This is going to be quite a quick update as it’s gone 3am and I have a full day of revision tomorrow for my Thursday exams :(.

I just thought that I would update you with sites and how they’re progressing.

Psdfan.com will soon get designed.

DiscoverUnsigned is taking a back-seat to exams, BUT will undergo a full redesign/rethink in the next week or so. If this seems erratic after launch, especially given the site’s immediate success I don’t feel that it is. I get this with every project that I launch, but inevitably it is only after launching that I see how I should have done things!

With DiscoverUnsigned I was thinking about how the site will make money, and rather than through lame Google ads or affiliate programs the main idea was selling our monthly unsigned album. That’s great, a good business model that isn’t being done everywhere, and interest in the album by many people prior to launching. However, when I looked at the site I realized that to the new visitor it just looks like a blog, a regular old music blog. The main business venture is hidden about 3 pages into the site, only to be accessed via some crappy subpage.

That is just not good business, and it’s a stupid way to try and make money, as well as promote unsigned talent. After reading one of my favourite ebooks (written by 37signals) I decided to rethink the website, and to gear it more towards selling albums. After all, that is what will pay the bills, and is also what will help unsigned artist’s more than a simple blog post. I don’t know why this aspect of the site took such a back seat, it’s ludicrous. This is the concept that has excited me the most from day 1, and I’ve hardly put any emphasis on it!

In keeping with the 37 signals ‘Getting Real’ ebook I’ve decided to strip the site down to it’s bare bones in an effort to focus the business. The new site (coming soon) will have a homepage with album cover, track previews and an option to buy it - simple as that. This will generate far more product awareness and overall sales than hiding the album away on a blog subpage.

I will still be updating the music blog, but not 3 times a day, leaving FAR more time to promote the album and give more worthwhile help to artists through this medium.

My advice in closing is:

> Keep your business as small as possible, it allows you to change things far easier.
> Take away everything that is not vital to your business model
> You may know what your site is all about, but new visitors won’t, view your website from their perspective!
> Always push the parts of your business that set you apart, and are the most marketable.
> Follow your passion, get involved in something that you can’t stop thinking about!
> Aim for something that isn’t time consuming - you’ll have more time for promotion or other projects. Sometimes the more profitable websites involve less work, less updating and less hassle, just come up with a simplistic concept that you can leave to earn for you.

I hope these pointers were helpful, as they really define my business thinking. Apologies if there are any typos, but you’ll have to put up with my unprofessionalism for one day (I’m SO tired from exams I’m shocking myself by writing this update).

More updates soon, and possibly rejoicing when summer officially starts.