

Ask HN: Need ideas for a project with good domain but minimal revenue - markhall

I have owned the domain http://happy21stbirthday.com for some years now and haven't been able to really monetize it into residual income. I think it's a good domain and the organic traffic is steady, but I haven't been able to find the right approach for this site. By nature of the domain, it relates to young people involved with 21st birthdays. Any ideas on how to revitalize this site? I'm looking for any quick suggestions to consider on how to turn this project into a potential additional revenue stream.
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macca321
Here's a cheery idea... A charity site where you gather donations for diseases
which kill before the age of 21.

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markhall
I would love to involve some social good, but I also would like to make it a
profitable venture. I am a strong believer that the maximum value is created
when creators/team members are incentivized (by profits) to continue the work
even through rough times. Any ideas on how to build a social venture while
still being profitable?

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kls
Obviously the best market involves drinking if it is going to be US based.
Being that 21 is the legal drinking age, I think I would try to do something
where bars and liquor labels give discounts, coupons, incentives to birthday
goes that are going out on the big night. This is a huge target market for
them and offering a venue to reach that customer would be valuable if you can
generate the traffic.

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markhall
Thanks kls for the great advice. I will definitely consider what you
mentioned. My only concern is the sales force required to reach out to large
bar-chains or liquor labels to secure a deal. I'm going to think about the
best approach. Thanks for the suggestion.

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md1515
Perhaps just have a bar/club locator for the users geo-location. If I log-in
from San Francisco,CA then the site would automatically recognize my
location/zip code and give me the closest bars in the area. Or better yet, you
could parse information from Yelp and return searches with the best bars and
clubs in the users' locale.

Then just slap some adverts on it.

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markhall
I have been getting some similar suggestions like this and it appears that its
a popular one. I'm definitely thinking about how to use bar/club locators and
reviews. My only concern is whether or not I can attract enough users/visitors
to sustain a profitable model. The customer acquisition cost may be too high
for an ad model. Still considering it. Thanks md1515!

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Stealx
It should be a site all about 21st birthday stories. Everybody has a story
about their 21st birthday. How drunk they got, where they went... user
generated content ftw. Concentrate on content first, monetize after. If done
correctly the site has potential for a decent revenue stream. Facebook
integration/sharing is key.

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pkamb
Turn it into a "website e-card" that people send to each other just by posting
the URL on their Facebook walls, etc.

Similar to how people post "www.babynames.com" whenever there's a chance
someone got pregnant. Or "www.lmgtfy.com" for easy to answer questions. Be the
go-to URL for the 21st birthday crowd.

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theodpHN
License or sell the domain to a beer vendor - e.g., Budweiser - for promotions
(e.g., SuperBowl, bar, restaurant, liquor store and grocery store tie-ins;
coupons for a free beer or 6-pack on 21st b-day; etc.) and let them and their
ad agency worry about the website! Good luck!

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aorshan
I have a few ideas.

1) create a website similar to texts from last night where people can post
funny stories and etc.

2) allow people to review bars and post their opinions on their experiences

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markhall
Thanks aorshan! I definitely thought about the TFLN concept, but I think the
idea may be overdone and not widespread enough for a niche audience of 21st
birthdays. Regarding #2, I'm considering the best options to integrate it.

