This is Bugging Me

[Dysan]

Hi Guys,

Something that has been bugging me for ages, is how do websites that offer a service for a fee, start-up?

If we take um.... a job website for example (JobServe.com), who allow recruiters to post jobs for a small fee onto there website, how do these sites start, as if there is nobody else to view the jobs, then the recruiter is spending money for nothing in return.

What happens when a website starts-up? eBay is another example.

I hope this makes sense!
Very interested to hear anybodies views.

[leatherback]

I think it is partially based around advertising & offers.

You could offer people for the first 3 months a free usage of the site, after which they are asked to pay for it. Combine with a lot of advertising this would draw in a crowd of people using it.

Of course, if you have a service for which people expect to pay, it is less of an issue than for sites that really have no such service.

[kardiostep]

i guess when you're thinking of starting up a business, you need to give it some time till it starts paying off - basically, you can't expect to start living off your website straight away.

one important thing is, to make a good start-up, you might need a press release. Then it's basically you who would need to create some ads, put them on content submission sites, and make sure they're interesting enough for people to be actually wanting to see them/link to them.

i see the rise of a website as a process with many variables. The most important thing would be to have as many people talking about it [as in linking to it] as possible, your google page rank would raise at that point, which would automatically make people visit the site.

personally, i would put my hopes in a couple of ways:
- make a press release, so that bloggers start writing about it, and those bloggers need to be from the community you would think of as your primary target
- make an outstanding viral video that would promote your site.

[Dysan]

Yes, but if you only have one job/item on the site, and the users that click on your ads are people who want to get/apply for jobs, then people arn't going to stay on site.

How do sites cope with this? - I don't fully understand, obviously advertising is important :)

Also, the job/item advertiser (ref eBay) would be spending money, for nothing in return.

[NogDog]

Yes, but if you only have one job/item on the site, and the users that click on your ads are people who want to get/apply for jobs, then people arn't going to stay on site.

How do sites cope with this? - I don't fully understand, obviously advertising is important :)

Also, the job/item advertiser (ref eBay) would be spending money, for nothing in return.
The key would be to enter into some business agreements with one or more content providers (e.g.: employment agencies for a job site) and have them provide you with some content and then initiate your "grand opening" advertising blitz. In other words, it's not enough to just create the software and install it on a server. You need a business plan, sufficient contacts and knowledge within the business sector your site works in, and sales ability to get some of those business contacts in on the start-up with you.