Questions

I have a startup, OppenUp.com my one liner is "A job search and video application tool. use it to apply or to promote yourself."what does this convey?

We offer a Craigslist type mapped video advertising posting for freelancers but focus in job visor applications

5answers

After reviewing your site I found there was a potential for confusion with openup.com which is a completely different site. How does the name reflect what you are providing? Would be good to explain this somewhere.

I also found the About Us page was way too vague and the FAQ's, while better, still did not really describe the value for the various stakeholders. The tabs are almost hidden down at the bottom right so the first impression a person gets is that I need to sign up to find out what it is all about. That can be a tough sell today.

Suggest shouting the message of what you offer and why you're offering it on your home page so people can see the value before they commit a link. People are hesitant to give you a personal link before they know what you can do for them.

I, like the previous response pointed out, that you should really focus on the companies that would be willing to use a new methodology for finding potential employees then perfect the process with a few clients.

Finally, when I looked at the Contact Us page I found it very sterile. There is really nothing on the site that indicates who is driving this concept and therefore gaining trust may be difficult. People want to exchange trust before they commit personal information. People buy from people the like and trust, what can you do to encourage that trust?


Answered 10 years ago

Took a look at your site this morning. I would strongly encourage you against a map interface. It's highly inefficient for the user and unlikely to get you good conversion.

I don't think your one-liner or for that matter, the current site does a good job of conveying a clear value proposition for a job seeker.

Your About Us page talks about tackling the problem of the Paper Resume whereas LinkedIn at 200m members and growing has effectively addressed this for job seekers and companies alike.

Two-sided marketplaces are incredibly difficult to build. I would encourage you to focus on companies and see whether they see value in having candidates answer predefined questions via video.

I also think that in the case of freelancers, either the quality of their previous work or the references from prior work are more compelling than video testimonials.

Happy to talk this through with you in more detail. While this might not be what you wanted to hear, I hope it's helpful.


Answered 10 years ago

Your branding is the first thing a prospect sees and it does half the selling job for you. In the same way that many people can write well but not many can sell you a car, the same thing is true when it comes to marketing. Just because someone can write doesn't mean they can write something that sells.

Your current tagline is ineffective and does almost nothing with its 50% of selling power. You need to craft one that is effective at selling, otherwise you are leaving a lot of money on the table.


Answered 10 years ago

For me I can't differentiate what you're doing from what has been beaten to death - is the target job seekers? If so, who?


Answered 10 years ago

I find the name OppenUp.com utterly puzzling. And I'd predict that the name will be forgotten (or misremembered) immediately after hearing it or seeing it, thereby nullifying most of your marketing efforts and requiring additional advertising expenditures to compensate ... unless, of course, your audience is composed mainly of the fans of objectivist poet, George Oppen!

Sorry if that's a bit bleak. Honestly, this is a clear example of when a name change is necessary.

Your name (and your domain name) are part of your brand. It's not simply a place holder for online content. A bad choice will cost you money. The opposite is also true. A good name / domain will render all your branding and marketing more efficient, which translates into a larger audience at less cost ... on an ongoing basis.

Since names / domains have financial implications, I recommend talking to a professional who does this stuff full time. I'm one (surprise surprise). But there are a few others on Clarity.fm as well.


Answered 10 years ago

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