Thinking out loud here.

There’s a trap that we all fall into in Web development, which is building something we want and then trying to figure out how to get people to use it.

Let’s take a different approach, identifying an audience first and target their needs.

I know that’s not as much fun, but really, it’s the most logical approach.

We’ve all built sites that have underperformed and if you look at the main factor, it would probably be that there was no underlying need for what we’d launched. I’ll use IndyPaws.com as an example:

We built the site for pet owners in central Indiana to socially connect, but looking back there was clearly not a large enough audience to make this a viable brand following that model.

What we should have done instead was build the site with a focus on galleries, games and contests - concentrating more on the “fun” aspect. I wouldn’t have eliminated the social networking, just downplayed it.

The problem I’m faced with now is that the users have already rejected the product, so relaunching it will not be an easy task. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so it’s important that to research before building - so that it’s no longer a crapshoot.

All of the projects we’re going to concentrate on in 2009 will we audience-first, and cool-factor second.

Stay tuned for more updates.