Can I please get help?

PinkSassi

I`m in college and this is my first attempt at entrepenuership.  I started a site called Pink-Sassi.com (some may find the site sexist so please don`t click on the link if say a bikini contest would be offensive to you) where I want to have users submit photo sets for a chance to win money and in the future havea  lottery for people who vote so that they can also win money.  I know the site is lacking in design, but I just started it up.  So I am also looking for ideas for web design?
I am hoping that the money and content will almost drive traffic by itself.  Is this a reasonable assumption?  I am expecting to come out of pocket in the beginning in hopes that I will recieve enough traffic to sell adspace.  Is this how sites make money or is there other ways to make money with the site?
 
And lastly, is this something that could be profitable?

Webline

Personally I think you`re raising a lot of questions that you need to clarify to potential submitters.Submitting pictures to a MySpace or separate email account sounds suspicious; why can`t they just submit them to the site? Accepted photos are posted; what about non-accepted photos? How do they know their submitted pictures won`t be posted elsewhere on the internet? Or sold for a profit somewhere else by your site? 15-20 sounds like quite a few; why so many?Site visitors get to vote, not registered users with one vote? What do you do about multiple votes by the same person? How do you verify the vote count?And maybe most importantly ..... how do you verify someones age?

PinkSassi

Thanks for the reply.  How would I set the blog up to be submitted straight to the site?
 
Photos not being used is a valid concern, but it seems that there are many magazine that do the same thing.  In fact if I wanted to, I could copy and paste photos from people`s Myspace page, Flikr, Friendster, etc. and use them.  So I think there will always be that risk.
 
Vizu.com allows for one vote from each computer (although I am sure there is probably some hack to override this).  Nevertheless I like your point.  I should set up a registered users only can vote.
 
As far as I`d I am going to be requesting a copy of photo ID that show`s a person`s birthdate (ie driver`s license) or photo ID tied to the same name on a birth certificate.  Can you think of any ohter ideas?

Webline

I`m not sure a blog is the best way to do it. I haven`t used one for long, but I think you`re maybe stretching its capabilities, and just creating more work for yourself. You could set up a site in php for member registrations, file uploads, voting, etc., without doing so much manual stuff that leaves so many questions. And a membership could let users only submit one vote.As far as any photos submitted, you need to let potential users know what you intend to do with them, regardless of anything that other businesses do.I think asking for a copy of a drivers license or ID is too much; I would certainly not send it to anyone for something like this. An online contract/waiver or something similair might work, but you need to check into the legal aspects of it.In the end, you have to answer all these questions, and maybe more, not only to make your users more secure in doing this, but to protect yourself as well.
Webline2008-2-11 18:6:15

PinkSassi

Thank you!

bizenez

Before you hire a web developer and get cheated send me and email at [email protected]. I will offer you free consultation.

Webline

I kind of wondered that myself ..... first attempt at business and in college, how would you finance prize money?

PinkSassi

With enough traffic I want to be able to sell ad space and merchandise (ie t-shirts, calendars).  But I appreciate this being brought up.  How does one do it?  I thought of how your basic magazine sells adspace and subscriptions.  But to get votes generated, I don`t wanna sell prescriptions.  Any suggestions?
I think there is a market to young men to want to come to the site, see attractive women in a photo spread, and then vote on who they think is the most attractive  (look at the success of Playboy Playmates of the Year), but I think my biggest hurdle will a) getting an attractive site and b) getting enough traffic to generate income from selling adspace.
 
I wonder if it would be possible to not offer money and let the women just hold a title on the web and then make the payout at the end of the year.  I mean sites HotorNot.com thrive off of people`s ego right?

Webline

Not likely you will get much, if any, advertising/sales revenue right away; content draws visitors, and the more visitors the more potential for advertising/sales revenue. Unless you have a nice bit of cash put aside to invest into prize money for awhile, and cover the same if your ad/sales income won`t, I don`t think that is a viable option right away.Don`t build a site with a guarantee you can`t fulfill, whether intentional or not. Instead of cash, use prizes that you know you will be able to afford.And a title of some sort, for an unknown-so-far site, may not be a big enough boost to draw in people. Put yourself in your users and models position, analyze what your site does, what if offers, and determine what you would want out of it from their point of view.