Steve Parks

Solving the 3 problems of online business models

Online business models face new twists on the evergreen challenges that all business face - how to win customers, support customers in using the product or service, and how to keep the customers you've won.

Joshua Porter from Bokardo Social Web Design has prepared the fantastic presentation above, with some ideas on solving the three challenges he identifies:

1. The Signup Problem
Can you imagine if a real-world shop made you signup before letting you buy anything - making you fill out your name, address, email etc? Well online businesses have to put this extra stage in the way of potential customers - and it's one of the biggest drop-out points. How can this be improved?

2. The First Time Use Problem
People are trying out your product or service, but don't know what to do. How can you help them understand it, and get involved with it, before they give up and don't come back?

3. The Ongoing Engagement Problem
How do you keep users involved and active - and how do you build enough traction in a community based site (ie the chicken/egg problem of whoch comes first lots of users, or a valuable site?).

The presentation is mainly aimed at social web services, but applies to all online businesses. It really is well worth viewing the presentation at least twice to soak up all the information and ideas.

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