[cj]

Originally posted by Yug@Aug 22 2004, 07:49 AM
But they aren't ... the industry is saturated by cookie cutter sites which are all about getting some horney guy to enter his credit card details to get access to non-specific members section, find something that generally resembles the girl he saw on the front, and then forget that he subscribed to that members section the next day.

Yug, are companies who build these type of sites becoming more or less successful in 2004?

And thats why it all comes down to the bottom line really. Depending on how big or small a company you are. If you spend all your money on traffic to a cookie cutter website, you will still get people to join your site, and THEN you can then build up on an established members section that will sustain you long enough to create or improve upon your existing site.

So you guarantee that if you spend all of your money on traffic to send to a cookie cutter site that you will definately make some money? When was the last time you tried this and it actually worked? How much money would you have to spend on traffic (and what type should you buy) to generate enough members to 'sustain' the site and be able to afford to improve the site? keep in mind average retention on cookie cutter sites is 20-30% from trial to full monthly membership. Wouldn't it make more sense to spend half of the money on traffic and half on content so you actually have a chance of recurring members?

However, if you spend all your resources on creating a unique site, buying custom content, etc, and you have no traffic, then you have shot yourself in the foot.

Really? Let me use Little April, as an example but there's 100's of others proving you wrong every day ... they spent their money developing content, and as a result affiliates can't get enough of promoting it (ie, risk free traffic, no financial outlay unless there's income) and surfers TELL EACH OTHER ABOUT IT - ie, free traffic.

Thats why i would choose #2 ... I would rather a shit site with really good traffic, because i could build upon that site, improve it, expand upon it, while it is generating an income.

What income? You are assuming the members who signed up from your 'good traffic' are going to stay members ... but why would they, you have crap content!

Good content promotes itself - and that is a FACT. 'Really good' traffic is NOT guaranteed to make you money these days ... but the industry as a whole is having a lot of trouble letting go of the old business principals. It seems obvious to me, when something isnt working anymore - CHANGE IT! Why is it so hard for us as an industry to think outside the box? Its not that hard ... just copy what mainstream does!