Forum Moderators: not2easy
I am currently preparing a website on a specific sport/recreation/vacation activity, kind of an old man's hobby, and wondered whether you could give some advice on how to identify interests and needs of my potential users.
It will deal a lot with technical aspects, gear reviews, book reviews, and guides. However, I feel it lacks "bite" or originality. I would like to use the dry content as a basis; what I need now is some kind of teaser, something that will attract attention.
Any idea how I can proceed? Help with my brainstorming?
Crystal Pegasus.
Are there magazines in this sector? I'm certain there will be. One of the keys to finding a new approach is to find a new perspective on the same things you've looked at a million times before.
In the magazines there will be a couple of columnists - alleged experts of one sort or another invited to write regular contributions for the target market. Pretty obviously the columnist will write about a subject that they know well, and they'll invariably do it with a different perspective than most others do. They, after all, have a lot of experience in the subject matter and can see it in a way that very few others do.
Also, these type of people can be ahead of the game - they can see what may affect the sector they specialise in many months in advance because they have their proverbial finger on the pulse.
Find and read these columns - whilst to the outsider they can look very dull, to the insider they can offer unique insight.
Find out what they're talking about in these columns and I'm sure, if you look closely you'll find a potential goldmine of new ideas because they'll be presented to you from the different perspective that's so important to see familiar things anew.
Beyond trying to see what they may see, you could always - if it would fit in with your online offering - ask them to be a guest/regular contributor...
Syzygy
W.
