This is the latest installment in the gripping serialization of promoting my Devon directory. You know, when I started putting this journal online I was worried it might catch up with me – no chance, it seems to be getting further behind all the time!
In any case, this entry sees more of the earliest listings going in, and the arrival of my free promotional T-shirts from .
I got the T-shirts from , and I actually think they look quite nice – very appropriate for the country-ish / green theme! (more…)
Diary from Thurs 4th Oct 2007: Read some directory related threads on Webmaster world – looks like many people have a hard time with these, but it was comforting to read these posts from people further down the road…
I threw myself in at the deep end with this: it was my first completed Joomla / Web 2.0 site and had a budget of practically zero (I practised things on it for work!). It was also my first experience of doing my own sales and marketing, and worst of all, being local, it was all aimed at people around me… a kind of motivational experience which could best be descirbed as ‘bracing’. Those people on the Apprentice may look like idiots at times, but I have some sympathy!
I kept a diary at the time, and this is a kind of blog with hindsight, after all, there were so many ‘learning experiences’ involved…
This post covers the period when its Google PageRank went from ‘unranked’ to (drumroll…) zero. Yikes.
Background: I’ve been launching and promoting a Web 2.0 Devon directory, which promotes arts and environmental concerns alongside general clubs, blogs and business listings. Things had been through a stressful and stormy patch, but I think these few days in the diary mark a turning point, during which my attitude changed and became tougher.
(Launching a new web directory, continued from previous posts)
This was the worst period so far, encompassing more trouble with rival sites, face to face sales, dynamic content causing unexpected layout breakages, and unexpected reserves of grim determination…
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…
Background: I’ve been launching and promoting a Devon directory, which promotes arts and environmental concerns alongside general clubs, blogs and business listings.
23/9, continued: Postcard advertising
Having ordered a load of free postcards and business cards from , I was ready to start some more intensive offline advertising.
Decided to start with Totnes, as I feel more nervous in Exmouth with it being my current home town, and also more importantly, it’s nice going there: Totnes is Devon’s most new age and hippyish town, chock full of artists and environmentalists (surely!). Even a newsagent’s in Totnes is probably well-targeted advertising for me.
Background: I’ve been launching and promoting a Devon business directory, which promotes arts and environmental concerns alongside general clubs, blogs and business listings.
21/9 Continuing testing / correspondence with Joomlapolis forum people about the Community Builder login problems. I find out there is a particular browser setting to accept cookies that is required for login to work. I’m not pleased that people might have to adjust their browser settings to log in, but at least know I know there’s a fix I can tell them about it. I add a help file and a link to it from the login box.
Started looking through the Devon Arts section of Dmoz for likely looking websites to approach for a link swap. (more…)
Background: I’ve been working on a Devon directory, which promotes arts and environmental concerns alongside general clubs, blogs and business listings. 16 – 20 September 2007
16/9 Ordered more free business cards from , some free fridge magnets (same as the business cards), and Post-Its. The redesign of the postcards can wait till I’ve used up the first batch.
Added a link from my family homepage.
Posted a few posts around the Hedir forums and reviewed some websites for them.
Updated my Google Sitemap.
Pleased to see that someone has been looking at my e-cards from Iran! (more…)
Background: I’ve been working on a Devon directory, which promotes arts and environmental concerns alongside general clubs, blogs and business listings.
12-15th September, 2007
12/9 I add a link to my profile in Facebook and my email signatures in Gmail and on the Open University forums (where I’m a student). (I had to install a Firefox extension called Better Gmail to get HTML in my Gmail signature). First review of my site is posted on Hedir (a peer reviewed website directory) – thankfully a good one. (more…)
I got the T-shirts from , and I actually think they look quite nice – very appropriate for the country-ish / green theme!