Is Web Publishing Easy?

[Cutter]

This evening I'm in the middle of hammering out a wordpress blog for Chris. I finally got over the part thats been killing me, so I logged into my own blog and made a massive post -- Is this easy?

This month I've had some amazing days. In fact, my best earning days I've largely been pretty lazy. Its pretty damn nice to be sitting back relaxing while making more money than someone working two shifts at McDonalds in one day can make. It seems so easy at these moments.. but is it?

I've come to realise that everything I'm doing, day to day, all of these skills are drawn from the things I've done over the past decade largely related to computers. That means designing, writing, coding, everything.

Still, there are things I do where it feels like I've treading water, going nowhere, barely afloat, when I should be at the other side of the ocean.

What do you guys think, is web publishing easy, or is it a real challenge?

[Chris]

Its easy once you're successful, but the road definitely isn't easy.

[lz83ny]

It's easy but just like everything else it takes time.

[Hylo]

I commented a longer ramble on your blog about this Cutter but I'll add something else here.

I've only just started publishing a few sites of my own and it's basically to put into practice a lot of the things I've learnt from here and other forums and web master sites over the past few months when I've been concentrating on researching publishing and how to make money doing it. I think the basics of it SEEM easier to begin with, for me anyway, because I've been a developer for about five years and been a web user and addict since around 1996/97 when I started university and first got free access.

My technical background has helped a lot with regards choosing blog and CMS software to use as well as helping modify the actual scripts themselves. Being on the web constantly also helps you to spot what things attract users to sites and then get them to reach for their credit card when they are. I'm by no means an expert but I think the grounding I have makes it all seem a lot easier to get started.

For example, before I started my football articles blog I mentioned to two of my mates who are massive football fans about writing some articles for a football blog. One of them said no problem, the other (who is a seriously intelligent guy and really into his gadgets and electronics etc.) asked me what a blog was. I was shocked but he doesn't even have an internet connection in his house and has no idea about most stuff going on online other than Ebay and those fabled "adult" entertainment sites:-/

The barrier to entry for my mate then would be his knowledge and skillset and this, along with enough motivation to actually get a site concept, software, hosting, domain name and content (amongst other things of course) together, is where web publishing being easy falls down.

If you've got the right skills, knowledge and interest that has been built up over the years then it is certainly easier to get into and improve your chances of succeeding although that's not to say it's easy to be successful.

[asphalt]

I think it does take a lot of time in the beginning to learn how things work.

I am still at that not making money stage so for me it feels like a lot of work. I made a mistake by picking too big of project (programming) for my first site. I notice some of the successful people seem to have a system for building site, re using the same CMS, Forums, sources for articles etc. Working smarter not harder.

I started on websites a long time ago, but am now just seeing what a Website Publisher actually is. It gives me a lot more ideas.

[Sean]

IMO it's not really possible to say something is just generally easy or not easy because it's all subjective. Different people have different abilities, experience, and living situations which could aid in web publishing or make it more difficult.

If we are going to use your average web publisher in an average web publisher's life with an average web publisher's skills building/running an average web publisher's website/websites, I'd agree with what most here have said: that it is pretty easy (compared to your average "job") and gets exponentially easier as the publisher builds his/her skills and develops systems.

Another point which you brought up in your blog entry was outsourcing. Personally, I have lots of cash saved up from working to put into my websites, but have decided to only use revenue from my sites for outsourcing to force myself to build my skills and knowledge. Once I start making money from my sites, I'll be able to outsource parts of my projects and make things much easier. Another publisher might just buy prestablished, self-updating sites already making money and ride on them or outsource entire projects.

Interesting topic.

[Cutter]

I think thats a good plan Sean. I know other business owners apply the same principle, they only use revenues directly from a business to re-invest. On the surface this seems dumb, why wait an extra 9 months for something you can do today?

The key is, first, it forces you to seek ways to maximize your revenue. You test and make changes instead of pouring cash at a problem. (not to get political, but thats largely why governments can pour millions and billions into a problem and get zero results.) Second, you gain the experience so when you do invest that money you know exactly where its going to be used best. When you outsource, you can tell these people exactly what to do -- in fact, nearly all webmaster outsourcing you have to train them yourself.

Third, you learn what your strengths and weaknesses are. It makes the job more fun when you can focus on what your best at and pay someone else to do the stuff you don't enjoy. You don't really know what thats going to be until you try.

[Sean]

Third, you learn what your strengths and weaknesses are. It makes the job more fun when you can focus on what your best at and pay someone else to do the stuff you don't enjoy. You don't really know what thats going to be until you try.
Before I knew how to code any PHP, I thought it was going to be so boring and tedious. Now that I've got a handle on it I love it. It's so fun planning the code and then trying different ways to execute it and add to it while avoiding errors. I wouldn't have known that I enjoyed it if I just payed someone to do my PHP without trying it.

On the other hand, I'm working on my font site and I have to make a preview image for each font and add it to the database basically one at a time... I've added about 500 now and am tempted to pay someone to do the rest. heh

[Masetek]

I agree with Sean too. I have savings, but am not willing to put them into buying sites/hiring writers until I am an expert at it myself.

I haven't been publishing for very long but have a dev background, so writing content and publishing articles is relatively new to me. I am slowly developing my own cms/template site systems that I can just plug new site ideas into to streamile the process of creating and managing sites. Its loads or work, testing, changing ads and stuff, seeing what works and learning from my mistakes but doing something like this is teaching my through trial and error how to make profitable sites. This is the hard stage I reckon. It's a steep learning curve, but once I'm established and have all my custom tools and publishing knowledge, I need I can't see it being too hard.

[Cutter]

On the other hand, I'm working on my font site and I have to make a preview image for each font and add it to the database basically one at a time... I've added about 500 now and am tempted to pay someone to do the rest. heh

That stuff is a real pain. Last summer I spent about 3 solid months making profiles for my gaming site, and that site still only makes me $10 a day, max -- but, the other stuff I learned from building that site has proved invaluable.

[James]

Cutter, you should have gotten a game database. It's a lot easier to buy a 10,000 game database and set it up than to do all of that yourself, I would assume.

Sean, I suggest creating a PHP or Perl script (or finding one) to do it for you. It'd be a lot better in the long run and gives you more time for finding fonts to put up.

[Sean]

Sean, I suggest creating a PHP or Perl script (or finding one) to do it for you. It'd be a lot better in the long run and gives you more time for finding fonts to put up.

That was my original thought, but I was unable to find a way to make one (or find one). If you or anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.