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My 7th attempt at a startup: Selling layer styles to Photoshop users.

photoshoplayerstyles.com

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Re: My 7th attempt at a startup: Selling layer styles to Photoshop users.

#21

Post by pbhjpbhj »

hop wrote: post #17
chaosmachine wrote: post #2

I quit my job in tech support about 4 years ago. Since then, I've made at least 7 attempts at starting a bootstrapped business. My original idea was to build "a live-video youtube" but Justin.tv and uStream showed up just a few months after I got started, and the dream died. Since then, I've launched four search engines (two of which are keeping me ramen-profitable), a twitter app (wasted time), and a "viral" site ba…

Playing devil's advocate, what differentiates this from the huge library of free stuff on Deviant Art? http://browse.deviantart.com/resources/textures/?qh=&sec...

They're not free, a random click on your link - http://browse.deviantart.com/resources/textures/?qh=&sec... shows that the copyright owner allows non-commercial use only and then with attribution and informing him of the use. Onerous.

"If you want to use it for Profitable goals contact me."

I've tried contacting people on DA before about using imagery in semi-commerical settings. It's cheaper to buy stock art than waste time chasing them unless it's a one-off image.

This exchange highlights the problem - http://comments.deviantart.com/1/76929399/904383280 - someone requests permission from the "artist" who assumes that as it's a texture that people are allowed to copy it:

"It was put up as a texture hopefully you know what a texture is and what it means. LOL!"

But just because it is a texture doesn't mean rights are automatically granted (though it is unlikely to be distinctive enough to warrant copyright protection only a court can really decide that).

If people used PD or CC-BY or other free to use licenses clearly then such problems wouldn't arise.

Re: My 7th attempt at a startup: Selling layer styles to Photoshop users.

#22

Post by ddemchuk »

NathanKP wrote: post #19
ddemchuk wrote: post #14

you really really need to be attacking your organic search rankings to get yourself some traffic -> sales. Contact me privately through my blog in my profile, I run something that can help you.

I run something that can help you A spam bot? A link exchange network? Just curious... most of the techniques for "attacking the organic search rankings" are frowned upon by Google.

1) The very nature of Google's algorithm encourages using techniques that will increase your rankings, or else you will drown in a mess of competitors in most niches. Also, just because it's frowned upon by Google doesn't necessarily make it bad. They're in the business to make money just as much as the rest of us are

2) Not spam, not a link exchange network. Contact me and we can discuss it if you'd like.

Re: My 7th attempt at a startup: Selling layer styles to Photoshop users.

#23

Post by tptacek »

HUGELY SEO-able (I search for stuff like this all the time). What are your plans here? How are you going to scale out content generation?

The first link I see on your page is:

http://photoshoplayerstyles.com/styles/wood/woodworks-volume...

wordworks-volume-2 doesn't mean anything.

On that very page are cedar and oak and maple and distressed pine? and 4 other styles of wood. And yet you have no link that says:

http://photoshoplayerstyles.com/maple-wood-texture-layer

that has a meta description of:

Royalty-free high-resolution maple wood textures for photoshop, easy to buy

even though I bet 10 people search every day for one of

[maple texture] [distressed wood texture] [photoshop pine texture]

etc.

I don't know much about selling things to graphic designers (maybe it sucks) but I'm almost jealous at how easily your content scales out to Google.

Re: My 7th attempt at a startup: Selling layer styles to Photoshop users.

#24

Post by pbhjpbhj »

NathanKP wrote: post #19
ddemchuk wrote: post #14

you really really need to be attacking your organic search rankings to get yourself some traffic -> sales. Contact me privately through my blog in my profile, I run something that can help you.

I run something that can help you A spam bot? A link exchange network? Just curious... most of the techniques for "attacking the organic search rankings" are frowned upon by Google.

> most of the techniques for "attacking the organic search rankings" are frowned upon by Google

I'd be pretty sure he means whitehat SEO, on-page optimisations, link-building (eg linkbait, social networks) .. not frowned on by Google.

Edit: or maybe not!

Re: My 7th attempt at a startup: Selling layer styles to Photoshop users.

#25

Post by chaosmachine »

NathanKP wrote: post #18
redorb wrote: post #5

Your top navigation looks like a slyly placed Google Adsense link type unit ~ I would go back and freshen up the other two money makers cause they will need to last for this one to get the steam I think it needs...

I noticed that as well. I almost avoided clicking on it for a few seconds before I realized that it was legitimate. I think it is the underlined text. Good navigation links these days are often not underlined.

You're right, I hadn't considered that, but I definitely see it now. I just removed the underline on the links.

Re: My 7th attempt at a startup: Selling layer styles to Photoshop users.

#26

Post by pbhjpbhj »

NEPatriot wrote: post #11

You could alsos try to create an open marketplace for styles so anyone can submit/buy.

IMO this is probably the only way to win in this area. Get other people doing the marketing for you ("buy my layer styles at ...") and take a portion of revenue from a lot of other peoples transactions.

Re: My 7th attempt at a startup: Selling layer styles to Photoshop users.

#27

Post by chaosmachine »

tptacek wrote: post #23

HUGELY SEO-able (I search for stuff like this all the time). What are your plans here? How are you going to scale out content generation? The first link I see on your page is: http://photoshoplayerstyles.com/styles/wood/woodworks-volume... wordworks-volume-2 doesn't mean anything. On that very page are cedar and oak and maple and distressed pine? and 4 other styles of wood. And yet you have no link that says: http://…

Thanks, you make some good suggestions. SEO is very much a part of the game plan, and I've still got some work to do, but you've struck on the main idea :)

Re: My 7th attempt at a startup: Selling layer styles to Photoshop users.

#29

Post by polomasta »

chaosmachine wrote: post #2

I quit my job in tech support about 4 years ago. Since then, I've made at least 7 attempts at starting a bootstrapped business. My original idea was to build "a live-video youtube" but Justin.tv and uStream showed up just a few months after I got started, and the dream died. Since then, I've launched four search engines (two of which are keeping me ramen-profitable), a twitter app (wasted time), and a "viral" site ba…

my feedback is that if you want to target a high-end market you need a high-end website of your own.

The design of the current site + cart solution doesn't reflect the elegance I assume your main clientele would be accustomed to.

I'm a huge fan of Shopify for simple, pretty online stores.. you might want to check it out.. many of their free themes would be an improvement over the current design.

GOOD LUCK!

Re: My 7th attempt at a startup: Selling layer styles to Photoshop users.

#30

Post by ddemchuk »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #24
NathanKP wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I run something that can help you A spam bot? A link exchange network? Just curious... most of the techniques for "attacking the organic search rankings" are frowned upon by Google.

> most of the techniques for "attacking the organic search rankings" are frowned upon by Google I'd be pretty sure he means whitehat SEO, on-page optimisations, link-building (eg linkbait, social networks) .. not frowned on by Google. Edit: or maybe not!

ha, very few things can be considered "whitehat" seo, everything is a shade of gray
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