Rocky times with the new website: More rivals, more users, more usability
During this early period I was focusing almost obsessively on how the first few individual users were interacting with the site: so many issues were raised in this early stage, some which could be fixed whenever I got the time, and others which still require more radical reorganisation 6 months later.
I continued advertising, watching the stats, working on the site, and most of all trying to be in contact with people so that I could find out how the site was working and prevent potential members going astray…
25/9/07 Email from a local youth charity, who I had emailed offering to add things myself because they registered during the ‘broken Send button’ period. They sent several events and a listing to add. Hooray.
Emailed Lee thanking her for testing the login / cookies issue and telling her I’ve put lots of ads around town so if she wanted to add her Reiki healing it would be a good time for it. She does - Hooray again.
A Freecycle group owner replies saying it’s fine to add a listing for them. So I do. Hooray. That’s 3 more listings today, even if I did have to add 2 of them.
Owners of a local computer shop register, have a look around but don’t add anything - why? I wonder if it is putting them off that the map isn’t free. I also notice they’ve put an extra address in their user profile. Perhaps some people are doing this instead of putting in directory entries. It also looks as if they are trying to upload something in an unsupported file format.
I make the menu options clearer. I add a note to the ‘Add entry’ form to make it clear that the map may be extra but the ‘Get directions’ link is free and works as long as the full address is entered. I then add links on the home page and ‘add entry’ form to sample listings showing all the free features and all the paid options.
I add a page for the graph showing visitors by country, because it’s cool. 
Very bad news. I am told that the Rotary club has been sent details of the other rival website by the school. How can it be right for the school to be using their name, not to mention staff, connections and resources, to promote my business competition, especially as they are a non profit organisation funded by taxpayers for the purpose of educating children. I am so angry about this. Unfortunately it turns out to be some kind of legitimate business partnership that schools can do these days.
Visitor numbers are slightly down today, though the percentage typing the site name in directly is way up. I guess this is a reflection of offline advertising taking effect while my online forum postings go further down the list. So perhaps it’s time to bring the focus back to online promotion.
I add some more ecards to attract more returning visitors, and add some new colours and backgrounds to make the listings pretty.
I receive a new listing: a Dragon boating club! I discover it’s possible to add a map by adding latitude and longitude without checking the map box. Hmm. I email them to thank them and ask if they meant to add a map or not. Then I fix the add entry form so you have to pay to enter latitude. I email the dragon boat club again to tell them their map is free because they helped me fix something.
My website is so cool. Look at the latest entries list:
* Execalibre Dragon Boat Club
* Reiki
* Exeter Freecycle
* The Ivy Project
* CARD MAKING CLASSES
I keep wanting to go to all the events as well! Who needs the boring stuff.
Comments:
Although it’s obviously upsetting when an unexpected rival emerges and appears to have official backing, it isn’t an insurmountable obstacle. For one thing, it could be turned to an advantage if it makes potential customers more likely to think they could use the type of service you offer. In an attempt to grab that chance I immediately cranked out loads of local advertising.
But at the same time, it’s very important to figure out as soon as possible what you are offering that is different and can mark you out against them. So in my case, I increased my targeting of specific social groups (ie arts and, with a little more success, environmentalists), while also remembering my wider geographical focus and quickly moving on to target other locations.
It was more advertising than I felt ready or prepared for, but I still think it was the only thing to do at the time, other than giving up on my second project in a row. In the meantime, of course I felt very stressed and angry, but tried only to notice the other site’s adverts in terms of new potential advertising locations and opportunities.
View all blog posts about launching a local web directory.