AM: Customer Acquisition via the Web

[glafever@womenconnect.com]

Linda, thank you for the kind reference to Women's 
Connection Online (we're migrating to our URL as our 
tradename, Womenconnect.com - that way, we don't have 
to count on someone including our URL in a story, etc. to 
get traffic!).  

On the subject of customer acquisition, we have grown traffic 
to our site by 3000% over the last year without paid advertising
- we work with women business owner/professional women 
associations to publicize ourselves through their existing 
meetings/publications (thinking outside of the box may identify
strategic associations that other sites could work with to increase 
traffic) - we offer them a free presence/visibility/links on our site in 
return for the publicity; we also agressively search the Web for
relevant sites with whom we can cross-link (again with a focus 
on nonprofits - you have to be careful about giving free links to 
commercial sites since you can gut your advertising revenue), 
lastly, we issue regular content/press releases on what's coming 
next week, etc. on our site - they have started to be picked up by
NetGuide, MSNBC, Pointcast and others.  

On the revenue side, we do sell advertising on our site but that 
only accounts for 1/2 of our revenue projections - we believe in a 
balanced revenue plan - we shoot for 1/4 revenue from affiliate-
based e-commerce programs (e.g., 1-800-Flowers, Barnes & 
Noble, etc.) and 1/4 from affinity programs that we develop jointly
with partners (e.g., our co-branded ISP offering with IBM, our
discount brokerage services with National Discount Brokers, etc.)
- although we think the affinity programs could be the real sleeper
and actually out perform the others.  Hope this is helpful!
--
Gary LaFever, Sr. VP
Womenconnect.com
8260 Greensboro Drive/Ste 200A
McLean, Virginia 22102
703.556.9662 ext. 101 glafever@womenconnect.com



> -----Original Message-----
> From:   Linda Kolker [SMTP:lkolker@erols.com]
> Sent:   Wednesday, May 13, 1998 7:32 PM
> To:     ad-marketing@netpreneur.org
> Subject:        RE: AM: Customer Acquisition via the Web

> I think Terry's notion of using the unique properties of the Web as a
> medium, namely interactivity, is right on target. There is, of course, the
> issue of how quickly the community can be expanded in order to generate ad
> revenues. And the issue of getting end-users to pay for Web content is
> still a big unknown. But certainly Womens Connect Online serves as one
> model of a revenue-generating online community.
>
> Linda
> ____________
> LeapFrog Solutions
> Board of Directors, New Media Society of Washington
> v. 301-593-8545  f.301-593-8058



> -----Original Message-----
> From:   brobins@merlin.netresponse.com [SMTP:brobins@merlin.netresponse.com]
> Sent:   Tuesday, May 12, 1998 9:06 PM
> To:     ad-marketing@netpreneur.org
> Subject:        AM: Customer Acquisition via the Web
>
> AM-
>
> NetResponse is an internet consulting and development agency.  One of
> our clients is in the midst of planning an aggressive customer
> acquisition campaign.  The client is a web based publication, which
> recently migrated to a subscription model.
>
> Thus far, banner ads have not been a cost effective channel.  I was
> wondering what experiences, thoughts, or recommendations people had in
> regards to alternative customer acquisition vehicles.
>
> We are looking at list rental for direct email, text ads on email lists,
> and sponsorships, as well as testing off line advertising mechanisms
> (direct mail, print, and local NPR).
>
> Thank you-
> Bill Robins