Anyone seeing a Christmas traffic downturn?

1. 85

   CyclingFitnessposted 12 years ago

   It's my first Christmas on hubpages
   
   Should I expect a potential traffic downturn?
   
   CF

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      Barbara Kayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      For the month of December mine has been peaking like crazy, but since yesterday it is starting to go down, down, down. I hope it doesn't go too low.

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      FatFreddysCatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I wrote one Christmas-related Hub at the beginning of the month, figuring I'd pick up some seasonal traffic. It ended up petering out after about a week and has been out performed by two horror movie Hubs that I wrote after it. Go figure. Guess I'm better off writing about what I know.

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         Barbara Kayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Wait until next year. The ones I wrote last year really got the traffic this year.

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      USHISTORY4YOUposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      If it gets any slower,I'll have to send them money.

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      Pearldiverposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Have You Removed the Large Tree that seems to be blocking your back entrance? 

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         CyclingFitnessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         ? How do you mean?

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   EmpressFelicityposted 12 years ago

   Yes. Let's face it, it's hardly surprising, because most people have other things to do at Christmas instead of reading hubs!

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3. 71

   Cagsilposted 12 years ago

   I would have to see an upturn, before I was able to see a downturn.

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      paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hmmm...

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      Danette Wattposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      

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         Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Hey Danette, I've not seen an upturn in traffic nor have I seen a downturn in traffic. Most of my traffic has been holding steady in it's normal range.

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4. STAFF

   Paul Edmondsonposted 12 years ago

   Certain categories have seasonal traffic.  Typically traffic goes down at Christmas and then comes back in January as folks get back to work and school. 
   
   Some areas do well over the holidays like recipes though.
   
   Happy Holidays!

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      paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I am tweeting my one-and-only turkey recipe hub forthwith!

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5. 67

   GAbaptistposted 12 years ago

   Actually my traffic has quadrupled over the past week and a half. Only one of my hubs I  would consider seasonal. Can't really explain it, but I gladly accept it!!

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   LindaSmith1posted 12 years ago

   Only here has it slowed down.  My traffic elsewhere is great.

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      Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      

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      wavegirl22posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      and you are still here because?

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      rmcrayneposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Since you deleted all of your hubs, and your oldest of your current hubs is only 2 wks old, do you really expect traffic here?

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   LindaSmith1posted 12 years ago

   I just checked my other article site,and it is travel, and home remodeling/decor that is getting the most traffic.  Seasonal articles are pretty well done for by now. But, it is hit and miss, you never know. Travel has always been a good one for me.  Gift ideas of any kind are also big for me.

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   paradigmsearchposted 12 years ago

   A truly meandering bump..

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9. 87

   Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

   yes, my traffic is less than half...sigh.

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10. 81

    WriteAngledposted 12 years ago

    Same traffic, but the first time in two years that I have broken into the second level of Amazon commissions. Pity I will never see the money since I will not reach $100 required to get a cheque outside USA before it is all swept into the HP Ads programme.

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       IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Start a free blog, and put Amazon on it, and you will one day see your money

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       Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Hey Write Angled, you money will not be gone. It will still be in your account under the affiliate code in which it is now.
       
       HP will be issuing new codes, like they did with Ebay.

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          WriteAngledposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          The problem, Cags,is that I have money under my current Amazon affiliate ID. When HP moves to the new scheme, it will issue a new ID but my current earnings will not be moved into it. Unless I can find other platforms onto which I can move the hubs that having been doing well with Amazon, I will never get to the point where I can cash in those existing earnings.

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             Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

             Apparently you only read what you wanted to read from my statement to you. You don't have to MOVE your hubs to another location.
             
             The money that is in your account will remain there, because HubPages is going to issue YOU a NEW ID.
             
             That doesn't mean you have to move the hubs, because the new ID will replace the ID already in the Amazon capsules.
             
             You will have to create in some other location- Amazon type stuff, so you can reach payout. But, you do not have to move the hubs.

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                WriteAngledposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                But if these hubs are making Amazon sales, the simplest solution is to move them elsewhere so they can continue to earn money into my current Amazon affiliate account.

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                   Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                   They are going to earn regardless. Which is my point.

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                   Rising Carenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                   Wouldn't it be easier to just use HP's new id instead of moving the hubs? Your current hubs will keep earning through HP's new amazon program. A 50$ payout (combined with HP ads - and perhaps ebay) would be easier to reach, and you can just make new material on other sites to help your current account reach the 100$ mark.
                   
                   I listed above some sites you should consider.

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                      WriteAngledposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                      Yes, but I have nearly $50 in the name of my current ID!!! I am not earning anything through Amazon elsewhere. Partly because I promote a better bookseller on my own site, which usually matches or beats Amazon prices and offers free delivery worldwide.
                      
                      It will be far simpler to transfer hubs which have finally started to do well with Amazon to a site where I can use my existing ID rather than try to create something new which might or might not earn.

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       Rising Carenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Other websites (your own blog, squidoo, wizzley, infobarrel) will let you use your current amazon id even after HP has its eventual full switch.
       
       Think of it as a reason to diversify your portfolio.

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       mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I only need $10 more by my reckoning to reach payout with Amazon after 3+ years. I am just praying it happens before I am forced into the new HP Amazon program, as then I would have to start writing new stuff to place on other sites. I don't want to move my Hubs right now as they are still earning for me through HP Ads, and better than I would get through Adsense if they were published elsewhere.

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          Randy Godwinposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Wow! it's hard to believe you haven't made payout on Amazon in 3 years, especially with the number of hubs you have. Even with my account in the sandbox I still sell quite a few Amazon products each month. 

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             mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

             I guess I just didn't write with a view to Amazon Randy. I put Amazon Ads on hubs after they were written as an additional way to make money. If I were writing 'sales' hubs I might have done better, but I wrote for the interest in the topic, not the earning potential. Fortunately from Adsense/HP Ads I hit on a few popular topics accidentally, and do well from them to this day, but for Amazon sales, not so much as those articles don't really 'sell' anything tangible.

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                Randy Godwinposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                Yes, but I have a lot of sales totally unrelated to the particular hub subject, Misty.  I suppose visitors click on my ads and then find something else they like.  Not long ago I sold 20 Kindles which netted me almost $200 on one sale. 
                
                I have never advertised or wrote about a Kindlebook at all.  It pays to put some sort of related Amazon product on each hub if you can.  You'd be surprised at the unrelated items I have sold on my relatively small number of hubs.

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                   mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                   I do try to put related products on my hubs, but I only get a few cents here and there, nothing significant. I do actually have a digital book reader hub, and I don't think it has ever sold a kindle yet! (one of the few hubs I wrote with sales in mind). Don't get me wrong, I do make sales, but they generate tiny amounts of money because of the nature of the articles. Pretty much like you said, I need people who click on one of my Amazon Ads and then buy lots of other unrelated stuff instead (hint hint, only need $10 to hit payout lol).

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                      Randy Godwinposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                      Don't get me wrong, most of my sales are related to the hubs, but not all of them.  I do sell quite a few $80 plus items on a couple of related hubs and some $700+ items on others.  The commissions add up quickly on those large items.  But as I said earlier, Google has me sandboxed at the moment so I'll only make about $50 or so this month on Amazon unless something changes soon. 

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                         mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                         I guess another thing that makes a difference is which setting you opt for in Amazon with regards to earnings. Because the items I was selling were usually low value items I was not earning much although I was selling quite a few bits and pieces, so I changed by setting from 'Classic' to 'Performance'. Classic is a flat rate of 4% but Performance is the 4 to 8.5% rate depending on volume. I did notice my earnings went up when I did this, although still not by a great deal more.

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    emievilposted 12 years ago

    I'm seeing it. My traffic has been going up since October. Reached its peak last week and now it's down by 25%. Still higher than October but I'm expecting it to go down to pre - October levels. Hope it will not go down that much though .

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    LindaSmith1posted 12 years ago

    In 2 wks elsewhere earnings are 5 times more  than here.

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       wavegirl22posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       LindaSmith1 - Again I ask you. .. . why are you still here?
       
       Wow, if I were you I would be 'elsewhere' .
       
       Just think you could be getting a head start on all the other elsewherer's

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          Garrett Mickleyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          All the time people spend on the forums complaining, they could be out doing something constructive and making money...

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       rmcrayneposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Is "elsewhere" content also sparse (you only have 4 hubs), and </= 2 weeks old?

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    Garrett Mickleyposted 12 years ago

    My traffic has done nothing but go up.  Even during the whole panda debacle, my traffic has always slowly increased, until this month.  I've shot up 1500+ more hits a day just in the last 2 weeks.
    
    Of course, I try to go for non-seasonal stuff that gets searched year round, but that's just my plan.
    
    A lot of people are busy and don't have time to be browsing the internet.  Last December was my best month of last year, and this December is my best month of this year by 500%.

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    LeanManposted 12 years ago

    All my business related stuff is way down, but that is to be expected as who wants to talk about work during Christmas!!!! Most of my searches appear to come from people during work time, one of the reasons my views drop significantly at the weekends also.... Not too worried - maybe next year I will do a few more christmas shopping type hubs to compensate!

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    Anamika Sposted 12 years ago

    My traffic is down by 25% now. I am hoping that it is due to the Holidays and weekend and nothing serious. Even my Adsense was the lowest today.

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    LindaSmith1posted 12 years ago

    Without relying on adsense
    
    Your total earnings this month (December):$15.69
    60,203 views total         477 views Yesterday
    
    LOL all the way to the bank.  Simple, I moved my hubs.

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17. 96

    wildernessposted 12 years ago

    Traffic is falling rapidly, down about 1/3 from peak values.  I don't expect much change until after Christmas, and don't really look to see those peak values again for a couple of months.

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       habeeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Yeah...I'm really dreading Jan. and Feb. on HP. After amazing earnings in Nov. and Dec., winter will be bleak.

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          rebekahELLEposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          At least it shouldn't turn into what happened last winter with the intro of Panda..
          It will be cold and people are online. I've definitely had my best months this last half of the year. I know what I'll be writing for next Christmas.
          
          I'm sure on Christmas weekend, we're going to see lots of blue on our account page!
          They're starting to appear now.
          
          BTW, Merry Christmas and enjoy the holidays, hubbers.

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             wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

             Yes - that was terrible when Panda kicked in.  Everyone kept saying traffic would return from Xmas in mid January,  then early Feb., then mid February, but min didn't.  I had just one week of increasing traffic and Boom!  The Panda took everything away.
             
             Habee, I've already written off January and probably February.  Maybe that will keep me sane during those months when earnings drop from their stratospheric current levels to near nothing.

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                habeeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                Lol. At least I'll have my Amazon earnings from November and December to look forward to.

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    LindaSmith1posted 12 years ago

    December is over, essentially, then New Year's next week.  Lots of ideas there. 
    
    But next big holidays are very close:   Valentines Day, Easter, Then Mother's Day.      Money tight this year, those who did less spending  and didn't buy the gift for somebody they wanted to buy, may very well be waiting for one of the above holidays or birthdays.

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    LindaSmith1posted 12 years ago

    I haven't tried it yet, but soldiers are coming home. So, what about articles about welcome home parties, etc.

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    peepingtombposted 12 years ago

    Oddly enough my blog is seeing a surge (which normally gets little traffic) and HP has all but stalled.

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       Garrett Mickleyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I have the opposite.  Personal sites are down but HP is up.

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    SirDentposted 12 years ago

    Mine is actually about normal for the start of the weekend.  In fact, my usual downturn started a day early but staying true to normal as it has been in the past.

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    FloraBreenRobisonposted 12 years ago

    Last week, I was up around 200 views a day, the highest I have ever been here. This week it's been less than 50 a day and lower the closer to Christmas I get.

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    alipuckettposted 12 years ago

    Traffic always slows down for me the week before Christmas until after the New Year.

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       Barbara Kayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Christmas Day has my traffic at 1/2 what it was. Everyone is too busy and I can understand why.

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    LoriSoardposted 12 years ago

    I have been a member for a while, but just started really posting articles because I finally have more time to put into building my hubs. It is interesting to see everyone's thoughts on traffic trends. I guess I'll have to wait until next year to do a true comparison.

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    musclequestposted 12 years ago

    Traffic has died

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