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Ask YC: now my site is done, what next?

7 points by maien ↗ HN
I have pretty much completed development/testing and launch my site. What is next? Should I submit a press release, how to get everyone on it? The target audience of my site isn't anyone around me. My site isn't doing strange new things (or around facebook) that could possibly get coverage on web 2.0 blogs like techcrunch. What other options do I have?

11 comments

[ 4.4 ms ] story [ 39.9 ms ] thread
kyro
You could start by giving us the link.
brlewis
Yes, please. Far too many people on news.yc are too self-conscious about self-promotion. If we aren't interested in the link we won't follow it. Just post it already.

At the very least, put it in your profile.

cmm324
I agree... plus if you dont tell us more than your target market isn't anywhere near you, we dont even know where you are??? How can we help you? TC may not even be able to help you if they do not reach your target market.
bapbap
I'd be interested in this too, I'll have to face this stage soon and would like to start reading up on it.
brk
Yes, a Press Release would be a good place to start.

Also look for any news/media outlets that might be related to whatever industry or vertical this mysterious site falls under and submit either a PR or "introduction" email to those places.

Comment (intelligently!) on blogs related to users that have an interest in whatever it is your site is offering. Provide a link back to your site (obviously).

DON'T try "link exchange" or "link farm" type sites as a mechanism for promoting your site. These have very little positive impact and a huge potential negative impact in terms of SEO.

noodle
press release, target your niche and advertise to it. find blogs and get them to review the service. basically, get the word of mouth out there as best as you can. SEO SEO SEO.
gm
Hmmm... you need a plan, man... Before you pen that press release, step back a nd put a plan together. Without knowing what your site is/does, we cannot even begin to suggest anything. Not that you would/should take marketing advice from us.

Don't shoot from the hip on this. Put a business plan that makes business sense. I stress "business" because it sounds like you are a techie. It's not so much "build it and they will come." It always pays for it to have a strategy in place.

Anyway, you don't even state that your site is intended to be a business, so yeah, maybe sitting down and writing a press release is the best thing to do.

axod
"completed development"??

How did you decide it was 'complete'?

wlievens
I think he means "made something usable."
axod
Sure, but then you release, show users, and they have a completely different definition of 'usable' than you :)