Lots of discussion the last week or so about the viability of Niche Devil. I thought about the comments that were posted and replied to over on Griz’s site. Lots of newbies looking forward to trying out a quick site builder, vets debating if ND could finally be the spam machine that could deliver lasting results and not peter out like those that came before it and true visionaries trying to figure out how to use the tool to achieve greater glory and not just a blast of quick cash.
But really, in my mind, the debate is much greater. There is a struggle among a lot of people about creating website properties. How to achieve money making greatness. I feel it in the posts that get left on this crappy site. So many ways to build sites and make some cash. But leaving a lot of people dazed and confuzed.
You don’t want to put too much effort into a site because you do not want to waste all that time and not have anything to show for it. Then again unless you put effort into it you won’t get results. Of course if you “do what you love” then you won’t have any problem with all that time you waste but you you have to hope someone else shares your enthusiasm. It is a balance that still has the power to drive me insane at times.
When a program like ND comes out it just confuses the issue. If you were like me you happily creating a couple of Hubpages or building a new niche site, then the pull, the power, of something that could make all that hard work go away comes out. I’ve been sucked in many times. I’ve allowed myself to be diverted into something that looks better but in your gut just feels wrong.
I’m all for trying out new things. And it’s good to be diversified. But we all know by now that content matters. Real content. Yes, yes, we all spam. We all try to create crap sites to drive traffic here and there. Some of our esteemed colleagues makes fantastic money in the black arts. This is all good.
I am not suggesting that you shouldn’t build spammy sites. Sometimes it is worthwhile to give something a shot. Maybe you’ll hit the jackpot. You’ll never know until you try. There will be tons of folks trumpeting their success with ND. They can laugh at me on their private island while I write another article.
But what if the joke really is on me? What if I’m just spinning my wheel on another article site that may make $10 a month when I can be spewing sites in 38 seconds that make just as much money? Back and forth you go trying to decide what to do. You stop writing and start building a site using the latest easy technique. And before you even get good and started something else comes along that promises to build a site in 27 seconds. Something always promises faster and easier and more riches.
The problem with this racket is that it is so damn hard. So you either do something that is relatively easy and sling a ton of it or you do something hard and do less. Either way you aren’t guaranteed a payday. It feels better to waste less time and money on the effort. And there is always the chance that it will work out and you will make pockets of cash, so we go with the lottery ticket.
Meanwhile we all know that sustainable wealth is through meaningful content. It just is. I used to bounce around from easy idea to easier idea. It’s hard for me to stick with one thing because all of it is so boring. I discovered a while back that it is best to stick with one thing and be a master of it. You do not have the time to go back and forth between various techniques. I’ve tried.
If your goal is to have 20 income producing article sites then pound those out before you do anything else. Once you achieve that goal move on to the next item that you want to try. There will always be a builder like ND coming out. Just because this train passed through while you were doing Hubpage building doesn’t mean you have to jump off one to catch the other. Complete the ride and then hop on another train to a different destination.
I used to never have goals doing this stuff. I’d work a few days on article site, then try my hand at Adwords, then build a mini-site for an affiliate product, then build some StoreStacker sites, then build a Blogger blog. And those sites would just lay there. No time to promote them, of course. Totally confused about what to build next. Hundreds of sites just wasting storage space somewhere. Trickling in cash like a leaky faucet.
It wasn’t until I really started reading Griz and Court and going back through the training at PLRPro before I realized that slow and steady is OK. I’m talking turtle. One thing that I have to do is reset myself sometimes. I start out focused. Deliberate. But then I end up going faster and faster until I burn to a crisp. Then I reset and do it all over again. I end up jumping from idea to idea and never really accomplish much more than a mish-mash of confusion. At least this is how I used to roll. Now things are and stay deliberate. It’s why I didn’t jump on ND.
I had to strike a balance. I have so much else to do than sit in front of the computer. Those days are gone and a lot less interesting.
I don’t really know the point of this post anymore. Just relaying where my head is at and doing some thinking. I know there is a lot of confusion out there and when a new product gets released when everyone thinks it is a must have it confuses things. I know. Been there. This racket is a gamble whether you build a lot or not. Whether you put in a lot of time or not. Some will make it and some won’t. It sucks. It took a lot of us a long time to find something that made money for us. And based on how quickly they closed ND, people are still looking for that holy grail.
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
If you already know what you are doing and are successful at it, there is no need to jump on every new idea or software that presents itself. It is also easier to ignore all the instant cheerleaders for the new product if you have your goals and strategy all set.
I was in the same confusion when I reading Grizzly’s post about ND. Then saw your post and the reaction. I don’t know if I want try ND because like everyone else, I have limited time and resources. I wish there was a real review from someone who has tried it for a month and have seen the proof of it working.
On question though, Vic certainly has the credibility in my mind. But why does the sales page say 14 days only but the same message is displayed every day. Agree that is a sales page, but to me it does not sound right.
I have no idea what you just said, but I agree 100%
btw. for me ND has not been as simple as advertised, lots of tweeking, lots of setup, Hell I’m still playing with it.
I know what you mean! I have been jumping from one thing to the next, making a fair bit of money with each but never really developing one idea fully.
Until a month ago. I drew up a business plan and finally started outsourcing (because I am lazy). Already hired somebody to build backlinks and am now in the process of hiring a cheap and cheerful article writer…
The business plan? Niche content sites, monetized effectively and promoted correctly. No big secret, but I never used to do those two things properly.
Your experience is leading you down the wrong path. There is a lot to be said for wasting countless hours pursuing failed plan after failed plan at making money online. It is totally better to be really bad at everything you try to do than to just be good at one thing that will actually make you money.
I’m a liar – I totally feel the same way.
“It is a balance that still has the power to drive me insane at times. ” Isn’t that the truth?? Finding a happy medium between writing crap about stuff that you know will make people click and buy or writing useful content that you personally enjoy and are knowledgeable about is definitely the hardest part for me.
You’re right Sam. But I get bored. Right now I’m pretty set on my path but it’s easy to get distracted.
Hey KCRay. He should have put up a countdown.
Keep at it bk. I imagine there are plenty of people out there giving it a go that can help you out.
John, I’m headed that way as well. Outsourcing is good.
Steward, thanks for reading.
There are a lot of folks trying to find that balance Amanda. You’ll find your zen
Hey great post.
Your sentiments about ND similarly follow mine and while I was tempted by the lure of easy cash I decided not to go ahead. Of course once it got sold out I started to question whether I made the right decision .. the power of something being taken away can mess your head.
But in the end I’m glad I stuck to my old boring plan for MMO because it works for me, and yes like the turtle I’m taking it one step at a time.
Thanks for reading Tracey. I’ve felt the anxiety of not being part of an IM purchase too. You’ll get over it. If you must do ND type site building you can always try Storestacker or BANS or Blogprofitz or PHPBay. All just as good as ND. But sticking with you plan is probably for the best.
I bought the software (ND) and figured I’d see what it had to offer. At the least I thought I may be able to use it to promote other sites.
I have set up two sites so far. I am not impressed. There are several issues that are immediately apparent..I am considering writing something about it over on my blog.
Like bk said, it is not a straight up install, and I think users that have a limited knowledge of the technology that makes this stuff work are going to be lost.
Splork, like I said yesterday, I have been in a similar funk. As for me I have decided to make some long term goals over the next year and focus specifically on achieving those goals.
I think a huge part of this business is related to time (someone please correct me if I am wrong). It is for this reason that so many people will not succeed in this business. They quit before they see the big results.
Party on Wayne.
@KCRay – Vic and the other people behind ND had a maximum number of people they wanted to support. They figured it would take 14 days but it reached that number in about 5 and shut the sale down. They didn’t want to sell the product and leave buyers to their own devices.
Splork – It’s always a matter of what works best for you. Some people like to churn out tons of niche sites, others like authority sites, some like to use email to sell the latest and greatest JV offer and so forth and so on. My own Internet Marketing philosophy is part OODA Loop, part Bruce Lee-ish metaphysics and part Vegas Vacation
I used to feel a pang of anxiety about not being part of an IM purchase, but not any more.
I always ask myself why are people selling it rather than using it secretly themselves to make millions if the thing is that damn good.
But in my neck of the woods, the credit crisis has brought out a brand new rash of ‘gurus’ telling us all how we can ‘make 100k a year’ … if we use their expensive tools…. and people who really should know better are getting confused at hell.
I’m resisting temptation and just ploughing on with making a living at what (at the moment…) works for me.
Your point on “meaningful content” is interesting… what does that mean exactly?
For example, someone searching for “Cheap cell phone”… what would meaningful content be for them? A comparison feed of all the latest deals perhaps?
Also, meaningful content does not get you links in all sectors.
What you really need is “enough passable content” to stop G from banning your site.
“Enough passable content” will keep a BANS site indexed for example.
As for ND, there is nothing in that app I have not seen / done before. Private scripts (such as my own) have had these features for a long time, scraping BING will not keep Google happy for long.
To make ND work, like BANS you have to invest time in your sites… time on KW research, choosing domains and, if you want the sites to last “passable content”… i.e. legit readable non scraped stuff… that is time consuming.
Hey Jez. Meaningful content is in the eye of the beholder I guess. I suppose I’m a bit of a snob about what I consider meaningful. Scraping a database of products to post on another website is not that meaningful. Of course the idea behind these builders is to simply get someone to click away from the site and set the cookie. It’s all good. I just wouldn’t go to these sites for reviews or information, etc.
But yea, you are totally right. You have to target the right keyword and niche to make your daily dollar. That takes a lot more work than many people are going to want to do then they are going to wonder why they aren’t successful with this plan.
Hey Frank. Totally to each their own. I seriously do not care how people make their money. Spam away. Write authority sites. Share money with Hubpages. I’ve done it all. But I’ve also found myself totally burned to the ground too trying to do too much. It’s at that point where I lose interest. And I like the money this generates so I feel like sometimes I have to slow the shit down and get centered again, because honestly I have no problem simply walking away from the computer. I have so much shit swirling around my life these days. Family, work, huge cycling goals and carving out time to do this shit. I can’t be going 90 miles an hour with all those things. For now, online stuff is the least important so it’s the reason that I’m going turtle velocity. And was suggesting that people that are feeling overwhelmed like I do, many do, just to slow the eff down and…get centered. Instead of allowing themselves to get pulled around in all directions by various promises. But yea, everyone’s situation is different. This is just my malfunction.
Zania you’ve always seem to me to be someone who doesn’t let the bullshit get in the way.
Yea TusconSEO, I took inspiration in the last month or so in Ben over at Make Money Online With SEO. Until he jumped the shark with ND and suspended his work with Hubpages, etc., he was laser focused in accomplishing the goals he set for himself. Dude was/is a machine. That kind of dedication is what it takes whether it’s with article sites or ND or whatever. Short, medium and long range goals are important.
Hope you get ND working for you. I can’t imagine that the forum or whatever is not going to get people squared away and making cash.
Did you know that Internet Marketing is made up of:
10% technical (Creating the website)
90% marketing (Trying to get some guy to open their wallet and take out their credit card to buy your widget)
We tend to do it the other way around.
90% technical
10% marketing
No wonder we don’t make money online.
LOL
I have been watching a Niche Devil Site that someone made, it had 26 then 33 pages indexed. Now google de-indexed it at least today.. so 3 days then gone.
I read another short comment on makemoneyonlinewithseo.com someone left a short comment asking how the guy at the above site keeps his ND sites indexed..
Anyone else having problems of this type with Niche Devil?
Planet. That’s about right.
Scott, I wouldn’t read too much into that quite yet. Sometimes that happens with any site you put up. They get indexed, then sandboxed, then a few months later they are back in the game. It will be worth seeing if they are still de-indexed after a few months. Then you’ll know that Google bagged them. Then again you never know if one of G’s operatives bought the product….
Splork, on another post you said you were getting less clicks on today.com do they pay a % on adsense or something? How do they pay..
it was’nt on there site.. i guess you have to sign up before they tell you how they pay ??
I have no idea how they pay. I know it’s a percentage of Adsense. And that it’s based on unique visitors apparently. Like a penny per new click or some shit. For instance I’ve sent them 2,439 unique visitors so far this month. Over 11,000 visits total and have made a whopping $3.99. Needless to say I don’t spend a lot of time working this site. It is helpful for backlinks though.
Don’t spend it all in one place.. FYI
Look at this niche devil site: official car shopper dot com It was indexed last week Today I had noting beter to do so i checked in to see how it was doing ha DEINDEXED that is the real reson the devil stopped being sold cuz all the effin’ ND sites were gettin deindexed even vic’s if hte owner of the software canot keep a site indexed how can a f’ing noob be expected to? shame on vic for puttin out such a shit product and i hope lots of people are asaking for there money back cuz they deserve it glad i did not get sucked inot this nightmaire
Another failed Vic’s enterprise idea…
the guy is a joke
promotes the BANS theory, people loose money and they he claims HE BROKES Bans…
then with his “direct line to google engineer” and with “I pay $500 per month to google engineers to let me know everything that happens in google”
LOL
funny…
the same goes with his Zobids idea… asked to over 100 of his students to invest in a site that still hasn’t launched (9 months before) and obviously will never launch or work.
Typical from someone from Puerto Rico
It’s too early to tell. Just about all new sites go to the sandbox. The viability of this program will be determined in a few months. Those sites may pop back in. And I’m guessing the non noob folks are banking on love from Yahoo/Bing anyway.
Yea I stopped being a fan of Vic’s last year. But it has nothing to do with him being from PR. He’s an Internet Marketer. nuff said.
The way he jumped on me for asking questions about ND made me question things too. I am definately off the Vic bandwagon. All his ideas require people to buy lots of domains – OUCH! Right now it seems like he is hurting a lot of noobs because they are mostly the ones getting sucked in and buying his stuff.
i just posted basically the same informaiotn in a comment at ms lizzie sowerbutts website and she did not publoish the commelnt that is speaking volumes right there, isn’t it? i dared her to tell the truth that the real reason ND is suddenly sold out has nothing to do with supporting customers it has everything to do with the developers not even beingin ablet o keep their own ND sites indexed
so i did some digging aroiind the backalinks at officila car shopper dot com it is owned by mr vic franqui one of the developers of Niche Devil in the links pointing to this site i see a mr wong account. so ichecked the mister wong account and there i find anoher site of mr vic franqui stopsmokingnews.com last week this bans site was indexed this week it is not so much for vic knowing how to keep a bans site indexed if he cannot do it himself how can he appoint himself teacher of the newbies the arrogance of this man is astonishing
Asked for a refund yesterday. While the software makes sites crazy quick (once you get it set up – a feat in itself depending on who you host with), I decided that I want more control over the quality of the content.
It will be interesting to see how the software progresses over the next few months.
well, being a Vic fan means:
he will sell you products and then stop supporting them
a) Hostprice
b) privatelabelchest
c) Zobis
and believe that he use to be an internet marketer before internet was created.
LOL
I don’t follow vic, court, grizz, for a couple of months now. I’ve achieved the conclusion that the best way to learn is to research myself and try, try really hard. All the methods that fly around the internet, are all similar, you just have to choose the right one, and have perseverance.
Build a half a dozen authority site. Build Backlinks, creating web 2.0 properties (hubs, squidoos, and others that i’ll not say). You’ll have after 6 months, a good portfolio and you’ll make money.
The only problem for people doesn’t make money, is keyword research (they follow too competitive words), and they build 10-50 web 2.0 properties and expect to win a moderate monthly wage. THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN.
The recipe to make money is simples, good keyword research (market samurai is perfect for that), build (at least) 6 authority broad niche blogs (with hundreds of posts), and try to build thousands of web 2.0 properties. After one year, oh boy, you’ll see money, and i mean enough money to live without a job, and to outsource everything and run things like a true business.
My problem was not doing this. I’ve reset everything in my make money enterprise, and i’m following this plan, and it works, it really works.
It’s easy? No, it requires work, and if you’ve a job, like splork and me, it’s even harder, but in the end, you’ll get you compensation.
Hey deindexed. That some good detective work. But after a couple of weeks I still wouldn’t judge the program quite yet. Give it a few months and come back and see what those sites are doing. He probably screwed up though. He should have kept it to himself and few trusted friends. Now he’s probably trashed that method just as assuredly as he influenced the trashing of the one last year. But you can’t be sure as he’s probably hanging in the sandbox. Whether that is permanent remains to be seen.
Effing A Dinheiro. That’s what I’m talking ’bout! Find what works and hammer it. Glad things are working for you.
Hey Martin. At some point people will bail on him if this is the case.
Hey Tuscon. Yea it’s not for everybody. You have to beside what kind of sites you want to build. If you want fast spam sites then it probably does the job. Some of us want decent properties that will pass the test of time and SEO.
Dinheiro Sez.. // Aug 8, 2009 at 8:30 am
Great post Dinheiro. Probably some of the best advice “in a nutshell”. Although, I will say that Grizz’s post on Credit Cards sparked a “gee, I could have had a V8 moment”.
So, his advice, (Grizz) at least to me, is blunt, and top notch. Vic, well, not so much. Don’t read much from Court’s blog..
Going to be building some Hub Pages to my own authority sites soon. Hopefully, I picked some good Adsense/Affiliate combo niches this time.
Slow and steady does win the race.
Miles to go before I sleep..
Robert C – The Wholesale Products Guy..
{ 1 trackback }