Hi Dick, and everyone else, I feel kind of alone posting a comment, no-one else seems to be that interested, but here goes again! Do you think people are missing the point when it comes to targeting the Boomer market? Are folks more driven by greed for the perceived potential, rather than by the desire to provide useful stuff and have fun? When I launched wanobe.com, I and my team naturally realised we had to monetize the site in order to survive, but our aim from the start was actually to enjoy doing what we were doing rather than just earning (or trying to earn) big bucks. After six months we appreciate that it is going to take time to grow organically. Unlike EONS we are not spending money like crazy on advertising, online or traditional. We've said wanobe.com will live or die because people find it fun, useful and, well, a 'friend'... but it's up to our users. After six months we have around 900 registered members, does not sound a lot, I know, but it means we are slowly building a presence rather than buying a footprint. Sagazone has 30,000 plus, but they belong to a huge organistaion that ha sbeen selling to the 50 plus market for some 40 years or more. So they have an immense bucket to delve into - at Wanobe we will only survive if we can keep on delivering stuff people like, and encouraging them to add their own content. Phew! Will we survive? Yes, and by the way we are launching French and Swedish versions on March 31, 2008. Will we be mega successful in 12 months? No idea, but we'll be around. Thanks for all your interest ....
Thanks for your comments. Hope this clarifies my position.
1. Do you think people are missing the point when it comes to targeting the Boomer market? Yes and no. Come on I am a consultant. What else would you expect me to say?
Seriously, people are wrong to target the “Boomer Market” – there isn’t such a thing – it is like saying I am targeting women or men. No, they should get serious about matching their marketing priority to reflect the potential of the older people. This is not just semantics it is fundamental
2. Are folks more driven by greed for the perceived potential, rather than by the desire to provide useful stuff and have fun?
Absolutely. Useful stuff and having fun might be conditional factors in achieving your business objectives but unless you are a charity you have to be serious about the commercial factors involved.
3. From the start we were trying to enjoy doing what we were doing rather than just earning (or trying to earn) big bucks.
Commendable and very sensible. As long as you having fun equates to the users of Wanobe having fun that in turn contributes to its commercial success then that’s fine.
4. After six months we have around 900 registered members, does not sound a lot, I know, but it means we are slowly building a presence rather than buying a footprint.
If I was advising you as a consultant I would ask you how many registered users do you need to breakeven (I mean really breakeven). At the current rate of user acquisition (and user leakage) how long is this going to take? My guess it is a long, long time.
Bottom Line. It sounds like you guys are having fun which is great, but will you get the business to the point where it becomes self-funding? Now if I were a betting guy …….
2 comments:
Hi Dick, and everyone else,
I feel kind of alone posting a comment, no-one else seems to be that interested, but here goes again!
Do you think people are missing the point when it comes to targeting the Boomer market? Are folks more driven by greed for the perceived potential, rather than by the desire to provide useful stuff and have fun?
When I launched wanobe.com, I and my team naturally realised we had to monetize the site in order to survive, but our aim from the start was actually to enjoy doing what we were doing rather than just earning (or trying to earn) big bucks.
After six months we appreciate that it is going to take time to grow organically.
Unlike EONS we are not spending money like crazy on advertising, online or traditional. We've said wanobe.com will live or die because people find it fun, useful and, well, a 'friend'... but it's up to our users.
After six months we have around 900 registered members, does not sound a lot, I know, but it means we are slowly building a presence rather than buying a footprint.
Sagazone has 30,000 plus, but they belong to a huge organistaion that ha sbeen selling to the 50 plus market for some 40 years or more. So they have an immense bucket to delve into - at Wanobe we will only survive if we can keep on delivering stuff people like, and encouraging them to add their own content.
Phew! Will we survive? Yes, and by the way we are launching French and Swedish versions on March 31, 2008. Will we be mega successful in 12 months? No idea, but we'll be around.
Thanks for all your interest ....
Dave
david noble
ceo and founder Wanobe.com
Dave
Thanks for your comments. Hope this clarifies my position.
1. Do you think people are missing the point when it comes to targeting the Boomer market?
Yes and no. Come on I am a consultant. What else would you expect me to say?
Seriously, people are wrong to target the “Boomer Market” – there isn’t such a thing – it is like saying I am targeting women or men. No, they should get serious about matching their marketing priority to reflect the potential of the older people. This is not just semantics it is fundamental
2. Are folks more driven by greed for the perceived potential, rather than by the desire to provide useful stuff and have fun?
Absolutely. Useful stuff and having fun might be conditional factors in achieving your business objectives but unless you are a charity you have to be serious about the commercial factors involved.
3. From the start we were trying to enjoy doing what we were doing rather than just earning (or trying to earn) big bucks.
Commendable and very sensible. As long as you having fun equates to the users of Wanobe having fun that in turn contributes to its commercial success then that’s fine.
4. After six months we have around 900 registered members, does not sound a lot, I know, but it means we are slowly building a presence rather than buying a footprint.
If I was advising you as a consultant I would ask you how many registered users do you need to breakeven (I mean really breakeven). At the current rate of user acquisition (and user leakage) how long is this going to take? My guess it is a long, long time.
Bottom Line. It sounds like you guys are having fun which is great, but will you get the business to the point where it becomes self-funding? Now if I were a betting guy …….
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