Name of your website?Total Natural Acne Treatment Guide
Your name?
Molly Washburn
Your Location (city, etc)
Honolulu
Please give us a short summary of your website?
My website is a complete information resource on using natural treatments to cure adult acne instead of toxic and dangerous creams and drugs that many people think is the only answer for their acne. I address holistic ways of cleansing your body internally and making your own homemade acne treatments with ingredients you can find in your kitchen and bathroom.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I am passionate about all things natural and earth-friendly, and feel that almost all ailments can be addressed using herbs and food. I saw that many acne sufferers were being told that their only recourse against acne was to take powerful drugs like Accutane, which has many awful side effects. I personally cured my own severe acne by changing my diet and incorporating other natural treatments, and wanted to tell others that they can do the same.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
I launched my website a couple months ago. This is my first site.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
I wanted it to sound as complete as possible, so I thought "Total" was descriptive in conveying that. "Natural Acne Treatment" was a popular keyword that was very self-explanatory.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
My site is different because I approach it with explanations of HOW the different treatments work, and WHY. I also go into a lot of detail regarding other topics that are only skimmed over by other sites, like exactly what sun exposure does for acne and other, more unknown causes of acne, like Leaky Gut Syndrome. I give detailed recipes in the homemade acne treatment page with explanations, and make it easy to learn by using everyday language.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
I wish to build ongoing valuable content for my readers and let them grow to trust what I have to say as an expert. Then, I will monetize it using affiliate links and ads, and have a steady source of second income that I can depend on.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
Well, right now I have been focusing almost entirely on content creation and research. And although I haven't made any money from my endeavors yet, I plan to monetize the site as soon as my traffic increases to a level that makes it worthwhile, so I don't alienate my very first visitors by making it seem like I only want their money! lol
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would like to be able to offer more interactive content, like videos showing people how to make the homemade acne treatments. I would also like a more professional design, because right now I am using a template that is okay, but not the best.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes. I am not working right now to devote all of my time to this website. It is a little uncomfortable financially, but I am willing to make the investment because I feel it will pay off in the end. So I would be able to devote ALL of my time to the site.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Well, like starting any small business, you don't realize the time investment is going to be so great without the returns. You find that even something as simple as a photo is another cost to deal with, and it starts to add up over time!
What has been your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge has been to organize myself and my time efficiently enough. I find that there is so much out there that I can spend too much time just reading other sites on how to make my site better and so on. I mean, that is good, really, but I have to make myself focus on the task at hand!
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Right now I am in the process of promoting, because the site is only at the point content-wise where it is worth-while to do so. But the search engines are sending people to me already, so that is good.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
I thought I would start getting more traffic and begin seeing income much faster than I anticipated.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
I have been doing it for two months, and if I dont' start to see some more progress I will probably only focus on it full-time for another 4 months.
What Kind of advice would you give others wanting to build a website?
My advice would be to not get caught up in other people's stories of success in the online world. It is a dog eat dog out there and very competitive. Be realistic. Realize that you probably will not be an overnight sensation, and plan accordingly.
What is your website address?
Total Natural Acne Treatment Guide
