What do you think of my website idea "Vacation Discovery"?

[Zachary Burt]

Vacation Discovery....like StumbleUpon, but shows awesome places you can go within a certain budget..


maybe categories
"Castles"
"East Asia"
"Tropical"
"Waterfalls"
"Jungles"
"Deserts"


It would have to be:

1) Very picture-oriented, so you can fantasize and browse (escapism)

2) Able to filter by price easily, and include airfare

Good business model, fun to use, win win win.

 

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

[JEdwards]

Sounds great, How much cash do you have to market it?

 

[Zachary Burt]

I guess the question is Cost of Customer Acquisition going to be cheaper LTV?
I wonder what the economics of travel commissions are... If you get 5% of whatever it costs to book a vacation... and people are booking $1000 vacations ... that's $50.
And assume that 1% of visitors who visit the site end up using us to book a vacation thats 50 cents a user.
And I think you can target YUPpies on Facebook for around that

 

[Zachary Burt]

Of course, if the product is really compelling, it will be social/viral, people will use it when they're bored.

 

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

[JEdwards]

Actually Zach, You should be able to find in this type of deal (specialty vacations)you can get 15%-18%...

Before starting this, you need to study up on the Travel industry.

 

[Zachary Burt]

OK, good call. I think it would also make a good business to sell industry reports. For example if I wanted to read up on the travel industry where would I start? But I'd gladly pay $99 for a full report on all the latest data. Top websites, spending habits, demographics, preferences, blah blah blah....



Where do you go if you want to read up on an industry?

 

[Likwid24]

Google!

 

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

[Zachary Burt]

Google!

You should put together a guide on how to research an industry via Google. That would be a great act of leadership :coco: and be very beneficial to the community.

Do it!

 

[mayana]

Hey! I think it's a pretty creative idea... if I were you, I'd brainstorm to think of all the revenue channels that you could create from your website, then pick the very best ones.

Hopefully, you've read "the book" and you will keep those principles in mind when choosing.

As far as research goes, Google is a great place to find information for free. I wouldn't actually PAY for information until you are MUCH further along in your idea. As far as putting together a guide, that would be cool - especially if you are thinking of having a blog as well (perhaps targeted towards travel agents or other professionals) and you could provide the guide either for free (as a prize for signing up for your e-mail list, for example), or sell it for a small price (yay!).

If you get serious about this, I think you could go really far!

Good luck!!!

 

[darkjediii]

you've got the first part of the equation below.

great idea * great execution = million$$$

 

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

[Zachary Burt]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I am going to mull on this idea. I feel like I go after too many base hits and should be going after bigger markets. I think this is a bigger market. Since it's a serious endeavor it requires more planning and hemming and hawing before I take the plunge. In the mean time I would love to continue discussing and brainstorming. I think ultimately the success of this website simply depends on design. So the question is whether I can find it in myself to create an epic design or whether I can convince an epic designer to join me. Of course I can hire an epic designer but the really good designers - I mean the *really* good ones - cost in the neighborhood of $500/hr. And I feel that is too much to invest for a not yet vetted idea. So let it stew, let it stew..

And yes I have read "the book". How do I get the badge from MJ?

 

[darkjediii]

you can get an epic designer for $100/hr

 

[Zachary Burt]

Let me clarify
In this case the design is an end itself not a means to an end
For example this forum has awful design. I just hit "reply to thread" and it deleted my post, I meant to hit quick reply. I'm unable to stay logged in via FB connect. The color scheme is annoying. But it works and I use it because it solves my problem, finding a forum to connect with likeminded people.
In the case of my project the design is an end in itself. It would require a visual designer AND a ux designer all rolled into one. Someone gifted and 99th %ile. And those don't come cheap. Think Wufoo, MailCheat(Chimp), DustinCurtis.

 

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

[onehundredk]

Don't worry about design first stick with a basic design first if you have pictures on your website then it will look good enough. Your main concern should be seo and the keywords you want to target in Google. Also check out commission junction it has lots of affiliates for travel like expedia.

 

[darkjediii]

stop talking yourself out of it

 

[biophase]

L I just hit "reply to thread" and it deleted my post, I meant to hit quick reply.

LOL, that happens to me all the time!!

 

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

[snowbank]

the really good designers - I mean the *really* good ones - cost in the neighborhood of $500/hr. And I feel that is too much to invest for a not yet vetted idea.

your thought process is backwards.

you need to solve how you're going to create an atm machine. then worry about making your atm machine pretty. not the other way around.

 

[Zachary Burt]

your thought process is backwards.

you need to solve how you're going to create an atm machine. then worry about making your atm machine pretty. not the other way around.

did you even read my post?
a little slow in the head maybe?
i said here the design IS the end
that is, the design is the factor that makes it go viral
not some slow-a$$, super-competitive SEO process.. that's another "me-too"
"if you keep doing what everyone else is doing you are going to get the results everyone else has gotten" "everyone would be rich"

most SEO chumps are losers

 

[snowbank]

a little slow in the head maybe?

i hope that's not it

i said here the design IS the end
that is, the design is the factor that makes it go viral
not some slow-a$$, super-competitive SEO process.. that's another "me-too"
"if you keep doing what everyone else is doing you are going to get the results everyone else has gotten" "everyone would be rich"

most SEO chumps are losers

i didn't suggest seo at all, but sounds like you're a bit more advanced talking about all this viral stuff so i'm not the right person to give advice.

 

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

[JEdwards]

a little slow in the head maybe?
"

Well you wanted to join a forum with like minded people..

Welcome!

 

[Runum]

Well you wanted to join a forum with like minded people..

Welcome!

Dang Jack, you crack me up.

 

[Runum]

Let me clarify....
The color scheme is annoying. But it works and I use it because it solves my problem, finding a forum to connect with likeminded people.

Not so sure that we are all that like minded. I usually don't insult the host of the house when I come in for a visit.

 

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

[mrhahn]

For example this forum has awful design. I just hit "reply to thread" and it deleted my post, I meant to hit quick reply. I'm unable to stay logged in via FB connect. The color scheme is annoying.

Yup there's a lot of things I would change about vbulletin.
I'm pretty picky with site design, but I have no issues with this color scheme.

did you even read my post?
a little slow in the head maybe?
i said here the design IS the end
that is, the design is the factor that makes it go viral
not some slow-a$$, super-competitive SEO process.. that's another "me-too"
"if you keep doing what everyone else is doing you are going to get the results everyone else has gotten" "everyone would be rich"

most SEO chumps are losers

Making a lot of friends here I see. If you want to ask for advice I'd suggest being a bit more open to criticism.

SEO is such a broad term. That shows your lack of imagination and ability to think outside the box.

I understand where you're coming from, the design is what is going to make the first impression and give it that wow factor to spread. However, what we're trying to get at is that it's not everything. There's a lot more to think about than just UX.

 

[livitup]

So one thing I am not sure of is if

• you plan to be a travel agent and create packages, and then market those packages using an innovative website

or

• you plan to advertise the travel packages put together by other people and get paid for leads or commissions.

Depending on how you answer I have some comments that might help you, and some questions for you.

 

[biophase]

I think ultimately the success of this website simply depends on design.

Please explain. Do you mean design as it look and feel or features?

I don't agree with you but I'm curious to understand why you think that? What vacation sites are you going to try to compete against?

 

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

[CEBenz]

did you even read my post?
a little slow in the head maybe?
i said here the design IS the end
that is, the design is the factor that makes it go viral
not some slow-a$$, super-competitive SEO process.. that's another "me-too"
"if you keep doing what everyone else is doing you are going to get the results everyone else has gotten" "everyone would be rich"

most SEO chumps are losers

Oh this isn't going to go well.



Btw, Pretty doesn't go viral, entertaining and useful go viral. Facemash sure wasn't pretty.

 

[TK1]

did you even read my post?
a little slow in the head maybe?

most SEO chumps are losers

Hey slow down with stuff like this, mate, snowbank was just making a motivating post to help you out

PS: Having a cocky mind like this won't help your bank and certainly won't make you more friends that will help you out around here

 

[TK1]

that is, the design is the factor that makes it go viral

Just curious:

Show us ONE website that has gone viral because of it's design and NOT because of the idea/content etc.

Hint: Take a look at the top companies in the world and you'll see many of them that made even billions without having the best looking design.

 

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

[GlobalWealth]

did you even read my post?
a little slow in the head maybe?

Fantastic, we have found another punk a$$ 23 yr old kid who thinks he knows it all and doesn't want to listen to those who are much more successful.

 

[458]

craigslist is beautiful