I run a social music website that is getting a steady stream of visitors (1,000) each day. We've been on the front page of Reddit (several times), featured in newspapers, blogs, podcasts etc. while these help us grow, our growth rate of active users isn't tremendously high. We have recently created a Facebook app to help spread the word about our site. Is there anything else that can be done to increase growth other than wait for positive word of mouth?
Ask HN: How do I get to that next level of traffic?
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Re: Ask HN: How do I get to that next level of traffic?
#2Well, if your site is technically solid and you aren't spending a ton of time writing the software any more, you should be spending your time talking about it every chance you get, everywhere you go.
You should start by putting your website in your profile at the very least.
Re: Ask HN: How do I get to that next level of traffic?
#3It sounds like the problem isn't "getting enough traffic", it's getting people to stay, or to come back. Are you focusing on that?
Re: Ask HN: How do I get to that next level of traffic?
#4Well, if your site is technically solid and you aren't spending a ton of time writing the software any more, you should be spending your time talking about it every chance you get, everywhere you go. You should start by putting your website in your profile at the very least.
I agree about the link. Maybe there was no link to avoid looking like a spammy-type post.
Re: Ask HN: How do I get to that next level of traffic?
#5It sounds like the problem isn't "getting enough traffic", it's getting people to stay, or to come back. Are you focusing on that?
We have started to focus on that, trying to get people more involved and giving them reasons to come back to the site. It is a weakness of ours at this point but something that is solvable.
Re: Ask HN: How do I get to that next level of traffic?
#6I have a few theories and quick ideas on this..
For starters, are you partnering with any other companies? I think the synergy of having working relationships with other companies are a great asset since they will actively promote you while you promote them and so on.
Secondly, do you have any viral aspects / proposition for your site? I haven't seen it so I can't tell.. But if you positioned yourself such that a small niche group must have and use your site then I think that's a great start since the group will be self-replicated the newly spawned groups will self-replicate more, hence viral.
Thirdly, have you looked at the discoverability of your site? Look for patterns of how your users are finding you and how they are not.
Last, SEO is the hot term for these days and I think for a good reason. Imagine if I did a google search for something related to music and your social website always shows up as #1 / #2 in the search results? I have a lot of ideas on how this can be done.. but I guess I'll try it out on our stealthy startup first.. and if it works and we become widly successful then I will defintely blog and share about it. =).
Re: Ask HN: How do I get to that next level of traffic?
#7Can you share the site URL?
Re: Ask HN: How do I get to that next level of traffic?
#8Can you share the site URL?
I second this request.
Re: Ask HN: How do I get to that next level of traffic?
#9What about apps for the iPhone and Android?
Re: Ask HN: How do I get to that next level of traffic?
#10What about apps for the iPhone and Android?
we were thinking about that to get it out in time for Christmas. Do you think these apps would help us gain traffic or just give our existing users another way to interact with the site?