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Got off the fastlane path - working on returning!

Jav100

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Hi,

Like many of you, I came across the book was totally motivated! I have been wanting to be an entrepreneur for a long time. I started my journey around early 2000s with basic web programming, including a basic local classified website, an eCommerce website selling candles, then a local news site, and then finally launched a health and fitness website named reviewagym.com - the website allows visitors to find, rate, and review gyms as well as access relevant content. It is more or less a Yelp for gyms.

I put the website together on my own using a content management system, modules/apps, and my own graphic skills. I also put together a basic sales/marketing strategy. It still exists today and contains several hundred reviews. The website did not take off monetary wise (not enough to retire or sell anyway) - I was hoping Google would buy it, but never received any offers! :( During the time, I was in my mid/late 20s and looking back I could have devoted more energy and time to it but was fighting the urges and things people in their 20s like to do! Also looking back I did not educate myself enough about marketing.

I am a few years older now and have a sales and marketing background, and with that I am more experienced and educated, and have way more capital thankfully. With my better position I would like to give it another go, although today I am not sure if it will hold up on its own with many well known sites offering similar functionality (i.e. Yelp, Google Reviews, Facebook reviews) so I am now considering building a bigger health and fitness site.

I read a post about Learning to Program or not (I only known HTML / and some CSS) and decided to take a into level class to web development to touch on the basics but plan to outsource anything complicated. I tried outsourcing once and got burned so looking forward to learning the right way this time - I saw a user by the name of Healthstatus offer a session around this so I plan to join the INSIDERS group.

I am working full time which limits my ability to work on my fastlane though with my mental energy drained by the evening.

My question to you all is what do you think of the website? I see a few review sites which focus on niche areas and do fairly well. I realize my site can use a few features (forums, more content, interactive content, mobile app etc.).

I am also a domain name slum lord so with some capital I look forward to building some other sites.

Looking forward to learning from you as I move back into the fastlane and exit at the right place this time around. :)

Thanks again to MJ Marco for writing the book which really opened my eyes again!
 
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Guest34764

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Honest opinion?

Looks like you hired someone from Fiverr to make it.

If you can completely re-design the website and make it look less 200 A.D It might do a bit better.

Also, the search function doesn't find all gyms.I know a few around here that weren't listed when I searched.
 

Hyrum

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Jul 5, 2016
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It is more or less a Yelp for gyms.

And here I thought that the Yelp for gyms was, well, Yelp. :cool:

I would recommend that before putting a lot of time and dollars into updating the site, try to find out what problems customers have that Yelp is not solving for them. Then solve that problem.
 

OldFaithful

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My opinion is that this website should be built around a mobile interface, or perhaps a mobile app. Most young folks looking for a local gym will check their phone first before they break out the laptop, and then lastly fire up the desktop.
 

Jav100

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Jun 20, 2016
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Thanks for the honest feedback - I created the site in 2009 so it definitely needs a face-lift. I purchased a new template so that is on the list. Search functionality is indeed poor although the zip code search works accurately.

What do you think of the other sites that offer review/ratings functionality? Do you think they have such a stronghold that it does not make sense to pursue? I think what was mentioned above around trying to identify issues customers are having with is key so I will take some time to do that.

Another idea is to make this website a part of a larger planned site and make the reviews and ratings a feature of it.

Yes, I have plans to introduce a mobile app.


Honest opinion?

Looks like you hired someone from Fiverr to make it.

If you can completely re-design the website and make it look less 200 A.D It might do a bit better.

Also, the search function doesn't find all gyms.I know a few around here that weren't listed when I searched.
 

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