I found an interesting article from a webmaster. For those who are considering taking their first steps in this field, it might be very useful and could even make you reconsider. Here, the author shares their experience…
For over three years, I’ve been working for myself. I make a living by creating, promoting, and monetizing websites and blogs. Leaving the office, I didn’t expect that my life wouldn’t change all that much. I’d still spend the same 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, working. I still have to plan my workday, and it’s still hard to motivate myself to work, even on very interesting and promising projects.
Here’s how my typical day goes:
Morning Routine: First thing in the morning, with a cup of coffee, I check the statistics of my sites. I’m delighted if the traffic is increasing, and disappointed if even 10 fewer people visited compared to the day before.
Work on Projects: After finishing my coffee, I start working on one of my sites. I usually have 2-3 active projects and about 10 others that are being developed and updated occasionally. I have a monthly plan where I note which projects I need to work on each day. I try to stick to this plan to avoid a drop in traffic and, consequently, income.
Planning and Writing: I open the site I need to work on today and an Excel document where I jot down topics for future articles, various design tasks, and new functionalities to implement, as well as a list of affiliate programs that might benefit my site. I regularly update this list.
Content Creation: Writing new articles is something I’m best at in the morning. I know the topics, search for material, and write. It takes me about 2-3 hours to write an article, depending on the topic, complexity, and my mood. Despite the time investment, I prefer writing myself because I know what my site needs.
Financial Management: After publishing an article, I handle financial matters. I assess the effectiveness of various affiliate programs and tally up the income for the past week. I experiment with new ways to monetize the site. This takes me just under an hour.
Technical Work: Next, I focus on the technical side of my site. I make design adjustments, work on implementing new features (using ready-made plugins or writing my own). I enjoy this work, but it doesn’t bring in significant money, so I limit it to no more than an hour a day.
Link Building: After this kind of “rest,” I check new requests on permanent link exchanges. If there are interesting ones, I accept 1-2 and write articles for them. Although my sites are listed on permanent link exchanges, I trade very little, set prices 1.5-2 times higher than average, and only place thematic anchors.
Email and Planning: I then spend a little more time checking emails, making plans, participating in forums (though I read more than I write), and searching for new interesting topics for articles and entire sites.
Weekends Off: This routine occupies me 5 days a week (rarely 6), but I try not to work on weekends so that I can start the new week with fresh energy and ideas.
So, what do you think? Still think being a webmaster is an easy ride?