What makes a successful website?

I have conversations every day with people about what makes a successful website or blog? Often, these conversations are about potential websites that someone might want to build that are unrelated to an existing business. By this I mean that I’m not referring here to a website for an existing business, but a website for an “idea”.

And I consistently remind these idea-fiends that Content is King, as you hear quite often on the internet. But the “build it and they will come” mentality still exists out there. People are convinced that a good idea alone is somehow worth something. Maybe in 1998 it was. Or even in 2002. Not anymore.

Often, people don’t want to put in the work to actually build the site. They like to tinker, to toy, and to manipulate. I say, “go play with Lego’s then”. To build a website requires actual work. It’s more like the guys who not only design the Lego bricks, but pour the plastic and make the molds. Real work. Can you imagine one of them coming to work and being excited because they have an embroidered name badge on their uniform? Well, that’s the announcements I hear from people all the time — “look at my new badge!” — and yet, they aren’t building any bricks.

So, finally, I was pleased as punch to see that Ramit over at I Will Teach You To Be Rich posted a very accurate and timely article entitled I hate bloggers who waste their time on stats. The title is a bit misleading, but it is certainly worth a read - especially if you want to one day build or own a successful website. The end of the article had me cracking up. You tell them, Ramit!

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