Revenue is Bouncing Back Following Panda

I could tell that revenue (and especially AdSense revenue) was bouncing back following the Panda update, but I really didn't realize that it had taken such a hit until I actually looked at the numbers.  To give you an idea of what happened, allow me to list my AdSense numbers for this year:

• January 2011-- $53.39
• February 2011-- $42.84
• March 2011-- $44.09
• April 2011-- $14.73
• May 2011-- $20.49
• June 2011-- $23.05
• July 2011-- $35.65
• August 2011-- $44.00

As you can see, once the Panda update hit at the end of March, AdSense revenue fell by about 70% but has now returned to the level that I was seeing before the change.

The main reason for this has to due with developing my own blog.  I have earned just over $20 this month by developing CashFlowMantra.com and working hard to get traffic and grow readership.

The effort has been a lot more than $20 worth, that is sure.  But it is fun to make a little something while sharing with my readers which I am enjoying immensely.  I enjoy the interaction and creating a worthwhile venture based upon my own hard work and diligence.

I am hoping that by the end of the year, I can exceed my previous AdSense revenue record of $62.53.  I think I have a decent shot at it.  I would also like to think that I could achieve monthly revenues of $100 by July 1st of 2012 which would still put me on track with my ultimate goal of earning $1000 monthly by July of 2016.

Needless to say, I will keep busy working on my blog and developing others along the way.  If you haven't taken the plunge and developed your own site, I would encourage you to do so.  I know that the idea of developing a blog can be very intimidating.  I knew nothing about WordPress but got thrown into it by a big, bad Panda.  I learned and am continuing to do so, but I can't help but wonder why I didn't do it sooner.  There really is nothing to fear.

The Puppy Website is Online

Hey, I just wanted to let all of you readers here that the puppy website is online.  I spent Monday buying the domain and getting WordPress installed at Hostgator.  The domain cost me $15 for the year.  I know I could have gotten it cheaper, but I went through the Hostgator site so I didn't have to try to figure out or wait for a transfer.  I was able to see it online within about 20 minutes of purchase and installation of WordPress.  It really is getting easier each and every time.

My eldest daughter and I then found a free theme for the site and began working on the various pages.  She wrote a post while I wrote the welcome page.  She spent yesterday while I was at working figuring out how to make a slideshow and put some pictures of the puppies on the site.  She has really figured out how to work with WordPress with no instruction and has only been at it for 24 hours.  It is really easy to set up your own website and get going.  My other site, CashFlowMantra.com is actually paying for itself now.  You should really go to the HostGator site and get started if you haven't already.

Anyway, I knew that several had asked about seeing the puppies so if you go to AvonCockapoos.com you can see our puppies.  They are so cute and are a little over 2 weeks old now.  Their eyes are open, and they have started army crawling around and hobbling about.  By next week, they should be walking.  They will also get their teeth this week.

I would appreciate any comments you have on the site.  We have gotten some great feedback from friends already and have made some changes based upon that feedback.  Our goal is to sell the puppies when we have a litter, but also to provide a resource for those who might try some breeding as a hobby or those who just got a new puppy and would like to learn about development and training.  I would like the website to become an authoritative site with valuable information and an Amazon store as well.

I think it will be a fun family project.  Everyone has played some role in carrying for the dogs and helping with the puppies.  My daughter and wife have been working on the website and with Facebook.  All in all, it will be a great learning experience for everyone.

Starting to Get Search Engine Traffic

It may not be the best traffic (photo credit: Derek Harper), but I am starting to get some search engine traffic at my new site, Optionsdude.com.  It seems that the majority of that traffic is coming to the various posts on my blog through several longer tail keywords.  I can't tell you how exciting this is so soon after starting the site.  Unfortunately, the bounce rate is pretty high and minimal time has been spent on the site, but there has been one visitor who spent more than 1 minute!

I am also generating daily traffic by commenting on blog posts from blogs that I find on the Yakezie Personal Finance Blog Network at Yakezie.com.  There are a lot of good bloggers that are part of the network.  I know that I will never be able to have a blog like one of those, but maybe someday, I could come close.

By commenting daily, I am able to get a handful of visits daily which provides just enough motivation to keep going.  I did have one day last week which had no traffic at all, but that was the only one over the past 30 days.  My plan is to continue to read various blog posts and make relevant comments on ones that I might be able to add to the discussion.  I will do this as I continue to try and add content to my site.  Adding content is a little slow going right now, but I did add a page this past week.  Maybe I can get something up tomorrow also.

I would like to see the number of visits to the site surpass the number to this blog by the end of the year.  It will be tough going, but I think I can do it.  I will need to post some links to some of the various articles after I get more content up.  I really have yet to try and backlink any individual pages other than with a few blog comments.

I also want to say that I am seeing some of my pages in Google for some of the longer tail keywords that I have been following.  I am on page 2 for one and page 4 for another.  Too bad there is little monthly search traffic for these words, but at least I know the process is working.  Again maybe by the end of the year, I can get some serious ranking done for some of these keyword phrases with backlinking.

The bottom line is that the progress is somewhat slow for me since I don't spend 8 hours per day on the internet.  But at least there is progress.  Oh and by the way, I have earned $1.10 on the site, so I only have $38.90 to break even!

Plans and Goals for OptionsDude.com

Well, I am sure that many of you have had a chance to go and visit my new site which was finally put into being as a result of the most recent Google Update.  I felt that it was important to get my own content on my own domain and begin to develop an authority site on a topic which I thoroughly enjoy and for which I have quite a passion.

I have enjoyed working on the site and have published 11 static pages with articles explaining such things as covered calls, puts, and collars.  I have also begun a forum which doesn't have any members other than myself and a blog with 2 posts which will serve as a more active portion of the site allowing me to explain some of my trades and comment on the current state of the market.

I would like to take this post and lay out my plans for the site between now and the end of the year.  This serves two main purposes.  First, it forces me to sit down and write out what I plan to accomplish.  Second, it lays it out there for all to see and provides a measure of accountability that will force me to act in order to avoid embarrassment publicly.  So let's get started:

• I plan on having about 100 pages of static content with articles explaining various aspects of trading options.  I will be able to get several more articles on covered calls and puts.  I will be able to write about the various types of spreads and explain some of the nuances of options pricing.  I could easily come up with about 50 article topics in the next 20 minutes.  My goal is to get these posted by the end of the year.  90 articles in 9 months is 10 per month or about 3 per week.  This would fit with my earlier goal for HubPages of publishing one during the week and one each on Saturday and Sunday.
• I would like to add a section on book reviews.  I will first start through my library and write reviews on the books I have already read.  I will probably re-read several of them and offer some useful tidbits on what I find in the book and make a recommendation on whether to buy, buy cheap, borrow or don't bother.
• I will continue to post to the blog section approximately once per week on average.  I will likely have more to say at certain times than others.  I got commentluv working so when I go to comment on other blogs, the most recent post from my blog at optionsdude.com will appear.  I have also placed the posts at the uppermost part of the sidebar on this blog so if any of you have interest in options, you can link to them here.

Ultimately, as a result of this content generation and developing links, I would like to actually begin to get some search engine traffic and earn my first income from the site in the next few months.  I would like to see the Alexa ranking in the top 500,000 by the end of the year with some steady daily traffic.  I would like to have a vibrant discussion on options and options trading with several members on the forum and through blog comments.

I know that some effort will be required, and I expect that.  I am looking forward to it.  I enjoy taking the topics that seem confusing to others and explaining them in such a way that anyone can understand.  I think options trading can be one of those topics.  I believe I can offer an everyday individual's insight into this aspect of investing and am looking forward to the challenge.

Photo credit: Keith Williamson

I Have 2 Website Ideas, But...

Oh no.  There's that word again.  My teenager can't complete a sentence without using that blasted 3 letter contraction.  It drives me nuts, and here I've gone and done it.  She does it because she only sees the world from her egocentric position and thinks she is always right.  On the other hand, I have a more open mind and more experience in the world so my "but" is legitimate.

Mind you, I am not making excuses either.  I really want to develop my own websites but..

You see, I have 6 kids although one is in college.  Still I spend 1 hr and 15 minutes total commute time each day and work full time.  It is 45 minutes each way to get the 4 youngest to gymnastics, and they are there 6 days each week.  I have many days when I leave the house at 6 am and don't get home until 10 pm.  I often get up at 4 or 4:30 just to have time to write what I do get done.  So I don't view these as excuses but as reality.

I am a fairly quick study.  I have often read something and been able to do it.  Occasionally it takes more time which you can see is a limited resource, especially when it comes to learning something new.  Nor am I really afraid of doing new things or failure either.

I have 2 website ideas, but I am simply thinking that time is at a premium and so I need to outsource some of the development.  Which is why I am coming to my readers for assistance in this area.  I know that several of you are more experienced than I am in development and design of websites.  Some even did this and sold on Flippa.  I have looked there for sites but would prefer to have my own project.  Plus, I trust my readers more than some of the characters I have seen on Flippa.

That is why I am soliciting bids (and especially comments regarding viability from those with more experience) for these 2 projects.  First, I would like to develop an article directory.  There have been some for sale at Flippa, but I simply don't feel comfortable purchasing from some of those individuals.  One has been up for 4 separate auctions.  Of course, not having $3000-$5000 helps make my decision as well.  I know that many sites are designed and sold for a few hundred dollars which is more my speed.

Second, I would like to develop my own authority website on financial topics.  I know that the space is crowded.  However, if you have taken the time to read most of my Hubs, you will find that it is a strong interest and passion of mine so it will be easier to work on it over a period of time than picking something I don't enjoy.

So, if you are looking for a client or could make a recommendation, I would sincerely appreciate it.  I am not in an incredible rush and should be an easy-going client.  I am also not necessarily inclined to take the lowest price but am looking for quality work at a fair price. 

I understand that you might not want to conduct business via comments so feel free to contact me privately through my HubPages profile.  It will be easy to access through the HubPages article links at the right.  Also, feel free to offer any public advice or comments on this blog to help others who are reading and may be considering their own site as well. 

I am thankful for the knowledge and expertise of my readers.  I appreciate all the encouragement so far in this journey and am looking forward to the next several steps.  So remember, I am not making excuses but simply outsourcing.  LOL!

"Do I really look like a guy with a plan?"

One of my favorite movies is "The Dark Knight" in which the late Heath Ledger plays the Joker and utters the words in the title during a hospital scene with the character of Harvey Dent. He goes on to say that he is like a dog chasing cars and wouldn't know what to do if he caught one.


Those words are illustrative of my online career (if you could call it that) so far. I have clearly not had any sort of plan and have flitted from site to site seeing what works and what doesn't as if chasing cars. If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that I started out in May of 2009 at Squidoo, moved on to HubPages and eHow, and Xomba. I have also written a little for InfoBarrel and Triond as well as Life123 which no longer has an author program.

I am not sure if this has been positive or negative. Certainly, I would have gotten more accomplished had I pursued a well-defined plan. But then again, progressing down a path that was not productive is also not wise. Besides, I am still of the opinion that this is more of a hobby than anything else. It is just that this hobby provides a little bit of income, while my golf hobby costs me money.

Never thought I would come this far...

When I started, I didn't think that it would be possible to write as much as I have. This is actually the 100th post for this blog. I am absolutely shocked. I also have over 120 articles at HubPages, over 40 at Xomba, 38 at eHow (though I wrote a few more than that), plus a few odd articles elsewhere. It is simply hard to believe that I could actually generate that much stuff in 10 months.

But maybe it is time to put together a little bit of organization behind my efforts. I don't really want to commit to an all out assault on internet marketing, but I would like to work a little bit smarter. In addition, I would like to see if I can develop my own site. I have some ideas that may or may not work. Either way, I think it would be fun to create something out of nothing.

Toward that end, I purchased Michelle Adam's Site Flipping Guide just this morning. I scanned through it briefly and got fairly nauseous. I am SO scared to actually think about trying to develop my own site. I know absolutely nothing about WordPress or hosting accounts or cpanel. Basically, I don't know jack about anything! But, my intent is to plow on through. It may take some time, but I have never been one to back down from a challenge. I will be sure to keep everyone here updated on my progress as well as some of what I am learning.

Sorry that I haven't posted for awhile. Knowing this was the 100th post, I wanted to make it worthwhile. Also, I wanted to think about my direction with the Site Flipping Guide. It took a bit of time to get up the nerve. Finally, there were some family issues and other things that kept me quite busy last week. Having made the decision to purchase the guide and start making my own sites, I think that this is an excellent topic for the 100th post. Hopefully, by the 200th post, I can have some great success to show for this new direction I am taking. Wish me luck.

Thinking About Michelle Adams Site Flipping Guide

I got an email the other day advertising a guide from Michelle Adams regarding site flipping. Now mind you, I am not interested in site flipping. I am interested in possibly building out my own site. I figure that if the guide explains how to build and sell a site, building and keeping the site should also be covered.

The problem is that I know very, very little about the whole process. I am not technophobic but just haven't spent the time to learn all of the ins and outs of the site building aspect.

Admittedly, it seems a little scary to me. I have never done anything like it before. What if I spend a lot of time and spend money each month to have it hosted, and nobody visits? What if just absolutely stinks as a website? Like I said, SCARY!

But, I had heard of Michelle Adams before and have actually been to her website about online money. Plus the cost of the guide through the special email promotion was only $47. And I had gotten paid from Life123 just a few days before that so I have plenty of money sitting in my Paypal account just waiting to reinvest.

I haven't spent any of my money attempting to make money online. I have only used my time and so far (with the exception that one month ad) haven't even spent anything at all. I don't have any hosting expenses. I am really only spending time on HubPages and Xomba which are free to me. I have gotten 2 Google AdSense checks already. So I am profitable.

Before I commit, however, I would like to gather some professional opinions. I know that several of you who read this blog own your own sites and are even professional site designers. I would like to know if anyone has used Michelle's guide. Is there another one that you might recommend? Believe me when I say that step-by-step directions are necessary in my case. I assume it is worth it to have your own site. Any advice or encouragement?

I would sincerely appreciate any information that my readers would be able to share. Thank you so much in advance.