What if your Web startup attracts users without computers? | Hacker News Reader

What if your Web startup attracts users without computers?

jasonglaspey.com

79 pointsturoczy16 comments

Now THAT'S customer service ... all I can say to Jason is congratulations as he's proven to be both compassionate and resourceful. It doesn't really matter where his entrepreneurship takes him. He's already made it as a human!

This is a good reminder for us tech-savvy people: there's a HUGE untapped market of people out there who either don't have a computer or barely know how to use one. More importantly, they're not stupid or unworthy of your time -- they often need the same tools and information that we do, only simplified and streamlined.

Can I add that, if you go after these markets, rather than competing against web-savvy startups and Microogle you'll instead be ROFLstomping grossly inferior solutions which are offered by companies with no interest or expertise in web marketing?

Why not do both (techies and non-techies)?

True, but they're less likely to grow your business than online customers today, even if there are more of them. Offline customers will still be there next year when you're twice as big and you can afford the higher customer acquisition costs.

Yeah really. It may take some thought but there's often a way to solve their problem!

"Google, in response to the internet blockade in Egypt, says it has created a way to post messages to microblogging service Twitter by making telephone calls." http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/01/3126626.htm

The tablet and mobile will be the so-called last mile for the web Ludites. The net book brought a huge influx of seniors to the web because they wanted to connect with their kids and grand kids. Verizon noted them as their biggest buyers of net books. Why? because they did not have to install or connect anything. It just worked..for the most part.. and it was affordable. They used it like an appliance, for one or two main things. Tablets and mobile are going to fill in the rest of the gaps and bring the rest, happily onto the web as long as we keep it simple. Apps should be short for Appliance. Think about Apps as a solution to this market. Apps are 1.0 right now, 2.0 is coming soon. Huge opportunity for the greater masses with Apps.

Catering to the non-computer crowd; this is a fantastic idea. We spend so much time hooked up to computers and aiming for that younger and business crowds that it's easy to forget there is a large, large demographic who have just as many (maybe more) problems as we need solved and just as much money to pay for it from their kids or retirement funds.

How do you market to these folks? For me the first thing that comes to mind is infomercials but I don't really want to get into them. (Cue mental images of Sham-wow). Older folks like to read print newspapers, too. Can anyone suggest some good ways to tap this market?

Depends on your market. You could go for print advertising with a publication that reaches your market (geographical, interest). You could try mail marketing. Don't forget billboards, posters which, of course range in size (and associated cost) from A5 -> huge.

Try spending a day noticing all the advertising you see. It will give you some ideas of your own.

I know someone with an informational website that sells a dead tree version online, without the updates. It is kind of a snapshot in time of what was on the site at some point. (Or did at one time. I have just taken a quick look at the site and I am not currently finding a means to buy the book version.)

That reminds me of the seemingly interminable Wikipedia 1.0 project. With that, the value comes from the incredible collection of knowledge being put down in physical form, not from its utility. I wonder what the value is in seeing snapshots of an ongoing and developing thing like a website, and how well it stacks up against the "real" thing.

Perhaps it didn't stack up and perhaps that is why I am not seeing the book option anymore. It was, sadly, the only form of monetization the site had (that I am aware of).

Kind of like http://hackermonthly.com/

It's a print edition of the best stories from HN each month.

Well sometimes you have to transfer your online business to real world. This is good example of how to do it.

When I ran into this problem i simply developed a phone and txt based system for people to get meal recommendations etc... Not only did this allow me to help users that did not have computers but it seems that the majority of users prefer the txt , phone interface because its easier. If you need more info on how I implemented this in a user friendly way just email me; I would be glad to help.

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