Are Niche Websites a Good Idea?

[GeorgieQ]

Marketing experts are always talking about how great niche websites are. But look at Google. How often do you see a niche website come up as one of the top results?

Looking at it another way, what if you get most of your traffic from Facebook links or people sharing your site in emails? To get people instead of Google to promote your site, I can see why a niche website might be the best choice.

If it's a specific topic that involves something people have in common, people might be more likely to spread the word about your website.

There's nothing like regular, free traffic from Google, though. Tough choice!

So, what does everyone think: Should you have a niche website (or several) or work on developing one large site like Google seems to prefer?

[Harry]

If it's a business website selling some products or services then free traffic from Google is very important since there's huge scope for converting such targeted traffic which will help growth of your business.
Traffic from social networking sites like Facebook is good for product & service promotion which should not be considered as the only source for generating revenue.

[Geoffrey]

I think traffic from search engines like Google is steadier and more reliable than it is from social networking sites. To get regular traffic from Facebook, you will have to update your profile and page regularly, add tons of friends and keep in touch with them.

[AidenG]

The problem with Facebook is that you don't have a niche audience. Many of your friends might not have any interest on the topic of your website. On the other hand, finding those who do can help if they are willing to promote your website on their Facebook wall.

[Rachael]

Marketing experts are always talking about how great niche websites are. But look at Google. How often do you see a niche website come up as one of the top results?

Looking at it another way, what if you get most of your traffic from Facebook links or people sharing your site in emails? To get people instead of Google to promote your site, I can see why a niche website might be the best choice.

If it's a specific topic that involves something people have in common, people might be more likely to spread the word about your website.

There's nothing like regular, free traffic from Google, though. Tough choice!

So, what does everyone think: Should you have a niche website (or several) or work on developing one large site like Google seems to prefer?

There is no harm in having a niche website. An important factor that matters is the online marketing of this website. With proper online marketing strategies like blogging, article marketing, social bookmarking, maintaining presence on the related forums and creating business profiles on social networking websites like Facebook, a niche website can also secure a good ranking in Google.

[leffler]

Even a niche topic can eventually giive you a very large site. Another option is to start with a niche and gradually broaden the scope of your topic to appeal to a larger audience. You can also create a Facebook page exclusively for your website. That gives you another channel for traffic.

[Steffee]

I agree with Rachael. There is nothing wrong in starting a niche website. However it is important to adopt the right online marketing strategies. This will help the website to be known and recognized by people. Gradually the website will surely secure a good ranking in the search engine results. In my opinion, it is crucial to have a good presence on the social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter. These websites will give a good exposure to the website and you can easily connect with wide range of people who may be interested in the products/services you are offering.

[jazzybiz]

Many theories and strategies exist about niche websites versus the large sites with content variety. Starting with a niche and expanding your topic as the amount of your content grows seems like a good strategy. When you start small in terms of focus, it makes it easier to target likely visitors to your website.

[arieweb]

I'm planning to have a jewelry website, but I'm not sure if that qualifies as a niche. Is anything specific such as jewelry, computers, books, and so forth considered a niche? I've also heard of sub-niches.

[Jillian]

A jewelry website would qualify as a broad niche I would think. However, I don't see very many jewelry websites that specialize in a way that would define it as a niche. For instance, a site with only necklaces or rings isn't something I've encountered. I'm sure they're online, but they are probably the exception.