On-Hold Projects
As some of you may have noticed by now, I have trouble finishing things that I’ve started. Thanks to my ever-changing schedule, I tend to let my projects accumulate dust. I thought I’d compile a short list and share it with you all today:
User-driven image rating sites
I started with a little site called Rate My Betta (I like Bettas). Did some advertising on relevant forums, got about a dozen users and a couple dozen pictures, and then kinda forgot about it. That site has received 8 visits in the last month.
Coupon site
What was I thinking? Breaking into the coupon site niche is nigh-impossible. You have to compete with sites that have been around for over a decade and span multiple niches. In any case, I created a site for Dell coupons, updated it daily for a week or two, and got bored.
The worst network on the net
Remember when I said I’d create 1,000 autoblogs and see what happened? Well, I got to 25 and found better uses for my time. I did get my first takedown threat the other day though.
Actual SEO
The modest amount of success I’ve had online has come from PPC, so a few months ago I decided to create a site that used only SEO to get it’s traffic. This site flat out failed. I picked an offer and built an entire site around it. I found a couple dozen articles, threw in some adsense code and an eBay auction feed, and called it a day. I learned a few valuable lessons from that experiment, the most important one being that Google doesn’t like duplicate content.
eBay niche stores
Last month I wanted to slowly build an empire of niche stores. That empire stopped at two. Together, they’ve made me something like $27, so maybe I should have kept going. That being said, both sites have the exact same layout which, well, sucks. That project is the first on my list to pursue, if I ever get around to it.
Gaming blog
Yes, I actually tried to make a gaming blog. Fell apart when I ran out of things to complain about. That, and I really don’t have the budget to stay on top of new releases.
Oh well
For every 5 projects I put on hold, I have one that’s actually working. I’ll just keep plugging away until I find something that works.
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June 28th, 2008 at 9:32 am
So you’re squatting on all those URLs? For shame! Lol.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
You’re not the only one with on-hold projects. I think most of the entrepreneurs out there have at least 5-10 on-hold projects that may never even get completed. But there’s no shame in that as long as we get at least a few good project completed so we can pay our bills.
/Andreas
June 28th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
It’s just like my situation, nothing ever works out as planned.
June 28th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
On hold projects are terrible, I know exactly how you are feeling, haha. Sometimes a great idea one day, is a terrible idea the next. Try devoting a week to each project and see where it takes you perhaps?
June 30th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Jim, yes many ideas sound great until you start doing them…but ideas with great premises usually work.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:44 pm
I’ve been in a lull of projects as well. First is updating my blog and changing its theme, and next I have an anime website project that’s been a few years in the making (though mostly ideas now). Maybe I can blame it on my Virgo sign- we have nice ideas, but we’re such perfectionists!