Developing an Info-publishing Craft Business
Content is king
Maybe you’ve heard the phrase, “content is king.” When it comes to info-publishing, content is everything. If you are considering starting an online craft business without actually selling anything, then what you have to do is create a content rich craft site packed full of valuable craft information.
Find a niche
To start you need to find a niche. Ideally you will create a craft site that is like no other. Think about what your knowledge and interests are and start brainstorming. Is there some angle you can take that is completely different than other websites you’ve found?
Research as much as you can and narrow your niche to a craft topic that there is sufficient interest in, but that is not over saturated. If you pick too broad a niche, you will find it much more difficult to compete with the greater number of well established craft sites that exist.
By narrowing your niche, you will focus on a smaller area of expertise and if you work hard enough, eventually you will own it. What I mean by that, is you will have the highest or nearly highest page rank for searches on the topic you cover.
Once you own your niche, you can broaden you reach to include a broader range of topics. It is much easier to do this once you already have your authority and expertise established among viewers and search engines.
Build your content
To get started you need to create as much content relating to your craft niche as possible. Do this by writing craft articles and tutorials about your craft niche and be sure to include key words throughout the articles and tutorials and in their titles.
Each article or tutorial that you write will be a page on your website. How many pages do you need? Well there are probably as many answers to that as there are people asking. I have heard successful web developers suggest as little as 15-20 pages prior to launching your site and others that say at least 100 pages. Most fall somewhere in between.
One thing they all say, however, is to keep adding pages. The more content your craft site has, the more it will be valued by viewers and search engines. If these numbers seem daunting to you, don’t despair. Just start by writing a few pages and you will likely find that each page you write will inspire ideas for 2 or 3 others.
Get targeted traffic
With the launch of your content rich craft website, it is now time to turn your attention to generating traffic. Combine a variety of techniques to bring targeted traffic to your craft site. Submit to search engines, directories and participate in link exchanges with relevant sites.
This is a process that can take time and perseverance. Sometimes it can take as long as 6 months or even a year for search engines to take your site seriously enough to give you a high ranking. Don’t let it get you down. Just keep practicing good marketing techniques and continue to add to your content and eventually you’ll be rewarded.
Presell to your traffic
As your traffic increases, you can begin to think about how you will monetize your site. As you find affiliate and advertising programs you would like to incorporate on your craft website, you need to adjust your articles or create new ones that will presell to your audience.
Preselling is a concept that is contingent upon your content. You will be placing ads and affiliate links on your website and your content in addition to being interesting and useful, should over deliver.
Monetize your site
The last step in creating a successful craft info publishing site is to monetize by placing relevant ads and affiliate links. If you have done the first three steps, Content, Traffic and Presell, then this last step should be a breeze.
Content ►Traffic ►Presell ►Monetize or C►T►P►M is a concept developed by Ken Evoy, the founder of
Site Build It. Site Build It websites are some of the most successful small business sites on the web. Ken Evoy is somewhat of an internet guru. His overview of
info-publishing is probably a bit more insightful than what I have put together here.
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