Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

How Can I Attract Advertisers To My Site?

Posted by Anonymous on 10/22/2007 at 10:02 PM ET 250 Points
We feel we have a innovative idea and have put together a new website at www.iwonitlive.com . It is a game site that is based on advertisers products and pricing. Advertisers can post up to 100 products include their pricing and a description. WE currently have 16 games for them to choose from in which those products will be part of the game. Problem we have run into is this, our membership is low since our games rely on sponsorship and have found it hard to market without members. We were hoping the IDEA of the site would sell it to advertisers but have come to find out this is not the case. Any ideas or input would be helpful.
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  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 10/22/2007 at 10:16 PM Accepted
    Advertisers are looking for targeted people to advertise to. The first questions they'll ask are, "How many people visit your site? And who are they?" The better your statistics, the more your potential advertisers may be interested.

    As for the gamers coming to your site, I think you have a problem. First, I can't play a game without first registering. And to register, I have to provide my email address. So, you've lost me at the start.

    But let's say I'm willing to register. What's in it for me (WIIFM)? Playing games to see advertiser's products for an unknown chance to play an online game to compete to maybe win something? Unless the games are strong enough to keep me coming back to build my skills, you're going to have few returning visitors.

    Ideas don't sell. Action sells. While it seems that you have a chicken and egg problem (you need advertisers to feature to get players) you could simply offer free advertising for 6 months just to build your site and test out your idea. At the end of 6 months (or 3 months), you should have sufficient data (and time to tweak things) to decide how to proceed, if you can charge advertisers, etc.
  • Posted by Harry Hallman on 10/23/2007 at 7:51 AM Member
    Jay makes a very good point. Your site does not entice me to want to play. In the 10 seconds I was on the main page I saw nothing that told me I could win something or even that I should play. No real call to action. The information has to be relevant and enticing. In fact, you have a large area devoted to advertisers when that should be used for enticing people to play.

    Advertisers won't come to you this way. You will have to go to them.
  • Posted by iFocus on 10/23/2007 at 10:05 AM Member
    Build up a members' database first then advertisers will come.
    Will you ship prizes worldwide?
  • Posted on 10/23/2007 at 1:19 PM Accepted
    Hi there, Jay And Harry have pointed out successfully what the problem here is.
    One more point you have to make sure here is that the site looks presentable too.
    I believe you have tried to choose darker colors onsite due to the gaming aspect.
    But you have to remember that the fonts should be clear, colors should be soothing to ones eyes and with a presentable layout... The more you make your website Homepage easy to understand, the better. I suggest you have a good designer re-design you homepage, ofcourse not missing out on the call to action aspect...
    DISPLAY THE WINNINGs on the homepage, you have to develop an interest in the First 6 seconds, Harry was nice enough to spend 10 seconds online.
  • Posted by steven.alker on 10/23/2007 at 7:02 PM Member
    Its one of the examples of a site where you have to speculate to accumulate. You have to risk capital on the idea being successful to gain momentum and reach a break-even point and then move into profit. It used to be called “Investment Burn” and quite often, the fire got totally out of control.

    There isn’t a single site, games site or other commercial trading site which relies on advertising, sponsorship, a percentage of gaming revenues, subscription or even a charge on a trade that didn’t start off by burning through a pile of money to become successful. That or a lot of the founder’s time, resources as well as their money.

    If you haven’t factored that into your business plan and you succeed, then you will be, as far as I can see, the only site since the dot.com crash (Or during it, come to think of it) which has succeeded in going from concept to launch to profits without swinging into the red for 12 or 18 months. Do you have a business plan? Does it cater for capital-burn?

    If not, I’d be tempted to either raise the venture funds or pull the plug now.

    Sorry this isn’t what you want to hear, but I get so sad telling people this with the benefit of hindsight after they’ve mortgaged the house and are about to lose it.

    Steve Alker
    SalesVision
  • Posted on 10/25/2007 at 12:08 AM Member
    You may want to remove the words "site opening soon" on the bottom panel of the website.......

    Also please remember who your target audience is....these individuals that will be registering on your site are who your advertisers are going to appeal to. If they don't see any potential, then they won't come out. Like what was mentioned before, you are going to have to go out knocking on doors........

    Good luck!
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