(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 business directory, which promotes arts and environmental concerns alongside general clubs, blogs and business listings.
View all blog posts about launching the directory.
21 – 23 September 2007
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.
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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!
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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.
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View all blog posts about this local web directory.
Background: I’ve been working on a local Devon business directory, which promotes arts and environmental concerns alongside general clubs, blogs and business listings.
2 – 11 September, 2007:
2/9 Phoned my mother and brother and asked them to add listings. Of course, my mother’s registration email doesn’t arrive. I check and can’t see anything wrong, so to my shame, I assume the problem is something to do with her relatively new email setup, which seems to have problems with spam filtering. I create her membership and she adds a basic listing for a local charity, the Adventure Trust for Girls – thanks mum!
3/9 Emailed 2 friends, 2 former potential customers, a classmate from my business startup programme and also a local woman whose children’s activities I’d been taking the kids to. I offer them every feature free if they’ll help by adding a listing to test it out. They mostly say ‘That email was so long, I’ll read it later’. Nobody adds anything 
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