Ideas

Question: if your target market are unable to use a mobile phone, do you think they will be any more successful using a web 2.0 community driven website?

They are not completely unable to use a mobile phone..
A typical use case I had in mind was..like someone who knows how to do basic stuff in a phone (like make calls) wants to setup an email client..

think of this as the equivalent of IT helpdesk

LOL

Question: if your target market are unable to use a mobile phone, do you think they will be any more successful using a web 2.0 community driven website?

Great comment!

OK. Thanks. I probably dint explain this correctly.

The idea is to build a crowdsourced help desk for problems with your mobile phone. I call IT help desk for my PC related problems, but I do know how to use a PC.

So the mobile help desk to help solve problems with the phones and also provide resources for some advanced applications, like using email etc. The idea is not intended for people who cannot use their phone at all !

Okay, so, who is the target market then?

Like, are we talking my mom? (she has problems using a phone and computer)

Or is it my sister? (she uses a computer and a phone, but doesn't care to get email on it.)

Or is it my brother-inlaw? (he uses a blackberry to keep his team running and connected.)

Or is it me? (I use my phone as a phone, and use skype if I want to do anything serious.)

I'm a bit confused as to where this is falling in the market space. People like my Mom will find the site inexcessable. People like my sister probably don't care. People like my brother-inlaw or myself are tech savvy enough to get the phone to do what we wish either by using Google or by poking about on it.

All that being said, I'm sure there is a space for a community to talk about the features and how-tos with their cellphones. I'd be surprised if there were not a number of them out there all ready. That doesn't make this a bad idea, it just means you have to find out the competition and figure out how you differentiate yourself from them.

The target market is anyone who needs help with their mobile phones. I can think of a few examples here

- A professional seeking help setting up an email client in his phone
- Someone interested in uploading their photos straight to flikr or Shozhu
- Someone interested in syncing their files in the phone with their PC
- I have a problem with the software on the phone. Can someone help me find a new firmware for the phone, I can download from somewhere?

These applications are different on different phone models with different UIs. Blackberry user's problems are different from someone using a Nokia Smart phone. That makes it more challenging. The community I am thinking of will be an all encompassing resource for all your mobile problems and tools you need.

Howard forums?

I don't think this is such an oxymoronic idea as others suggest. People have been using the net longer than cell phones, haven't they? And chances are, anyone with a cell has a computer. But you're suggesting a crowd-sourced or blogged site. I would make it simpler and just take questions, answer them, and post your Q&A.

But why not just have an actual phone helpdesk?

Howard forums is similar to the idea I had in mind..

hmmm...where is the profitability here?

Are you charging a fee to join this site?

If so why wouldnt you just go back to the AT&T or Sprint store to show you how to do whatever specific task you are looking to do with that phone? or search the internet for instructions or blogs?

Also there are thousands of makes of phones! For you to have a database on how to do a specific thing for that specific phone is going to be a big task!

The idea is to build enough traffic and get ad revenue (Obvious answer). The other is to have soem sort of ecommerce built into it and try to sell content and games

You can goto the store and wait in line or get more help from some more experienced users. I have had experiences where the guys at the store wouldnt know anything and would ask us to call some 1-800 number
There are thousands of phones. The forum will target the most popular models and other phones aren't that different.

I dunno, I'm not really sold on this one... there is a discovery issue to, like, there are dozens upon dozens of sites, forums, communities that offer solutions for getting your photos on to flickr, dealing with some cellphone stuff, etc.

Hmm... what's the special sauce here?

I'm afraid my experience of going back to mobile operators' shops here in the UK has been almost universally positive. If they don't know the answer straight off they'll ring a special helpdesk on your behalf (and at their expense) until it gets sorted out.

Why not use the power of video and make tutorials?

http://www.howardforums.com works great.

Indeed, howardforums.com is doing the job. WhatÂ's new in your idea? More of a help desk and less of a forum?

yes..more of a help desk and less of a forum..i was thinking more like http://www.crossloop.com for mobile

This could be useful to me if I could find the answer right away with a simple search.

Revenue-wise, you might be able to make this an "outsourced" help facility for cell phone manufacturers and service providers.

I think it's a good idea. Howardforums may be a good resource, but the Main is looking a bit scary, so there is a place to compete. Kevins idea of making tutorials is also good. You could be making tutorials on using some advanced software and try to sell them after. You could also link to sites selling hardware, so I think this could be profitable as well.

if there is competition how are you going to be different?

there are forums out there..there is no one place where you can get all information you want..Nokia users have their own forums, so are Blackberry users etc.
I am thinking of this site as one stop place for all your mobile IT needs...i havent seen anyone do this..

You might want to target the people who sell cell phone's, I haven't found any that can keep up to the TeX dumped on us as it is.
Buy a phone to day and short time coming it is out of date!--- A 1 880# would be nice that was voice active to fix and answer any problem's we Chip enep have, that get fried trying to call home.

For Problem #2 consult 2600:
http://store.2600.com/spring2008.html

There is quite a lot of all the inside info about 2600 telephone customer service.