A reader asked: “Where to start when you want to build a successful website?”

I received a letter today. A reader asked, “Hello, Alex! I want to build a successful website, write articles, share thoughts on self-help, lifestyle. But it doesn’t seem very easy. Where to start? I don’t know what website design to choose. Will you share your advice on how to behave? How do I choose a good design (I don’t want a simple one) and how to advertise? How to get readers?”

This question is good. I remember looking for an answer too. But… I didn’t even know what I wanted to write about. Nevertheless, I first launched a page on FB. I just started it, not knowing what I would write about.

I shared ideas, other people’s thoughts, and that’s all. 

Then I bought a domain (web address). 

Since I didn’t know who would benefit from it, I created the simplest website. I just opened a page that sells website templates (I don’t advertise such pages for money, so I’ll share a few: Themeforest or Envato) and bought a website design for $15. 

A programmer launched my website with a design for $50. 

It was my entire investment.

It was weird; after all, I had a company back then where I was designing websites for clients. But my clients already knew what they wanted, and I didn’t know what to write about.

After launching my website, I started writing about travel and food. But I failed. All attempts to write failed. My content sucked. My articles were colorless, tasteless. But I still wrote and shared as much as I could with the world and readers. Writing has become a habit (which is most important when you want to achieve something). 

After a while, I felt that there was a lot of thought in my articles about life goals and happiness. I realized this was my topic. 

So I said to myself, “What if I write about everything I feel right now, about self-development, trust, relationship problems. But will I do it honestly, without masking my simplicity, my honesty?”

And I became one of the most sincere bloggers in the world. 

Thousands of people read my content. 

I have more than a hundred thousand fans on Facebook in my country alone. Sure, it’s not much, but in 2013 I didn’t have a single fan! 

So if you want to be as successful as I am, you need to know the following steps. 

If you want to start a successful website, use these three steps: 

1) Focus on the launching! 

Run an online project with a standard design. Don’t create a logo, don’t create a company name. Let the site be named after you! How I once made a website called “Alex.” And let the website design be seen somewhere—that’s not the most important thing! Because until you run your website, you will be delayed. 

2) Run your project even if you don’t know what you will be writing about. 

After all, I didn’t know either. But I wrote that I don’t know what the page is about on my blog. I later realized that I like to write about a self-help culture, social issues in society, success, and marketing. In other words, you need to create a website not because you know what you want to do, but to find out what you want to do, understand? 

3) You don’t need to buy ads. 

I didn’t buy ads for my websites! And I wasn’t buying ads for alexmonaco.net. I just wrote, wrote, wrote, wrote. And I succeeded. 

Create a project not because you know what activity you want to do (and what to write about), but to find out what you want to do! Or to make a habit of constantly updating your website content!

IMPORTANT: Success didn’t come when I created a good project, but when I put in a lot of high-quality content that I wrote myself! 

It’s true; I understand how to implement SEO optimization, so the whole world sees me without large financial outlays. If you want to achieve international success, read my articles more often. 

Here are some links:  

Seo vs. Google ads
Why do you need a website?