Getting You There: Static Sites Vs. Blogs
By Bryan Clark on Nov 17, 2007 in Better Blogging
Adsense and Ads
The typical blogging reader, really is, in my opinion, the Technorati. They are generally MUCH more knowledgeable than the average web surfer. They average blog reader is less likely to click on Adsense links by accident. They also know if an affiliate link is on every other site. They are just… smarter.
The typical blog reader doesn’t go reading blogs each day in order to shop. But when you have a static page about “Flax Seed Oil”, the people that find it are either reading about it (because they’re interested in buying and want to learn more) or looking to buy. It makes it easier to sell them something, or for them to click on an adsense link that says “Inexpensive Flax Delivered Fast”.
The typical blog reader, as a repeat customer, really can get “ad blindness”, whereas the customer for a static site may be a first timer, and if they ARE a repeat customer, it’s because they are purchasing from you, and not clicking on your ads.
Time Requirements
Blogging requires a constant upkeep, and if you stop posting relevant, interesting content, your blog nearly immediately stagnates. Technorati links that count towards your authority expire after six months. This rewards those sites that consistently provide great content. But this requires time to research posts, time to socialize with other bloggers, time to post and self-edit to get it just right. It’s basically a part time job that you can’t easily quit.
Static sites are a little more forgiving. You aren’t expected to post so often. Some static sites receive thousands of visits per day, but haven’t changed their content in…. years. (Of course, that’s no ideal for us either!) Nearly every blog, however, has a relentless requirement for more, unique, interesting content.
More Easily Sold
Static sites are easier to transfer to new owners. There may be less “cult of personality” involved in a static site. Blogs require a lot more social interaction than a static site. The sheer volume of posts will make personal posts more likely, and the repeat visits allow the readership to really get to know the blogger. With some static sites, the site visitor could care less about the personal story behind the site - they just want their information, product, whatever. Bloggers are interested in the story behind the site, and that personality matters. Because successful blogs will make that personality a big part of a site, later, those same successful blogs may find difficulty in transferring ownership via sale.
Static sites on the other hand, have an easier exit strategy. Make money each month, and then, when the time is right for you, you pull the ripcord and sell for 12x earnings.
Advantages of Blogs
In the static site world, DO NOT usually want to link to other sites. Most look on links as a losing proposition. Mutual linking gives little if any benefit, in Google’s eyes, and a one way link away from your site, in most cases, doesn’t benefit your site. In the blogging world, however, links are given for most valuable posts. Friendly blogs will give you credit for new ideas, which they may then expound upon. As other blogs “react” to your posts, your blog will get many, many more links than a new static site could ever hope to get. For this reason, OneMansGoal.com was able to achieve a PR4 in just 4 months, which is a great accomplishment among bloggers, but an even more difficult accomplishment in the static site world.
The traffic the social networks can provide is another advantage of blogs. With effort, you can create some incredible amounts of traffic that can be many times your regular traffic. Digg, StumbleUpon, etc. are more easily used to promote blogs than static sites. This traffic, however, is often temporary, and like most other aspects of blogs, requires a constant effort.
Your Goal
What kind of money are you trying to make? Passive, recurring income? A great paying part or full time job as a blogger?
If someone said that you could earn $10,000 a month as a blogger but couldn’t spend a penny of it, how well would that go over? Not very well. How much better is it that you can make that money, but you have to work 40-60 hours a month for it. (No! nobody works that much on their blog right! No they just sit by the pool sipping Margaritas and let interns run it, right?… And we spend HOW much time of our day on our… lesser…. blogs?)
As you build your empire, keep in mind the type of income you’d like to build. Passive, recurring income - or more active blogging income, or a hybrid between the two. Now, if you know how to blog, you know how to run a GREAT static site. Most static people don’t have half the hustle that a good blogger has developed. I’ve been an ok static site operator, and made $975 last month on static sites. But I know that with what I’m learning through OneMansGoal.com, I’ll do a better job marketing to my existing static traffic.
My plan is to earn $10,000 a month both because of and INSPITE OF blogging. At nearly $1000 a month last month, I believe I CAN duplicate what I did with my first efforts 9X more. I’m hoping that by having some people here hold me accountable to do the work that it’ll take, that I will have $10,000 a month in semi-passive, recurring income at the end of one year. That’s this man’s goal.
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