What does a MySpace site need?

[DavidR]

Some of you run successful MySpace websites, some very successful. What would you say a site needs to have, as the basics to be in with a chance if getting anywhere?

There are so many features you can have, generators, layouts graphics, glitters. Obviously all of those would be ideal, but what are the biggest selling points of resource sites? And if you can't get all of those ideal selling points right away, where should you start?

I have had theories that it's layouts (I have based it on the fact one of the biggest sites, freeweblayouts.net has a large collection of 'glossy' layouts). Is this right? I am wondering because many MSRS sites don't have a layouts section (simply a layout generator), or do but it's very limited - and many many sites on the net have very few layouts, and nothing else really spectacular, yet still a high volume of traffic.

Not many sites seem to focus very much on individual codes (as far as I can tell) so how valuable is a code section? Some sites have the same set of codes and don't update them with new ones as they would their glitter sections or layout sections.

Is there not really one main feature 'globally' for every site. Is it just that a site that may not have many layouts has loads of graphics, and that is what pulls in visitors for it? And maybe a site that doesn't have generators may have loads of layouts? What I'm trying to say is, is focusing on one of the more popular aspects the way to go?

I guess this jumbled post has a simple question to it... what makes a MySpace site a success?

Edit: Some of you run multiple sites, please give your opinion on why it is better to have many sites for different groups of people rather than one super site that offers so much.

[BonkerBids]

Something that I read in a post here at MSP may help with your last question and is something I think is probably the biggest part of being a successful msrs site owner. Now don't quote me on this because I am new here but I think it goes something like this:

The advantage to having multiple MSRS sites that are niche targeted as opposed to 1 super site revolves around the idea of watching your stats and driving traffic. You may get higher EPC's on certain sites for given days or weeks, so you can drive the traffic from your lower paying EPC sites to the higher paying EPC sites (although I have no idea how to do that). If you just have 1 super site that is stuck getting like a penny EPC you have no options to increase your ad earnings.

Well thats the gist of it I think, but someone correct me if I am wrong.

As for what content to have at your site I think Fryman said it best, Just give them more of what they want by watching your stats to see where they go on your site.

[deep]

If you want to get your website popular, easiest thingest to do is create unique content, myspace layouts, contact tables, glitter graphics. thats the easiest way, but canbe lot of time consuming.

hardest way is create new gen, like the visitor map and etc. your site can easily get traffic like that if the gen you make is myspace friendly and everybody love it.

som u might think then y dont I have a great myspace site:;

well i started out late, lauched my new website juse few weeks ago, (is not PR3 :yes: )

the other thing is i dont have money, if i did then i would of easily beaten freeweblayouts.net website, by paying other users to create layouts and add content since my website is very user friendly and users can add almost wutever they want. but i do say that freeweblayouts.net is the one site that i love b/c wuteve it makes, its unique than any other website. thats my goal for the future. i have lot of images on my website that are like almost on every website so ima get rid of it once i started getin some money.

hope this helped some webmasters. :rockon:

[Selena]

What makes a resource site successful is 2 factors, uniqueness, and networking/advertising. Either one separately can earn you success, but when the 2 are combined the site is usually a very successful one.

If you know how to display 100% original content correctly, and know exactly what your visitors want, you'll get way more type in traffic and word of mouth traffic than if its just plain old MSRS without anything unique. Another thing is a unique layout. Sure, the MSRS layout is nice, easy to navigate, but chances are, if theres 100+ more sites with the same layout, what's the point. Someone may remember your site just because of the color, or just because they liked the logo, or the way the name was. The MSRS layout gets old, especially if the visitor has been to at least 3 sites with the same layout before. They'll simply think "its exactly the same...on to the next site"

Then there's networking. If you get your links on the right sites in the right places, you'll get traffic. If you can advertise your sites correctly, and can afford to pay for advertising on some of the top sites out there, you'll most likely have a hit.

Now combine the two. With the networking you get the visitors, and with the unique content, you keep the visitors. You keep them coming back and wanting more. That's why hot-lyts.com averages 50k visitors per day, and freeweblayouts.net gets a 100k+ visitors per day. They know that uniqueness is a key factor, and know to get their sites advertised in the right places.

And that i think is the secret to a successful site. Any input on my theory?

[Ted Hat]

I gave up on resource sites and website building in general.

I have a resource site with a PR4
four months old with 350 backlinks and I still only get 12 its a day with it. What a POS.

Instead I use other methods to make $xxx/day all automated. Far less work than playing the ol' SEO and adwords game. I can set up my 'operation' anywhere I want. It consists of three wireless laptops in a rolling suitcase and an a power supply. I take it to any hotspot, turn it on, and make a couple hunded bucks. or leave it on overnight and make $$.

[fryman]

yawn

What does this have to do with the thread?

[Drew]

Ted: so if you've given up on resource sites, and since you believe in free.... why not give me your PR4 resource site for free?

[Ted Hat]

In general, Myspace resource sites don't work anymore like they used to.

Even if you do get 5K visitors a day and you make 23 bucks day thats still crappy.

You also risk losing your adsense/yahoo account cause they tend to not like traffic from myspace. The risk is small though but publishers have been banned b4 casue of myspace traffic.

IF you decide to build a resource site maybe go niche and focus on one specific aspect such as glitters, divs, layouts, videos, pictures, ect. Don't try to do everything.

For example you could create a site that only specializes in glitters and market it only to girls.

[Scilynt]

Ted, why not share your secret strategy if you think sites are a waste of time?


As for what a successful myspace site needs (in my opinion)...

The most obvious and simple answer is TRAFFIC. Doesn't matter if you have a completely out of the box, crappy turnkey. If you have a crapload of traffic it will make lots of money. If you actually have a good site with good ad placement and such it would be even better. But the simple answer is solid traffic.

Since most of us don't have the resources or built up network to get instant traffic I think there are a few specific themes that build solid traffic...

1. a completely unique generator/tool that is easy to use, popular and hard to duplicate. Anything that when someone sees it on a profile they have to have it too and the only place to get it is your site. Could be worth paying a developer for if you have a great idea but no skills.

2. awesome layouts. Although there are plenty of those crappy turnkeys out there with the same set of like 8 layouts, there are plenty that get crazy traffic to them and people actually still using those layouts. But if you have a simple, clean site with excellent layouts where each one is something people want to use it would work well without all those other bells and whistles. If you have great layouts that people use and keep the "cornertag snowball" would eventually bring in massive traffic.

3. all around uber site. Some people are just lazy and get used to and become loyal to one site. If you have a site where the user can find all the stuff they would want, even if not always the best quality, they may stay for good. So just putting up a site with every piece of content and all the generators you can find and letting it sit and build on it's own is a possible way to have a huge site.


SEO, great links and network traffic are all obvious positives.

[DavidR]

Thanks guys some great input. Unique content being the key from what I've read.

What I was asking was more towards just the content side, but your answers on networking and traffic are by no means wasted, just taking it to the next level.

I think a prime example of generators being successful (as Scilynt pointed out in point 1 ) is www.modmyprofile.com. This site has 4 very basic layouts, 1 code and a handful of contact boxes... but it does have about 4 unique and outstanding generators/tools - a live visitor tracker and mail tracker! as well as some well presented common generators. This site is receiving 50,000+ uniques per day.

[Ted Hat]

It gets that many uniques because of luck. It is random. Some myspace resource sites do well and others don't. You can spend 1000's of dollars and advertising, overpriced side links and SEO and get nowhere. You can post 100's of buletins and send 1000's of freidn requests and fizzle out.

Sure you may get 1000 visitors on monday but by tuesday your back to 10 visitors cause they al left and see no compelling reason to come back.

Why do you see so many sites for sale on sitpeoint and digitalpoint? Casue they all fizzled.

Too much competiton. 1 million layout sites in google. Good luck competing with a million sites.

Or the visiit your site and think your layouts suck and decide not to come back.

The please everyone you would need 1000's of layouts tables and other crap.

WHen combined with linking and SEO, eternal google sandboxes the work is overwhelming which is why I dont bother with layout sites.

[fryman]

One million? There are way more than that.

If there were only one million I would be #1 for everything related to Myspace

[nicole28]

yah unique content is one of the best thing to attract visitor cause sometime if your using same script using by other myspace resources owner they will be get tired seeing those same layout. . and of course traffic. . try to make more advertisement. . .

[Scilynt]

It gets that many uniques because of luck. It is random. Some myspace resource sites do well and others don't. You can spend 1000's of dollars and advertising, overpriced side links and SEO and get nowhere. You can post 100's of buletins and send 1000's of freidn requests and fizzle out.

Sure you may get 1000 visitors on monday but by tuesday your back to 10 visitors cause they al left and see no compelling reason to come back.

Why do you see so many sites for sale on sitpeoint and digitalpoint? Casue they all fizzled.

Too much competiton. 1 million layout sites in google. Good luck competing with a million sites.

Or the visiit your site and think your layouts suck and decide not to come back.

The please everyone you would need 1000's of layouts tables and other crap.

WHen combined with linking and SEO, eternal google sandboxes the work is overwhelming which is why I dont bother with layout sites.I am still trying to figure out what you are doing here as you seem to be against everything this site is about and supposedly making too much money to waste your time being a troll lol.

There are a ton of resource sites but if you spend any time at all only 1% are any competition. I've been able to rank pretty well with quite a few terms with a new site and I am a total noob with that stuff.

Either you just flat out sucked at it or didn't work it the right way. Your other post about losing 97% or your resources explains a lot though. Just because you may have stumbled onto some sneaky way of making money (which at this point is bogus in my opinion) doesn't mean you can figure out how to make a successful site. Just from your reading your post it is obvious that you should spend more time reading threads like this and listening than spouting off some new negative opinion.

Although tming may come into play, people saying "luck" and "randomness" are just those that don't understand it and can't explain it so write it off as non scientific. Have the faith kid!

Building a solid site that people use and search engines love is more impressive than spamming some affiliate link.

[fryman]

As I posted in another thread, just have what other people want.

How many of you have a nice selection of Halloween images in their sites right now?

Just an example

[Selena]

^^I would have halloween images right now, if my site was up :(
But do you see freeweblayouts.net with halloween images, layouts, etc? Yes, you do(i know because i made a lot of them). Do you see hot-lyts with halloween images...yes indeed you do.

another big thing i think keeps visitors coming back is if they know the site will be adding new things. If you have a site news part on your main page, and its updated at least every week, even if just to say "added 5 layouts"
the visitors to your site know that your a real person and that you arent a robot (as i used to think before i got into this) A lot of people think sites are just "there" from the beginning or something and they don't realize theres a person behind every site. If you can show them that your a real person, for some reason it makes them come to the site a little more, just to see if theres anything new there.

[Drew]

As I posted in another thread, just have what other people want.

How many of you have a nice selection of Halloween images in their sites right now?

Just an example

I've been saying this for a long time, always be aware of special days that are coming up and be ready for them, and don't just think about your own Countries special days....look at your logs, get your top X visitors Countries and make sure you have stuff for their special days.

[Ajay]

Now combine the two. With the networking you get the visitors, and with the unique content, you keep the visitors. You keep them coming back and wanting more. That's why hot-lyts.com averages 50k visitors per day, and freeweblayouts.net gets a 100k+ visitors per day. They know that uniqueness is a key factor, and know to get their sites advertised in the right places.

And that i think is the secret to a successful site. Any input on my theory?[/QUOTE]

I disagree with the unique content theory. Since it doesn't explain why sites like hotlayouts.com and glitter-graphics, do so well.. .also sites like doobix.com, which relies solely on the layout pack that came wih the script, and doesn't even add new content averages 100k a day. Myspace people are weird, most of them love tacky looking things and don't really seem to give a crap about quality.. They seem to want higher quantity of graphics and layouts and variety. I guess the networking and optimizing factors have more importance.

[Drew]

I work on the theory that I need:

1. Traffic
2. Unique Content
3. Mass Generic Content

[DavidR]

I disagree with the unique content theory. Since it doesn't explain why sites like hotlayouts.com and glitter-graphics, do so well.. .also sites like doobix.com, which relies solely on the layout pack that came wih the script, and doesn't even add new content averages 100k a day. Myspace people are weird, most of them love tacky looking things and don't really seem to give a crap about quality.. They seem to want higher quantity of graphics and layouts and variety. I guess the networking and optimizing factors have more importance.

Isn't it just because they have been going longer that they have a large visitor base?

[Scilynt]

Isn't it just because they have been going longer that they have a large visitor base?That's my opinion. Most of them didn't start out with unique content. Once they started making money they could afford to invest in designers like Selena lol.

Although I have always like the idea of completely unique content I don't agree it's as important as people think. I think more important than completely unique is GOOD content. If I have 50 layouts that just kick *** regardless how many other sites they are on they will have a major impact and give me a lot of good traffic. Odds are most myspace users don't spend a ton of time looking at all the various resource sites out there. They may have a favorite and always check there first or they may follow a link through a profile they like. But I doubt most click through pages of google searches.

So even if you can't get unique content because of the time, skill and money it requires, be sure to consider the quality. That is unless you are going for a "one stop shop" type site which can do very well as well.

This opinion is based on the fact that I constantly see people still using layouts from those crappy turnkeys...yeah those same cheesy 8 that come with the free turnkeys! The ones that are on billions of sites lol ;). So even though they are not unique, people are still using them.

[Selena]

Now combine the two. With the networking you get the visitors, and with the unique content, you keep the visitors. You keep them coming back and wanting more. That's why hot-lyts.com averages 50k visitors per day, and freeweblayouts.net gets a 100k+ visitors per day. They know that uniqueness is a key factor, and know to get their sites advertised in the right places.

And that i think is the secret to a successful site. Any input on my theory?

I disagree with the unique content theory. Since it doesn't explain why sites like hotlayouts.com and glitter-graphics, do so well.. .also sites like doobix.com, which relies solely on the layout pack that came wih the script, and doesn't even add new content averages 100k a day. Myspace people are weird, most of them love tacky looking things and don't really seem to give a crap about quality.. They seem to want higher quantity of graphics and layouts and variety. I guess the networking and optimizing factors have more importance.[/QUOTE]

Those sites are 1. fortunate to have very good domain names which people can easily remember and are good for search engines. and 2. have been there for awhile so like scilynt said, have a better visitor base.

unique content explains for a lot of traffic going into sites that are very new.
i used to average 1k visitors per day on a site that was only open for a couple days, just because it had unique stuff that the visitors wanted.

[Ted Hat]

Sites like doobix, skize, bigoo, ect all do well with stale layouts because they have great search engine rankings.

You NEED to rank to get the traffic and make the money. Very important and quite hard to do.

[fryman]

Agreed, bigoo could have crap layouts and it would still get hundreds of thousands of visitors since it is top 10 for almost everything at google