Each month, I plan to write this report to keep track of how things are going. I have seen many other bloggers doing similar reports, and I really like the transparency, plus I ALWAYS learn something from the reports I read. So without further ado... let's get into the "numbers".
How was the traffic?
This is taken from Google Analytics for Jan. 1 - Jan 31. 2016.
The picture is small, so I'll type it out (I need to figure out how to display the picture better...).
Pageviews: 3,483
Avg. Session: 4:17
Bounce Rate: 69.39%
I think I mentioned it last month that Google and Blogger's analytics are way off of each other. Blogger's numbers are much higher, and I like them better! But, oh well... the great news is, pageviews are increasing which means people are finding us!
The session rate of over 4 minutes makes me really happy, as I think this means people are likely staying and reading a couple posts before leaving!
And, the bounce rate under (even just barely) 70% makes me happy too! Woo hoo!
Taking a look at traffic sources, Facebook continues to dominate. I have read many times that Facebook is a huge driver of blog traffic, so, that makes sense.
How About Social Media/Marketing?
I currently have a Facebook page, Twitter Account, and Pinterest Board all geared toward "Living the Diagnosis".
At the end of January these stats were:
Facebook: 60 Likes (+12 this month)
Twitter: 189 Followers (+107 this month)
Pinterest: 5 followers, and some pins have been saved.
So again, I get most of my pageviews from Facebook, but not many "likes" on my page. I get very little traffic from Twitter, but have substantially increased followers. Yep, still don't understand it!
I signed up for Linked In, but under my "real name". I'm wondering about creating a page for Living the Diagnosis.
But, to be honest, I also have to remember that this is currently a VERY part time endeavor for me! Like during nap time and after the kids go to bed, and a little on the weekends when my hubby is home to keep an eye on the kiddos. And, I need to do a few things "excellently" rather than several things not well.
How About That Income?
Expenses:
PicMonkey: $2.75/month (I actually have the annual plan, but like to list it out by month)
123RF Credits: $38.00 (Again, this will always be an expense for me, as I need great photos to bring my posts to life... so to speak...).
Total: $40.75
Income:
$0.00
At this point, I have only signed up for Amazon Associates.
I am waiting until my brother and I "upgrade" my site before I do anything else as far as "monetizing" goes. I have several plans, but, want to make my site more appealing first.
So, that takes care of the "numbers". But, now I want to share my thoughts.
Right now, I am in the midst of an "Identity Crisis"... I guess I should say, my site... not me!
As things have progressed, I do not really feel the Living the Diagnosis is a true "blog". I do not author all the posts, and it is not really one definable niche.
However, I'm not sure exactly what it is.
My goal when I began was to make a huge database (not sure that is the right word), of stories about all types of medical conditions that anyone can access an read. I am definitely well on my way to doing just that, but, I am having trouble deciding what to "call it".
I suppose perhaps it is more of a "website". I don't know, I think once we get my site designed, it really will feel more "website-ish" and less "blog-ish".
I am trying to monetize this to make some money. My husband works full time, and I am a stay at home Mom. The great news is I am able to stay home with my kiddos. The bad news is it is hard to make all ends meet on just one income. At this point in time, it is really not in the cards for me to work outside the home, so I am trying to figure out a way to work from home and do something I would love to do anyway!
Plus, I absolutely love medical stories, and I enjoy being able to help others share their experiences, and hope others find value in the stories they read.
Eventually, I would like to be able to compensate those who "share their stories" on this site. There are several sites that do exactly what I am doing (haha, bad on me for not doing more "market research"). But, I am having a hard time finding any that compensate the authors. I feel really strongly about being able to do that at some point in the future, so that is one of my goals.
I'd also like to do fundraisers through my site for different medical conditions/foundations at some point too. But again, that is down the road.
So, right now I am in a bit of a "holding pattern" I suppose until I get my new site. Which is fine, but, I will admit, I am getting really excited for it. I even have dreams about it at night sometimes... that is so odd, I know!
Till next month! Thank you for reading! Labels: Blog Income Reports
