Building a Site Like MySpace or Digg: Slow Down Cowboy

By Brandon Cornett
I volunteer at the advice forum AllExperts.com, and advice-giving forum and part of the About.com network. My specialty is Internet marketing for small businesses. Recently, I was asked how to go about building a website such as DontDateHimGirl.com.
First off, I think the website mentioned above is sexist and mean-spirited, but that's another article entirely.
I would classify the "Don't Date Him" website as part of the social revolution known as Web 2.0. Specifically, it is a user-driven website where the site visitors create the content and fuel the interaction. In that regard, it's similar to MySpace, Digg, YouTube, and a variety of similar sites.
Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of books that talk about building those kinds of websites. The reason is that they're a relatively new development, and the traditional publishing cycle takes months or years to produce a new book. Of course, you can find some e-books here and there, but even those are scarce.
Personally, if I were looking for inspiration and education on how to create a user-driven site, I would look online.
But learning about this kind of website is only a small first step. Building the site and attracting and audience is another step entirely. Many people who get the urge to create one of these sites have no idea as to the amount of work involved. I'm not trying to be negative here ... just realistic.
With that said, if you're still serious about creating the next MySpace or Flickr, here are three primary ingredients you'll need.
1. You Need a Big Idea.This is perhaps the most important ingredient for a Web 2.0 site. The big idea! All of the social, user-driven websites mentioned above are built around a big idea.
Examples: Create a profile and network with others (MySpace). Post and rate news items by popularity (Digg). Put your videos online and have them ranked by popularity (YouTube). Etc.
The big idea is what gets people talking about these websites, visiting these websites, and sticking with these websites. Without a useful and unique idea, a user-driven website will be doomed to fail from the start. The idea is the seed from which everything grows.
2. You Need a Talented Web Team.Another thing most of these sites have in common is that they're all easy to use. The developers have worked hard to create a highly usable experience for visitors. They are designed for simplicity and function, with complex database-driven "engines" that do what they're supposed to, when they're supposed to.
So if you don't have this kind of talent yourself, you'll need to hook up with a talented web developer, as well as a designer who understands usability.
3. You Need a Buzz Machine.Once your website has been built, tested, and is ready to meet the world, you'll need a way to make that happen. You could promote your new site in a number of ways, such as press releases and other announcement channels.
But what you REALLY want to do is get the bloggers talking about it. Nothing spreads faster online than blogger-driven buzz. This ties back to ingredient #1, the big idea. If your website is truly unique and useful, you'll have a much easier time building the buzz. People are more inclined to remark on things that are … well, remarkable.
Of course, if you want to give your buzz campaign a boost, you could also pay for the privilege. These days, websites like PayPerPost.com and LoudLaunch.com offers ways to pay bloggers to blog about a new product or service. Yes, there's an endless debate about this strategy, but I'm not passing judgment on it -- I'm just making you aware of it.
So there you go. A big idea. A talented web team. A buzz machine. Once you have those three things, the rest is just hard work. Lots and lots of hard work. If you were looking for an "easy button," I'm sorry to disappoint.
* You may republish this article online if you retain the author's byline and the active hyperlinks below. Copyright 2007, Brandon Cornett.
About the AuthorBrandon Cornett is a real estate marketing specialist and SEO consultant. You can visit the author online at http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing
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