Getting a Website Off the Ground

How does a website start?

[cybersheriff]

Always wondered, how does a website start. I mean, OK, I have a wonderful idea, I have the skills, I create a beauty of a site. For example some sorta classifieds site. Now what? How do I get my first few customers?

What will the first few customers see for the first few days? Empty site? I am pretty sure none of my first customers are going to return back?

How does it all get started - the non technical, business side of a website?

Any experiences to share?

[stuntdubl]

Hi cybersheriff, and welcome to webmasterworld.

The short answer to your question is Brett's timeless post:
26 steps to 15k a Day [searchengineworld.com] which covers a majority of the basic issues of promoting a website.

The long answer is that there are LOTS of experiences that are shared at WW on a daily basis on how a website can succeed (as well as fail).

Here's a few more of my personal favorites, that may be of use:

Building the Perfect Page I & II [webmasterworld.com]

Search Engine Theme Pyramids [searchengineworld.com]

WebmasterWorld Welcome Guide to the Basics [webmasterworld.com]

SEO History [webmasterworld.com]

Beginner's Guide to Web Promotion [webmasterworld.com]

A Dropped Site Checklist [webmasterworld.com]

Search Form on WW [webmasterworld.com]

[treeline]

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

If you build a beautiful classified ad site, and say to the world "Come look at it!" A few will come and take a look, see that there is nothing there and leave. They'll leave either because there is nothing there for them to buy, or because it's not worth trying to sell something where obviously no one is using the site. There's plenty of useless sites on the internet. They won't be back.

So, a few suggestions to work around this:

have your friends list everything they can BEFORE launch

work with a few related businesses to get them to list items BEFORE launch

offer early ads at no charge

keep the initial number of categories low, so they all look full

provide other worthwhile content to make visiting rewarding for reasons other than ads

Some advertising on or off-line helps (or guerilla marketing)

Good Luck!