Getting the initial user base

[Giles]

Hey,
I've been thinking about a possible website idea recently, and someting my mind keeps wandering back to is the Catch 22 - Without users, there is no draw card for other users to join, so how do you get the ball rolling so to speak?

Take Elance.com for example. They now have thousands of jobs offered everyday, as well as thousands of people taking those jobs.

What do you think the first steps for them to get the first 1000 jobs listed were?

Populate the site themselves taking ads from other sites?

Cold-call companies that might use the site and offer them it free for 6 months?

Wait for it to grow naturally, even when the site had 0 listings?

I know going to a site with 0 members, or 0 listings is off putting. Even going to a site with 50, 100, or 200 members is kind of dull.

So whats the best way to get that initial momentum? (Can we use Elance or similar as an example?)

Thanks,
Matt!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[fanocks2003]

So whats the best way to get that initial momentum? (Can we use Elance or similar as an example?)

Thanks,
Matt!

"Refer 10 friends and get $100. Refer 100 friends and get a trip to Bahamas"?

Get the first 5 people on board by using the founders own crowd of friends.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

1) FREE
2) Promotions / Incentives
3) Imported/Scraped/Public domain Ads

I built my site on imported, free ads. Once companies saw other companies (not knowing if they were free or paid) they started to join.

 

[LightHouse]

1) FREE
2) Promotions / Incentives
3) Imported/Scraped/Public domain Ads

I built my site on imported, free ads. Once companies saw other companies (not knowing if they were free or paid) they started to join.

welp... summed that up pretty much, haha.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Giles]

1) FREE
2) Promotions / Incentives
3) Imported/Scraped/Public domain Ads

I built my site on imported, free ads. Once companies saw other companies (not knowing if they were free or paid) they started to join.

Perfect answer thanks. I'm also thinking imported/free ads are the best way to go.

So how did you do this. A script to crawl other sites, and re-publish them on your own site? At the moment im thinking an outsourced team (India - $3ph) would be best, so visit the mess of sites in this niche around the internet and consolidate it all in one place on mine.

 

[Redshft]

Good question and this is something that has been on my mind lately as I near a public launch of my site.

In my case, I will have free membership, but I am planning on doing some type of promotion/drawing to get a solid member base going. I have a few ideas on the table, but will probably consult with my fellow members here to figure out the best, most efficient one.

 

[mmmoney]

3) Imported/Scraped/Public domain Ads

I built my site on imported, free ads. Once companies saw other companies (not knowing if they were free or paid) they started to join.

what are imported,free ads

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[ryanpal]

what are imported,free ads

i'd like to know as well.