Front and Back-End Developer/Designer to build and maintain a bespoke community based e-learning website within a niche market.

London Based Developers Only!


A little about the situation
Hi, I'm ultimately looking for someone willing to invest their sweat equity and become an equal partner in this business start-up. However, I'd also consider paying a retainer, and am open to any suggestions regarding fees and payments you may have, but I'd be reluctant to give the 50% ownership I'm otherwise willing to offer.

I appreciate that these kind of requests are a dime a dozen, so I have done my best to provide you with some facts and figures and as much verifiable information as possible.

I also appreciate the challenges that working for sweat present, and I am under no illusions as to how much work there is to complete this project, so I am pretty flexible with scheduling.

A little about the project
This is a definitive interactive learning program, set within a private community where members have access to a number of unique features and functions through a private and secure user interface arranged by icons, including a course access / progress bar.

The e-course, is a step by step, 'how to' program consisting of 9 key modules & comprising of a number of theoretical and practical assignments, which members complete successively before having free access to all sections. Thus allowing them to tailor a program specific to their needs.

The entire program has been designed to get people involved as much as possible outside, as well as within the community in both a challenging and mutually supportive ways.

I believe it successfully does this, not just through a variety of thought provoking assignments engaging tools which directly address the problem at hand, but also through a series of work related incentive schemes offering rewards ranging from attractive cash prizes to free memberships.

A little about the business model
As with most e-courses, once they have been created, minimal up-keep is required outside of general site maintenance and business admin. Any support roles such as moderators, or marketing specialists for example, will come from within the community, or outsourced.


The competition
This sector lacks serious competition. All main competitors barely fill the first Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for the majority of keyword phrases. The remaining links are predominantly long standing newspaper articles, dead blogs and links to unrelated forums which have a thread relating to a keyword.

More importantly, what help there is for people fails to address the actual everyday needs of those seeking assistance, whether it's failing to motivate people in truly engaging ways, or simply provide an all inclusive, structured, easy to follow solution to their problem.

In short, their products lack invention, provide no 'added-value', or effectiveness. In fact, most cases simply offer the visitor an abstract, one dimensional pdf download for people to work on in solitude.

Pricing
The pricing policy will be set at a very affordable annual membership set in the region of £69- £89. However, members will also be able to increase their tenure by up to a further 6 months at no extra cost if certain features are activated, or work related targets are met.

This signing on fee substantially undercuts all main commercial competitors who charge as much as £400 for a years subscription.

Build it and will they come? - Competitor traffic analysis
Monthly Unique Visitor numbers for the top 7 competitors since 2010 has averaged between a low of 6500, to a high of 12,500. However, I have witnessed unique lows of 500 and a unique high of 80,000.

It's also important to stress that these figures are only based on English speaking web traffic generated in the United States. As a rule of thumb, one should double these figures to include all English speaking traffic.

In addition to this, there is also huge potential when targeting specific geographic locations, which although is unquantifiable at this stage, some professionals in the world of Gobal SEO believe localised strategies could increase traffic volume by up to 18% in each location.

If they come will they buy? - Conversion rates
Although many factors determine a sites ability to successfully convert traffic into sales. The Marketing Sherpa 2012 Website Optimization Benchmark Report, found that websites in this sector on average convert 8% of traffic into sales.

However, because of the nature of this sectors poor supply to high demand ratio, and that this is a unique specialised service which helps to solve a serious problem, along with presenting users with unparalleled offers and rewards, I believes the site has the potential to convert 12-15% and possibly more.

Marketing / SEO
Because of the uncompetitive nature of SERPs in this sector, it's not unrealistic to argue that establishing page one ranking wouldn't take as long as it would in sectors with more contested keyword phrases.

I believe it could take as little as 3 – 4 months to organically rank above the fold on page 1 with a focussed and aggressive marketing campaign, which is in place.

In addition to this, there will be a modest Adwords campaign which will also generate an immediate return on investment (ROI),

Risk/Opportunity and ROI
Nothing in business is without risk. However, even when calculating the lowest ratio of figures above, it's clear there is great potential in this venture.

Furthermore, the problems which this program addresses are very real, and as one leading academic in the field believes, “effects up to 22 million people in North America alone”. Globally this could be tenfold. This is a real problem and there is clearly a need for this service.

Remunerations
You will be a company Director and Co-founder receiving a wage, shares, dividends and benefits.

About your requirements
You'll be responsible for everything to do with IT from; technological performance and data security; to site development and expansion and everything that lies between that.

You will also need to be able to create and be proficient in:

  • Cross-browser, cross platform pages
  • Use Open source, HTML, (HTML 5), PHP, MYSQL, CMS
  • Have an understanding of the internet, SEO & possibly Schema Markup (and if not then up for learning about it).
  • Microsoft / Open Office word/excel
  • phpBB Forums
  • Wordpress
  • Create an Automated league table
  • Timed released locks
  • And more that I am not willing to share just now



You should also:

  • Have a good understanding of colors and sizing things up
  • Have a willingness and ability to work closely throughout the design and build process
  • Be a reliable and respectable time keeper, open-minded and willing to put in the hours when it really matters
  • Have some understanding of what it takes to run your own business (helpful)
  • Last but definitely not least, you should be progressively minded and an innovator of sorts. Someone who is always looking to improve upon and expand systems. If you're looking to sit back and just wait for instructions, then this is definitely not the role for you.



A little about design, features, functions and usability
I am into minimalism and pretty clear about the design. I also have excellent working examples and mock-ups for you to work from.

All aspects of the site are extremely simple and easy to use bar one challenge feature.

A little about me
I'm someone who's worked directly on all aspects of this project for the past 4 years. I've also had first hand experience in this field for nearly thirty years. During this time I've learned much about this growing, yet still little understood area, who it effects, the way it effects people and most importantly how to navigate it.

I consider myself reasonably internet savvy. I enjoy the SEO side of being a web-master and am very confident about my knowledge of competitors within this field.

I've always worked for myself, and in my previous lives, before and after completing an anthropology degree, I've run a Painting and Decorating firm, an overseas fashion shop, and until a few years ago, project managed home refurbishments before focussing on this project full-time. A also volunteer as a decorating instructor from time to time.

Need a room decorated? Maybe we can work something out there too? ;-)

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Just don't ask me what this is about. I've had people try and scam me in the past, and it's boring. I've given a lot information, so if you're interested you'll need to bring something to the table before signing a non-disclosure agreement.

At some point you'll also have to provide me with 3 solid forms of I.D. And proof of address and if you can't do any of this, then please do not waist either of our time.

Interested? Then:
Get in touch and send me some links to your work
Ask me any questions you like.
Think about your own understanding/vision of what I've just spoken about so that we can explore things together when we meet over a coffee.