Two Common Questions to Answer Before Launching a Geo Web Site

Andrew Allemann — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:03:47 +0000

Answers to two common questions about starting a geo domain web site.

I’ve received numerous inquiries regarding my experience with Lakeway.com, a city directory site for Lakeway, Texas. I’ve answered a number of them personally, but would like to address a couple of them.

I’m in no way an authority on city geo web sites. But I’m assuming most readers aren’t either, which makes this relevant.

Here are two common questions I’ve been asked and the answers:

1. I’m thinking about buying a city.com domain name. The city has about 10,000 residents, which is similar to your city. Is this too small?

It really depends on the city and your model. Although the population of Lakeway is under 10,000, there are some demographic trends that make the city appealing for a directory web site. First, it is expected to double in size over the next 5-10 years. There are literally thousands of lots to be sold to home buyers in the next five years. Second, it is a wealthy community. Third, it attracts tourists because it is on Lake Travis, a major recreational lake. Fourth, it has a community feel and local businesses — it’s not just a bedroom community to Austin. So consider the population in context of the city’s demographics, growth, and business climate.

2. What platform did you use? Do you recommend it?

I used eDirectory to build Lakeway.com. eDirectory powers a number of local web sites. I paid a few thousand dollars for the software license and then another $5k-$10k on a graphics designer and for customizations to be made to the software. eDirectory also offers an affordable “lease” option.

A competitor to eDirectory that was made solely for geo sites is City in a Box. City in a Box wasn’t around when I developed Lakeway.com, so I’m not sure how it compares.

There are other solutions, but few have been designed around city directories.

In addition to these two questions, many people have asked how the results have been. It’s a mixed bag so far — I’ll do another post on that to help you avoid my missteps.

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Two Common Questions to Answer Before Launching a Geo Web Site