The web is an information highway Harvey, not an information tollway for the most part. I didn't just throw that statement in.
I for one would be glad to pay $99/year just to keep up with David and you, but how many Newbies, hobbyists, non-professionals will? Aren't they the core of an ever expanding client base you need to cultivate into the future? Newbies become pro in fairly quick order.
I know I'm probably missing something here as I've never hosted a public chat list web site, but couldn't you generate as much income off advertising as charging a subscription fee?
Let's think about that. Maybe I'm wrong. Let's guess that you have 1000 members who would pay you $100/year. $100,000. Maybe online advertising isn't quite that lucrative, I have no worldly idea how that works. Probably hits per day or some such esoteric thing. And then maybe there are additional charges you have planned for CDs, online training, special events that can't be accomodated on a free site subsidized by advertisement. Pure guess.
Its just my gut feeling that after 6-12 months your core will shrink slightly and then stabalize at around 80% of today's free membership. But you won't be adding many new members especially if they find another free forum, no matter how good or bad that forum is.
Pure speculation on my part. |