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About Us 2007 is when I began creating niche stores. Many kind and giving people shared their knowledge with me, making it easier to improve my sites. I have gathered much of what I've learned and put it here, on this site, as a way of giving back. It is my hope that this site will help you improve your niche stores and sites, too. ~ Rochelle
I’m in a Rut
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Rochelle in For a while now I’ve felt like I’m in a rut. I’m fortunate to be able to say that I’ve earned commissions every single day since eBay switched to EPN, but I’m not running with the big boys (yet). Currently I’m earning between $200 and $400 each month. That’s good, and I’m not complaining about that, but I want to add a zero to each of those figures. My current goal is to earn a minimum of $2,000 each month, and $200 is a far cry from that.
Admittedly, this is my own fault. I start a store but don’t promote it properly (or at all). Or I start a store but don’t finish it. There are any number of reasons why my sites aren’t performing well, but the bottom line is that I can (and will) do better.
Michelle MacPhearson has taught me quite a bit, and it is starting to sink in. As I write this, I feel that I can start a new BANS site and have it do well, not just mediocre. Starting next week I’m going to start a brand new site, and do it right from the start. I can honestly say that not one of my current sites was done well. I’ve had to go back and ‘fix’ them after the fact, which is a huge waste of time. This time, I will do everything I can right, starting with researching a URL before I buy it.
I’ll cronicle my progress here on my blog. In fact, blogging will play a big part in what I’m going to do and it will be a good time for me to start writing about how to combine blogging and BANS.
One last thing before I go for the night. I appreciate all you readers. You help keep me motivated. Thank you for the input you give, and the occasional encouragement 
Rochelle
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21 Responses to “I’m in a Rut”
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Keep at it Rochelle. I have had many down months with BANS. I started off doing great and then hit a wall once the EPN switch came. Finally this month I am up to over $200 on my BANS stores.
Vanguard Mutual Fundss last blog post..Vanguard Wellington Mutual Fund
Hang in there. The right niche to send your earnings skyward is out there. I have been doing well in the months since the switch to EPN. I will crack 1500 for the first time this month =) What has helped me is I have a blog site that I bought last year when I got into the internet. I knew nothing about the topic but I have become an expert now. My 2 most sucessful BANS sites are offshoots of that blog. I have used yahoo answers and fixya to help get traffic and find what people are looking for as well.
I really appreciate all the guides you have written that have made my BANS making easier.
Keep up the good work Rochelle, with your skills and information you will definately be running with the big dogs! I am in the same boat, but my sites are only making me about $40 per month, ouch, and I have 36 of them up, double ouch! Like you said i need to work on each one until it’s done then move on to the next. I will definitely be reading your progress on these sites, good luck!
Rochelle – I enjoy reading your quest to work with BANS and blogging. I am getting ready to embark on Ed Dales 30 Day Challenge on August 1st and plan to utilize that combination myself. Have you ever considered adapting your BANS Toolbar for the Flock browser? I am not sure how difficult the task would be but most FF3 addons also work with Flock.
Good luck!!!!
Rochelle, I can’t wait to follow and duplicate your progress. I’m having good luck pulling in customers, and they are converting well, but the niches I have picked are not the most profitable.
I just found http://ping.fm/ It looks like something we can use.
Don’t forget to update your BANS checklist as you work through these posts.
Pauls last blog post..Sears Improves Sears PurchaseProtect!
Hi Rochelle,
Cheer up!
I’ve got one less zero than you for my last months earnings, which is about 17.00 more than I made the month before. I’m still encouraged because after getting nailed by Google, I’m slowly regaining some traffic and clicks.
If anyone is going to be successful with Bans, it’s gonna be you because you have a passion for this, and you’ve helped so many of us get our sites off the ground.
I’m looking forward to following your next project because I’m ready to start on my second store and I also want to start out on the right foot.
To Your(our)Success!
Mike
Man, I know exactly what you are talking about. I was feeling that way earlier this month, but I finally started pulling some sales in and I’m up to $75, and anyone that has been following my progress knows that’s really good for me, so I’m pumped.
Just stay positive and keep doing what you are doing, as I continue to read your progress, which I’m sure will be a tale of great success!
Ruthies last blog post..My BANS Earnings Are Finally Picking Up
Rochelle,
Thanks for your honesty! I get depressed by the usual run of ‘gurus’ who are making millions (according to them). It’s really nice – and very encouraging – to hear that other people have similar problems to mine.
I’m a whizz at putting sites up – it’s just the preparatory work and the follow-up where I lose interest. Still, things are improving steadily. I just need patience (and prep work and follow-thru!)
Hi Rochelle,
I think we all want to be running with the big boys and living off our BANS earnings, but for me that’s still a distant goal, (make that very distant).
To be honest, I’m surprised my sites are producing any income at all with the little time I’m able to spend on them. Unfortunately, time is something I get very little of. Then when I do get some time, I seem to waste it jumping from one task to the next, I’m absolutely terrible at time management.
I suppose I just didn’t realise how much work is involved in getting good targeted traffic to our sites. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, just didn’t know how un-easy it was going to be.
After almost 6 months with BANS, I’d be quite happy with what your sites currently earn you, but they fall well short of that.
All that being said, I have no intention of giving up, and I know that one day I will be earning enough to consider doing it full time.
Keep up the good work!
Mick
This post actually got me thinking. Do you think that many people are making at least $1000 a month with bans?
Vanguard Mutual Fundss last blog post..Vanguard Wellington Mutual Fund
We appreciate you Rochelle! You help keep us on our toes and and inspire us as well. Thank you.
Rochelle -
Dont let it get you down for sure – keep on pluggin girl!!
I have watched my sites go from earning mid-high 4-figures down by 70% since the ePN changeover. They do still make money, but after a manual penalty from Google, it has been a hard hit and pill to swallow…
Changing over to the blog/bans platform has seen IMMEDIATE results on the smaller set of sites I am hanging onto now and thus it is the way I am heading with all of them.
I say ALL of them, I am actually choosing to stay small now and focus on content versus quantity.
It will all come back around to you… and in the longrun, stronger!
Mark
Mark – The Niche Store Builders last blog post..FREE Domain name from GoDaddy and IndyCar Racing
[...] tell she is a determined BANS warrior I can count on to continue the good fight and win. In fact Rochelle’s blog entry for today inspired this blog [...]
I love your saddle site! Great niche.
It’s encouraging to hear that you’ve not only broken the $1000 barrier but are half way to $2000. Well done!
Rochelle
The Flock browser is one I’m not familiar with. The current toolbar is only compatible with IE and FF. That’s due to the limitations of the software I use to create the toolbar. Currently, I’m thinking using a different method for creating the toolbar that might open more possibilites as far as browsers go. I’ll have to research that. To be honest, though, that project is on the backburner because I’ve let some things around the house fall to the wayside and I’m working on those right now, then I’ll get back to my BANS and blogging stuff.
Rochelle
I think we must have learned from the same time manager
Like you, I jump around. I’m the queen of good ideas, but the pauper (?) of seeing them through.
We’ll get there, though. I’m confident of that.
Rochelle
My guess is that the majority of BANS users earn far less than $1000 per month, at least based on what I’ve read on the forum. But I’m encouraged by reading about the people who are earning that and more.
Rochelle
Down by 70% HAS to hurt!
Like you, I intend to focus on true niches. My sites that consistently bring in revenue are the ones that are highly focused. My broad ones are not doing anything at all. I’m excited to add blogging to them, and to follow your progess, as well.
Rochelle
Hi Rochelle,
Please don’t let it keep you down for too long.
I purchased BANS in Sept last year and put up one niche store which was highly specialised. From the minimal traffic the site gets…approx 15 hits per day, I actually make around $25 month in bans and $10 per month with adsense.
After discovering Mark and then your blog, I really started to get focussed on my bans sites.
I have read almost everyone of your How To posts and have used your Niche Store Checklist exhaustively.
I put up my 2nd store on the 4th June (following your Checklist) and between the 2 stores I earnt $133 in June and this month to date is $91.
I fully expect to grow this and I’m no longer getting distracted by other things. I also purchased 30 min backlinks and have created 1 toolbar to date.
I will be incorporating blogs and developing my bans stores into authority sites.
Most of this can be contributed to the selfless help you continually offer and I take this opportunity to thank you for it and wish you a speedy trip back onto the path you choose.
Regards
Shelley
Rochelle.
Keep on going you will get there but let me give you one advice, stay away from the 30minutes backlinks because it is a “big waste of time”
90% of all these backlinks coming from these software directories will be gone within a month and i strongly feel that TG is frowning upon this technique, i can say this because i have done 20 sites with this system from where 17 are banned by G and another 16 that i haven’t use ‘this technique are still up, for me that is proof enough.
Greets
Dave.
One comprehensive info possess found on this topic on the actual net. Is back again soon to follow-up.