What do ambitious start-up's look for in custom social network development
What services do your ideal customers seek from the business?
Custom social network and online community web application and mobile design and development. This includes a full strategy to launch process providing wider market and audience profiling, design, development and marketing.
They are looking for a website platform that integrates with mobile applications for Android and iPhone. Ambitious young internet start-ups looking to have their innovative social network built from scratch. The customer values specialist knowledge and embraces strategic advice to take the idea from concept to launch.
What special features do they request?
A custom application developed specifically to their requirements. Typical social network features include:
- User dashboards and profiles
- Status update feeds - Photo gallery and comments
- Private messages and instant messaging - Friend lists
- Wall comments
- Privacy settings and content flagging
- Discussions and groups
- Events system and events calendar
- Video and music galleries and players - Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube connect - Classifieds and Ad management
- Mobile applications
- Email notifications
When your ideal customer comes to your business, what need or want is that person trying to fulfil? Think beyond service features. Consider what benefits the customer is seeking and what emotional outcomes they are looking for. The customer has an innovative idea for a social network and are looking for an internet expert to help them turn their concept to reality.
They seek guidance of how to engage their audience and facilitate their audience making connections with one another. They also look for consultancy to develop the monetisation possibilities of their idea.
When making buying decisions what does your ideal customer value most?
Cost
As a young and ambitious internet start-up the customer does require a cost-effective service. They are likely to have taken their plan to a local full-service digital agency and been quoted over £10,000. Although they have total belief in their idea, they have limited capital to get the vision of the ground. They will turn to the online job boards to find a more cost-effective alternative to the large development agency team with prices to match.
Having moved to the online job-boards they will make their decisions based on expertise and experience rather than price. The prices quoted on job-boards will all be around 25% cheaper than quotes they've had ‘in the real world' so even the higher-end quotes will seem like great value.
Quality and features
The customer has a unique vision for their game-changing social network and requires a custom solution to match. By definition, a social network based on an off-the-shelf system will offer common features and therefore the site will be just like thousands of other websites out there.
Reliability and after-sales support
Reliability and long-term support are key concerns for customers working with freelancers and small companies. An ambitious start-up wants a partner that is in it for the long-term and can help them achieve their vision now and tomorrow. Reputation Reputation and portfolio are the single most important factor for choosing a social network website design agency.
Social networks are a unique and complex ecosystem and have very different success drivers to traditional business websites.
Unique expertise
How do your ideal customers reach your business?
- Search engines - Website
- Job boards
- Email marketing - Networking events were young technology entrepreneurs congregate
- Referrals – business incubation centres, business development organisations such as Chamber Of Commerce, NWDA, Creative Lancashire
What are the buying patterns of your ideal customers?
How often do they buy from your business?
Initially to setup their web and mobile platform and then on-going with monthly marketing packages. This on-going relationship means that I will be with them every step of the way and their success will be my success.
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