'The Bend Guide Interview'

Name of your website?

The Bend Guide

Your name?

Heidi

Your Location (city, etc)

Bend

Please give us a short summary of your website?

Thebendguide.com is designed to be the most comprehensive resource for local residents as well as those considering making Central Oregon their home

What inspired you to launch your own website?

Bend is a great place to live and when we were moving there we wanted to be able to see pictures of the different neighborhoods so we could see what kind of place it was.

When did you launch your first website, and what was it?

I have had a blog for a few years that details my daily adventures...mostly bike and ski related.

How did you decide on a name for your website?

It was easy, the site is a guide for the City of Bend!

What makes it different from other, similar offerings?

It is updated regularly and lets people explore Bend on a computer and see pictures.

What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)

I plan to grow the site and keep it for income.

How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?

I am learning a lot about websites, analytics, and my own town so I think it has been a big success and will continue for quite some time.

If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?

I'd be able to pay for more advertising.

If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?

I think so, it takes minimal effort to keep things updated.

What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?

None so far!

What method has been most successful for promoting your website?

My biggest challenge has been to draw traffic.

How has running your website differed from your expectations?

It really hasn't!

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?

I've run it one month now and I plan to keep it forever.

What is your website address?

The Bend Guide

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