How much for a new website

[gobbles414]

Hi all,

I want to make a website that is similar to http://www.dvdauthority.com -- but without the RSS or giveaways. Also, I will use alphabetical browsing instead of a search field.

I have been brainstorming for a couple of days with a website developer on ideas for my new website, and he has already registered a domain name for me. However, he has to "do some calculations" before he can quote a final price to me. Also, he says that development of my website will take a minimum of six weeks. Of course, I am also VERY concerned about generating money from this website! So:

* How much should it cost to develop a website like mine?
* How long should it take to make a website like I have described? Is six weeks reasonable?
* What are the different kinds of ads that I could use on my website, and how much money could I expect to make from each kind of ad?

Thank you all in advance!

[Lostincyberspace]

It will vary greatly if you know someone who will do it for cheap then it will be cheap, if you don't then it could be very expensive. I mean for a site like that it could be around 1000 dollars if you don't have an inside connection.

[50words]

Why would you not want to use RSS? Nobody wants to visit a dozen (or a hundred) blogs a day. RSS is essential if you are going to run a blog.

As for cost, a website design can cost as little as $100 or as much as $10,000. I am currently paying E.Webscapes (www.ewebscapes.com) $600 for a blog makeover for my WordPress.org blog, Caveat Emptor (www.caveatemptorblog.com). That seems pretty inexpensive to me, but they have a nice portfolio, and I like the work they do. Plus, it is just building a WordPress theme, not redesigning the whole site.

So there's one example.

[gobbles414]

Hi Lostincyberspace,
Thanks for your reply. US$1000 seems reasonable enough to me, as long as the quality is excellent. My web developer has said that he is going to watch my costs very carefully. So that's reassuring anyway... Do you have any suggestions about advertising?

Hi 50words,
Thanks for your reply as well. I personally find RSS to be a very disorienting way of surfing the internet. If I hate it surfing, I will probably hate it even more managing it on my own website. :) Also, I wouldn't consider my website to be a blog exactly -- more like the review section of an online magazine. I like your website, by the way! Do you have any suggestions as far as advertising?

Thanks to you both!

[rich.bradshaw]

RSS is brilliant! I'd implement it anyway, even if you don't like it - my blog gets around 80% of it's non-digg traffic from RSS. In other words, in a normal day, 80% is from RSS.

If I was making a site like that, I'd likely charge around £800. The backend work would take around 8-10 hours, design around 4-6. Obviously I wouldn't code it in one sitting, so a week or two is fair.

Writing it using an existing system such as Drupal would be quicker most likely for someone familiar with it.

[50words]

I can't tell you much about advertising. My lower-traffic website, solosmalltech.com, has ads, but they do not generate much in the way of income. Maybe a hundred dollars a year, if I am lucky.

On Caveat Emptor, which receives a fair amount of traffic, I tried using Google ads, but they were all for companies that I object to, so I took them down. Besides, I don't blog for direct income.

[gobbles414]

Hi rich.bradshaw,
Thanks for your reply. Well, 80 percent is difficult to argue against. I will have to think about adding it. Would it be a pain for me to manage? I will be the person who uploads new content to my website.

Is £800 about US$1,600? That is a bit more than I am able to spend right now. Would it be a better idea for me to find a really good template? Can you recommend one?

It sounds like the website developer whom I have been using might not be the way to go. From your description, it sounds like 6 weeks might be an unfair amount of time to give my website developer to complete his work.

50words
"A hundred dollars a year!" I was hoping to earn US$1000 per month; I want this website to eventually become my main source of income. :confused:

[Samhain13]

About advertising:

I used to put an AdSense box in my pages. They generated an average US$50 monthly. It's low by gobble's expectations but then, my site doesn't really get many visitors. A movie site, which I feel is more interesting, might generate a lot more income provided the site is well-promoted.

As to the cost versus the OP description, I don't think something like this should cost more than US$1,000. And as rich.bradshaw says, it shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks. But then, that mostly depends on the abilities of the developer-- the more experienced ones will have useful scripts from previous jobs lying around and ready to be reused so it can even be a lot faster. A LOT faster if the dev is using some kind of framework.

[50words]

RSS takes no maintenance. Your feed is updated automatically every time you post a new article. You don't have to do anything. To be blunt, not to include it would be stupid in today's internet.

My solosmalltech.com site gets about 30 visitors/day, so it isn't exactly a high-traffic site. The ads are just there to help, not for any kind of income.

To be honest, I think you have a pretty unrealistic conception of building a blog/website and of earning money with it.

First, you have to spend (some) money to make (more) money. If you want a money-earning site, you need a good design with well-integrated ads. If you are not willing to pay $2,000 for your site, you are off to a poor start.

Second, building a website takes dedication and perseverance. For one thing, you are entering a crowded market. You already linked to a very good-looking site doing exactly what you want to do. Why would people come to your site instead? Will you have the patience to continue updating through the first six months or so when Google ignores you, and for the next six months or so while you are still picking up readers a couple at a time?

At some point, a web site can be an excellent source of passive income, but it takes a lot of work on the front end in order to get there.

[Samhain13]

At some point, a web site can be an excellent source of passive income, but it takes a lot of work on the front end in order to get there.

+1

It's better to come up with a business plan that's not based soley on advertising. It's really a very crowded market. Building a blogging application is one thing, coming up with interesting content is another. But separating a site from all others like it is the real challenge.

[Sporkman]

RSS takes no maintenance. Your feed is updated automatically every time you post a new article. You don't have to do anything. To be blunt, not to include it would be stupid in today's internet.

My solosmalltech.com site gets about 30 visitors/day, so it isn't exactly a high-traffic site. The ads are just there to help, not for any kind of income.

To be honest, I think you have a pretty unrealistic conception of building a blog/website and of earning money with it.

First, you have to spend (some) money to make (more) money. If you want a money-earning site, you need a good design with well-integrated ads. If you are not willing to pay $2,000 for your site, you are off to a poor start.

Second, building a website takes dedication and perseverance. For one thing, you are entering a crowded market. You already linked to a very good-looking site doing exactly what you want to do. Why would people come to your site instead? Will you have the patience to continue updating through the first six months or so when Google ignores you, and for the next six months or so while you are still picking up readers a couple at a time?

At some point, a web site can be an excellent source of passive income, but it takes a lot of work on the front end in order to get there.

Agreed - you have high expectations, so it'll take a lot of work & investment to get the site to where you want it to be. You'll have to have a solid concept, excellent quality, functionality & content. Also, as 50word says, you'll need to decide how to differentiate yourself from the other competitors in your space.

Finally, along with the cost of having the website developed, you may want to consider buying some advertising to get the word out & generate traffic.

[kamaboko]

Agreed - you have high expectations, so it'll take a lot of work & investment to get the site to where you want it to be. You'll have to have a solid concept, excellent quality, functionality & content. Also, as 50word says, you'll need to decide how to differentiate yourself from the other competitors in your space.

Finally, along with the cost of having the website developed, you may want to consider buying some advertising to get the word out & generate traffic.

Pick three or four websites that you like. Take from each the elements that you want on your site then go to rentacoder.com and hire someone to do it. Pennies on the dollar compared to US web designers. There's a lot of great quality people out there in India, China, the Middle East, or the Ukraine waiting to code your project. I've sent people to rentacoder and they've received great results.

[gobbles414]

Hi all,

Wow! Thank you for all of you feedback. Some thoughts about all of your comments:

RSS takes no maintenance... To be blunt, not to include it would be stupid in today's internet.
Well color me convinced! After reading what some of you have had to say on the subject, I am now planning to add RSS to my website.

If you want a money-earning site, you need a good design with well-integrated ads.
While I have several concepts in these areas, I had been hoping for my website developer -- who has 10+ years experience -- to give me some additional tips. His response so far has been, "You should really look into that." I had been hoping for him to already know something on the subject!

If you are not willing to pay $2,000 for your site, you are off to a poor start.
Please don't misunderstand me. I am more than willing to pay that much if it is needed.

Will you have the patience to continue updating through the first six months or so when Google ignores you...
Well, I had thought about paying for a "sponsored" position on Google. Any ideas on how much that might cost? Obviously, once my site is generating a lot of traffic, I won't need the sponsorship anymore.

You'll have to have a solid concept, excellent quality, functionality & content.
I will have 100% control of the content and 90%+ of the concept. In my opinion, quality and functionality are the responsibilities of the website designer and his/her coding, etc.

...you may want to consider buying some advertising to get the word out & generate traffic.
Yes... But as many of you have already said, I must first have a quality website built for me. I am starting to get the impression that this will be more easily said than done.

It's better to come up with a business plan that's not based solely on advertising.
I eventually plan to sell items like t-shirts and coffee mugs, if that's what you mean. I also plan to place links to websites like Amazon within each movie review. Are these what you meant? If not, please explain further.

I used to put an AdSense box in my pages. They generated an average US$50 monthly.
Again, this is a cause of great concern for me. I have been earning my living these past few months as a freelancer, but would like to genuinely start working for myself and my own dreams. US$50 will not put gas in the car, much less food on my table!

As to the cost versus the OP description, I don't think something like this should cost more than US$1,000. And as rich.bradshaw says, it shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks.
I am starting to investigate some different and/or additional website developers whom I can add to this project. I've thought about engaging the help of some graduate students at universities in the city where I live. Any of you who might be available, please post some URLs of your creations! I would love to take a look at them and maybe give you a job! :)

EDIT:
kamaboko, I will take a look.

[Sporkman]

I used to put an AdSense box in my pages. They generated an average US$50 monthly.
Again, this is a cause of great concern for me. I have been earning my living these past few months as a freelancer, but would like to genuinely start working for myself and my own dreams. US$50 will not put gas in the car, much less food on my table!


Well a typical CTR (or "click-through rate") for web page ads is around 0.5%, give or take, meaning you'll get about a click for every 200 page impressions. Adsense will pay out anywhere from $0.01 to over $1 per click, depending on the value of that particular ad link.

Now that's a pay-per-click ("PPC") scheme, but adsense (and others. like amazon.com) also offers "referrals", meaning that you don't get paid for clicks, but rather you get paid a cut if the user ends up buying something or signing up for something. There's other options than adsense out there, btw.

May I suggest the forum http://www.smallbusinessbrief.com/forum - there's a lot of good advice there on this topic.

[gobbles414]

Sporkman,

Thanks for the link. I will explore there for more information. But I am starting to get a bit worried about how much income I can generate from this website. The figures that you have provided are not very encouraging. 200,000 visitors per month is a lot to expect for a new website, yes? That is what it would take for me to earn a living with the PPC method. I'm sure that the number of visitors to my website who click my link to Amazon and then make a purchase will be very small, yes? Thanks again.

[Sporkman]

200,000 visitors per month is a lot to expect for a new website, yes? That is what it would take for me to earn a living with the PPC method. I'm sure that the number of visitors to my website who click my link to Amazon and then make a purchase will be very small, yes? Thanks again.

Yes, and yes. You'll not reach your goal overnight, it will take a while to build traffic & recognition. You'll need a day job in the meantime. :)

[Christmas]

About ads: You can use Amazon for referring to DVDs. There are also Google ads and referrals and a thing called Commission Junction which offers lots of ads from various domains. I really don't know how successful this will be. From what I read, design matters less than content. You must have traffic which usually is generated by content to make money of ads. I use them on my website (in signature) since around Jan 10 this year, but up to now, it seems like a waste of time. Good luck anyway!

LE:

Google AdSense (https://www.google.com/adsense/)
Amazon.com Affiliates Program (https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/)
Commission Junction (http://www.cj.com/advertisers/creative_services/index.html)

[gobbles414]

Hi All

I just received the following proposal from a freelance website developer. I'm curious to know what all of you think about it. Here it is:


a template that I can use to upload content to my website by myself -- $550
a comments area within each review -- $150
tools for me to screen inappropriate content from comments areas -- $100
RSS -- $600
A "contact us" section which uses a form -- $150
the ability to browse reviews by title or by date -- $100
a search function (optional but preferred) -- $100
it should fill the entire screen, regardless of the screen resolution. -- $150
Making arraignments for advertising on my website -- $150
Marketing my website (perhaps even "Google Sponsored") -- $150


PS: Thanks for your insightful comments Christmas.

[50words]

Most of those things are simply a part of any blogging platform. Sounds like a rip-off.

Look, I don't mean to harp on this, but you sound incredibly naive, not only about making money off of a website, but about building one in the first place.

While this is not the worst place to come for advice, it is far from the best. You need to learn more about what you want to do. Start with Wikipedia and Google ("starting a web-based business" and "earning money from a blog" might be helpful search terms) and find out more about what you are talking about doing. If I were you, I would try out Blogger or Wordpress first. See how you like it. Use one of the stock themes, and just experiment.

Or get a hosting account, install Drupal or Joomla, and use that to start things out. Dreamhost is a good host. I use hytekhosting.com. There are thousands.

Once you know what you can do with free blogging/CMS software and free themes, decide what you want and how much you think it is worth.

You can easily import your posts into a new system or just re-skin the one you are using.

[50words]

Here is a good link to start with: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/05/how-to-make-money-from-your-blog/

[gobbles414]

50words,

Thanks for your latest reply, and the link to the blogging article. Thank you also for your passionate opinion of the developer's bid.

All that I can say is that I want my website to be built from the "ground up" and that I don't really think of my planned website as a blog. Typing define: blog into Google reveals that most people define a blog as a: journal, diary, or log. Perhaps this exposes my naive nature even more, but I just don't feel that my plans fit into any of those categories.

I'm thinking more along the lines of the movie reviews section of a major newspaper or magazine, except online. But my marketing idea at this point is more like a weekly neighborhood newspaper -- free to people in the neighborhood and supported by ads. Does that make any sense...?

[kamaboko]

Hi All

I just received the following proposal from a freelance website developer. I'm curious to know what all of you think about it. Here it is:


a template that I can use to upload content to my website by myself -- $550
a comments area within each review -- $150
tools for me to screen inappropriate content from comments areas -- $100
RSS -- $600
A "contact us" section which uses a form -- $150
the ability to browse reviews by title or by date -- $100
a search function (optional but preferred) -- $100
it should fill the entire screen, regardless of the screen resolution. -- $150
Making arraignments for advertising on my website -- $150
Marketing my website (perhaps even "Google Sponsored") -- $150


PS: Thanks for your insightful comments Christmas.

Go to rentacoder.com, sign up and look at the examples of work. Trust me, you can get all of that for much less.

[gobbles414]

kamaboko,

Thanks for your suggestion. I took a few minutes to register and look at that website, but was not very impressed. Thanks anyway.

[kamaboko]

kamaboko,

Thanks for your suggestion. I took a few minutes to register and look at that website, but was not very impressed. Thanks anyway.

Did you see any of the development work from the designers? The coders are from all around the world. They're not responsible for the design of rentacoders.com

I picked a two random examples of some work by coders that bid on that site.

http://www.securenext.com/index.php
http://www.equityfinance.ie/index.php

[Nano Geek]

Go to rentacoder.com, sign up and look at the examples of work. Trust me, you can get all of that for much less.$600 for RSS and $150 for a "contact us" page?

That seems way too expensive to me.

[kamaboko]

$600 for RSS and $150 for a "contact us" page?

That seems way too expensive to me.

Where did you see those prices? I had a rentacoder guy make a contact page for a friend of mine and it was $10.

[50words]

50words,
All that I can say is that I want my website to be built from the "ground up" and that I don't really think of my planned website as a blog. Typing define: blog into Google reveals that most people define a blog as a: journal, diary, or log. Perhaps this exposes my naive nature even more, but I just don't feel that my plans fit into any of those categories.

I'm thinking more along the lines of the movie reviews section of a major newspaper or magazine, except online. But my marketing idea at this point is more like a weekly neighborhood newspaper -- free to people in the neighborhood and supported by ads. Does that make any sense...?

What you are doing is not precisely a blog, but it is very close to one. Any blogging software would work perfectly to do it. So would content management software like Drupal or Joomla. You do not need a "ground-up solution" because there are perfect-fit solutions already made.

One of the most important points from the article I linked is this: You will never make money on the web if you do not understand the key concepts behind having a website. You do not have to be a programmer, but you need to understand what a blog or content management system is, what search engine optimization is, etc.

1% of the websites get 99% of the traffic. Most website owners know how to write some of their own CSS and HTML. Many build their own sites? Do you have to? No. But if you do not even know how to code a hyperlink, you should think twice before setting out.

I don't want to discourage you, but I think you need to stop, experiment, and do your homework before you start your big project.

[PartisanEntity]

You want to make a website without RSS in the year 2008!?

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean that the millions who use it agree. As a website owner you need to think of the clients/viewers first, not yourself.

Sheesh... with that attitude, I would suggest you not throw away your money, which is what you will be doing.

Plus why reinvent the wheel with yet another review site? How will yours differ and why would people come to your site from the already established sites?

[gobbles414]

Hi all,

$600 for RSS and $150 for a "contact us" page? That seems way too expensive to me.
Yeah, those seem unreasonable to me as well. But that's why I'm seeking unbiased outside opinions.

Where did you see those prices?
Those where in the price quote that I posted earlier, kamaboko.

What you are doing is not precisely a blog, but it is very close to one.
Fair enough...

You do not need a "ground-up solution" because there are perfect-fit solutions already made.
Of the hundreds of such samples that I have seen just in the past 72 hours, only 4 or 5 of them come close to meeting my demanding standards. I would rather invest extra money upfront for a website that I adore than "settle" for a pre-fabricated solution. I realize that all websites are pre-fabricated to some extent or another. But it's a matter of degree. As a perfectionist, I wouldn't care to visit most of the websites that I've been shown by developers so far.

But if you do not even know how to code a hyperlink, you should think twice before setting out.
Believe it or not, I do know how to code hyperlinks. :)

...I think you need to stop, experiment, and do your homework before you start your big project.
In an ideal world, yes... However, good jobs in my city are scarce right now. So I either need to grab onto this opportunity now -- while I can still absorb costs and wait for my website to start getting lots of hits -- or forget about it!

Just because you don't like [RSS] doesn't mean that the millions who use it agree...
I already conceded that point, earlier in the thread. However, I will admit that it's starting to seem like I may be just too old fashioned -- at 24 years old -- for 21st century websites.

[50words]

Hi all,
You do not need a "ground-up solution" because there are perfect-fit solutions already made.
Of the hundreds of such samples that I have seen just in the past 72 hours, only 4 or 5 of them come close to meeting my demanding standards. I would rather invest extra money upfront for a website that I adore than "settle" for a pre-fabricated solution. I realize that all websites are pre-fabricated to some extent or another. But it's a matter of degree. As a perfectionist, I wouldn't care to visit most of the websites that I've been shown by developers so far.

But if you do not even know how to code a hyperlink, you should think twice before setting out.
Believe it or not, I do know how to code hyperlinks. :)


I think this is where your knowledge comes into play again. When you look at a blog or Drupal website, you are looking only at the theme, or skin, that a designer has wrapped the site in. That shows you nothing of the content management system in the back end.

You are talking about posting occasional (or periodic) movie/DVD reviews, which will be sorted by genre, etc., similar to a newspaper. This is a blog. It lends itself well to RSS syndication, and there are any number of great backends out there. What you need is just a website designer to design you a skin for the blogging or CMS software of your choice.

Seriously. Learn first. Jumping into this with too little knowledge virtually guarantees you will fail.


But if you do not even know how to code a hyperlink, you should think twice before setting out.
Believe it or not, I do know how to code hyperlinks. :)

It was a figure of speech.

[gobbles414]

Hi all,

Thank you all for your helpful thoughts and information. Currently, I am able to see two prospects for me regarding my website. What do you all think about these?



Create my own blog in order to gain some experience and bring traffic to my reviews at a reasonable cost to me. This attitude seems to be the consensus in this thread, so I am giving it some serious weight.


There is a university in the city where I live that allows its graduate students to create real-life products and services for people in the community, instead of a thesis. If an individual student or small group of students who are close to graduating as website developers is willing to help me with the creation of my website, that might be a good idea to try. Yes...?

[funrider]

go to local library to borrow this book: teach yourself apache mysql php in 24 days and u will find building such a website isnt that hard afterall.

or

try opensource CRM framework like wordpress or joomla. they are free and can have the work done.

afterall, it doesnt require a fancy design to make a successful website. what matters is the content. if your content is good, people will come and stay and bring new friends in (like ubuntuforum, the layout is clean and clear)

[gobbles414]

Hi again all,

Here is a list of blogging software that I am considering (if I go the blogging route). Is it worth using one of these? Or, would it be better for me to just use something like Blogger or WordPress? Comments and suggestions are invited:

<http://blogtk.sourceforge.net/>
<http://drupal.org/>
<http://www.flatpress.org/home/>
<http://www.joomla.org/>
<http://lifetype.net/blog>
<http://www.movabletype.org/>

[gobbles414]

funrider,

Thanks for replying. Joomla seems to have a lot of fans in this thread! I will definitely consider using it.

[50words]

The two are not mutually exclusive. Creating a blog is as easy as signing up for an e-mail address. Giving that blog a unique look requires a designer or good working knowledge of CSS, HTML, and PHP.

A blog is just the backend--the way the site works from the publisher's perspective. Think of it as a car's engine and drivetrain, which you interact with from the driver's seat. Different companies' drivetrains have different characteristics. Honda engines tend to make power at high engine speeds, while a Chevrolet will tend to make power down low. A manufacturer seems to use the same stick shift knob in every model, the same heater and radio controls. That is what you see and interact with.

The appearance of the site is completely flexible. Kind of like the different models in a manufacturer's lineup, but less limiting. You know you like GM, and you want a sporty car, so you get a Corvette. Or maybe a Saturn Sky. Except with a blog, any blog can look like pretty much anything you want. Nothing is fixed. You can change it every day, if you want to (or every hour). You can make it look however you want.

Browse the portfolio at E.Webscapes, for example (http://ewebscapes.com/browse/design-portfolio). Most of those sites are Wordpress blogs, but all of them look completely different.

We aren't saying to create your own blog to start gaining viewers. We are saying create your own blog to fiddle with for a few days so you learn what you are doing. Go to blogger.com or Wordpress.com and create a random blog RIGHT NOW and play with it. Once you have spent an hour or two learning what it is and how it works, you will understand far better what you will need.

Edit: And for what it's worth, Wordpress is the best blogging software of the bunch, if you ask me. There are two branches, the one Wordpress hosts (wordpress.com) and the one you can host on your own servers (Wordpress.org). It doesn't matter which you use. It rocks either way.

[Christmas]

Well maybe the layout itself doesn't take too much time, but coding in PHP, Perl or whatever and the artwork is time consuming indeed. Not to mention if the programmer makes some login/comments page from zero, it needs some testing first. 6 weeks seems a reasonable time to do. Regarding the prices you mentioned there: you really want to spent more than $ 2,000 for what seems to be a personal project. I think that amount of money is way too much. $ 600 for RSS integration? I really don't understand what's so special about it. Even though I edit it on my site manually, there have to be some scripts to generate RSS feed files from some section in a HTML page, and not for that amount of money. I really wouldn't invest so much, at least not at first. If you don't want to code your web page yourself, that's OK, but take it slow, and ask the respective programmer to add more as time goes by.

[billgoldberg]

I wouldn't pay a guy to make a website like dvdauthority for you.

Without the content and using wordpress, that site could be made in 20 hours or less, with search fields, member login, rss, ...

I don't know why someone would pay 1000 bucks for that.

[billgoldberg]

Hi again all,

Here is a list of blogging software that I am considering (if I go the blogging route). Is it worth using one of these? Or, would it be better for me to just use something like Blogger or WordPress? Comments and suggestions are invited:

<http://blogtk.sourceforge.net/>
<http://drupal.org/>
<http://www.flatpress.org/home/>
<http://www.joomla.org/>
<http://lifetype.net/blog>
<http://www.movabletype.org/>

Wordpress would be the way to go. But don't use wordpress.com, you need to run wordpress on you own host (wordpress.org for that) if you want to use it full potential (including plugins, thousands of themes, custom themes, own code, ...)

[lightstream]

Hi all,

Thank you all for your helpful thoughts and information. Currently, I am able to see two prospects for me regarding my website. What do you all think about these?



Create my own blog in order to gain some experience and bring traffic to my reviews at a reasonable cost to me. This attitude seems to be the consensus in this thread, so I am giving it some serious weight.


I think this is a very good idea. As many have suggested, getting a website built and online is only a small part of the battle. The real tests would be found in keeping it updated with interesting and fresh content, and in successfully marketing it so that it gets traffic. (Google isn't the only way, and is no magic wand for getting a new non-affiliated site noticed)

If you start by making a more 'homegrown' blog, you can see how you are doing after a few months, whether you still have the enthusiasm and inspiration to write regular articles. Whichever way you go, unless it's outright spam-mania, the first 6-12 months are going to see little in the way of traffic. Be prepared for that - I can too easily see a lack of early results leaving you disheartened and fed up with the whole thing!

With an enterprise like this, you need to be ready to try, try and try again. Don't expect the moon! You will need to have another steady income for at least the first 18 months.



There is a university in the city where I live that allows its graduate students to create real-life products and services for people in the community, instead of a thesis. If an individual student or small group of students who are close to graduating as website developers is willing to help me with the creation of my website, that might be a good idea to try. Yes...?


This sounds like it could be worth exploring too. You might get some creative people on board who really want to use your site to show off some cool ideas. You'd also get comradeship, which could help you through the difficult times, but you might need to be prepared to share a bit of the success should any eventually come. You would also need to make sure you aren't expecting these guys to do all the work for you, you would have to put in the principle organising and motivating force. Oh and be careful of who you trust! You wouldn't want anyone running off with your baby !