This isn’t something I normally do i.e. ask for something of my readers, but I’m in desperate need of advice. During winter break (which was a while ago), I worked on setting up a site that would start making me “mucho dinero”. It’s been a month since my site’s launch, and despite massive social media campaigning on a separate Twitter account and on Myspace, I’ve got bupkis. Not a single sale.
I know what I’ve been doing wrong so far (and I plan on fixing these in the coming months):
- No Google ads
- Haven’t been promoting site enough (it’s hard not to be a spammer and promote)
- Haven’t updated site blog
Here are my three main “sites of business”:
Anime Sword Monk (Twitter Page)
Anime Sword Master (Official Website)
Anime Sword Master (Official Myspace page)
Oh, and my website’s purpose is to sell swords. Yep, I’m an official swords dealer 
.
Got any suggestions for me on what I should do to make my website(s) more visible? Get them in front of more sword buyers/collectors? Any business websites you recommend? I’ve never been in business before so any nuggets of gold will be appreciated.
Also, feel free to ask any specific questions regarding what I’ve done so far.
photo credit: Bracketing Life
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21 comments to “Dear Reader: My First “Business” and a Plea”
Hi John.
I was in the same boat as you a couple years ago when I first started my site. The only difference was that I wasn’t looking for monetary value, I simply wanted to increase my visitors which would lead to what we all are striving for…$$$.
Since you are targeting a very niche market, like I am, it is imperative that you look for those people. Where do they hang out online? Are there facebook groups for people who are interested in swords (fans, fencers, kill bill fanatics, etc). Are their conventions in your area?
Definitely start by identifying your audience, then go out and look for them. Build a relationship with them like you did here with you blog. It may take a little longer than a month, simply because you’re not going after the masses. So definitely be patient during your search.
Good luck!
Great advice, Patrice. I’ll take a look around. There’s actually a lot of anime forums I just read for fun. Time to start participating
I agree with Patrice about identifying your audience. The video gamer population might be a good bet and there are a ton of forums and websites out there to make it easier to reach them. Lucky for you, they tend to be internet-savvy. Good luck with your endeavor!
Daphne´s last blog ..Distance and Distantness
Thanks – great advice you’ve got here. Participating in forums is definitely on my to-do list.
Hey Jon,
Good job getting a site up. This is a first step that a lot of people never even get to, so applaud yourself for getting this far.
Here are a few suggestions:
Do some article marketing. Write and submit some articles to major article directories. These can be the same articles you put on your blog. Here is a list of some of the “big players”
http://www.vretoolbar.com/articles/directories.php
This isn’t spamming since these directories need your articles too so they can effectively get free content for their primarily adsense sites. In return you get traffic from them and backlinks (to help your SEO). It’s a symbiotic relationship.
Also, I’m guessing that since you set up this website, you are probably a fan of anime and/or Japanese swords. Do you visit any anime, kendo, or iaido forums? If so, put the URL in your signature and post away. If you’re already a fan of these things, it should be something you enjoy doing anyway, so why no help your business at the same time?
Good luck, man!
Clayton
Clayton´s last blog ..Website Building Update – Week 22
Thanks Clayton. Your site is really inspiring. I remember reading your first posts and seeing how you made nothing. Now you almost make half a thousand a month. Congrats on your success man
I would say go where your customers are. Maybe you should try selling on ebay or where ever people are buying swords now.
Your blog on that site doesn’t have many posts. If you want organic traffic you are going to have to create a lot of SEO optimized content. Maybe you should write about the history of real swords and how they are made so that maybe people will be more interested in buying those replicas.
Swords are a cool market. Blog about sword making twice a week and the traffic and customers will slowly come.
John Bardos – JetSetCitizen´s last blog ..Interview with Perpetual Traveler, Graham Phoenix
John, this is gold. I remember a friend telling me I should immerse myself in what I want to ultimately learn. I should learn the origin of swords – become immersed in my product.
Your advice is genius. Thank you.
FIrst off, I’d start with facebook ads before google ads. They can be much more targeted. For instance, you can only show the ad to people who have things like “martial arts,” “ninjas,” or “swords” on their profiles, you can choose ages, locations, marital statuses, etc.
Secondly, go to the martial arts sites: Forums, training videos, etc, and contact the site owners directly asking to trade links.
Same goes with anime sites, forums, etc. Become members of some forums and put a link in your signature line.
Third, create a facebook group. It may not seem all that lucrative, but I had over 100 fans on facebook for TwentiesLife the day before launch (and over 600 followers on twitter), and at launch day I was pleasantly surprised to get over 500 unique visitors.
Ebay would be a great place to sell a sword or two and get your name into the marketplace.
Also, sometimes you have to bite the bullet and spend a little. Why not do a giveaway, run it for 2-3 weeks, tell everyone you know, tweet it, facebook it, ask friends to tweet and facebook it, and just play the waiting game.
Finally, be patient. Get the word out and just wait. Nobody said passive income was going to make you rich, or that it would be easy. They’ll come slowly, and if your site looks trust worthy, they’ll start to spend.
Good luck buddy, I hope this helps!
Thanks for sharing some of the secrets you’ve used to launch Twenties LIfe. It’s going to be a big success – not surprisingly, because I’ll be writing for it.
I’m taking all these tips to heart, Ibrahim. Thanks again!
John also had a good suggestion regarding SEO. I’m noticing that the typical tricks of increasing traffic is not working for my blog/website, like commenting on other blogs who target the same audience. Blogs within my niche market are extremely outdated. I’m talking about the most recent post was from last year. Although, I have a feeling that you won’t experience this with your product. Definitely look into SEO optimization and find forums and groups that are into that sort of thing. The latest issue of Entrepreneur Magazine has a really good article on SEO. Check it out.
Thanks for the tips. I really appreciate your enthusiasm on this topic, Patrice
Hey John,
I had another thought. Do you have analytics or any other traffic tracking system? If not, you’ll need to get one on your site so you can monitor your traffic and where it’s coming from. This way you can determine which methods are most effective (social media, SEO, paid traffic, etc.) and do more of them.
In the early days of starting a website, you probably won’t get many sales unless you can afford to buy advertising or have some kind of viral content. During this time, it’s important not to solely measure your success by how much money you make. Consider it a success if you can get more traffic to your site, or if you can get a popular site to link to you. This will keep you from getting frustrated and throwing in the towel.
That first sale always comes when you least expect it…
Clayton´s last blog ..Website Building Update – Week 22
More great advice! (bowing down lol) Thanks Clayton. I can’t say this enough.
I have an analytics tracker. Shopify has a lot of great features for a simple shopping cart service.
Go to Mind Vally labs.com. Op in to there list, then read there free subscriptions. There products are pretty awesome. It the number 1 personal development website on the internet. With revenue of 10 million a year. There products can helps you improve your business rapidly. Peace! 1 love!
Jonathan Figaro´s last blog ..Your Dying If your Not Using Your Imagination
Great site, Jonathan! Thanks for sharing, friend.
Hello,
I’m excited that you’re working on your first business! I’ve done it twice, lol, and now I’ve finally learned my lesson to learn from the best before going further.
With that said, I do think I have some advice for you.
First off, don’t use Google Ads to make money on your site. Check out this blog for a reason for that and other tips:
http://www.skelliewag.org/what-popular-bloggers-got-wrong-and-how-you-can-get-it-right-1028.htm
Second, and this is just constructive criticism, your site doesn’t make me want to do anything. Although after looking at it for a few minutes (and reading your blog) I can see what to do, but there is very little appeal, and no ‘call to action’ to get me to do anything.
You could fix that by cleaning up some things with the design and layout. Adding a nice big illustration in your introduction to grab people’s attention. Also, your site is ‘Anime Swords’. Both Anime and Swords bring to mind a lot of amazing imagery, play off of that and let both your words and your website design influence people to make purchases.
If you need some help, send me an email and we can talk. I don’t mind giving a hand to other startups.
Oh, and check out this site, too. It has a great resource for keeping things simple.
http://zenhabits.net/2010/02/unconventional-business/
Tim Stiffler-Dean´s last blog ..From first-shift to third-shift: How Facebook Promotes Productivity
Hey Tim, I’m probably going to have to get someone to decorate the site a bit more. You have great tips and I’ll be sure to keep in contact with you. Let me get a handle on my school work, and I’ll get right back to you.
Sounds good for sure! Let me know how I can help.
Tim Stiffler-Dean´s last blog ..4 Tips to Pulling Off an All-Night Work Schedule
Hey John,
This is my first time viewing your site but, I can totally relate to what your going through. My advice is to keep working at it and try to make friends in your niche.
My issue is now to get rid of my businesses so I can focus on finding a real job. Since I’m just now finishing college I want to get some experience at a few companies before i pursue my entrepreneurial dreams.
Subscribing to your blog, and I added your sword site to Stumble. Good Luck
Jay Willingham – CampusByte´s last blog ..30 Questions to Answer Before Choosing a College