Sites Dealing with Touchy Subjects

One of our clients is a Addiction and Recovery house in Laconia, NH and we are talking today about the stigma associated with this terrible plague of heroin addiction across the country. It seems every day there are more stories of overdosing, addiction epidemics right in our own communities, and politicians punting the issue or giving us platitudes. We also noticed that while websites for dealing with this issue are popping up across America, there are not a lot of web design companies that want to even touch a project involving addiction.

While they reasoning is understandable, protecting their reputation and all that, I personally find it distasteful that they have such high opinions of themselves, or worse, a low opinion of people dealing with heroin addiction and recovery. Maybe it's because people in my family have struggled with addiction and alcohol abuse, and I have seen firsthand what it does to the people I love, but I for one and proud to be a part of the recovery process that has to happen in America.

But that's not what this article is about; it's really about creating a website about a 'taboo' subject, and getting over the hurdles society itself puts in front of these topics. From sex enhancement to drugs and alcohol, there are many subjects that you may want to base a website on, but how do you get people and search engines to take you seriously?

1. Be Professional. Make sure you build the website with a professional, even a clinical approach with your content and imagery. Many taboo subjects are fine when you are discussing them with your doctor. Research sites already out there, and model yours to be a better, stronger version of theirs.

2. Find your Niche. Every industry and genre has a niche market, demographic or geographic area that you need to address. Choose one that is profitable, and does not have a lot of competition for the best results.

3. Solve a Problem. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem, they say. Be a part of the solution with your website, offer a real service or product, advice, discussions or anything that really helps people.

Once you have the site built, be sure to spread the word through social networking, submitting to blogs and search engines, and syndicating your content on appropriate websites. Very soon, you will see your traffic pick up from search engines, Facebook, Digg and many others as your audience grows.