Is anyone doing something like this?

19 replies
Before I go out and waste my time, I'm hoping some fellow offline warriors can give me some feedback on my idea.

I created a site today geared towards my local area. The site is medinarocksdotcom

If you look at it, you will see it is not quite done - but you should be able to get the gist of where I'm heading with it. My ultimate goal of the project is to gain a local following of people looking for deals and coupons. My plan is to utilize email opt-ins and a Facebook page to create a way to keep the site and deals in front of people. In other words, I want to build a list of local consumers, which is exactly the group of people we are trying to get our clients in front of.

I think that if it works, this would be a huge asset to any local client I work with. The end product of our services is customers, having a way to get directly to them seems to me a huge asset you could pass on to your clients.

Although down the road I see it as feasible to charge for advertising, there is no real profit motive in place now.

Here's the immediate goal of the project...

I want a way to walk into businesses, introduce my company and hopefully land some new clients - but without any feeling of sales pressure in the air. I plan to walk in, introduce myself and my company, hand them a card and then jump right into my main reason for being there - to see if they want to put their business on the site for free. They would be helping me out by helping me build the site, and in return they get free advertising.

I don't plan on mentioning anything about their current online marketing....but will be glad to talk about it when they ask! Even if the topic never comes up, they will at least have my card, know my name and see me as a local businessperson who gave them something absolutely free. And - once they start getting customers from my site, I will gain instant credibility.

Any feedback at all would be highly appreciated. Am I on the right track? Or am I wasting my time?
  • Profile picture of the author Nail Yener
    Hi Cherry, I'm guessing this is your name. I wish all warriors used their names in their handles, so that we could address them by name. Anyway, I think what you are talking about is something like a local Groupon targeting a specific city.

    The idea sounds good to me indeed. Your site looks nice and it seems you already found two businesses to list. I don't see a reason why such a business model wouldn't work. With a good strategy of marketing and promotion, including social networking you could make this site one of the go-to websites for deals in your city.

    Monetization is an important part and it seems that you haven't decided on it yet. Actually, I might try the very same thing in my city and see how it works out. Thanks for the idea.

    Even if this doesn't work at the end, do not see it as a waste of time. No failures are waste of time, they all add to our success in the process. And I believe if you work on it considerably, it might actually work.

    Good luck,
    Nail
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    • Profile picture of the author philboy uk
      Originally Posted by Nail Yener View Post

      Hi Cherry, I'm guessing this is your name. I wish all warriors used their names in their handles, so that we could address them by name. Anyway, I think what you are talking about is something like a local Groupon targeting a specific city.

      The idea sounds good to me indeed. Your site looks nice and it seems you already found two businesses to list. I don't see a reason why such a business model wouldn't work. With a good strategy of marketing and promotion, including social networking you could make this site one of the go-to websites for deals in your city.

      Monetization is an important part and it seems that you haven't decided on it yet. Actually, I might try the very same thing in my city and see how it works out. Thanks for the idea.

      Even if this doesn't work at the end, do not see it as a waste of time. No failures are waste of time, they all add to our success in the process. And I believe if you work on it considerably, it might actually work.

      Good luck,
      Nail

      Hi Nail

      I understand your comment about names, but when your name is nail yener I guess that there are not too many others on the forum sharing this name.

      But when I tried to register as Philip George, this had already been taken, by Philip George ( not suprisingly ).

      So , had to settle for philboy UK.
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    • Profile picture of the author cherry_b
      Originally Posted by Nail Yener View Post

      Monetization is an important part and it seems that you haven't decided on it yet.
      At this point I am honestly not worried about monetization. Without a subscriber base and traffic, getting advertisers would require better sales skills than to simply sell the offline services I offer. So it would be counterproductive for me. I'm mainly looking for a tool that gets my foot in the door with as many local businesses as possible.

      Once the site is going, getting traffic and has a good base of subscribers through email and facebook, then I can monetize it. And trust me, I have solid ideas for monetization

      My primary focus is on getting consulting jobs. I think this is a great way to introduce my company and set us apart from the competitors. And by going in and not attempting to sell, I'm hoping that the opportunity to sell comes up!
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      • Profile picture of the author sprks79
        Cherry,

        Great idea. I have been doing this for a bit now and the clients could not be happier. It s a great way of landing future clients, they get to see what you can do for them and you get to see what they need done. Most of the interested traffic wont be search engine related. Social, like you mentioned, will be the way to go with this. Local, targeted social media. I mean who doesnt like a deal right?

        As far as being on the right track or not, you definitely have something here. Locals are always trying to find the next great deal and if you can deliver it to them then why not. Also, other businesses will eventually see this and then they will come to YOU, not the other way. Keep in line with this and you will see it prosper. Figure out simple ways to monetize and be even more happy.

        Hope it goes well for you!
        Signature

        PBN site builder. Expired domain scraper. Website Hoster.....Oh, and an amazing guy. :)

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        • Profile picture of the author cherry_b
          Originally Posted by sprks79 View Post

          Cherry,

          Great idea. I have been doing this for a bit now and the clients could not be happier. It s a great way of landing future clients, they get to see what you can do for them and you get to see what they need done. Most of the interested traffic wont be search engine related. Social, like you mentioned, will be the way to go with this. Local, targeted social media. I mean who doesnt like a deal right?

          As far as being on the right track or not, you definitely have something here. Locals are always trying to find the next great deal and if you can deliver it to them then why not. Also, other businesses will eventually see this and then they will come to YOU, not the other way. Keep in line with this and you will see it prosper. Figure out simple ways to monetize and be even more happy.

          Hope it goes well for you!
          That's great to hear confirmation from someone who is already doing this
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  • Profile picture of the author philboy uk
    Originally Posted by cherry_b View Post

    Before I go out and waste my time, I'm hoping some fellow offline warriors can give me some feedback on my idea.

    I created a site today geared towards my local area. The site is medinarocksdotcom

    If you look at it, you will see it is not quite done - but you should be able to get the gist of where I'm heading with it. My ultimate goal of the project is to gain a local following of people looking for deals and coupons. My plan is to utilize email opt-ins and a Facebook page to create a way to keep the site and deals in front of people. In other words, I want to build a list of local consumers, which is exactly the group of people we are trying to get our clients in front of.

    I think that if it works, this would be a huge asset to any local client I work with. The end product of our services is customers, having a way to get directly to them seems to me a huge asset you could pass on to your clients.

    Although down the road I see it as feasible to charge for advertising, there is no real profit motive in place now.

    Here's the immediate goal of the project...

    I want a way to walk into businesses, introduce my company and hopefully land some new clients - but without any feeling of sales pressure in the air. I plan to walk in, introduce myself and my company, hand them a card and then jump right into my main reason for being there - to see if they want to put their business on the site for free. They would be helping me out by helping me build the site, and in return they get free advertising.

    I don't plan on mentioning anything about their current online marketing....but will be glad to talk about it when they ask! Even if the topic never comes up, they will at least have my card, know my name and see me as a local businessperson who gave them something absolutely free. And - once they start getting customers from my site, I will gain instant credibility.

    Any feedback at all would be highly appreciated. Am I on the right track? Or am I wasting my time?
    Hi Cherry

    I hope this is a good idea, because I was thinking along the same lines. Had the idea last week after looking at
    XSport Fitness Health Clubs, Spas, Salons, and Tanning | Chicago | New York | Washington D.C. , and noticing the partner deal of the day banner.

    I am creating a local directory and a website for selling marketing services, also not finished.... and will change domain

    Internet Marketing Service On Steroids | Internet Marketing Service

    I will have a banner with deal of the day displayed on both sites. This will link to a facebook page.

    The idea is that businesses can also have a deal of the day banner on their website, and use it to drive people to their facebook page. Of course they will need a facebook page and possibly a mobile website to participate,

    the idea is to create a groupon type strategy, on facebook.
    The concept being that local companies can coloborate to build their online presence and have a platform to put local deals in front of people
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  • Profile picture of the author snovakor
    I think that is your Idea on good Way. I can see on TV sometimes here in Croatia, that we have some sites like yours...yours idea. So, it's working !! My wife was using some of this coupons, too, here in Zagreb, Croatia. So, just do this in your way, and I think you'll success. But you must be patient , you how a lot of work to do !! Good luck !

    Alex
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    • Profile picture of the author rugman
      Good idea! I have been working the same type of thing but industry specific instead of town.
      You could offer a free listing and an upgrade for a fee. Free could include name/address/phone - upgrade includes website/coupon link/QR code/map etc. Banner ads could be another upgrade.
      Get in the door then sell other services - web design - mobile web design etc.
      Signature

      Growing older but not up!

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  • Profile picture of the author Justin Chaschowy
    what are you going to rank it for?

    medina deals
    medina directory
    medina shops/stores
    medina free

    what thought has been given to actually get interested customers to find the site? that would be something the prospects you'll be talking to will be interested in hearing.
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    • Profile picture of the author Nail Yener
      Originally Posted by Justin Chaschowy View Post

      what are you going to rank it for?

      medina deals
      medina directory
      medina shops/stores
      medina free

      what thought has been given to actually get interested customers to find the site? that would be something the prospects you'll be talking to will be interested in hearing.
      In my opinion such deal sites do not rely heavily on search engine traffic. Social Media is a great tool and it can help you market your site in a short time if you know how to use it properly. Think about Groupon, surely they get a lot of search engine traffic but what brought them to the place where they are now is the word of mouth marketing. And if Cherry can host good deals that nobody would like to miss, then visitors will spread the word about the site. And then, the site will get type-in traffic soon.
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    • Profile picture of the author cherry_b
      Originally Posted by Justin Chaschowy View Post

      what are you going to rank it for?

      medina deals
      medina directory
      medina shops/stores
      medina free

      what thought has been given to actually get interested customers to find the site? that would be something the prospects you'll be talking to will be interested in hearing.
      The site will rely on SEO for terms like this, as well as "medina restaurant", "medina landscaper", etc. But as mentioned by others, outlets such as social media, as well as other methods such as window decals for advertisers, will work probably better than search traffic.

      I also plan to work the system out to collect email addresses, facebook "likes" and possibly even sms.
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  • Profile picture of the author cherry_b
    I had some unexpected stuff this morning so wasn't able to get out as much as planned. However, I did make it into one business and the owner was happy to take a spot. She also told me she was opening a second location and was unhappy with her site (website tonight) and would be redoing it. She may do herself, but I can guarantee if she hires someone I will be on her list. She also mentioned that she has friends with businesses

    I think this is going to be a great way to get my name out while building an asset for myself!
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  • Profile picture of the author BC27
    As someone who gets these type of offers many times per week, I would agree that you can't CHARGE upfront until you show some proof. As you mention, getting them to advertise and populate your directory is doing you a favor in the beginning.

    But...I don't see any reason why you couldn't MONETIZE it in the beginning by way of asking for a small percentage of any sale that is made via your directory.

    Again, when I look at these type of offers, I will almost always say yes when there is no upfront cost, and realistically not a lot of effort required on my part (meaning I don't have to create an ad or anything besides giving you what type of coupon/discount I am willing to offer).

    And realistically after I give you that yes, I would have no problem with you getting a tiny slice of the pie if you can bring me business, and only if you bring me business, Why would I? (as long as it's not greedy and doesn't put me into a lose money scenario).

    I believe you getting a small slice would be expected to be honest. If you didn't, the burning questions for me would always be "why would you do this for free?" "What strings attached am I missing?" etc...

    I read in another post you have twins coming? Or did you have them already? Congrats by the way, I have four myself.

    Once you have those kids you are going to be EXTREMELY busy so hopefully you can get your ducks in a row now. There is a large leap from having 2 kids IMHO, you and your wife are now outnumbered so take a deep breath.

    Start that small monetization now, it will add up with multiple vendors.

    -Brian
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    • Profile picture of the author cherry_b
      Originally Posted by BC27 View Post

      As someone who gets these type of offers many times per week, I would agree that you can't CHARGE upfront until you show some proof. As you mention, getting them to advertise and populate your directory is doing you a favor in the beginning.

      But...I don't see any reason why you couldn't MONETIZE it in the beginning by way of asking for a small percentage of any sale that is made via your directory.

      Again, when I look at these type of offers, I will almost always say yes when there is no upfront cost, and realistically not a lot of effort required on my part (meaning I don't have to create an ad or anything besides giving you what type of coupon/discount I am willing to offer).

      And realistically after I give you that yes, I would have no problem with you getting a tiny slice of the pie if you can bring me business, and only if you bring me business, Why would I? (as long as it's not greedy and doesn't put me into a lose money scenario).

      I believe you getting a small slice would be expected to be honest. If you didn't, the burning questions for me would always be "why would you do this for free?" "What strings attached am I missing?" etc...

      I read in another post you have twins coming? Or did you have them already? Congrats by the way, I have four myself.

      Once you have those kids you are going to be EXTREMELY busy so hopefully you can get your ducks in a row now. There is a large leap from having 2 kids IMHO, you and your wife are now outnumbered so take a deep breath.

      Start that small monetization now, it will add up with multiple vendors.

      -Brian
      I definitely see your points, but I have a reason that I am upfront with in regards to what's in it for me. First, I explain that in order to get the project off the ground I need some advertisers. Second, I have no problem explaining that I am a fellow area business owner and that the work I do revolves around helping my clients grow their customer base and revenues. In my area we have a few other competing sites - that all suck, pretty bad. And by suck I mean they are someone who has followed a business model but has no idea how to properly provide the end result of new customers. To the point it is almost disgusting. Great salesman, terrible marketers. And I mean simple stuff. No SEO, using social media minimally and incorrectly, etc. So not only do I have to compete with these sites, I have to show these businesses that I am not just the next money pit for them.

      I explain that at some point there will be a fee, but for the time being I'm just grateful to get some "help".

      However, that is not to say that I plan on waiting years to monetize, I just want to build up some momentum and once I know I can provide a real value, then charge. Another thing to think about is what if I were to charge a fee before the thing really has a following and then be seen in a poor light. I'd hate to market my "main" services to a group I've already failed.

      The thing with a percentage seems to be that it might be fine for larger ticket item, but how would you handle that with a restaurant?

      AND. If I grab 10-20 vendors now without charging and am able to bring them in business over the next few months, I could perceive myself as having a much easier time monetizing them and then selling new customers with the bandwagon effect.

      Again, keep in mind that I'm assuming and hoping that as I go out and start signing up advertisers I will pick up a few new clients. And polish up my sales skills These are my primary short-term goals - the long-term goal for me is monetization. I'm going to take my time and build something solid rather than settling for a few bucks now.

      No - no twins yet, a couple of months to go. Thank you...I'm pretty excited for their arrival! Scared too lol You have 4? Sets of twins or total?
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  • Profile picture of the author bushwood
    Hi Mr. Cherry,

    I put together something like this at MountainHomeDiscounts(dot)com for my local area. Your idea of taking it a step further by using social media is a great idea. If I had more time and/or a salesperson on the street, I think I could make a go of it, but I have had trouble gaining traction with the site. That's mostly due to a lack of marketing funds (I think!). I have several clients on the site, but I don't have the time to devote to it to make it much of a success.

    You are certainly on the right track. Keep at it; I'm sure you'll do well with it.

    Greg
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    • Profile picture of the author rjohnsen
      Originally Posted by bushwood View Post

      Hi Mr. Cherry,

      I put together something like this at MountainHomeDiscounts(dot)com for my local area. Greg
      Using the *Market Theme* as a directory - genius! Thanks.
      Now if it were only mobile-friendly...
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  • Profile picture of the author MelJames
    I think it's great what you're doing. If you have time and resources to do it, and it is something of help for others, then it's wonderful. I hope your project will be successful
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    Melanie James
    entrepreneur/writer
    Get free tips on credit card processing, merchant cash advance, and other credit card merchant services.

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    • Profile picture of the author BC27
      Sounds like you definitely thought it through, just wanted to point it out so that upfront money opportunity wasn't missed.

      You're doing a good thing for the local business' for sure.

      I have 4 total, no twins (all singles). It's busy, but lot's of fun too!

      -Brian
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  • Profile picture of the author cherry_b
    I really appreciate everyone's feedback...I love this forum

    @Brian - we'll be at 4 after the twins, so luckily not a newbie in that department. But yes, I've been working round the clock trying to get those ducks in a row! I would like to monetize quickly, but after past projects have learned that sometimes it is better to build the quality and then the money flows in much easier. Since I already have an income stream I am going to follow through and wait until I have an awesome value for my customers.

    I put up a Facebook page as well - MedinaRocks.com - Medina OH Rocks | Facebook

    That's it for now - gotta get away from computer and go make some money
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