100,000 visitors and 10 things I learned along the way

If you remember right a while back I made "50,000 hits and 10 things I learned along the way" which I felt personally was good advice for a starting blog. Well, a few months later and I am at 100,000 visitors and I think maybe some of the things have changed up a bit.
That is the crazy thing about the internet, you learn so much on techniques on how to keep the visitors coming and expanding.
Now to remind you, this is my personal blog. This is not my website that is doing the stats I am talking about here.
So here are the 10 things that I have learned along the way.

1. Original content- This is a given, but honestly I am going to be harsh here. There are going to be 10 websites in each niche that try and do the same thing. They go around to the other popular sites and repost links to these other original content websites and obviously 9 out of 10 fail because the original or at least one of them will become the more popular website. So my best advice is do all original content, reposting news to other peoples stuff is pointless if your not going to be the most popular.
Also in advice since I have seen this, DON'T half ass your "original content" I am serious! It will kick you in the junk downstairs in the end because I have seen some pretty desperate attempts to make news by some really bad YouTube videos.

2. Be consistant! Try and have stuff planned for at least twice a week to post that is fresh and ready. If I even drag ass for a day my stats drop like a rock but that is because I try and have something new everyday because I want to make the maximum amount of growth in stats, but you can still do this with about two posts a week just at a slower pace. Try and be consistant with what you are posting too. I've learned with this personal blog that random does you nothing when it comes to SEO. (If you don't know what SEO is I suggest you google it right meow!)

3. Be patient! Holy crap when I first started I was blind to how many websites would start up and then two weeks later they were gone and done for. This is why you won't see much for stats for at least a few weeks. I mean consistant stats from regular readers. You post, and you post, and you post. Don't give up because eventually it will catch on. If after 6 months and you are stuck at 300 hits to your site due to you coming everyday then thats when you re-think your strategy and start googling How to get more hits to my blog. My site is getting close to its one year mark and I have been hearing from some of the top guys in my niche that it is for sure in the top 10 websites in our niche. Which is a huge accomplishment because if you can do that it means something is clicking.

4. Be cheap- I mean it. Don't get involved in those "Pay $29.99 for a ton of traffic" websites. I have never tried it and I don't even want to know if it works. I don't want to know how fast you will be kicked off Google Adsense for "computer generated traffic" that you thought was real people that just happened to find your website magically after you spent money on something you didn't even need. I said this in my "50,000 hits..." post EVERYTHING can be done for free. E-mail is free, Video hosting is Free, Photo hosting is free, blog/website hosting is free. I have litterally only spent $9 on my website.


5. Buy a domain name- What? I thought you said everyting was free?! well, I bought a domain name because I am sorry having .tk, or .blogspot.com in your U.R.L will not have you taken seriously. If you have this then your site will be more professional, well that is if you can figure out how to code or get somebody to code your website so it looks pretty.

6. Layout- Have a clean website layout. If your site is a cluster bomb people will just give up. Keep things neat and organized. Stick to 3 colors on your website (that is the graphic design standard anyways and black or white is one of them!) You have so many options, just google "templates" for whatever your blog host is if you go that way or maybe you have a friend who you can throw $20 to get you a sweet design going so it looks more professional. I can spot a basic free template from blogspot from 100 miles a way and it is not pretty.

7. Make nice with the big dogs- Another one of my good tips from "50,000 hits..." that still is in effect. I happened to become friends with 3 guys who are all in charge of 3 of the top websites in my niche. What does this mean? This means my site is on their list of sites to check for content for them to post on their site! Links from bigger websites gives you more hits.... A LOT more hits. I have luckily been asked to be a contributor on one of those sites, I make a few posts about other stuff, slip in a post about something I did on my website, make a few more posts. That is a sweet deal to me. I have even been hearing things that two of the website guys were talking about me and the possible things I could become apart of. My website has turned into a resume in the industry I am working on. A lot of companies have respected what I have done, a lot of people have gained coverage from me, a lot of respect has been made. 95% of those people I haven't even met in person. E-Mail is a powerful tool.

8. Digg- Websites like Digg can be very powerful tools if your post hits the people just right. That website is like a "post your content and we will give you hits if it is good" website. Become apart of it, make nice with people, give your positive opinions, and maybe things will catch on for you. This is a great tool to get more stats for your website.

9. Have fun- If you aren't having any fun doing what your doing apparently you are in it for the wrong reasons. It is pretty unlikely you will start making bank off Adsense so don't do something just for the money because you will most likely fail and be one of those sites that are gone in two weeks like I talked about above. I love what I get to do, I love what I get to talk about. I don't make much money off it. I know it is possible to make a living off a website, but it takes a lot of time and it can be a very painful process to make it. If your having fun with it then it will become successful because fun is contageous.

10. Never stop learning- Everyday there will be new ways to get more hits to your site. There will be new information to learn about life. There will be new information to read or people to learn about. Keep up to date and maybe you will become a better person or live a better life. I know I have taught myself HTML, some Java, and a few other coding things and because of it I think my website has become better because of that!

That is my 10 things I have learned in the last year... I hope this helps you out in some way or another.. Good luck!

Epic Prank

So, I pulled off an epic prank this past week. "suuuuure... I bet it is real epic!" I already can hear it now. How could I possibly be so full of myself!?

Well, I am full of myself and you can just stop complaining now. Let me explain what I hate about the internet.

GOSSIP that isn't true. Yes, those dirty rumors that play on peoples hearts and have so much effect on your life because you worry so damn much about somebody on the other side of the country or even world. So what I did was a little dirty and harsh but seriously.... EPIC PRANK!

I am one of the contributors on The Come Up which is a very popular BMX website that gets around 12-15 thousand visitors a day. And this is where it all begins. I was currently in charge of the website for the week because the head dog was off in Florida getting some sun so I had no way to find out if this rumor was true.
So I wake up and do the typical run through of sites looking for current news and then check the forum on the website. Right up top I read "Edwin broke both legs?" which caught my attention immediately. Edwin DeLarosa is a very popular BMX professional who rides for brands like DC shoes, and Red Bull so you can tell he's a well paid and looked up to rider.
So the rumor goes that he had broke both of his legs dropping a gap at a spot on his bike. Which was very bad news minus the fact that there was no proof behind it and that there was an anonymous kid laughing his ass off behind a computer screen. I immediately got to emailing some bigger dudes, Team managers and such from his sponsors and they all had reported that they talked to him and he was fine and no broken legs, it was all a prank and that he (Edwin) found it halarious and that I should continue the rumor.
So I post up on the main page this photo...

*I photoshopped Edwin's face onto that little boy in a wheelchair, same with the photo of Ashton Kutcher below*..obviously

with a little caption that says it was true, I talked to people and they confirmed it. I even had a very convincing story from a professional videographer claiming he filmed the whole accident and that it was horrible.
It was amazing, I mean how often can you say you played 15,000+ people? I have...
So, I had support to continue the prank, an okay from Edwin to continue it, and people backing it with reputation to say it was true. PERFECT. The post got a little over 120 responses if I remember right. I am usually impressed if I make a post that hits 25 responses so this was a good sign.
I got emails from kids upon kids asking if I had any updates, saying they told all their friends and they were all really upset about what happened..

Success... I knew I had pulled this off. Kids ALL OVER THE WORLD had been freaking out and talking about this rumor that I did not start, but I did keep it alive. PERFECT!...

So the following day I give it a lot of time to set in and just let people continue to talk about it and just let it ride out a bit.. During a posting spree later in the day I post this up with the title of "BTW"..

explaining what the situation was, why rumors are bad, and big thanks to all the people who helped out to continue the prank... IT WAS AMAZING.. within minutes there was 20 responses to the post and either people thought it was hilarious or they were pissed. I loved the reactions..
I ended it, everyone had been informed it was just a prank and that they could continue to live their lives and everything was alright haha.

And that, is how you pull off an epic prank on people.