LazyD

Yes, stupid newbie here....

When I first got into developing sites for cash I got the brilliant fucking idea to start a credit card site. I didnt do much reading, hell I didnt even know this forum or DigitalPoint existed. So I went on my merry way developing my credit card site. That was November, 2006. I stand here today having made a total of $120 since the opening of my site. $40 of that is from my credit card affiliate and the rest from Azoogle who gave me credits because their reporting was fucked (Who knows if I even deserved those credits, my shit wasnt converting)

Since the opening ive put probably ~$350 or more into the site, I know, not alot, but then again, im 19 and living on my own, not alot of money to go around.

Currently, im not even indexed by Google. Only my main page is indexed by Yahoo and MSN is retarded and seems to love me, and the pages that no longer exist like the forums on my site. I have a Sitemap in with Google and the usual bullshit.

I average about ~30 uniques a day according to AWStats. Ive tried submitting to directories, mostly free and some paid like Aviva Directory and so on. Ive tried submitting a few articles to Ezine which have provided shit in the way of backlinks or traffic.

Anyway, when do you guys call it time to quit? I have a network of 3 other sites, 2 of them also suck horribly, they are just static pages with adsense on them that barely rank for shit. Is it worth continuing on with this credit card site or time to sell it or do something with it?

URL is getCredit365.Com - Credit Cards - Loans - Insurance

BTW, im working on a new layout because that one sucks

ConceptualMind

I have personally always felt that if I have to post on a forum or ask someone else when to quit the internets, it is pretty much time to give up on life.

But that's me.

__________________
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/2563/20964951nf5.jpg

Elephant

If i was you... I'd kill myself. Probably by a hanging with a rope. Then i'd put it on youtube. They got that profit sharing thing. Yeah, that's what i'd do.

lerchmo

You need a site douser... thats the only way to know exactly when its time to quit.

The way it works is, he takes his phalic douser stick and waves it over your site and if the interweb tells him yes, your site can stay... if it says nay your site is doomed! and you must sell that shit on sitepoint.

Andrew

$120 in the first 4 months is a hell of a lot more money than I brough in during my very first 4 months (think under $10.) You make mistakes, learn from them, and build another site, or fix the problems with your current one.

Not indexed in Google? Get some backlinks from sites that are.

LazyD

I have backlinks from sites that are included in Google, for some reason google absolutely hates me.

Also, thanks for all of the other useful information, any more tips like "kill yourself" really make the magic happen....

Elephant

MAGIC IN YOUR PANTS?

cyberworkspace

correct the wrong links. there is a mortgage and autoloan calculator that is not rendering properly. on those pages are links to a non-existing forum as well. larger fonts, people who need your services or would be willing to get them are not the most adept ones at reading and get confused by getting presented with too much information. stay lean and sleek. as for the question, whether to stay or to quit: get used to get punched in the face many times over during this trip. the important part is, to show the will to get on your feets again.

__________________
Make money playing against me @ My Daily Stock Market Bet. Or just visit thecoolestblogontheplanet.com. Or have fun with Chuck Norris Jokes.

z00pedup

well you couldnt of picked a more saturated niche..

just build build build...more sites more traffic more earnings..

Andrew is right, $120 aint half bad.. keep reading on here and stick it out.

You should develop and publish for the love of it, and make money while you at it. If your not into it.. dont bother.

__________________
my blog

my social network

DruSam

If you are stuck in the mud, and a project is going nowhere fast. Put it on the back burner and work on something else. A new project, with less competition and a topic you will enjoy doing.

Or just pony up and fix the damn problem by any means necessary.

Never give up. Never surrender.

Jdog

I agree with DruSam. Try some different things and find out what is going to make you money and then you can screw around with that site as you pick up tips on the forums.

$160 for not being indexed in G isn't the end of the world.

__________________

guysmy

watch the movie baadasssss! for inspiration.

__________________
“Eighty percent of success is showing up.” - Woody Allen

crossfittn

NEVER, EVER GIVE UP! I have felt like giving up many times in the past few years, and I was always glad I stuck through it and figured things out, eventually leading to great profits!

womble

looks to me as though the problem with your site is you have no content - just an rss reed on your front page, and the rest is either internal or external links. as far as googles concerned - there's nothing to see here.

Michel Z.

Yeah, never give up!! I even don't know if I can live without internet marketing in my life, sometimes it feels like an addiction.
I suggest that you try new things and don't focus too much on what you doing now. If you read the forums, there are so many new ideas people discuss. You might want to give those ideas a try! In the past I was doing a lot seo, then I got stuck at a certain time. Now I am doing ppc. Also I am thinking to start up a forum. If I had only more time available... Good luck!

ChrisS

Good find on the broken links. From my experience Google HATES broken links. Recently I went through one of my old sites and fixed all the broken links...I was first page on google within a few weeks.

__________________
“I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.” – John Cage

remo

Do you expect to be an instant millionaire from just under 4 months

If you have learnt nothing about online and what you would change when you start your next project (which should be tomorrow) then give up

stoxup

One thing I noticed when going to your site was that it was a bit text heavy and doesn't have enough images. Images tend to increase conversions based on my experience. I'm certainly not an expert in the credit niche, but I think you need to take a look at some other landing pages and see what they're doing.

Here are some to look at:
Credit Cards - Compare Credit Card Offers at CreditCards.com
Best Credit Cards - Compare and Apply Online - CreditCardGuide.com
Credit Card Applications - Apply online for credit card at Credit-Land.com

Also, I think your color scheme is a poor choice for converting credit offers. Again, take a look at what the other guys are doing. For the most part, their landing pages are bright and airy.

I know you have a limited budget, and credit keywords are tough to get cheap clicks for. However, PPC is going to be your best bet for targeted traffic that's going to convert. Also, don't be afraid to try some different offers from other networks. You might be surprised how much of a difference you'll see with conversions across different networks.

As DruSam and others have stated, never give up. Make some changes to your landing page and see if conversions go up. Try some site-targeted campaigns through Adwords and fire up MSN AdCenter and Yahoo! if you're not already doing PPC there. If all else fails, branch out and start a new project in a completely different, less-saturated niche.

__________________

LazyD

Thank you all for suggestions and comments. I have decided to stick with it, im currently working on finishing up a new layout that I believe is more like the sites that stoxup posted in a sense they are more open, inviting and generally cleaner looking.

I tried PPC in the past with LPs for offers like Auto Loans, etc which didnt convert well at all, however I was simply Iframing their LP into my LP with my layout around it. Is it worth trying PPC and just driving it to a page with credit card offers or a LP for a certain credit card?

Michel Z. Yea, I know what you mean, it does feel like an addiction, makes me think I should pick up drinking too...

Womble - The RSS feed on the front is my own content, some is taken from Yahoo Finance, etc. but the rest of is my unique content. Also, the articles are all unique...

NoelKuhl

Here's a quick thought. I looked at your code and the first thing the engines will see are your menu on the left. That's how your code is structured.

Rearrange it so that the content is the first thing it sees. You're being flagged for dupes automatically I think.

aelusive

I just think you need to find more of a niche....you get millions of results when you type in any credit card related keywords into the search engines, so narrow down your criteria. You cannot expect to make a lot. competing with everyone else

__________________
Goji Juice Home Business
PR5 General Web Directory
SAC Dir
Pet Home Business

Scheme

When you post a thread asking others.

Actually just kidding, never give up man. Just keep doing what your doing or search the forums with question on why your niche might be failing.

__________________

Twitter: @scheme710

jerxs

some very good suggestions in this thread, take them in! The worst thing you can do is quit building and wait for that one site to start making money. This was my biggest mistake, I made a site or two and then dicked around with them, constantly waiting for them to start bringing in money, when I should have been building more sites.

If I would have built and then moved on to the next from the begining id probably be driving around in that new Hummer I want so bad. With each site you build you will get a little bit better, you will start to figure things out...

Good luck, Jer

__________________

geekcognito

Remember the old Nike slogan?

JUST DO IT


(By that I mean not give up.)

__________________

"Never confuse movement with action." ~Ernest Hemingway

"While you have lost some money, you have also gained some knowledge. So in the end you may have not lossed at all. Good luck bro." ~ Sumitdhawan09

Adsense Loser

Your niche may be too compeptitive

__________________
DOn't yA KnOw CrAck KillzZ!!!

Roc-Star

You see that you are able to make money. I would try another niche

droolingmnky

Yahoo shows 116 back links, try building that up some more.

Also never give up just keep updating it even if it's a new article a month. Let the site age a bit and keep building.