Facebook Profile Website
I've tried the advertising-only website before with FancyBlog, but the income wasn't worth the effort and interest waned and invariably so did the site. I see more potential on this new advertising-only site, and hopefully it can become pretty big if I play my cards right.The new site is called Facebook Profile, which is a Facebook tips/tricks/fan site.
Facebook is a social networking site with massive popularity amongst the college population. It's clean, fast and constantly adding new features. Noah from OkDork works at Facebook and is always ranting about "How awsome my job is" and "How cool it is to work at Facebook" all the time.
I didn't want the site to look like a blog, but I love the functionality of blogs. So to make posting easier, I used Wordpress, but created a custom design theme that imitates the Facebook design:
FACEBOOK SCREENSHOT:
FACEBOOKPROFILE.COM SCREENSHOT:
This way when people stumble upon the page via search engine or link, they know for sure it's a Facebook-related website...without even reading a word. Since search engine traffic is already rising quickly (even after only a few days of being online), this is important.
To create the site I:
- Installed a regular Wordpress system on the FacebookProfile.com domain.
- I literally took a screenshot of my actual Facebook profile from the internet, then Photoshopped it to include the Wordpress blogging elements (Pages, Categories, RSS Feed etc.)
- Started writing a few posts just to keep some content on the site for the programmer.
- I then found a Wordpress designer through RentACoder who could retool the website to look like my Photoshopped rendition of the webpage. This cost me $220. I probably could have got this done cheaper, but I paid more to get someone who could do the project quickly, had a high ranking on past projects and prior experience with Wordpress.
I'm still working on bugs, such as how to prevent Wordpress from auto-formatting my Facebook ASCII Art text....but those are just small hurdles. The site has already been getting 50-100 unique hits a day, which is not bad for a non-advertised site which has been up for 7 days.
So FacebookProfile.com has officially been launched....not much content as of yet, but more to come!
Labels: eCommerce
posted by Neville @ 1:03 AM
43 comments
43 Comments:
http://www.google.com/trends?q=facebook&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all
How did you get 50 visitors to a site without advertising it? So i guess this domain isn't brand spanking new?
I've seen you comment on Nev's blog before talking about he hasn't done anything radically new.
Take a quick look at the great companies of the world: Dell, Microsoft etc and see if they've done anything new. I think not.
Also, take a look around the internet at any Ecommerce website. Anything completely new there? I think not.
You're looking at all of Nev's projects in the wrong light.
This so-called project though couldn't be more copycat, just look at it. Grief!
be careful. if things start to pick up, expect a lawsuit. The sites look to similar.
Btw, you left your phone number on the "facebook mobile signup" post
To respond to Anonymous about Nev's ideas: ideas aren't the hard part - it's the implementation. Starbucks didn't invent the latte, mp3 players weren't new when Apple launched the iPod, newspapers certainly weren't new when Hearst came along...the list goes on forever. I think you're confusing an entrepreneur with an inventor.
But then something occurred to me: let's say he gets sued, even after a successful outcome, this doesn't ensure his reputation is stained with being unoriginal. Is this worthwhile?
Also, could Nev please take the time how exactly he makes money with that site?
The idea of a website *about* Facebook actually sounds fairly solid, but if you want to stay out of court you'd be better off changing up the design a bit more.
1.) This site encourages MORE Facebook usage.
2.) It's unlikely they would not sue a college student unless they were harvesting/selling information from Facebook.
3.) Before suing, they would first ASK for the design to be change. If they ask, I will change.
It won't be a problem.
As for making money, obviously I will put Adsense or other advertisements on the left column...much like Facebook does.
-Nev
I noticed you are working with Mobile Campus. I was the original student that pushed for mobile text alerts at the University of Florida. We were working with a different startup during the Fall of 2004 before Mobile Campus came around. I was very impressed with them and they are be working hard at UF. How are they at UT?
Sounds like you haven't taken your business ethics class, yet -- and if you have, you clearly didn't learn anything.
Might want to reword that double negative ;)
I think you should change the site design. Look at this entry about a blogger copying another format.
It's alright to copy concepts i.e. commenter #6, dell, starbucks etc... but to copy the layout is just wrong since it is covered by copyright.
I do not think that any of Nev's critics here confuse inventor with entrepreneur.
I am giving Nev credit for trying, but after watching his activities for over a year, I have to admit that he has done nothing but used others' ideas with very little or no modification. Nev does not have to have an original idea but he has to put an original spin on it. Nothing , nada. Reaching the lofty goals he has set for himself, Nev has to be creative & innovative. I have not seen that yet. He is just like another worker-bee at the moment (not that being a worker-bee is bad but it is not what nev is striving for.).
I wish Nev all the best, but I am not going to pretend like many here that I am impressed. I do think those of us here with healthy dose of criticism are more helpful to Nev than those that pretend they see no problem.
Nev, this blog is putting pressure on you to "produce", step back and look what you are doing.
1) Play dress-up and pretend to be an entreprenuer.
2) Take many pictures next to "real" successful people and hope that they can put some success juice on me
Grow up and realize that you're a flake and fake...
Think about this. Do you need a ground breaking idea to be an entrepreneur? Not at all. Everyday people are getting rich starting new business with old ideas.
Nev isnt "pretending" he is an entrepreneur: he is an entrepreneur by the simple virtue of having started at least one business project.
Quit moaning and start something! Anything! Otherwise you are cowards who insult those who arent. Once you have started a few business projects, success or failure, you'll understand what is the essence of entrepreneurship.
I would add a larger margin beneth the posts to make the site easier to read. It looks a bit compact right now.
Anonymous (hey, that's *my* name!) has it right when (s)he says: "...after watching his activities for over a year, I have to admit that he has done nothing but used others' ideas with very little or no modification."
And Darren, how you can say Dell did nothing new is beyond me. Dell revolutionized inventory management in the PC business. There isn't a company in the business today that hasn't tried to emulate Dell's business model in that regard (and almost none which have successfully done so).
*Note: ebayprofile.com is currently "parked" at GoDaddy.com, so you might actually be able to try this "experiment" -- batteries, and lawyers, not included.
This FacebookProfile.com site seems like a side project that many people try out. A million of these personal finance blogs do "Experiments" where they put up informational sites for money, Nev is doing that also. Making the site look like Facebook is actually not that bad of an idea:
1.) It's already generating all sorts of controversy
2.) It lets users know right away that the site is a Facebook related site
3.) Facebook's design is already clean, simple to use and proven. Immitation is the highest form of flattery.
If Facebook decides to actually put a law suit over Nev, all he has to do is change the look. I'm sure he'll have no problem with it, and I doubt Facebook will either.
And to address what Hakim said:
You're correct. Most entrepreneurs start something small that ends up turning into something pretty big. The way I see it, I applaud Neville for delving into so many different businesses....one day he may stumble upon something big. Right now FacebookProfile.com may not be anything big....but Nev took a simple idea with no competition and acted on it very quickly.
That's a quality to be highly admired.
-Darren
Kudos to Nev for his courage and tenanacity to share his successes and failures. I enjoy reading each blog entry, and appreciate his creativity in getting business up and running for little up front costs. It is a perfect way to build a business.
Keep up the great work, Nev, and ignore the haters. I doubt that they are creating any businesses on their own.
Um.
You ain't like Nev mothersucker, you a punk. Nev been wit made people, connect-a people. Who you been wit? Chain snatching, jive-ass, maricon mothersuckers. Why don't you get out of here and go snatch a purse.
http://me2money.blogspot.com
Boy so many here still think that DELL, MSFT, SBUX were not innovative but that Nev is with his blatant copying. Pretty sad when folks do not see the difference.
Nev, be sure to let us know when you get the cease and desist letter...it'll be coming from Chris Kelly, Esq., Facebook's General Counsel. Of course, I'm sure you will just chuckle and say that this was another grand "experiment".
Marcel
www.rohailrizvi.com
Grow up. Your idea of facebook is not an idea it is theft. Go back to sell'n water.
http://roadtoretirement.blogspot.com
Your ideas are SOLID, dude. All these people trying to kill you on this comment thread are just jealous that they didn't think of it. I like the way you think -- it's DIFFERENT! And that means that you're not a ZOMBIE doing the same old things.. Just keep on doing what you're doing -- don't stop!
David Askaripour
Mind Petals
I'm a big, big fan as well.
Don't let these people discourage you.
I would like to welcome you to a discussion forum that I just started, and hopefully others here will be interested as well.
http://businessideasforum.runboard.com/
Hopefully, we can all help each other with, niche, win/win situations.
Keep up the strong work.
All the people that have posted comments have taken the time to check out Nev's site and facebook so therefore giving them both more hits & business. Yes the sites are the same ... so the man is not creative but by the time Facebook does or does not do anything about the coping it will already be a topic of conversation and people will go and check the site out. I still cant figure out how you are going to make money but am sure there is something up your sleave, so college boy have some fun and see where this life ride takes you.
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