Name of your website?NI TRAVEL
Your name?
Robert Jones
Your Location (city, etc)
Banbridge, Co.Down
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Although still in the early stages, It will offer a comprehensive guide to travelling in Northern Ireland. It won't focus on the one or two main attractions but rather encompass attractions all around Northern Ireland and promote companies within the Northern Ireland travel industry.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
Many companies can find the costs of marketing their own sites expensive and most times people are not sure about how to market their sites online. I wanted to provide a Northern Ireland Travel Community website where companies can leave their information and leave the marketing to us as NI TRAVEL. We will drive relevant traffic into the site and this will in turn increase profits without the high costs of doing it alone. Economic regenerations and economic promotion within the North of Ireland.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
It is has been live for a week now but it has not been officially launched. We look forward to creating a media student for its launch. I won't give the stunt away right now because of copy cats but watch this space to see how we promote national interest in the site.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
My friend thought it sounded cool.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
It has a uniques selling point. It rolling pictures as an introduction to the company that is advertising. For example, if you have a B&B you can submit pictures that will give the tourist a better feel for the accomodation. If you have an outdoor adventure park we can provide rolling pictures of the adventure park so that visitors have a better feel for what they are buying into.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
I would like to have residual income from it and perhaps branch out into other areas.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
Well I don't have much at the moment so the story is yet to be told. I do have a BA and a Masters but i'm fresh and will relish the experience.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I wouldn't it. I would probably use the money to spend more time designing and building the site myself.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Absolutely, there is no rest for the wicked and there's plenty of sleep to be had when you die.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Many, learning HTML code, CSS, Flash, Fireworks, contact form CGI Script which i'm still unclear on. However, the only cost is the love of doing it.
What has been your biggest challenge?
It has been smooth sailing for now. I'm sure building a clientle list and promoting online will cause me some heart ache but i'm prepared to learn.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
This is the first test. I have set up google analytics and look forward to anlaysing how well this interview has promoted my site. I've been studying alot about site like squidoo etc... and hope I can build traffic that way. I feel the most succesful will be offering free packages for tourists. I mean, companies get together each offering a little something, then tie it all up and promote it. The increase traffic and sales from the free media the packages drums up should cover any costs.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
A lot more time consuming. I have to learn to multi task better and learn not to be a spider following links around the web.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
One week, I hope to keep it going for many years to come.
Will this make a millionare?
no, but it will teach me valuable skills that will help me grow other companies in the future.
What is your website address?
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