Creating an Open Platform

I have been doing some research and collaborating with internet experts regarding our network website and it has come to my attention that we are stuck in second gear as far as website traffic goes.

Concern: Visibility to the Public

If visitors were to come to the network on their own without an invitation then the landing home page would be the furthest one could navigate. That means you could not search members by profession, check out our event calendar, read any of the great blogs our members have posted or learn more about us.

Concern: Visibility to the Search Engines

Unfortunately our most important visitor Google is unable to get past the home page as well. This means that our ability to help you boost your search engine rankings is seriously restricted. I want members of this network to be number one in their rankings. When someone searches "networking" in Tucson I want pages and pages of postings coming from our network to appear. Just think of all the traffic that will flow into our site and your own websites as a result!

Concern: Visibility to the Media

I will be working with the Advisory Board and Will Dobbs our social media PR representative to get the medias attention. Some well placed news stories and spots in the local media will increase our exposure tremendously. The problem is that no news reporter is likely to take the time to create a profile nor will they want to be a member. That does not mean we are not newsworthy! Unfortunately they can’t get past the home landing page as well.

Concern: Ad Sales and Sponsorships

To make this a self-sustaining business that generates revenue, I need to show traffic. In discussing the site with potential sponsors they always want to know how many members we have and how often will their ads be seen

Solution

The obvious solution is to grant open access to all visitors that happen to come across www.MyTucsonBiz.com . There are some problems that need to be addressed before that is possible. First many of our member pages contain old comments and personal items. Second, there are some members who have chosen multiple professions when creating their page and this needs to be edited. Third, very few of our members have changed the design of their pages or maximized the visual potential. These issues can be worked out but we must move forward.

My plan is to open the network to the public without restriction on Monday September 21st. This gives us enough time to address these issues and get back on track. The result will be increased exposure for the network, increased exposure for our members, mega traffic for everyone’s websites, the ability to work with the press and a new crop of sponsors ready to support our efforts. Please email me with any questions or concerns regarding.

Thanks!
Andrew