Case Studies – Follow my Road to Riches (or Failure)
What’s up Fart Sniffers! I’ve been motivated lately to really amp up my online efforts. I got lazy here for a few years because the money was still coming in and my sites were growing so I kind of put everything on auto pilot. But not anymore! I’ve decided that I want to take my online game to the next level.
Luckily for you, I’ve decided to share my experiences as I go through them. This means if I make a mistake, you can learn from it without making the same mistake. And if I have a success, you’ll be able to copy the exact strategy that I’m using to duplicate that success. My only worry is that I (and you too) fall off the wagon and get complacent again. Let’s hold each other accountable!
So, for the Case Studies section or series on this site what I want to do is explain everything as I go through it. I’m sure some projects will be moving at a faster pace than others, but I will do my best to keep you informed of everything that I’m doing.
I’ve got 3 sites in mind right now (4 including this one and 5 including my main site) and I will be covering those 3 for as of right now, but may add some others in the future.
Case Studies
Case Study #1 – Profiting from a Niche Site
Some people believe that it is almost impossible to be profitable in a niche site these days. I don’t believe that it is impossible, but I KNOW that it will take A LOT of hard work and dedication. I’m going to cover my efforts in:
- choosing a niche to enter
- purchasing a domain
- setting up a website
- planning my strategy
- branding the business
- getting traffic
- monetizing the site
- selling the site
Yes, for this case study I do want to eventually sell this site because I’ve never done that before and I would love to build something great and then sell it for a chunk of change. I don’t know how long it will take but I’m hoping to have something profitable enough within 2-3 years that can sell for a significant amount (5 figures…but I’ll take 6 or 7 too!).
Case Study #2 – Community Website
I live in a very nice community in the middle of nowhere. It is relatively new and still has a lot of growth opportunity. A few years ago I picked up a great domain related to the community. I’ve always wanted to build a site that would offer the residents a ton of value and at the same time make a little money. I know that there is a huge upside to this project. I have just been reluctant to start. However, my sister, mother, and I talked about joining forces to develop this site. They both live in the same community as I (the one we’re building the site for) and are both Real Estate Agents. So for them, they could potentially get huge exposure for their real estate business. I’ll just be happy picking up the scraps like advertisements. It will probably be extra beer money that I will just put right back into the community bar.
- For this site I’m hoping to cover my efforts in:
- keyword research
- site design
- hiring a writer
- networking with local businesses
- and working as a team with family members (oh boy!)
I really hope to develop a relationship with the community, give back, add value, and if my sister and mother can make a few extra bucks while we’re at it, that’s great too!
Case Study #3 – Vacation Destination Site
This is more of a passion project for me. I’ve always wanted to build a website for a certain vacation destination and make a little money from it. This way I have an excuse to go there more often and will make a little money while on vacation (not to include some of the perks I imagine getting). I’ve already bought the domain for this site but have yet to really build anything on it. This case study will probably run the slowest as it will be the last priority on my plate, but I do really want to get moving on it so I hope to at least be making small strides with it as time passes!
- For this site I’m hoping to cover my efforts in:
- finding affiliate businesses to promote
- manifesting perks (getting free shit!)
- video marketing the site
- and more that I haven’t thought of yet
If it works out great, maybe we can all go on vacation together!
Case Studies Conclusion
I’m sure I will implement other things as well into these case studies as I progress so don’t hold me to the lists above. But I really want to do a good job of being transparent while growing these sites so that you can learn and grow with me in your online ventures. Please bare with me as I’m sure there will be a few bumps in the road. I may get lazy at times, I may make a mistake or 12, and believe it or not, all of these may all FAIL! But if they do, I plan to show you why and how. That’s the whole point of these case studies. And if I happen to make some money from these sites, then you’ll be able to see exactly how it was done! That’s my promise for these case studies.
Please, please, please, if you’re following me through any of these case studies, don’t just be a silent reader. I need your encouragement along the way. So please, leave comments on the various case study pages and if you have ANY tips or suggestions, I am always open to new ideas! Let’s grow together and talk about it. Start by leaving a comment below!
