First website

Last week I set up my website hosting on GoDaddy.com. I'm first working on my StayFidoStay.com website. The site will is a resource for pet travel. End users will be able to search hotels and inns that claim to be pet friendly. However, unlike other pet travel websites I will feature reviews and critiques that I write or other pet lovers submit.

So about the technical part of the web site....I'm working on setting up the SQL Database right now. This is my first SQL db but I seem to be learning it quickly. Along with setting it up I'm having to learn ASP and brush up on my HTML. I decided to host on a GoDaddy Windows server because the VB scripting used in ASP pages is intuitive to me. Its very similar to Lotus Script which is my current job and expertise.

Advertising Websites

I've been experimenting with Google's adsense on my house rental site for about 1 month now. Out of 661 page impressions I have 42 clicks so far. So I've got $14.76 in earnings to date; not quite enough to get a check from them. When I first started Adsense I was excited everytime I got a click. My first thought was that I'd make $100 in no time. Well...thats not quite the case.

At this point I need to find other methods of driving traffic to the house site. I know my efforts have been a bit lax on that. The only two places the site is advertised is the yard sign and Craigslist. Fortunately, every time I renew the Craigslist ad I get more hits and potentially more clicks.

I'm thinking of taking out a cheap classified ad in a local paper. Or maybe I need to buy some ad space on Google. But first I'm doing it the poor man's way....free ads.

Making Change Happen

With inspiration from Tim Ferris and the Working Nomad I'm embarking on my own web-based venture. Over the next several months I will launch websites. And to get things started I'm setting 3 goals for myself in the following order:

1. Earn $900 per month
2. Replace my current monthly income
3. Quit my 9-5 job to travel more.

Truth be known, I'd rather do #3 first and then figure out the rest. But right now I'm a bit too chicken to do that. Plus the bank wouldn't appreciate me not paying my mortgage. And since I like where I live right now....lets start with goal number one.

I've launched other unsuccessful blogs in the past. They problem was I had no direction or purpose for them other than to rant about current events. This time I have goals in mind. I have a plan and a purpose.

Come along on this journey!