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Author Topic: How diversified are you?  (Read 7660 times)

littleman

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How diversified are you?
« on: November 05, 2010, 03:46:53 PM »
For me it seems to be a constant battle.  I tell my self that I need to be more diversified, but then I settle down to what is easy and I have recent success with.  It works for a while, but then I get blind sided and 50% o my income disappear as there is some fundamental industry shift.  That's the one constant, right?  The industry is very dynamic and what works today has a good chance of being an utter failure tomorrow.  So, I have this constant nag in the back of my head. "you need to be doing something, don't get caught relying on this one thing."

Over the years I've got battered by tectonic shifts probably five or six times.  Still, I don't think I'm diversified enough which always gives me that nagging voice.  Give me some inspiration on this topic.
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sugarkane

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Re: How diversified are you?
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2010, 03:56:37 PM »
I was nearly wiped out in 2005 after having most of my eggs in a basket that google dumped on from a great height. Income down by 80% or so overnight.

These days I have sites in 3 general categories - safe, mainstream, and experimental. The 'safe' ones I promote very conservatively. The 'experimental' ones get subjected to any and all techniques I come across and fancy playing with. If they get caned, I don't worry (too much). If techniques seem to be successful and lowish risk, then they go into the 'mainstream' bracket too, and ultimately maybe into 'safe'.

It works for me as I can play around with the darker stuff while still having plenty of safer stuff in reserve for when things go wrong. Interestingly, the 'experimental' sites which I care least about tend to make the most money...
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Drastic

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Re: How diversified are you?
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2010, 04:25:30 PM »
>I was nearly wiped out in 2005 after having most of my eggs in a basket that google dumped on from a great height.
Heh, you ain't alone. Same year, same source, sent my business into a near-death spiral for the same reason. (my fault) My income loss was probably closer to 90%, and I just got married so the emergency fund was at an all time low.

Since recovering and rebuilding, I have really tried to focus on diversification. I want 3-5 separate lifestyle sustainable incomes, and am well on my way. However, right now too much is dependent on SEO. My focus is breaking out more from there over the next year.

So the actual answer? I'm much better off than before, but have a ways to go. I will get there though, no doubt.
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Rumbas

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Re: How diversified are you?
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2010, 01:33:49 PM »
>you need to be doing something, don't get caught relying on this one thing

Amen. We're WAY too one-tracked and rely on a few sites generating the largest part of our income. If G kills those sites, we're toast.

I've read a bunch about that stuff, but still have difficulty getting new stuff of the ground and producing. I think fear of failing is our greatest problem.

I keep saying to myself that we need to at least scale the stuff we have working, but never get around to it.
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4Eyes

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Re: How diversified are you?
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2010, 01:58:42 PM »
I have adsense and ebay streams working Ok - other aff stuff in the pipeline, but not really got a scalable system sorted yet.
.. also have an income stream from the proper SEO business.

I could have one wiped out and still be OK - lose two and I am a bit knackered.

OTOH I sold my main cash cow, the big diabetes site, cleared my mortgage and bunged a decent chunk into savings, so not as worried as I used to be.
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rcjordan

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Re: How diversified are you?
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2010, 04:20:36 PM »
>Amen. We're WAY too one-tracked and rely on a few sites generating the largest part of our income. If G kills those sites, we're toast.


I'm diversified on sources of income -adsense, straight ad sales, and some aff- but I'm 2-tracked as to the niche (real estate, travel).
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