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Starting my own hardware review site

C

crazlunatic

Member
Hey guys. I LOVE PC Hardware and I want to start my own hardware review site but I don't even know how to begin?

How can I get enough hits in the first place to get companies to send me products to review?

I currently own http://vistarewired.com and get 3000 uniques. Maybe I can do something with that? I'm not sure since the people going there only want to read about Vista.

Your advice will be appreciated. Thanks.
 
So you're posting on the forums of other established hardware sites to get the word out on your own? Interesting.
 
Originally posted by: aplefka
So you're posting on the forums of other established hardware sites to get the word out on your own? Interesting.
Click to expand...

Black Guy avater..... 12 posts hmmmmmmm
 
Originally posted by: aplefka
So you're posting on the forums of other established hardware sites to get the word out on your own? Interesting.
Click to expand...

It's not spam! he has 12 posts!
 
What have you got to offer us that Anandtech, Tom's Hardware, and Hard OCP (to name 3 of the better ones) don't? Answer that, and maybe you'll have a business plan. :thumbsup:
Advice #1: Keep your day job. 😉
 
> checkforspammer.exe

Black guy avatar: CHECK
Less than 5 posts: FAIL

THIS DOES NOT COMPUTE!!

Program ended at 0x0039A080

> checkforspammer.exe --usecommonsense

SPAMMER FOUND!!!
 
Originally posted by: LtPage1
What have you got to offer us that Anandtech, Tom's Hardware, and Hard OCP (to name 3 of the better ones) don't? Answer that, and maybe you'll have a business plan. :thumbsup:
Advice #1: Keep your day job. 😉
Click to expand...

I wouldn't put HOCP or TH in "3 of the better ones". TH doesn't even get honorable mentions.
 
Originally posted by: LegendKiller
Originally posted by: LtPage1
What have you got to offer us that Anandtech, Tom's Hardware, and Hard OCP (to name 3 of the better ones) don't? Answer that, and maybe you'll have a business plan. :thumbsup:
Advice #1: Keep your day job. 😉
Click to expand...

I wouldn't put HOCP or TH in "3 of the better ones". TH doesn't even get honorable mentions.
Click to expand...

Hard OCP is good for tech news headlines, I have never cared for the reviews. I have not been to Tom's in years.
 
Oh come on guys. I'm serious, and I'm Chinese. Just haven't been able to change my avatar. I'm no spammer. Check me on Redflagdeals, I've got 300 there.

I will keep my day job for sure. This will be hobby / business venture. I'm really serious about this. And it ain't for the hardware. I could care less if I had to get the hardware from a local store and return it, or review other people's old hardware. As long as I get to the stage where I can eventually run an established site reviewing the new stuff.

I'm not trying to advertise my site. I get enough hits that advertising on forums to get me an additional 5 uniques wouldn't matter to me anyway.
 
Originally posted by: George P Burdell
> checkforspammer.exe

Black guy avatar: CHECK
Less than 5 posts: FAIL

THIS DOES NOT COMPUTE!!

Program ended at 0x0039A080

> checkforspammer.exe --usecommonsense

SPAMMER FOUND!!!
Click to expand...

Made me chuckle heh
 
Originally posted by: crazlunatic
Oh come on guys. I'm serious, and I'm Chinese. Just haven't been able to change my avatar. I'm no spammer. Check me on Redflagdeals, I've got 300 there.

I will keep my day job for sure. This will be hobby / business venture. I'm really serious about this. And it ain't for the hardware. I could care less if I had to get the hardware from a local store and return it, or review other people's old hardware. As long as I get to the stage where I can eventually run an established site reviewing the new stuff.

I'm not trying to advertise my site. I get enough hits that advertising on forums to get me an additional 5 uniques wouldn't matter to me anyway.
Click to expand...

Not saying it can't be done, but honestly there are tons of sites like that on the net, and you are a new member here.
 
1. Start a website.
2. Get your hands on unreleased hardware (ES CPUs, motherboards, whatever)
3. Write some awesome reviews in the XtremeSystems forums (and also here and other tech forums)
4. Don't just post a link and run away - actually discuss your reviews in the forums so you are not mistaken for a spammer
5. Word-of-mouth will go a long way. I believe this is how JonnyGURU (from our own forums, the PSU expert) started.
 
Originally posted by: LegendKiller
Originally posted by: LtPage1
What have you got to offer us that Anandtech, Tom's Hardware, and Hard OCP (to name 3 of the better ones) don't? Answer that, and maybe you'll have a business plan. :thumbsup:
Advice #1: Keep your day job. 😉
Click to expand...

I wouldn't put HOCP or TH in "3 of the better ones". TH doesn't even get honorable mentions.
Click to expand...

I go to Tom's for display reviews, as they seem to post the most accurate and detailed display reviews on the net.
 
What CAN I offer that is different? xD

There isn't much I believe. I want to write about hardware stuff and I believe can help people make a right purchasing decision in an unbiased manner.
 
What experience do you have? Maybe you ought to apply to be a writer for a known site, get some years of work done with it, get your name out there, then start your own.
 
Originally posted by: LegendKiller
Originally posted by: LtPage1
What have you got to offer us that Anandtech, Tom's Hardware, and Hard OCP (to name 3 of the better ones) don't? Answer that, and maybe you'll have a business plan. :thumbsup:
Advice #1: Keep your day job. 😉
Click to expand...

I wouldn't put HOCP or TH in "3 of the better ones". TH doesn't even get honorable mentions.
Click to expand...

Well, I only read Anandtech, and those were 2 others that I could think of.
 
Originally posted by: crazlunatic
What CAN I offer that is different? xD

There isn't much I believe. I want to write about hardware stuff and I believe can help people make a right purchasing decision in an unbiased manner.
Click to expand...

Have you seen any of the Motherboard/CPU review threads in XtremeSystems? They knock the shit out of 99% of professional reviews with their in-depth BIOS/overclocking coverage. Not to mention the great high-res shots of the product.

If you can combine that kind of attention to detail and an interesting write-up to go with it, you'd get a decent bunch of readers just by signing up for a dozen of the big tech forums and posting in each every day.

Now how do you get manufacturers to send you hardware - I have no idea. Just call them and ask? Get some reviews going using your own hardware first.

Check out how ComputerBase.de (German site) does video card reviews. They make Xbitlabs look like amateurs, at least going by the sheer number of games they bench. Look how PC Perspective does motherboards. Read Anand's write-ups. Educate yourself and don't expect rewards any time soon. If you are going to do it, be prepared for a long haul.

Come up with an interesting video card methodology that is the right balance between HardOCP's impossible-to-duplicate FRAPS runs and everyone else's average-of-three-timedemos? Look at Rage3D's 8800GTX review from 2006 (done by Ratchet) - that is, IMHO, the gold standard for video card reviews. Driverheaven also does great video card reviews.

Read, learn and reinvent.
 
Originally posted by: Steve
What experience do you have? Maybe you ought to apply to be a writer for a known site, get some years of work done with it, get your name out there, then start your own.
Click to expand...

That would be your best bet IMO.
 
I still have my own site (www.BlueSmoke.net). It's a tough business - not easy to solicit review samples (both hardware and software), especially if you're not in the US (I now am). The most important thing is building trust with the companies - I used to be real close with AOpen, AMD, SiS, PQI/PMI, Arctic Silver, Zalman, Seagate and Western Digital.

Basically you have to offer something different some everyone else. For me, I tried to be more detailed in my reviews, added a case gallery (IINM 2nd largest compared to VirtualHideout at one time), reviewed games before the big guys, etc. My ideal site would combine StorageReview (HDD), Anandtech (CPU, Vid Cards), JonnyGuru (PSU), VirtualHideout (case modding) and the qualities of a couple of others (Dan's Data, XbitLabs, SilentPC, AVSforum, etc.)

You also definitely need a news editor to faclitate cross-posting articles with other sites. Thankfully, things worked out well for me with VirtualHideout, Blue's News, HardOCP, etc.

Turned out to be too time consuming for me (was pretty much a 2 man operation - my bro for games/software, me for hardware, site design and everything else). Had to focus more on grad school (PhD).
 
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