Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Would You Create Web Content If You Couldn't Make Money From It?
I don't know why but I got to thinking about what would happen if making money online was no longer an option, and would I still want to creates or sites or write a blog. Back when I started out, making money didn't figure in my thoughts at all.
It wasn't long after getting online at the end of 1997 that I started to think about creating my own web pages. AOL members had a small allocation of webspace and I wanted to put something, anything, up just to be able to have created some kind of online content.
I started off with a little film review website, giving my opinions on a selection of classic films and using the opportunity to re-use an essay I had written about the movie Casablanca and its use a propaganda tool for my media studies course. An eclectic bunch of sites followed; a Roger Moore tribute site, a Tommy Boyd fan site and just a general mish mash of creativity and fun that amounted to nothing particularly significant. Back then, I don't recall having the slightest interest in site analytics, or even whether the pages were listed on search engines. In fact, I was mostly interested in having pages I could show to friends and didn't expect strangers to be looking at the pages at all. If an unexpected message was posted to my guestbook, it was a pleasant surprise.
In retrospect, it was all so innocent and it was simply fun. I was making pages simply to satisfy my own desire to be creative. So to answer my own question: would I be creating web content if I couldn't make money from it? Yes, I almost certainly would because I still have that desire to put stuff I've made "out there". Would I be making content about the things I end up making it about now, such as personalised gifts and hypnosis MP3s? No, I don't think so.
One of the things I guess I would like to do is recapture the fun of making content for the love of creating stuff and not be quite so concerned with monetising, although that's of course easier said than done when you're trying to make a living too. I don't even know what I could make a site about now for fun, since monetising content has kind of consumed me and that has itself become my major interest.
What about you dear reader? Do you make websites because you like making websites, or do you do it purely to make money? If you couldn't make another penny from the internet, would you find another reason to publish websites or would you just go and do something else?
It wasn't long after getting online at the end of 1997 that I started to think about creating my own web pages. AOL members had a small allocation of webspace and I wanted to put something, anything, up just to be able to have created some kind of online content.
I started off with a little film review website, giving my opinions on a selection of classic films and using the opportunity to re-use an essay I had written about the movie Casablanca and its use a propaganda tool for my media studies course. An eclectic bunch of sites followed; a Roger Moore tribute site, a Tommy Boyd fan site and just a general mish mash of creativity and fun that amounted to nothing particularly significant. Back then, I don't recall having the slightest interest in site analytics, or even whether the pages were listed on search engines. In fact, I was mostly interested in having pages I could show to friends and didn't expect strangers to be looking at the pages at all. If an unexpected message was posted to my guestbook, it was a pleasant surprise.
In retrospect, it was all so innocent and it was simply fun. I was making pages simply to satisfy my own desire to be creative. So to answer my own question: would I be creating web content if I couldn't make money from it? Yes, I almost certainly would because I still have that desire to put stuff I've made "out there". Would I be making content about the things I end up making it about now, such as personalised gifts and hypnosis MP3s? No, I don't think so.
One of the things I guess I would like to do is recapture the fun of making content for the love of creating stuff and not be quite so concerned with monetising, although that's of course easier said than done when you're trying to make a living too. I don't even know what I could make a site about now for fun, since monetising content has kind of consumed me and that has itself become my major interest.
What about you dear reader? Do you make websites because you like making websites, or do you do it purely to make money? If you couldn't make another penny from the internet, would you find another reason to publish websites or would you just go and do something else?
Permalink // posted by Rob @ 1:02 AM 
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That's funny. I was just thinking back to my first web page -- on a numbered Compuserve account. I put a counter on it and was over the moon when I hit a milestone like, um, 100 viewers. :)
Even if there was no money in it, I'd still blog, but I'd probably drop my biggest site. I'm completely bored with the subject and the site (I've been plugging at it for four years now) and if it was bringing in $0 instead of five figures a month, I'd trash it in a heartbeat.
Even if there was no money in it, I'd still blog, but I'd probably drop my biggest site. I'm completely bored with the subject and the site (I've been plugging at it for four years now) and if it was bringing in $0 instead of five figures a month, I'd trash it in a heartbeat.
Hi Rob
I do actually publish a couple of blogs that aren't there to make money. I've got a blog about my running and another one about my allotment.
Have to admit though, I'm tempted to try and make some cash out of them!
In my case my first site (cardtart.com) was only there to make money and I was a late starter, only going back to 2003.
I do actually publish a couple of blogs that aren't there to make money. I've got a blog about my running and another one about my allotment.
Have to admit though, I'm tempted to try and make some cash out of them!
In my case my first site (cardtart.com) was only there to make money and I was a late starter, only going back to 2003.
Hi Wendy, thanks for the comment. That's a pain that you're best site is one you don't like much. Did you ever think about selling it instead? I remember I had a Compuserve account briefly too. My first modem came with various trial periods for AOL, MSN Network and Compuserve. I remember the extortionate bills when you used more than you free numbers of hours online too! :-)
Hi John - thanks for your comment...cool subjects, jogging and allotments! I've seen your running one. I definitely need to get some non-internet related hobbies (which I can blog about!)
Hi John - thanks for your comment...cool subjects, jogging and allotments! I've seen your running one. I definitely need to get some non-internet related hobbies (which I can blog about!)
Hi Rob
I'm just starting with this blogging thing and I am doing it to make some income.
I'm retired and need to stretch my social security.
So far I have a blog about online business but the tech stuff is making me wonder if it's worth it.
I've been using computers for years, but never before tried to make a website or a blog. I think that you guys who do this are just great.
Haven't made a dime yet, so I guess I'll just keep plugging away and see what happens.
Thanks for letting me put in my 2 cents.
I'm just starting with this blogging thing and I am doing it to make some income.
I'm retired and need to stretch my social security.
So far I have a blog about online business but the tech stuff is making me wonder if it's worth it.
I've been using computers for years, but never before tried to make a website or a blog. I think that you guys who do this are just great.
Haven't made a dime yet, so I guess I'll just keep plugging away and see what happens.
Thanks for letting me put in my 2 cents.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for stopping by. I've actually made hardly any money at all from this specific blog - I think it's a tough sector because the readership are semi-wise to a lot of monetising attempts and don't click much on adverts. Best of luck with it though - hope you get some success.
Rob
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Thanks for stopping by. I've actually made hardly any money at all from this specific blog - I think it's a tough sector because the readership are semi-wise to a lot of monetising attempts and don't click much on adverts. Best of luck with it though - hope you get some success.
Rob
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