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How did the project start?
With the recent financial downturn I saw a trend emerging of more and more consumers turning to the web in an effort to save money in these tough times.
I therefore saw the need for a site that featured and highlighted the latest UK offers, discount codes and consumer deals available.
What options did you consider?
I immediately thought that a "K.I.S.S." (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach would be the most beneficial for this project. By scouring the web and my industry and retail contacts I compiled a list of the latest consumer offers and then list then in a date-ordered blog format on UKOffer.com. To help users search for the best offers I also categorise them, list them by retailers name and also incorporated a search engine into the site.
What help and expertise did you receive?
The project was self funded and the only outside help was from a web design company who built the site to my specification.
Did you face and challenges or learn any lessons?
Yes in a crowded market where sites like MyVoucherCodes.com and VoucherCodes.com dominate the search engines and have huge financial and staff resources (I work alone with no staff) I knew I would have to stand out. So rather than feature purely discount and voucher codes I extended my offering to "special offers" and the hard to find money saving deals that you won't find on other money saving sites. It's been a long hard slog but UKOffer.com is now starting to feature well in the organic search engine rankings.
What are the outcomes and how has it improved your business?
My staying away from the obvious search terms that users may enter into a search engine and by thinking outside of the box I have managed to gain high levels of traffic (and consumers) to the site. The key is to be different to your competitors.
What are your plans for the future?
I plan to throw more resources into the site as it grows to ensure I can further cover the "UK Offers" sector in more detail and not miss any money saving offers for my users. It would also be good to branch out into other countries at some point in the near future.
