4 ms·

Ask HN: Need ideas for a project with good domain but minimal revenue

3 points by markhall 15y ago

I have owned the domain http://happy21stbirthday.com for some years now and haven't been able to really monetize it into residual income. I think it's a good domain and the organic traffic is steady, but I haven't been able to find the right approach for this site. By nature of the domain, it relates to young people involved with 21st birthdays. Any ideas on how to revitalize this site? I'm looking for any quick suggestions to consider on how to turn this project into a potential additional revenue stream.

kls 15y ago
Obviously the best market involves drinking if it is going to be US based. Being that 21 is the legal drinking age, I think I would try to do something where bars and liquor labels give discounts, coupons, incentives to birthday goes that are going out on the big night. This is a huge target market for them and offering a venue to reach that customer would be valuable if you can generate the traffic.
- markhall 15y ago
  Thanks kls for the great advice. I will definitely consider what you mentioned. My only concern is the sales force required to reach out to large bar-chains or liquor labels to secure a deal. I'm going to think about the best approach. Thanks for the suggestion.
md1515 15y ago
Perhaps just have a bar/club locator for the users geo-location. If I log-in from San Francisco,CA then the site would automatically recognize my location/zip code and give me the closest bars in the area. Or better yet, you could parse information from Yelp and return searches with the best bars and clubs in the users' locale. Then just slap some adverts on it.
- markhall 15y ago
  I have been getting some similar suggestions like this and it appears that its a popular one. I'm definitely thinking about how to use bar/club locators and reviews. My only concern is whether or not I can attract enough users/visitors to sustain a profitable model. The customer acquisition cost may be too high for an ad model. Still considering it. Thanks md1515!
aorshan 15y ago
I have a few ideas. 1) create a website similar to texts from last night where people can post funny stories and etc. 2) allow people to review bars and post their opinions on their experiences
- markhall 15y ago
  Thanks aorshan! I definitely thought about the TFLN concept, but I think the idea may be overdone and not widespread enough for a niche audience of 21st birthdays. Regarding #2, I'm considering the best options to integrate it.
macca321 15y ago
Here's a cheery idea... A charity site where you gather donations for diseases which kill before the age of 21.
- markhall 15y ago
  I would love to involve some social good, but I also would like to make it a profitable venture. I am a strong believer that the maximum value is created when creators/team members are incentivized (by profits) to continue the work even through rough times. Any ideas on how to build a social venture while still being profitable?
pkamb 15y ago
Turn it into a "website e-card" that people send to each other just by posting the URL on their Facebook walls, etc. Similar to how people post "www.babynames.com" whenever there's a chance someone got pregnant. Or "www.lmgtfy.com" for easy to answer questions. Be the go-to URL for the 21st birthday crowd.
Stealx 15y ago
It should be a site all about 21st birthday stories. Everybody has a story about their 21st birthday. How drunk they got, where they went... user generated content ftw. Concentrate on content first, monetize after. If done correctly the site has potential for a decent revenue stream. Facebook integration/sharing is key.
theodpHN 15y ago
License or sell the domain to a beer vendor - e.g., Budweiser - for promotions (e.g., SuperBowl, bar, restaurant, liquor store and grocery store tie-ins; coupons for a free beer or 6-pack on 21st b-day; etc.) and let them and their ad agency worry about the website! Good luck!

3 points by markhall 15y ago

kls 15y ago

Obviously the best market involves drinking if it is going to be US based. Being that 21 is the legal drinking age, I think I would try to do something where bars and liquor labels give discounts, coupons, incentives to birthday goes that are going out on the big night. This is a huge target market for them and offering a venue to reach that customer would be valuable if you can generate the traffic.

markhall 15y ago
Thanks kls for the great advice. I will definitely consider what you mentioned. My only concern is the sales force required to reach out to large bar-chains or liquor labels to secure a deal. I'm going to think about the best approach. Thanks for the suggestion.

md1515 15y ago

Perhaps just have a bar/club locator for the users geo-location. If I log-in from San Francisco,CA then the site would automatically recognize my location/zip code and give me the closest bars in the area. Or better yet, you could parse information from Yelp and return searches with the best bars and clubs in the users' locale. Then just slap some adverts on it.

markhall 15y ago
I have been getting some similar suggestions like this and it appears that its a popular one. I'm definitely thinking about how to use bar/club locators and reviews. My only concern is whether or not I can attract enough users/visitors to sustain a profitable model. The customer acquisition cost may be too high for an ad model. Still considering it. Thanks md1515!

aorshan 15y ago

I have a few ideas. 1) create a website similar to texts from last night where people can post funny stories and etc. 2) allow people to review bars and post their opinions on their experiences

markhall 15y ago
Thanks aorshan! I definitely thought about the TFLN concept, but I think the idea may be overdone and not widespread enough for a niche audience of 21st birthdays. Regarding #2, I'm considering the best options to integrate it.

macca321 15y ago

Here's a cheery idea... A charity site where you gather donations for diseases which kill before the age of 21.

markhall 15y ago
I would love to involve some social good, but I also would like to make it a profitable venture. I am a strong believer that the maximum value is created when creators/team members are incentivized (by profits) to continue the work even through rough times. Any ideas on how to build a social venture while still being profitable?

pkamb 15y ago

Turn it into a "website e-card" that people send to each other just by posting the URL on their Facebook walls, etc. Similar to how people post "www.babynames.com" whenever there's a chance someone got pregnant. Or "www.lmgtfy.com" for easy to answer questions. Be the go-to URL for the 21st birthday crowd.

Stealx 15y ago

It should be a site all about 21st birthday stories. Everybody has a story about their 21st birthday. How drunk they got, where they went... user generated content ftw. Concentrate on content first, monetize after. If done correctly the site has potential for a decent revenue stream. Facebook integration/sharing is key.

theodpHN 15y ago

License or sell the domain to a beer vendor - e.g., Budweiser - for promotions (e.g., SuperBowl, bar, restaurant, liquor store and grocery store tie-ins; coupons for a free beer or 6-pack on 21st b-day; etc.) and let them and their ad agency worry about the website! Good luck!