Name of your website?TokyoTopia - Tokyo Made Simple
Your name?
Honor
Your Location (city, etc)
Tokyo
Please give us a short summary of your website?
A detailed guide to what's hot and what's not in the megalopolis of Tokyo, Japan. Find recommendations on what to see, what to do, and what to eat, as well as tips on getting around, from a UK Tokyoite who's lived here since 2001.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I love Tokyo. It's a city like no other. There's the buzz and energy you'd associate with a capital city, but there's also very traditional and cultural aspects to the city. It's a real hot pot of life. Many people I speak to worry about visiting Tokyo. I want to show people what a great city this is and encourage more people to put it on their destination to visit list. Hence the slogan - Tokyo Made Simple.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
I had my first go at building a website in 1995 which was about Bali. I discovered I really enjoyed the process, but without being on the ground in terms of location, it was difficult to write with credibility - in my opinion anyway. However, I realized that I could do this and decided to showcase my favorite city, Tokyo. The address of my original site was http://www.all-about-bali.com
How did you decide on a name for your website?
TokyoTopia came about as a result of brainstorming on the forums of SBI. The idea actually came from a lady named Julie who read what I was describing and said "Hey what about TokyoTopia". I loved it as it encompassed my theme perfectly and here we are today.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
There are many sites about Tokyo but I have always felt they are rather generic. I wanted to add some personal feel and hopefully an inside peek at what Tokyo is really like - what makes the city tick so to speak. I don't try and cover everything and that's stated clearly on my homepage. The topics I choose to write about are those that I have experienced and have 'real' knowledge about.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
I want to develop my web skills and one day replace my day job with my writing. I love researching and finding out info so the website combines those together perfectly. In the future I want the site to be one stream of income but also want to develop more ideas that are currently waiting in the queue. What are they? I don't want to tel you.... not yet ; )
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
As yet the site is still a baby in the web world but my traffic is steadily increasing and I am being 'found' on a more regular basis. Monetary success is nil as yet but the satisfaction of growing my site is more than enough at the moment. The best moments are when people write to me using the contact us form to say that they love the site and have found it really useful. Those are the 'make my day' moments.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
Gosh - that's a big question. If I had an unlimited budget the first thing I would do is get some decent maps designed that are clickable and link to the places I am talking about with key buildings and sights marked for easy navigation. Tokyo is a confusing place because of it's size. Anything I can do to help people see how it works and take the pain out of figuring it out - it's back to my slogan again - Tokyo Made Simple.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes. I have contacts in the industry who I could call on for help if needed and I am committed to making this work. Bring it on I say!
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Unexpected costs are none so far. Everything I have paid for I expected to pay for and most of the tools I need are provided by Site Build It, the company I use to host my site. As to headaches - probably getting my css sheets to work! It took a while to get my head round some of the rules and I'm always learning.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Managing my schedule so that I steadily build my site while staying effective in my job. I basically go home after work and spend 2/3 hours everyday working on content or some other aspect of the site before hitting the hay. At weekends I spend maybe 14/15 hours writing and planning. It's hard work but I am enjoying it and I have the support of a great guy in my life which makes it easier.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Genuinely responding to blogs or forums where questions are raised about Tokyo and submitting to directories to raise my exposure. If nobody finds me then it doesn't matter how good my content is - no-one will read it!
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Actually, I thought it would be more difficult than it has been so far. There have been blips along the way but in general it's all about keeping my momentum going without losing the freshness of the content I write.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
The site has been on the drawing board since October 2007 and the first pages went up in April 2008. I have given myself 2 years as a personal target to be earning some money from the site. I don't think I would take it down though if it's not as successful as I hope - the initial reason is still there - to help more people enjoy a Tokyo vacation or stay.
What would you say to someone who was worried about communicating in Tokyo?
I'd say don't worry. Bring a good phrasebook with you and leave your inhibitions at home. Don't be afraid to fall back on some good old fashioned gesturing and just enjoy yourself. Many areas of Tokyo now have plenty of information available in English and people will always try to help you, so come on..... what are you waiting for : )
What is your website address?
TokyoTopia - Tokyo Made Simple
