Name of your website?PetStreet
Your name?
Maurice melzak
Your Location (city, etc)
London
Please give us a short summary of your website?
PetStreet is a social network for pet-lovers - one of teh first in the UK and now the biggest. There’s advice on all aspects of pet health and welfare, forums, fact-sheets and fun. members can set up a profile for themselves and their pets. Thousands of members have already joined.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
A fascination in the importance of companion animals in our lives
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
PetStreet, 2007
How did you decide on a name for your website?
Just an inspired guess - most pet-related names had been taken.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
A pro-active editor running things and making videos.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
Keep it for an income.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
Not well so far, but I live in hope and it grows a little every day.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
Do more marketing.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
None really, except understanding how niche social networks operate takes time.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Building membership.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Articles in newspapers and mentions on TV.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Its a much longer slog - nothing happens overnight!
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
I wont give up on it.
Who would you like to help you for a week?
Someone who really understood how to do SEO.
What is your website address?
PetStreet
