on the time that you are reading this it doesn’t matter when you start. You can start now or whenever you want, time has no preference here. If you do plan be a part of the challenge just let me know in the comments below as I’d like to hear about your progress as well.
Finally, maybe you just want to follow along on the process, and that’s fine too. The easiest way to do that is to sign up to my mailing list so you can receive updates right to your inbox. To do that you can sign up below.
So do you want to be a part of the challenge too?
