Know-How Exchange : Other

Why not offer do-it-yourself online (Java-based) programs that:
* design your own logo
* find free images for a website-in-development (user inputs their URL, you produce a list of images that may be appropriate based on reading the copy on the page)
* create a business card based on looking at a website URL

Hi.

they are all great Ideas, but I am more intrested in a site that the general public will want to use on a semi regular basis, not something that is only of intrest to business owners etc

Dear Brian,

You want to develop a site that draws attention to your company skills but that makes no money. None at all?

Why? Is the Belfast economy so overrun with money that you can afford not to ask people for any in exchange for your services? You're doing this out of the lorum ipsum goodness of your heart?
How do you pay your bills, make payroll, and pay taxes?

Well, if you want a site that people of all ages will enjoy using, but that serves its users in some way, you're going to have to put some content on it that people will want to read. Which means all this Lorum ipsum stuff's got to go.

To create local buzz, open the site up to local comment. But don't make it about you or your company because in truth, no one cares about you. But is the site you're developing your current site, or something new? And if it's something new, why will people want to link back to you? What's in it for users to link to you?

At the moment your site seems to have little by way of content. You also have a box that urges visitors to "Enter your email address for updates". Why on earth would anyone give you their e-mail address for something vague like an update?

Perhaps I'm looking at this too much from an e-commerce viewpoint but I'm not sure I understand the need for your site if you're not intending to make money.

If all you want to do is have a place for people to add their own content, what you'd be better off giving people is an open forum.

I hope this helps.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

Gary.

Thanks for the advice; I am well aware of the requisites for a decent website, having produced quite a few successful ones for other companies, from small start ups right through to multi nationals.

What I am asking is...

What site could I produce that will be of benefit to the local community, it could have a serious side, it could just be for fun, but I need people to want to engage with it.

The site I listed is my company’s new website, and as mentioned it is in development, so I am more interested in thoughts on the general design.

Getting back to my original question, let’s say I produced a site like craigslist, or even the marketing forum, if it was unique enough it would draw attention to my own business.

Some call it link baiting, and yes, at some stage when it was successful in its own right I would sell advertising etc, just like the forum we are on now.

But I need a unique idea, that’s why I posted the question
.

I already did that one, but the site requires a subscription.

Send me £50 and I will get you the link :-)

BUT seriously...COME ON MARKETING PROFS

The problem you're likely to have is you want traffic/SEO juice, but to build the traffic, you need to do ongoing work to make the site valuable. It's not simply "build it and they'll come". You need to create a social experience worth coming back to, since the site will have information relevant to your community, collected in a single place that's relevant to a wide variety of people.

Perhaps you can act as local news aggregator: everything from local news stories, upcoming local events, movies, community organizations, street closures, sales, photos/artwork of local people, etc.

The most succesful web based companies (Google, Skype, Yahoo, Facebook, Myspace, Plenty of Fish) - they all use the free model to attract usership- eventually gigantic traffic volume attracts the attention of advertisers. Advertising is where the Internet makes its money.

Place valuable free web based content up that has a high utility factor and you too can win in the Internet age.

Sorry guys and Gals, but while there was some insightful info posted, none of youo actually posted an answer that was worth the 500 points, so I will now close the thread.