successful technology blogs on the Internet – interview with Stefan Sprick
Internet users are often especially thrilled with technology.
Since it is close to operate a technology blog as a blogger.
But the competition is very large and it takes lots of enthusiasm and perseverance. But then it is possible to build a loyal readership.
That you a really good walking blog can start within a year, the interview with Stefan Sprick shows.
1. Please introduce yourself and your gadget blogs “DOMAIN.COM” and “DOMAIN.COM” my readers.
DOMAIN.COM 2 is my. real blog, is the first blog about a mass suitable topic. Everything about 8.9.2007 where I became concerned what for a topic I would like to raise around to blogging about and what might interest readers had begun.
I rummaged around in the Internet and to me still unknown topic found small “Gadgets”, what interested me directly since I already are I was much with PCs and had to do consoles and centered the most gadgets to the PC and console industry.
DOMAIN.COM joined then well six months after DOMAIN.COM at the 14.3.2008.
Because my passion grew to the blog, I wanted to address issues that not necessarily in the gadgets category fell but nevertheless interested me. DOMAIN.COM came out and shortly afterwards followed the separate blogs for mobile phones, laptops and cars maintained until today of course I.
2. Why did you start the blogs? And why two to thematically nearby blogs?
I had to publish always difficult many everyday articles on DOMAIN.COM because many issues not just regarding gadgets fit, but I wanted to separate me from the other announcements and news about current devices also.
I wanted to offer my readers but information and I could do it better by I broke a blog in multiple blogs with different priorities.
3. What goals have you set you at the beginning and how have they evolved?
At the beginning of my blogger career I have actually gone with cooking keinem aim approached, I wanted to learn first try the mystery blogging and understand. I was then also not sure whether I would continue the whole because it was for me a way. At that time I have worked more with CMS systems and all my old projects ran on it and not a blog software. Now I can separate me but not more from WordPress.
The actual objectives came with time, first visitors on the blogs flocked was the decisive factor for everything else. Everything should be greater and the appropriate contacts to companies and agencies was of course later reached with the growth.
Now I am completely satisfied with what I have achieved my first year as a blogger, which I of course am new small goals me with each month.
One of my goals is for example to comply with a growth rate, say I try to increase each of my projects to a number of 100 visitors per day compared to the previous month. The goal is high, but works in some cases even.
My final goal is to live what I want to have achieved by next year in April but blogging and the resulting revenue, but until then it is still a long way.
4. How was the launch and how did you know the blogs? What marketing measures were particularly effective?
I was lucky that I have brought DOMAIN.COM at the Web 2.0 wave online at that time and then the marketing potential through social bookmarking services was enormous. You got today still correctly from visitors in contrast and many remained also the blog then. By social bookmarking portals and Google the blog has become what he is today.
Now it works unfortunately not more completely and I am increasingly on optimization in the various search engines rankings. Link building is a mandatory program currently again I every month a few links set on each of my blogs, regardless of whether this link directories, social bookmarking portals or other sources.
I have had less good experiences with direct link exchange, they express PageRank although under certain circumstances, but hardly worth mentioning are the visitors you get this.
5. What experiences have you collected since the start and what would you do different today?
I learned a lot since the start. On the one like WordPress works how you changed it and how to play with the software. When I start something, then I work not only as a content writer but I look at the technology behind it, namely the development of the whole and how everything together interacts. Today I know how I get blogs accordingly well and in a short time and anlocke readers at the time to start it was rather an experiment where the outcome was uncertain.
If I could turn back time and subsequently could change something, then that would be off definitely the date when I started blogging. I would probably earlier switched from CMS on blogs and earlier would have begun with the construction of the blogs and content seen in this light I have given away so just time and money.
6. Can you tell us a few statistical figures for the current state of your blogs?
Yes I can do, I love statistics ;)
World of gadgets
Start date 8.9.2007
Visitors total: 535.105
Article online 2,750
366 Commenters
Visitors on average since 1,345
Last month about 57.500 visitors
Last month over 135,000 page impressions
World of technology
Start date 14.3.2008
Visitors total 36.961
Article online 867
91 Comments
3.36 Posts on average per day
51 Commenters
Cut visitors 169
7. How will you earn with your blog? What sources have you developed?
Money I’m talking about don’t like, or what I deserve with the blogs. I can however, say that I feel very high revenue in your blog overview. The sources of revenue include AdSense, Contaxe, Trigami and direct marketing.
Where I’ve thrown Contaxe almost of all blogs as simply want the merit leaves. Trigami was my 2 months 6-9. main source of income, but now gets you hardly interesting orders for which it is worthwhile to write. Solely the display ads campaigns I notice at Trigami, but only if appropriate formats.
In the direct marketing I have contracts now with some companies, which I prefer completely would put this method but for still not enough there prospects to blogs completely other advertising of all to resolve methods.
8. The issue of technology / computer is very popular, but there are too many blogs in this area. Should you start today a technology blog?
This is difficult to say I took me generally to the model whether something is 10 times or 1000 times somewhere otherwise exist, but just try my own thing by contracted. I believe that each category and each major topic already often covered is whether this computer, technology, nutrition, sports, entertainment or whatever.
The most important is also my opinion not the saturation a topic, but the willingness to do something. Many bloggers start with a topic and give up there again, because it no short-term success within 1-3 months brings.
Perseverance is the blogs or large projects simply and without this you need to something not tackle.
9. What concrete tips can you give to new blogs that have a technical issue?
As mentioned in point 7, it is important simply stick. If you are listed first in Google it will be easier, but there are also setbacks, for example and you when Google again moves the rankings instead of 8th place at once is to place 80. Of course this costs visitors, but it should stay still on the ball.
Write frequency is important in addition to the long breath you need especially for larger blogs, I think. Some write one article a day what I think but not enough will get many readers. Especially when it comes to blogs, the news on current topics, a frequency of 5-10 important posts per day to get appropriate reader numbers.
10. What is your most important tip for someone who starts a new niche blog?
Should be familiar with the niche, which must be no perfection in the field, but you should have at least basic knowledge about the subject. I myself never published e.g. an iPhone blog or products although interesting find a blog about Eee PC, since I, but simply insider knowledge I don’t publish e.g. advice or tips and tricks on these issues.
Also you should be aware in advance, a blog mostly not overnight success comes, but properly work takes time and money and you must be prepared to invest these things before you start with a project.
Thanks for the detailed insights Stefan
It is interesting to see how Stefan has built a whole blog network from a blog project. Rather than throw everything in a blog he was so clever and has spun off new topics in new blogs.
A very wise decision I think.
And the success gives him right.
So if you start a new project, should on the one hand be aware, that he must invest much energy and stamina. On the other hand the chances then really, because only a few bloggers are long-term willing to work so hard. Because it helps if you can see it a bit as a job which must be made on days where there are not really want.