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Hello,

I have built an online wish list builder, geared towards children. It allows parents to register for free, add a wish list and then let the kid can browse a very kid friendly catalog of toys, books, movies and games.

It is meant to allow children to build their own wish lists for upcoming holidays and birthday parties, and be sent out to friends, family and anyone planning on bringing a gift for the child.

I have tried several ways of raising awareness, but no matter what I have done so far, nothing seems to be getting the message in front of my audience.

The site is (I think) extremely beautifully done. Certainly one of my best, with colorful graphics, flash animation, a theme with characters and a story.

I have tried a $300+ press release on PRWeb, posting articles, posting to social bookmarking sites, and even a handful of holiday and parent related forums. I have also printed colorful business and post cards, which I have left in some local places where parents tend to frequent. I have tried so many things, but I cannot seem to manage to get more than 10 people a day on average to actually visit the site. I have even been trying paid advertising, and have barely gotten any clicks.

Some things I am working on now are some SEO, and have recently submitted to some design sites in the hopes that they will feature it just for some exposure, even if it isn`t exactly the audience I am trying to reach.

I have tried contacting parenting blogs to see if they would be interested in

I know my market is out there somewhere, I am just not sure of how to reach them. Somewhere out there, there is a mob of parents who would love to find this website, but so far, they have just been barely trickling in.

The feedback I have received so far is astounding. The people who actually do find it, love it.

Does anyone here have any ideas of where or how I might find an audience for this website?

Thank you!

Here is the link: www.WishCove.com

Yes wtgg, I purposely left the url off in this case. I was hoping to get some feedback based on where people imagined they would see such a site without actually seeing it yet. But here is the link:
www.WishCove.com

I went to the site, and my problem is that even being a kid, I got pretty much completely confused.

First, I do get the idea and I think it`s excellent! If I`m getting it correctly, what you`re doing is a sort of "bridal registry" but for kids. I think Kids `R Us does something like that? Even if they don`t, it`s a great idea.

The way I see things, there are two "next" problems. The first is implementing the idea, the second is getting the visibility---getting the word out there, as you discuss above.

To me, the two pathways are almost the same. Or they converge. If the site isn`t quickly and intuitively easy to use, then those who do visit won`t be inclined to talk it up...do the viral marketing thing.

If the site is brilliant and intuitive, the job is much easier. At that point, all the promotional tactics still are the same, but you have something to build on. It`s like a restaurant, where word-of-mouth is fundamental.

As it stands, I think the site itself needs to be easier to use, faster, and more organized. We can`t know why your attempts so far don`t seem to be working, but I do believe it`s because the site doesn`t promote "itself," so to speak.

Hello CraigL,

You hit the nail on the head. That is exactly what it is. Yes, Toys R Us has the same thing, with the exception that a 4 or 5 year old would be hard pressed to navigate the catalog on their own unless they know how to read fine print. My 4 year old navigates my catalog with ease and with great pleasure.

Not sure how I could make it any more easy to use. A brief description is on the front to sum it up. The parents button is in plain view for those who may want more info. The register and login buttons are there for those who want to or have joined, as well as a link to view the catalog, and link to view the "story" for anyone interested in getting to know the site.

I think the pitch is pretty straight forward the moment they land on the page, and everything they need to go forward is right in front of them.

Once they log in, the intuitiveness continues, with a big "create wish list" button being the first and most prominent thing they see, as well as a notice for parents to view the parents section for more parent related options (such as sending out the lists).

I have seen a bit of WOM coming in, but it seems like those who have eagerly posted it in a forum or blog are posting it in places with only a very small collection of eyes. That is, according to my site stats.

I should mention however, that despite the disheartening number of visitors I have seen, I have had a surprisingly high conversion rate. For those few that do manage to find their way to the site, a fairly significant number of them do register, and even create a wish list.

So, I can`t imagine it is entirely the fault of the layout. I simply haven`t had any luck finding the audience.

Riccar
I`ve visited your site and it looks excellently aimed for children
The setting is nice and, although it`s not SEO wise, the flow of the website is comfortable and entertaining (to a kid`s point of view).
My question is.. have you tried getting the word out not on the web? a child could be very well feel at home in the internet, but his parents might not... you could try local (or not local) newspapers for adds, or posting on bulletin boards where parents meet

As for creating your own web presence...  there are a lot of sites and services which would allow you to create your own profile and link to your page.  it takes minutes, its really easy, and it usually gets results

I completely loved your idea and I wish you the best of luck with its progress

Jmes



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Melanie Rembrandt
CEO, Rembrandt Communications®, LLC
Visit www.rembrandtwrites.com for valuable PR tips and SEO copywriting help!
Twitter: @RembrandtWrites

Jmes,

I know that Flash and iframes are not exactly the best things in the world for SEO, but I could not have pulled this site off the way I did without them. Although, I am in the process of building up the SEO, so that part of it is still in the works. :)

I have printed business and post cards, which I have placed in various places where parnets tend to go, including recreation centers, and my daughters preschool. Not sure where else I could leave some, but if you have any ideas, I would love to hear them!


Melanie,

I have not tried contacting local reporters directly. I honestly would not know what to say if I did! :( I have never done anything like that before. I did however post a press release on PRWeb, which was on the homepage of the site, as well as thousands of rss sites linking to it, but I only managed to get 30 unique visitors to my site from that.


Do you guys have any ideas of some places I could post this? I have tried parenting sites and such, and haven`t had a whole lot of success actually getting views from them. Is "parenting" the market I am looking for though? Or should I perhaps be looking for something else?

Hi Riccar,

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Melanie Rembrandt
CEO, Rembrandt Communications®, LLC
Visit www.rembrandtwrites.com for valuable PR tips and SEO copywriting help!
Twitter: @RembrandtWrites