How to Market a Website

[Gimple]

I recently launched a SAAS (software as a service) website. It's free to sign-up and use, and provides good value to users at no cost.

Right now, I'm cold-emailing my market. Results are good, but they're on a relatively small scale. Also, it's pretty slow-going. I don't have much of a budget for advertising, and based on the rates these days and my current conversions, it doesn't make sense to me right now, seeing as how I likely wouldn't recoup my advertising costs.

So what I'm wondering is whether anyone here has successfully marketed their site and grown a large user base, starting from zero users.

I know that if it's a good service and people like it, they'll start spreading it around by word of mouth. Isn't that what generally happened with the big sites, like Facebook, POF, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.?

I've already had a little word of mouth happening with my site, or at least people have told me they found it valuable and said they'd tell their friends about it.

But how does a person really get the ball rolling, without spending massive amounts in advertising? Or is that the way to go; spend and lose money in advertising in the beginning, until word of mouth kicks in from the users I paid to get and recoup it in the long-term?

I know Mark Zuckerberg got fraternity/sorority emails lists and send out mass invitations (at least according to the Social Network).

So any suggestions, preferably based on real-life experience? Would be much appreciated.

 

[Tenacity]

I recently launched a SAAS (software as a service) website. It's free to sign-up and use, and provides good value to users at no cost.

Right now, I'm cold-emailing my market. Results are good, but they're on a relatively small scale. Also, it's pretty slow-going. I don't have much of a budget for advertising, and based on the rates these days and my current conversions, it doesn't make sense to me right now, seeing as how I likely wouldn't recoup my advertising costs.

So what I'm wondering is whether anyone here has successfully marketed their site and grown a large user base, starting from zero users.

I know that if it's a good service and people like it, they'll start spreading it around by word of mouth. Isn't that what generally happened with the big sites, like Facebook, POF, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.?

I've already had a little word of mouth happening with my site, or at least people have told me they found it valuable and said they'd tell their friends about it.

But how does a person really get the ball rolling, without spending massive amounts in advertising? Or is that the way to go; spend and lose money in advertising in the beginning, until word of mouth kicks in from the users I paid to get and recoup it in the long-term?

I know Mark Zuckerberg got fraternity/sorority emails lists and send out mass invitations (at least according to the Social Network).

So any suggestions, preferably based on real-life experience? Would be much appreciated.

Well, here's the thing. With Marketing all you have are communication methods, it's your Strategic Business Plan that sells your product and acquires customers though, and if your Business Plan isn't founded on having products/services that ADDRESS the issues, challenges, needs, desires, etc. of your core target market then ANY amount spent on Advertising won't take up for that.

So the first thing you need to make sure is that you have a Solution (product, service, website, etc) that ADDRESSES the needs of your core target market and competes with other competing solutions.

Once you have done that, you can either do relatively cheap direct marketing, or you can do relatively expensive indirect marketing.

Direct marketing is getting on the telephone and making cold or warm calls, note that there are various laws with Telemarketing now if you are targeting ANY residential clients that you need to be aware of. Also other forms of direct marketing are connecting on social media, getting a bulk mail permit, maybe doing some tailored email marketing (with permission), etc.

Indirect marketing would be spending money to be positioned higher on Search Engines, doing Ad Words, doing Pay-Per-Click and setting it up to where the "ad follows the customer from website to website", placing ads on tailored Blogs, placing ads on tailored Websites, placing ads in tailored Print sources (magazines, books and other publications), placing ads on TV and Radio.

If you have a low advertising budget (define low) then direct marketing to your tailored customer base is the best bet to get things rolling. But AGAIN, if your Business Plan is off no amount of ANY type of Marketing will do you any good and your Business Plan is founded on having the "right" solutions for the "right market" at the "right time" with the "right price".

Also make sure you have your financing, accounting and legal resources in place. How are you financing the business? Credit Cards? Personal savings? What are the legal risks within your industry and business, did you get any counsel on that? When you start generating revenues make sure that you work with a Small Business Tax Professional like a CPA or EA (Enrolled IRS Agent) that specializes in small business tax returns so you can pay as little tax possible.

 

[Gimple]

Thanks for the response.

However, I couldn't help but notice that you pretty much missed answering the main question I asked, and instead went on complete tangents about things I didn't even inquire about.

When a man asks for a fish, who gives him a stone?

Though I welcome all suggestions (which doesn't mean I'll necessarily agree with them), my thread was addressed to those who have launched an online start-up and substantially grew it's userbase from scratch.

Would you tell me a little about your start-up and how you recruited users?

 

[Tenacity]

Gimple,

Well, I provided a lot of information for you to piece together your own business plan on how you are going to grow your online website. Nobody on this Forum or any other Forum is going to tell you step-by-step how to do it.

 

[Gimple]

Espi,

Insightful video. But it seems to focus more on a person/organization's marketing message rather than actually reaching the market.

I don't have a problem with my message -- or selling people on the idea of using my site. It actually converts pretty good.

My problem is that it takes me longer than I want to recruit a single user, and I'm wondering if anyone here has been in my shoes (or knows of someone who was) and discovered how to reach more of their target market in a shorter period of time.

Tenacity,

Again, I'm a little perplexed that you seem to be answering questions I didn't ask.

I didn't ask how to put together a business plan. And I didn't ask for anyone to tell me step-by-step how it's done.

Maybe I have most of the stuff you addressed figured out already.

What I did ask is how online businesses that later succeeded reached their market and grew their userbase when they started, as I know a lot of them didn't spend money on advertising when they launched.

 

[Tenacity]

Gimple,

Lol, I understood what you said. I'll summarize:

- You have a website that's selling SAAS products, centralized software that is managed by your website/server/team for the client instead of them having to manage it through maintaining their own database, softwares, etc.

- You said it's free to use and provides good value.

- You said right now you are "cold emailing" (or spamming) your market, but the results are relatively small in terms of productivity and growth of users.

- You have a low budget available for advertising and you don't believe in investing in other forms of advertising for fear you won't see any ROI.

- Your first question is if anyone on this site, has "successfully" marketed a website and grown it's user base from zero to "large"? Your second question is if people like the site, wouldn't it go viral on social media which would help bring in more users? Your third question is how does a person get to a "large" user base without spending a lot of money in advertising or is the way to go to run in the Red and eventually cross over into the Black?


Isn't this the summary of what you said and inquired?

Okay, to answer your questions again. Nobody can tell you how to go from zero users to a "large" amount of users seeing as though firstly we don't know what you mean by "large" and secondly, we have NO IDEA what the SAAS you have and for what market it's for, and what the competing products are out there in relation to it. I understand that it's FREE but that doesn't mean people will see value in it to sign up. These things are answers by your BUSINESS PLAN which is what I discussed in the original response.

Yes, websites go viral all the time, viral is when current users (or viewers) pass around the website or video or link for other people to view it. Usually when that happens whatever NEED the website fulfills for that one particular user/viewer, they feel it would fulfill the same for their friends, followers, associates, etc. So if it makes them LAUGH, they forward it. If it makes them THINK, they forward it. If it gives an answer to a question they have had for a long time, they forward it. If they think it's complete and utter hogwash and they are pissed off by it, they forward it so others can be pissed off by it. And so on.

I can't tell you if the website will go viral because I don't know your Business Plan. Only you can construct your own Business Plan. In relation to do you spend a large amount on Advertising or a low amount, or run in the Red and eventually cross over into the Black, again, nobody can answer these questions without examining your Business Plan. All I can do is give you the TOOLS you can utilize to construct your own plan.

One of the tools I gave you was to make sure you have your Legal Resources. If you are cold-emailing folks right now, make sure your emails follow the rules of the Can-Spam Act on a National Level as well as the State Spam Laws as well.

BTW, how do you make money? Are you looking to build up a big user base/traffic and sell Advertising?

 

[Gimple]

Espi,

Genius, no. Experience, most likely.

I did ask preferably for responses from people who have launched and grown an online startup, and whose advice comes from real world experience.

But perhaps I'm asking my question on the wrong site.

Tenacity,

My original question still wasn't answered.

Why do I get the feeling it was passed over yet again because you're not qualified to answer it?

If you haven't launched a startup and grown it or you haven't discussed the subject with someone who has succeeded at it, what reasons can you give me for why I should consider your opinions, especially when many of them state the obvious?

 

[Tenacity]

Gimple,

This is my last post to you dude. I have given you a shyt load of information and addressed your questions, nobody can tell you step-by-step on how to grow your damn website because of the missing tangibles I listed in addition to the fact that the answer to that is in your Business Plan. The issue is that you are so Green everything I said to you went over your head.

In regards to my qualifications? I've been in B2B Sales and Commercial Finance for over 8 years, a big part of what we do with our marketing is through the internet using a variety of tools such as SEO, Ad Words, marketing on other Blogs, using Press Releases, etc. to increase our website traffic, online applications, etc.

I have built and currently manage client portfolios in relation to our services, I also have an MBA and three bachelor's degrees. In terms of Social Media, I have over 1,000 LinkedIn connections with the vast majority being current, previous or prospective clientele.

- You are a damn Green Rookie sending out Spam emails to people to sell a Free SAAS product without even knowing how the hell you are going to turn a profit.

- You understood NOTHING that I listed in those prior responses, everything I said went TOTALLY over your head, and you have the nerve to get up here and question someone's qualifications? What qualifications do you have? You can't even sell a FREE damn service.

And with that being said, I'm out.

 

[Gimple]

You've made quite a few assumptions there.

I wonder if you can identify how many of them are false.

When I asked for qualifications, I meant in relation to the topic.

 

[Fatal Jay]

gimple I have a website of my own

www.thestarsolace.com

everything you do have to do with advertising, all social media, even leaving in your emails a link to your site has a signature.

from the smallest to the biggest things you have to constantly advertise

 

[Gimple]

Jay, would you be willing to share how many visitors you get on an average month and/or day, and how you go about getting them?

 

[backbreaker]

What u need is organic seo

If u have no money, eat live and breathe sitepointforums they have excellent seo resourses and if u have a niche software its not all that hard

My best friend owns a women's boutique fashion apparel site she does good with it about 90% of her sales come ffrom instagram I dontvlike it too up and down she pays affiliates to post her stuff she's had months she's made 20k in sales sshedhaf some where she has made 3k

My bread and butter is ppc

 

[Gimple]

Thanks for the response, backbreaker.

I'm not sure SEO would work well with my site. From my understanding, SEO is about getting a site's pages ranking high on search engine results pages.

The thing is my site is pretty much made up of "user profiles." And even assuming that people searched for these users on Google and found their profiles on my site, there would be a disconnect, as the people I'm targeting to view their profiles don't know their names.

My site has a similar concept as an online dating site, but a different market. And I'm pretty sure users' profiles on an online dating site generally don't come up in a Google search.

Knowing this, do you have any other opinions or suggestions?

 

[backbreaker]

I'm drunk lol will respond tomorrow

 

[Oxide]

You can run a blog, that's how you can get some SEO to your site. Problem is having enough GOOD, valuable content. Don't post BS just to post, put out quality articles relating to your field.

How hard is it to sell someone over the cold call on free software btw?

 

[Gimple]

Oxide, I'm not an expert in my niche, so I'm not sure a blog would be an ideal solution for me. I suppose I could educate myself and become one, but I suspect my time would be better spent elsewhere.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

How hard is it to sell someone cold emailing? I think you mean: How easy is it?

Lately my conversion has been one member signing-up for every 5 visitors; or a 20% conversion rate.

 

[backbreaker]

Okay


I understand your dilemma.

IRL I own / run a web development company so I deal with **** like this all the time. There are workarounds. The problem that you have is that all of the pages content is dynamically generated by the users profiles. I get that. What you could do, and what i've done in the past is create a module that automatically allows for you to manage new dynamically created meta tag content from the adminstrative panel of the website. So for every new page that comes up you can specifically edit the META tags for each individual page which works in your favor beucase it's an extreme niche as it is. However I need to know more about what you are selling and if that is viable

 

[Gimple]

That makes sense. I might consider what you've said in the future.

However, it does seem like a bit of a shot in the dark in my situation:

Assuming Google indexed the profiles on my site and they ranked well, the only people who would search and find them would be people who the profiles are NOT directed at...

BUT if the people searching found my site by looking up other people, and then recognized that it might benefit them too, THAT would be be semi-useful.

Still, it doesn't seem like the most effective approach I could take, given my particular scenario. But if the investment of time would be small, it certainly would be worth experimenting with. However, I currently have a pagerank of 0, so I doubt the timing is right to even try something like this yet.

Good considerations for the future though. So thanks for the idea.

 

[Oxide]

That makes sense. I might consider what you've said in the future.

However, it does seem like a bit of a shot in the dark in my situation:

Assuming Google indexed the profiles on my site and they ranked well, the only people who would search and find them would be people who the profiles are NOT directed at...

BUT if the people searching found my site by looking up other people, and then recognized that it might benefit them too, THAT would be be semi-useful.

Still, it doesn't seem like the most effective approach I could take, given my particular scenario. But if the investment of time would be small, it certainly would be worth experimenting with. However, I currently have a pagerank of 0, so I doubt the timing is right to even try something like this yet.

Good considerations for the future though. So thanks for the idea.

Go make some money so you can afford PPC, and FB ads. Learn how to do it while you're saving.

 

[Gimple]

Go make some money so you can afford PPC, and FB ads. Learn how to do it while you're saving.

Since when are you telling me what to do?