Your Site Name: Inner West Live
Your Name: Derek, Editor
Solostream Theme Used: WP-Smooth

Preamble. Let me explain the research I did before I came across Solostream, as this may help some of your readers in the same boat and perhaps save them some time. I needed a good theme, (as we all do) and in particular, I needed to be able to display content by category on the front page … just like any fully featured website would do.

A theme isn’t just about pretty colors, it needs to be functional and have the ability to display and order multiple categories in content boxes on the front page. This means I can have an orderly, magazine style theme for my readers. Secondly I was looking for a visually appealing theme with a high graphic/photo front end to capture readers on the first 3 seconds they enter … the site needed to be widget friendly and easy to use and customize.

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Site Name: Automoblog
Site Owner: Chris Burdick
WordPress Theme Used: A Custom Mix of Solostream Themes With WP-Genius Base

1. How do you describe the site?

Automoblog.net is a blog for car enthusiasts and consumers. We like to focus on what isn’t typically talked about in your “corporate” type car websites, pointing out benefits and problems with particular cars that add to or detract from the driving experience, instead of only talking about efficiency and numbers. The feel of Automoblog.net isn’t as much about journalism, but more like you’re sitting around the garage chatting with friends over a beer.

2. How old is the site?

We’re coming up on four years this month.

3. What made you decide to launch this particular site?

Originally it was a hobby. I’ve always been a car nut, and I couldn’t find a place online that talked about what I care to hear about, so I started my own site to vent my opinions on great cars as well as the crappy ones. Your big-name car magazines and websites tend to focus on mainstream, well-known cars, and while we definitely cover those, some of the more off-the-wall and one-off cars can be the most interesting. I wanted a place where people could read about those cars too, and become part of our community.

4. What’s you business model (i.e. how do you generate revenue) for the site?

It’s always changing, of course, but most of my income comes from direct ad sales. I don’t do any searching for partners, they all seem to come to me. Maybe I should raise my price. CPC has been a good steady income as well; I use Adsense and Yieldbuild throughout the site, and I’m currently testing Netseer, which is doing fairly well. I’ve tried some affiliate networks, and the only one I’ve found success with so far is Commission Junction.

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The following is an email interview I did with one of our fine customers, Dan Maynard, who uses WP-Chatter on his WordPress site. When I saw Dan’s site, I thought it was a great example of a perfectly executed niche-content website.

Are you using one of our Premium WordPress themes to publish a really cool site of your own? If so, we’d like to shine the spotlight you too, so give us a shout, and we’ll conduct an email interview like this one.

Site Name: Piano Keyboard Reviews
Link to Site: piano keyboard
Site Owner: Dan Maynard
WordPress Theme Used: WP-Chatter

1. How would you describe your site?

My site is really a resource to help the [piano keyboard] buyer to make the right purchase decision. It is strictly focused on digital pianos, synthesizers, and workstations rather than acoustic pianos. Given the myriad of electronic keyboards on the market today, it can be difficult to make the right selection. I am a classically trained pianist and have played in many bands in the past (remember the good old days of Santana, Grand Funk Railroad, Doobie Brothers etc.)

Back in those days you only really had two choices to select from, Hammond organ such as the B3, analog synthesizer, or Wurlitzer/Fender electric pianos. Today there are so many keyboards out there that it makes it difficult to choose. My site helps the bewildered musician make a choice. I am also a full time marketer plying my trade to my piano site.

My site differs in some respects because I focus on people’s playing styles and help them to select a keyboard that matches their style. Hence I segment the keyboardist market based on playing styles and match the keyboard accordingly. I discovered no one is doing that. So I’ve carved out a fairly neat niche in the piano market. Have a look at “Power Player” which defines the player styles.

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