My future plans

**akula** · 07-09-2006 12:34 PM

I just wanted to share with everyone what I'm getting involved with over the next 6 months or so, and maybe get a reality check.

The problem: I've been thinking a lot about advertising products and the next generation of enterprise software which are both 50 billion dollar markets.

Currently, there is a limited spectrum of the kind of advertising products available to webmasters. There's the CPM ads, then the pay per click variety, TV, radio, magazines etc.

I think these products have a weakness because they don't have residual value. After you spend money on these products - you can't recover your investment. Google won't refund you the money you invested in AdWords.

The Solution: I think (in it's simplest form) the best way to promote a site is to make a mini site which promotes the bigger site. This way, you can sell the mini site in case it doesn't work - or to make a profit, in case it does.

So that's what I'm gonna be doing for a little while now. I'm gonna be pitching webmasters behind large websites with a new promotional product which has residual value, so they can be sure their investment in this product is safe.

What do you guys think?

**F360** · 07-09-2006 05:33 PM

Im confused....
Why should my new start-up (if I had one) have another mini website to promote it? Your saying I should direct Adwords(for example) to the mini site, then onto the main site?

I dont think this solves the limited spectrum of advertising problem. You still need "CPM ads, then the pay per click variety, TV, radio, magazines" to get people to your mini site.

About residual value, I dont think www.mini-ebay-123.com (for example) will have much value if www.ebay.com doesn't work out (rewind to startup time

). Unless it's getting lots of traffic.

Thoughts? But you right on the limited spectrum of advertising! Solve that and go shopping for yatchts!

**3ntrepreneur** · 07-09-2006 05:51 PM

I am a bit confused...maybe its my own ignorance?

**toptemp** · 07-10-2006 12:50 AM

I understand what you mean, however, as F360 said... you'd still have to promote the latter site in a similar manner, at least to some extent. On the other hand, if it acted as a long-term referral agent where you built up solid content which would remain and grow over time, that may be appropriate. Then again, I'm still seeing some issues with this. Mind extrapolating on this?

Oh ya, any recommendations for enterprise software solutions? Kinda looking for some right now. I've only gotten the chance to look into Oracle yet so far.

**akula** · 07-10-2006 01:46 AM

Originally Posted by F360

I dont think this solves the limited spectrum of advertising problem. You still need "CPM ads, then the pay per click variety, TV, radio, magazines" to get people to your mini site.

Thanks F360, 3ntrepreneur and toptemp . That's some quick thinking and killer insight.

Yes, it is absolutely useless to try and help a customer lower their dependence of AdWords advertising by building them a mini site, which then has to be advertised on AdWords.

Special Sites: The kind of mini sites I'm building for people are different to ordinaru sites. They are viral blog directories.

For example: nathan wants to promote pixTower.com. So I build him http://yeblogger.com/ which promotes his website. Ye Blogger, in turn, doesn't need AdWords advertising because it's promoted directly via email to it's users. I.e. we just build a directory of young entrepreneur bloggers and contact them via the newsletter, which features ads for pixTower.

Future: So I'm thinking of doing the same thing for a site like http://www.autotrader.com/ which competes tooth and nail with http://cars.com/

What I'm gonna do is pitch both the sites and tell them that if they want to beat the other site, they'll need to set up a viral blogging community which directly connect them with the blogosphere and all the influential car blogs. Then, I'll do the job for the higher bidder.

What do you think?

**NeeJam** · 07-10-2006 01:59 AM

Originally Posted by akula

Thanks F360, 3ntrepreneur and toptemp . That's some quick thinking and killer insight.

Yes, it is absolutely useless to try and help a customer lower their dependence of AdWords advertising by building them a mini site, which then has to be advertised on AdWords.

Special Sites: The kind of mini sites I'm building for people are different to ordinaru sites. They are viral blog directories.

For example: nathan wants to promote pixTower.com. So I build him http://yeblogger.com/ which promotes his website. Ye Blogger, in turn, doesn't need AdWords advertising because it's promoted directly via email to it's users. I.e. we just build a directory of young entrepreneur bloggers and contact them via the newsletter, which features ads for pixTower.

Future: So I'm thinking of doing the same thing for a site like http://www.autotrader.com/ which competes tooth and nail with http://cars.com/

What I'm gonna do is pitch both the sites and tell them that if they want to beat the other site, they'll need to set up a viral blogging community which directly connect them with the blogosphere and all the influential car blogs. Then, I'll do the job for the higher bidder.

What do you think?

I was a little confused with what you originally said but not you've clarified it for me. I think this is a great idea, and i think you could easily make yourself a lot of money out of this venture as long as you get to th big-boys before others try jumping in on this bandwaggon

**nochance** · 07-10-2006 06:01 AM

Originally Posted by akula

Thanks F360, 3ntrepreneur and toptemp . That's some quick thinking and killer insight.

Yes, it is absolutely useless to try and help a customer lower their dependence of AdWords advertising by building them a mini site, which then has to be advertised on AdWords.

Special Sites: The kind of mini sites I'm building for people are different to ordinaru sites. They are viral blog directories.

For example: nathan wants to promote pixTower.com. So I build him http://yeblogger.com/ which promotes his website. Ye Blogger, in turn, doesn't need AdWords advertising because it's promoted directly via email to it's users. I.e. we just build a directory of young entrepreneur bloggers and contact them via the newsletter, which features ads for pixTower.

Future: So I'm thinking of doing the same thing for a site like http://www.autotrader.com/ which competes tooth and nail with http://cars.com/

What I'm gonna do is pitch both the sites and tell them that if they want to beat the other site, they'll need to set up a viral blogging community which directly connect them with the blogosphere and all the influential car blogs. Then, I'll do the job for the higher bidder.

What do you think?

Akula,

have you ever pitched to companys with a product or service, an played the interest on to there rival so that 1. you get the deal and 2. you get the higher bid (contract).

If so, i would like to see what your method and exeperience.

This kind of pitching is very effective if executed well, i have just recently picthed to 2 british broadband companys.

Both want to go ahead, but only A, knows that B, is very interested in solution.