There are two things Americans really love: Shopping and getting a great deal. As a blogger, you may have stumbled into a goldmine. If you can create content that provides the best shopping leads as well as genuine hacks on how to get the best deals, you have a very viable and hungry market at your fingertips. However, creating quality content isn’t as easy as you think.
It doesn’t matter if you want to specialize in a certain niche such as mobility technology or if you want to spread yourself thinner and tackle all types of shopping markets. The quality of your content is going to be based not just on how “good” the information is, but how it’s presented, shared and consumed. This is why bloggers can benefit from pro tips.
Start from the ground up
There are certainly instances where “ugly” websites have proven successful, such as with Craigslist. However, even Craigslist features simplicity, a complete lack of ads and a fast load time. These three things are paramount for any blog site. Monetizing your blog can come from ads, but wait until you’ve established a following and then only include them in a non-aggressive way so they don’t take away from your blog experience.
Platforms like WordPress make it easy for virtually anyone to create a website, but even the best themes can’t guarantee that you’ll stumble across the best layout practices. With options comes the option for human error. Plus, you also need to ensure your website features responsive design and mobile readiness, which is something a pro should test for and which requires constant monitoring.
Giving the people what they want
With a blog on shopping tips, you have a lot of competition so you need to stand out in the right ways. If you live near a major metro and there aren’t many popular geo-targeted blogs, you can go the local route but you’re instantly diminishing your overall market. If you regurgitate the same information that other sites have already reported on, you’re not bringing anything new to the table.
Also consider leaning on your own skillsets while also keeping track of what’s in demand. For example, more people want image and video driven content, so you don’t necessarily need to be a fantastic writer in order to have a killer blog. Deliver the information in a format you excel at and one that has a high demand for the ultimate blog cocktail.
