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Open letter to Rediff
Dear Rediff,
I happened to view your Second Quarter Result. I am really very disappointed with that. Even though, I have not invested even a single Rupee in your company, I still feel that you deserve something better. I still remember that you were the first to offer unlimited email, even before Yahoo! did. Even during those dial up days, your site used to load much faster. I read the articles in your home page at least once a week and you have had some classy ones over there. You were also a sponsor for Proto.in. Now as a fan, I am willing to give some tips for you.
- Not many ads
I see your “Unlimited email” ad in tv (even this) and along with search results in Google (When I search for webmail). But I believe you are not just an email company, you are into portal business and literally have everything from A-Z. So where are the ads for them? Well, I don’t want you to invest in television, but what is stopping you from putting more organic listing and Search Engine Ads?
- Web 2.0 Buzz
Web 2.0 fever has affected even smaller startups nowadays. Every one claims they are web 2.0. What about you? Frankly, I don’t see any web 2.0 ish page in your whole site at all! Well, web 2.0 is not just about funky animations and AJAX. It is basically presenting content in a highly usable form. For instance, you can make your Newshound service better by using web 2.0 concepts appropriately. Who is stopping you from making this page look like Google ig or Netvibes. You can add ratings, tagging and make it community based too.
- Secret is the data
One of the advantage your articles has when compared to your competitors is that your articles get more comments. Are you using this data for anything? One good thing you are doing is to ask the user to login for giving comments. Now after logging in, and once I enter a comment, it is a very good indication that I like that topic or dislike that topic. When I login the second time, you can use this data to present some targeted article right. Why are you still static? Take a look at thoof.com and see how they learn about a user.
- Stop being a copy-cat
Well in blogging, you don’t require innovation. Some adsense money is what you care. But portal business is all about innovation. Why do you want to enter into a domain, just because company X offers that service. Even if you enter that domain, why are you not innovating much. Stop making clones. Instead, think from a customer perspective and try to figure out what is lacking in your competitors service. Try to provide a clean, sleek and highly usable interface. We all are there to support you!
- Contextual Ads
Try to make the banner ads and classifieds ads that you display in your website as contextual as possible. If required partner with someone for the contextual part of things. I am sure, your Ads revenue would start to increase.
- Present something in Barcamp/Proto.in
Present something innovative in Barcamp / Proto.in. In this way, you would get not just buzz, but some talented minds as well.
- Campus interviews and Tech meets
Campus interviews, tech meets are other places where you can get the best of the minds.
- Finally, re-design all the pages
Make it simple, easy to navigate, easy to remember urls (like rediff.com/news/india)
Look forward for major Re-vamping from your side.
Yours,
Team desistartups.
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