First big business, and then a big user, room cool nets want to play platform

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"Shorole/Titanium media." Chongqing Morning News Joint Report Group "Now there are few people in the office, mostly out to do market research, run business." "In a slightly empty office, the room Cool Network Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter called Room Cool Technology) general manager Du Yanfang to the titanium media reporter said," The new product line, we are doing research, until the beginning of promotion, I guess I have to go out. " ”

Originally used to operate the traditional Internet of cool technology, in the beginning of 2013, but also decided to online a community social app "Neighbors"-in the social app overrun today, their "neighbors" how to rely on? The same is the platform, the past, lbs social applications have been a lot of death, will the neighbors follow their footsteps?

Accidental discovery of mobile end opportunities

"After 7 years in the real estate industry, there is the idea of starting a business. "2007, Du Yanfang with the help of friends to get a VC, founded a cool net." "The original purpose of the website is to use the platform to help the real estate industry solve the problem of sales channels." ”

The first version of the room cool Net-"online sales office" on the line just 14 months, because of Sina and other big crocodiles began to enter the property market, had to make a transition. The second edition of the "House cool independent broker", but also because the broker resources difficult to expand, was Du Yanfang initiative to give up.

This time, Du Yanfang saw the "return to the present" mode, began to form a "home purchase return" platform. In order to improve the website traffic, since 2012, the room cool technology technicians have developed a number of small games, and through the way of information implantation, driving the site's traffic, "in this process, we think of the introduction of the mobile phone application products-This is the ' neighbors ' original source." ”

At first, the idea of Du Yanfang is very simple, is to do a tool class application, aimed at expanding the original site visibility, driving the site traffic. After the first version was introduced, two application markets were submitted. "Three days, there is a 2000 download installation." "This makes Du Yanfang very surprised: in the former room cool net operation process, want to bring 2000 independent IP, it is quite difficult thing."

See the business opportunities, Du Yanfang decisive decision, put the line three days of the neighborhood, redo second Edition.

The first edition, neighbors or a tool-type app, the main residents of the service, such as the relevant community positioning, catering, service facilities and so on; After the revision, the neighbors became a community-oriented play, the service function to the second. This time, neighbors are not trying to bring traffic to the original site, but a new project-like some of the lbs apps of the past-to get users and businesses to benefit from it.

In the past two years, hit's lbs apps, also geographically based advertising push, have died for a variety of reasons--will the neighbors follow this path? And, in the spread of social use today, the neighbors join social functions, and as the main, can be successful?

"Get the merchant, then enlarge the user"

"Other applications of the development process is their own first investment money to become a user, and then the user as bait to attract businesses, to realize the cash." Du Yanfang said that the development of the neighbors, not "chicken eggs", but "egg raw chicken": "We are upside down, first get the merchant, and then attract users to join this platform." ”

"A lot of the death of lbs, is because to build a platform for businesses, but not necessarily to the business to bring the" large number of users want to "-so, will be abandoned by businesses. "Moreover, only the input is not output, the financial chain is fragile, coupled with the competition is not small, it is easy halfway to the fold."

How to get the business? Du Yanfang Choice is: The use of technology to access the way, some operations to help the business ideas, to form a technical solution. "Specifically, the room cool technology will develop a complete set of solutions for businesses, marketing and promotion of businesses to facilitate." ”

For example, businesses also know that integration systems help to attract users to continue spending. However, the establishment of the integration System, need a set of technical statistics means and the corresponding system support, no technical platform, can not be achieved. "And the room cool technology provides is such a technical solution, so that the concept of business can be realized."

At the same time, in the promotion, the room cool net will be the neighbor platform grafting over, together with other public platform, becomes the merchant discount information release the port.

"We will first look at what kind of problems the other party is facing under current conditions, and then try to solve it." Through our technology access, for businesses to bring practical benefits, can also be a natural from here to complete the cash. "When you get the business resources, you can rely on business information, start to access the neighbors, attract more users."

If the merchant accumulates to a certain extent, will attract a large number of users, and a large number of users, will bring new businesses stationed. "In this accumulation process, we have money to make." Unlike past lbs apps and current social applications, they have no money to gain in the process of accumulating users, or even paying at a loss. ”

However, in the actual promotion process, there is a little gap with what we think. "At first, they thought that almost all businesses needed such a solution, and the reality was that the idea was slightly optimistic," Du Yanfang said.

"There are two types of businesses that we cannot take down, the first is the high cost of communication--and doubts about the benefits that technology and platforms can bring to operations," he said. The second type of merchant is very low operating cost, small investment-although the technology may help him, but from the cost point of view, they are reluctant. "The former, may later become potential customers, the latter, it is difficult to become the service of the neighbors."

Even so, Du Yanfang that the promotion process is not "difficult". "We used to be real estate, and it was a long and difficult process to develop a customer and turn it into a sales revenue." We are now doing this business resources development and promotion, compared to before, it is much simpler. ”

and the business accumulation and market development process, will last 1-2 years.

To be present, to do with the user accumulation

"When users accumulate to a certain number, two points are important: first, how do users stay?" second, how to make quantitative changes to produce qualitative change, bring benefits? The neighbors ' choice is to attract people with business resources and social retention. First through the technology and operation of large business resources, will be neighbors "training" up, will have after the "quantitative change to qualitative change."

Du Yanfang said that although there are many social applications now, there are many crocodiles, but they are not inaccessible. "Grasp the difference, Ma Yun not also said, ' elephants and ants have nothing to compete with '?" good differentiation. ”

In her view, "Others do not make money, so we can not do", is a false proposition: "Micro-bo micro-letter to make money, in fact, it is easy to achieve." However, they did not find to allow users to accept, but also immediately realized the combination of the two can not be ' mutually growth ', so just give up immediately to cash out, choose to further enlarge the user volume. ”

"It seems to them that they have enough money and that short-term money-making is not something they need to think about," he said. "Entrepreneurs are not allowed to learn from such predators," he said. "As a start-up, you need to take money into account at all stages--unlike other social applications, we start with a combination of user volume and liquidity." ”

First in the process of attracting business, the cool technology has been a part of the pay: "Money is not much, can cover development costs, while maintaining our continued operation." "Then, by introducing users to business resources and providing a stronger stickiness in social networking," user growth and profitability can complement each other and grow. ”

Wait until the user growth reaches a certain amount, will be "quantitative change produces qualitative change".

"When there are enough people in the application to enter their own community, this has a direct commercial value-the business is very willing to develop their own user base in the community:" For businesses, community users are also the most stable close to repeat customers. If we can form a chain through certain channels, we can stimulate the business model from it. "And the development of solutions specifically for businesses can be ended."

"We will consider a certain stage after the development of a part of the business outsourcing." "Du Yanfang said," Also not afraid of other social application competition-we have money to earn, will slowly accumulate users. To fight with us, but the ' quantitative to qualitative change ' time to pull longer just. “

The author of this article @ Shorole