Internet Marketing Tycoon

**protospike** · 08-03-2008, 01:26 PM

Has anybody had the chicken or the egg problem before? I'm talking about user profile based sites like dating sites. With no users, nobody else is going to join because the site would be useless. If someone has been in this type of situation before but managed to achieve a critical mass of users, can you tell of your strategies/experiences?

**willcode4beer** · 08-03-2008, 03:46 PM

There is no chicken and egg problem. Chickens are engineered, the egg came first. The bird that laid the egg was not a chicken.
If you are in this situation, then it means you need to change approaches, or you are missing the bigger picture.

Let's take your dating site example. Shouldn't you have a plan, to get people to sign up, before you even start coding the site? before the first line of html?

When confronted with so called chicken and egg problems, it is time to stand back, get some perspective, and change your approach.

**The-Pixel** · 08-03-2008, 03:49 PM

I've never had the problem but, I have some ideas that might help you out. Lets assume that money is not an issue with you. I would get a great web designer to make you some amazing flash banners. Then take them flash banners and buy web space. It would help if you buy web space off websites that's related to your website. The best thing to do is get alot of people to add your website this will create more backlinks and in the end make your website larger and more valuable. I wouldn't spam your link. People are not stupid they will catch on to this and see your a "spamer" and then they will want NOTHING to do with you or your website. I hope I was helpful.

**protospike** · 07:26 AM

First of all thanks very much for the suggestions guys!

But I think the chicken and egg problem is real and it's a problem with every dating-type site which is just starting up. Paul Graham from a major internet VC firm YCombinator mentions it on http://ycombinator.com/ideas.html. It's No. 8

Quote:

Shouldn't you have a plan to get people to sign up, before you even start coding the site? before the first line of html?

I always had a plan -- to get friends to sign up first but that strategy has already failed. If that seems like a crappy plan, remember I'm a software engineering student after all, and not a marketer or businessman.

Quote:

get some perspective, and change your approach.

Could you elaborate on that?

So back to the original question - how do you come up with a plan to get around the chicken and egg issue? If I were a marketer by training, I wouldn't need to be asking for help in the marketing forum.

Thanks ;-)

**willcode4beer** · 08-04-2008, 01:02 PM

I'm a software engineer by trade so I understand where you are coming from.

I'd say the proof is, look at all of the successful dating sites out there. They all faced the same issue starting up.

Some options to consider:

tell people it's new, offer something special to the first to sign up, free membership?
spend lots on marketing
target a region or community
try to get you friends from your various social networks to signup
make a facebook widget for your dating site
use the opensocial API to integrate your site with various social networks
tell your "friends" about the problem, and ask them to sign-up again. Ask them for advice too.

Some less ethical options:

don't let people browse profiles until after they sign up. this is riskier, but, it keeps people from seeing how little there is.
create fake profiles
hire people to sign up (just like the ones who do forums)

BTW, I'd be very careful with the less ethical options, they could come back to haunt you. Sites have been caught doing these.

The main thing is, when starting a business, you really need to put together a solid plan first. You know, write a business plan. Getting started by using friends is ok, but, you'd better have a lot of friends.

**MikeB21** · 08-04-2008, 02:48 PM

You can also jump-start your site. There are professionals who offers such service. I've used them before, mostly for forum, but I think it should work just fine with your site as well.

Try to talk to fachry.hamid@dabadum.com, tell him Mark sent you

If you're looking for a more conventional way, you can have your friends signing up for starters. Look around, and you might find resources around you...

**francis84** · 08-05-2008, 02:41 AM

How will you make them sign up if you will not code the site first? Or;
How will you start promoting a site that is still under development / construction?

Build your website first; then after this, start promoting it.

**UCDaZ** · 08-05-2008, 03:52 AM

Leverage other social media sites and give your early adopters benefits.

**seolman** · 01:18 AM

no reason to join = no members. You'll need something like: "first 100 members get $1000 each" (eggxaggerated I know but you get the idea). Offer something for free, a chance at a prize, free trip to ?? - something to get the ball rolling. After you get your first 100 members it will start to grow on it's own, eventually hatching into a viable business. It may even become a great little nest egg for your retirement...

**eautocad** · 08-06-2008, 02:41 AM

I hear you can jumpstart forums if you have a large group of people that are your friends, neighbors, etc. Start some relevant topics and go at it.

**PPC Coach** · 08-08-2008, 09:10 PM

It's easy, you run grand opening specials. Discounts on memberships work awesome. People know that a new site isn't going to have many members from day one, so embrace that fact. Make it a selling point instead of a negative:

"Grand Opening Dating Site XYQ :: Be The First Group In!"