Interviews

Interview: We Got This Covered’s Matt Joseph on Site Planning & Content

There are not many movie, TV, and gaming websites on the Internet that garner the traffic success that We Got This Covered has at such an accelerated rate. Within only three years of operation, We Got This Covered now receives 6 million page views per month. When this fact came to my attention, I knew its editor-in-chief, Matt Joseph, had a story to tell and a wealth of knowledge to give to would-be webmasters and current webmaster about “the game.”

We Got This Covered Logo

We Got This Covered Logo

Below you will find that useful information and his thoughts on running a successful movie website.

Interview with We Got This Covered’s Editor-in-chief Matt Joseph

What sparked the idea for We Got This Covered?

It started as a WordPress hosted blog that was born out of boredom during one Summer in high school.

How long did it take for We Got This Covered to be built and when did it launch?

It wasn’t a planned launch. I just started a WordPress hosted blog one day and evolved it from there, constantly building upon what I already had.

Who built We Got This Covered? You or a designer?

The current version was built by a designer, though I have made my own modifications to the code.

What content management system (CMS) do you use?

WordPress.

Do you have a basic hosting plan or are you on a dedicated server?

Dedicated.

Do you use any type of content delivery network (CDN)?

Yes.

How was We Got This Covered financed?

We generate revenue from ads.

Was your experience or lack of experience an issue when you launched We Got This Covered?

Yes, looking back there are several thing I would have done differently had I known.

How does We Got This Covered generate revenue?

Ads.

How many people work at We Got This Covered and how are they compensated for their contributions to your site?

Roughly 20 people work for us and they are compensated on a per post basis.

Do you have assigned work shifts at We Got This Covered?

No.

How do you acquire new employees e.g. writers?

Twitter/Facebook/Forums.

How many page views does We Got This Covered generate per month?

6,000,000.

How did We Got This Covered achieve that page view number?

A lot of hard work, it took 3 years to get to that level.

How important is Google News to your monthly pageviews?

It doesn’t factor in too much.

How important is IMDb to your monthly pageviews?

Not hugely important but we do get a decent amount of traffic from there.

How important is organic search engine traffic to your monthly pageviews?

Same as IMDB.

What does We Got This Covered do for search engine optimization regarding its website?

Nothing aside from standard on-site techniques.

What does We Got This Covered do for search engine optimization regarding its single articles?

Same as above.

What is We Got This Covered approach to social networking for its website?

We have a Facebook/Twitter page where we link to our articles.

What is We Got This Covered approach to social networking for its published articles?

Same as above.

What is the most important aspect of a website’s design?

Speed.

What are your top ten favorite WordPress Plugins?

WordPress Popular Posts, W3 Total Cache, WordPress SEO, Akismet, Disqus, Google News Sitemap, Wp-Optimize, WP Touch Pro, Wp To Twitter.

What mistakes (if any) did you make in the beginning with We Got This Covered?

I launched it without a set business plan and without any real direction.

If you had it to do all over again, with everything you have learned and been through, how would you launch a new website?

I would set out a plan first and not just launch the website right when I had the idea for it. I would plan things out first, make a roadmap, set goals, lay stuff out. I wouldn’t just go with the flow.

What is the best advice you can give to an aspiring movie webmaster?

Don’t expect results to show up quickly. Building a successful website takes years, unless of course you somehow go viral and just explode. That doesn’t happen often though and for the most part it’s going to take years of constant grinding. At the end of the day though, content is king. If you have strong content, people will come to your website. Don’t sacrifice the quality of your content for anything.

If someone wants to read more about your company, where can they find you?

http://wegotthiscovered.com

Conclusion

Plan ahead before starting a website and have a clear agenda. Content is the most important aspect to your website and growing its audience. Site speed is one of your website’s key attributes. Remember, the search engines are watching. Great speed and loading time makes them very happy and like Oscar Schindler, they will show their gratitude.

About the author

Rollo Tomasi

Rollo Tomasi is a Connecticut-based film critic, TV show critic, news, and editorial writer. He will have a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University in 2025. Rollo has written over 700 film, TV show, short film, Blu-ray, and 4K-Ultra reviews. His reviews are published in IMDb's External Reviews and in Google News. Previously you could find his work at Empire Movies, Blogcritics, and AltFilmGuide. Now you can find his work at FilmBook, ProMovieBlogger, and TrendingAwards.

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