TL;Dr
I need some inspiration, creative ideas on how to market my website, with out having to spend months learning SEO/Marketing. I also don't have much money to spend on it.
Hello!
We all can create awesome websites... but how many of us can actually get people to use it?
I've worked on websites with hundreds of thousands of users, but they were never my personal projects.
Dirty Secret
I have a confession.
Over the last 27 years of developing websites, I've only ever had one time where one of my project had more than a 1000 users. To be even more honest, I've not had any traffic on a lot of them and eventually let them fade away.
It may sounds like I'm clueless in the marketing arena, which would a little true, but most of it is that I hate doing what I fear or feel I'm not great at.
The fear is real
It's really two part that I've come to realize why, with the first being that I LOVE creating websites but I don't enjoy content creation (you think i would being a creator) nor generating traffic.
The second being that I'm a little fearful of the amount of stress and work it would take if I did have a successful website of my own.
Side gig vs Work
It's totally different if you're working for someone else, I feel confident and it's no big deal because I work hard and maintain great quality code and processes. It's my all day every day thing, so I carry little to no fear.
But part time, side gigs? Ya they don't really allow room for error due to the lack of time allowed for them.
What should I do? Just pay for someone? I can't really afford much. I wouldn't be working multiple jobs if I could. So what does that leave me?
This is my first attempt, writing this article/confession in hope to find someone or multiple people that can be kind enough to guide me.
I am asking for help. I need to know what I can do. I could use something to motivate myself around marketing.
I am willing to face my fears, I just need some guidance.
Will you help me?
p.s. I know how to google, I know how to find tutorials. I can learn. I just don't have the bandwidth to become great at all of it. I need the solutions that I CAN do with me being solo.
Varymade LLC.
Current projects are https://charactergenerator4000.com and https://coder.exchange. Please check them out and let us know your thoughts.
Top comments (10)
This really resonates with me. I'm in the process of launching a Forem for synthesizer enthusiasts but I also feel a bit freaked that I don't have the time to dedicate to managing the community. I don't have a great solution to this feeling yet, but just wanted to say that I feel ya and just wanted to share that solidarity with ya.
As for growing and marketing your creations, I was recently shown the article "Do Things That Don't Scale" by Paul Graham which might have some helpful advice for ya.
I wish you the best of luck with your projects. They look super cool! I really dig the Character Generator 4000!
Thank you so much! I will read that article
I've just recently started dipping into the SEO and this course from Help with your hustle was extremely helpful and jam packed with information considering it is a 5 day email course. I've also DM'd with the creator of the course a bit on Twitter and he's great to talk to 🙂
(Disclaimer that the link is a referral code, but the course itself is free)
awesome, I'll read up on it. I also appreciate your transparency.
Focus on one aspect of marketing like devrel, growth hacking, influencer marketing, blackhat (media manipulation - read "Trust me, I'm Lying by Ryan Holiday) or just landing page strategy for product launch on product hunt.
If you don't have the time then delegate it away through free tools or hire someone to take over a unproductive part so you can take on a more productive & areas that you're skilled in.
Look at "E-myth Revisited" & "1 Page Marketing" that you can get it for free through a library to learn and build your own system.
greatly appreciated. I thought blackhat was a way to get instantly blocked on google? But I still want to read up on the details, I'm sure the information will help me. Thank you.
You could take a look at the book "Trust Me, I'm Lying. The Confession of the Media Manipulator by Ryan Holiday". Most of the principles in the book can be applied to my country even it was a US media centric book as I stumble across news or content of that nature.
I know that feeling
Actually I came here looking for some ideas on how to atract developers to join my job board: found.dev 🙂
I have been developing apps and webs for 10 years already. Mainly for clients, but also some side projects for me. Most of the apps and webs I have created, never had enough traction. Most of them, even those with a very good idea, enough budget, a good team, etc.. went offline after a few years or even months.
SEO, SEA, Growth Marketing, etc.. There are a lot of things you have to deal with. A lot of time, expertise and money is needed. And still, none of that can assure you to have success. There is a very good talk at Ted about this: ted.com/talks/bill_gross_the_singl...
It really depends on what your projects actually are. I think the minimum you could do is become an active part of existing online communities related to the subject matter, and just fearlessly shill your site(s) whenever it's conversationally appropriate & adds to discussion. The worst thing that can happen is moderators ask you to stop linking stuff
gl
Give useful stuff for free.
Network to get backlinks.
social media , youtube.
Get into conversations on internet.
get affiliates helping you out.