What can we offer?

[whiteRabbit]

Whatever you do in business, you want to think about creating a win-win situation, isn't that right?  For example, link exchange is a win-win situation.  Cross posting in message boards is also a win-win situation, I presume.  Linking news sites and creating sites like Yahoo News and Google News; Google and Yahoo get heavy traffic and they bring these traffic to news publishers; another win-win situation.  Needless to say, it's really the key to create a successful website, is it not?  What can we exchange?  What specifically can we do to create a win-win situation in the internet?

[Queen Bee]

Interesting topic you bring up, WR. I'm really not knowledgeable when it comes to these sorts of things, but it seems another win-win situation we could create for the internet would be to recommend each other's sites to [real-life] friends.

For instance, after I start college and make a few buddies, I could recommend them to Weblamp because it would be relevant to my courses, and this is my webmaster forum of choice.

And perhaps Denis could recommend my site to his friends if he ever felt it was relevant for a discussion. A site like mine isn't really something you can bring up in a discussion, but you never know.

Just a thought.

[SensoVision]

I think that main thing we can exchange here is our skills and knowledge, that's why this community appear to help people share info they possess. And yes things which you name is win win situation.

Cross posting in message boards is also a win-win situation, I presume

I think it's not so good as other things you name... since people who come to community should like it themselves and they shouldn't come to community just because webmaster of this community posting on your forum, of course it's nice gesture and I actually do this myself and try to post on forums of our members when times permits. And I see that admins from other boards also come and post on our community but generally not much of them are active posters and usually they disappear too fast.
But in general that's good thing as well.

For instance, after I start college and make a few buddies, I could recommend them to Weblamp because it would be relevant to my courses, and this is my webmaster forum of choice.

thx for promoting us that's would be cool to have some more designers here

And perhaps Denis could recommend my site to his friends if he ever felt it was relevant for a discussion. A site like mine isn't really something you can bring up in a discussion, but you never know.

actually I already did so few times and I always try to refer to sites of my members.

[whiteRabbit]

The discussion is really becoming about how webmasters can help each other; I am interested in that topic, but I really want to think about "Business" on the internet in general.  Let me give you guys a couple of specific examples and you can think about.

Our site has a survey for academic institutions that participate in our site; we also have online course listing.  If they take the survey, we put links to their pages in the index page and the institution search page so that they get more exposure.  They can also provide a list of online courses to us and we can include them in our listing.  We have a better content and these academic institutions can promote and market to visitors to our site.  I think that these are benefiting both parties.

I just brought up examples in my particular case; we do not have to talk about the education industry.  But what I'm wondering, what I'm trying to come up is ... what we can offer beside typical webmaster/web developer stuff like link exchange and traffic exchange.  What if I were developing a gardening website?  What if I were running a tango dancing website?  How about camping?  What can we offer to our potential business partners and associates?

[whiteRabbit]

I didn't know much about online advertisement until very recently.  It's not that I am an expert now, but I know a little more than before.  I had chance to read number of articles on online advertisement, and here's one thing that I found; to be more precise, here's one theory that I came up (which is nothing original).

If your target advertiser is an established organization, then they will not take your offer seriously unless you have a certain amount of traffic; my wild guess is 10,000+ unique visitors a month at least.  They take whatever you offer for free, but they will not think about working with you at all.  Even if you have a good idea and it can create a certain value for advertisers, if the traffic has not reached a certain level, they will simply dismiss.  There are number of ways to promote advertisers and there are number of creative ways, but if what's essentially benefits advertisers is to raise their visibility, then the traffic matters and only the traffic matters.  Ideas will be dismissed for good reasons.

Well, it's kind of obvious, but it took me a little while to realize the obvious.

[Multi-Cap]

Heh, I don't know if it was mentioned, but one major thing I've found VERY helpful is to be your own competition.  Create two (almost) identical companies and promote each one by simply using different aliases.

You're thinking - and the point of it is?

Well, simple!  They see Overpriced services by one company and then view the next company as well - and think "Wow!  Better prices" and get out the credit card.  Simple tactic, has brought me at least $15,000 in a year of business.

[whiteRabbit]

Create two (almost) identical companies and promote each one by simply using different aliases.

You're thinking - and the point of it is?

If you are selling some goods or services, then it can work.  How about content?  Good content and crappy content, can it attract good content?  Maybe, maybe not.  Even if it has any effect, that wouldn't generate any revenue, would it?  Can we try something like that for content sites?  Any idea?

[Allin1Joe]

Heh, I don't know if it was mentioned, but one major thing I've found VERY helpful is to be your own competition.  Create two (almost) identical companies and promote each one by simply using different aliases.

You're thinking - and the point of it is?

Well, simple!  They see Overpriced services by one company and then view the next company as well - and think "Wow!  Better prices" and get out the credit card.  Simple tactic, has brought me at least $15,000 in a year of business.

No offense intended with this post, so please don't take any

I would rather build my business through truth, honesty and good service then deception. This kind of deception seems to be harmless, as the customer isn't getting screwed over as they are with those offer the world for $1/year scams.  However, I don't think it's something that I would be comfortable with.

There has got to be a way to generate business without having to deceive anyone .. isn't there??  Please, someone, say yes

[SensoVision]

There has got to be a way to generate business without having to deceive anyone .. isn't there??  Please, someone, say yes

Yes

Heh, I don't know if it was mentioned, but one major thing I've found VERY helpful is to be your own competition.  Create two (almost) identical companies and promote each one by simply using different aliases.

BTW using of aliases for same company isn't welcomed by search engines and directories so most likely you'll have less possibilites to get good targeted traffic to your site...
Also I blieve that open all your cards is better way for business especially when this business is online where you have to trust to people which you never seen...
So I would rather try not to keep secrets when doing something, I believe that many people would appreciate this and to encourage such methods of doing business will even pay a bit extra if needed. This is my point of view...

[Allin1Joe]

Also I blieve that open all your cards is better way for business especially when this business is online where you have to trust to people which you never seen...
So I would rather try not to keep secrets when doing something, I believe that many people would appreciate this and to encourage such methods of doing business will even pay a bit extra if needed. This is my point of view...

I second this 125%.  In this business, with so many crooks out there, trust is HUGE.