I am creating a website about models and I want input!

[ModelKitBuilder]

I am creating a website about model building, and that is why I joined this forum. The website is simply a blog, but I may want to make it into a company. I need some information:

1. FAQ about model building (I don't need answers, just questions)

2. Important topics to the model building community.

3. The most important factors for a certain model kit or model. (ex: difficulty to build, aesthetics, material quality, price, size, tools needed)

4. I am open to any input anyone has to give.

Thanks!

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

I am creating a website about model building, and that is why I joined this forum. The website is simply a blog, but I may want to make it into a company...

 

A company that does what?

No offence intended, but as far as information goes, every answer to everything you've touched on here has been posted and discussed extensively on every modeling forum known to man...whether the subject is cars, trains, aircraft or anything else that gets built as scale models.

Some diligent research on your part would be most enlightening.

I CAN tell you that for the most part, there are very few blanket generalities that apply equally to all modelers.

Some of us take scale fidelity and technical and historical accuracy quite seriously, strive for excellence in our work, and enjoy the challenge of difficult kits or modifications. We have extensive collections of tools, parts, libraries, and do much in the way of research to enhance the quality of what we turn out. We can make our own parts from scratch if desired (or necessary), and expect the manufacturers to produce accurate and well-engineered kits.

Some others see model building as "playing with toys", accept glaring scaling and proportion mistakes from the model-manufacturing companies with no question, build things that couldn't possibly function in reality, see investing in tools and materials as a waste of money, learning proper techniques as a waste of time and not "fun", and seem to expect overflowing praise for mediocre results.

These are the extreme ends of a spectrum that includes everything in between.

Edited January 14, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[The Creative Explorer]

A company is usualy profit-based, what is your angle on 'the company'? Do you want people to pay you for information?, what is your business-model?

[Foggy 2]

Mark,

Life is a two way street mate, we on this forum ask the members for information which is freely given and if possible pass on our own data or tips to help any other members who strive to improve their modelling skills or just need to know some info. We all have our own topics and type of model even if it is not the exact need for our next project, we can change that model to whatever needs to be done, if we come up against a particular problem we come onto this forum to see if another modeller has had a similar problem and if they have any possible solution.

My first point of contact would always be this forum as they say "two heads are better than one" but in this case we have heads all over the world who are willing to help if they can and all for free to another modeller.

You can't get better than that!!!!!

Foggy 2.

[MrObsessive]

A company that does what?

No offence intended, but as far as information goes, every answer to everything you've touched on here has been posted and discussed extensively on every modeling forum known to man...whether the subject is cars, trains, aircraft or anything else that gets built as scale models.

Some diligent research on your part would be most enlightening.

I CAN tell you that for the most part, there are very few blanket generalities that apply equally to all modelers.

Some of us take scale fidelity and technical and historical accuracy quite seriously, strive for excellence in our work, and enjoy the challenge of difficult kits or modifications. We have extensive collections of tools, parts, libraries, and do much in the way of research to enhance the quality of what we turn out. We can make our own parts from scratch if desired (or necessary), and expect the manufacturers to produce accurate and well-engineered kits.

Some others see model building as "playing with toys", accept glaring scaling and proportion mistakes from the model-manufacturing companies with no question, build things that couldn't possibly function in reality, see investing in tools and materials as a waste of money, learning proper techniques as a waste of time and not "fun", and seem to expect overflowing praise for mediocre results.

These are the extreme ends of a spectrum that includes everything in between.

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What he said!

[aurfalien]

Hi,

I dunno, it's a niche hobby/market and there are plenty of sites with this sort of info for the scale model community.

I suppose your own experience will make yours unique.  Do you have any builds to post?

[Dann Tier]

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What he said!

It DOESNT get any better than the people on this forum......PERIOD.

[ModelKitBuilder]

Sorry I wasn't more detailed in my post, and i'm sorry if I offended anybody. So i'll give you some background info about me and my website. I am a high school kid with some experience in SEO, internet marketing, and social media marketing. I've never built a model before and i have no interest in them. (sorry if that makes you think i'm a fraud) I am going to hire writers and people with experience in scale models to make all the content for my website because i know a website goes no where with sh*tty content. My main goal is to drive traffic to the website and monetize it through advertising. A company may come later, if there is enough traffic. This could be creating software, technology, or tools to help model builders, or even just selling model kits. But don't worry about the company because that is far in the future. All information will be free of course -- i think someone had that concern. So the reason for my post was to understand what is the most important content for the model building community. And someone said there are already websites for info like this, but through my research i think that they are uncompetitive and i could dominate parts of the market.

Again, i'm sorry if I offended anyone. I just wanted to get some quick input straight from the actual community. I'm not sure if this is a problem or not allowed in the forum. So if this is allowed, I would appreciate any help, but if not i will do more research and go elsewhere.

Thanks everybody

[vamach1]

It would be nice to have a gallery of vehicles by year, make and model,  Say you built a 65 Mustang,  It would be under the Ford page, 1960-1969 and then Mustang with perhaps sub categories of unbuilt, in progress and complete.

[Ace-Garageguy]

So the reason for my post was to understand what is the most important content for the model building community.

As I mentioned earlier, some diligent research on your OWN part might prove to be helpful.

Scrolling through this or any of the other top-rated user forums will pretty obviously indicate what's "important content to the modeling community", if you're wearing your critical-thinking hat and have good reading comprehension and logical analysis skills.

And a word of caution...a business model based on something that one has no interest in or substantial knowledge of (as you yourself say "I've never built a model before and i have no interest in them. ") is a recipe for failure...even though many "business" people seem to believe (misguidedly) otherwise.

The web is already full to overflowing with sites that are just there to tap into a market that isn't understood or actually cared about, full of stupidity, wrong information, and simply useless.

Passion is what drives successful startups...or real success in just about any endeavor.

"Market research" that goes to potential consumers and asks for THEM for substantial product-development input very often turns out turds at the end of the process. Like this.

                                                                           

Edited January 14, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[ModelKitBuilder]

It would be nice to have a gallery of vehicles by year, make and model,  Say you built a 65 Mustang,  It would be under the Ford page, 1960-1969 and then Mustang with perhaps sub categories of unbuilt, in progress and complete.

That is a great idea! thanks

[ModelKitBuilder]

As I mentioned earlier, some diligent research on your OWN part might prove to be helpful.

Scrolling through this or any of the other top-rated user forums will pretty obviously indicate what's "important content to the modeling community", if you're wearing your critical-thinking hat and have good reading comprehension and logical analysis skills.

And a word of caution...a business model based on something that one has no interest in or substantial knowledge of (as you yourself say "I've never built a model before and i have no interest in them. ") is a recipe for failure...even though many "business" people seem to believe (misguidedly) otherwise.

I will definitely do research as well. It's just hard because i've got limited time and on forums there are many very specific questions. I'm looking to hit the big topics first that have a lot of search volume. I've built websites without prior knowledge before. I'm not a content creator, i am a marketer and i can delegate jobs. I'm just coming straight to the forums because i want my website to be a great reference for people just like you! 

[ModelKitBuilder]

I have a basketball game right now, i will be back later!

[Ace-Garageguy]

I will definitely do research as well. It's just hard because i've got limited time and on forums there are many very specific questions. I'm looking to hit the big topics first that have a lot of search volume. I've built websites without prior knowledge before. I'm not a content creator, i am a marketer and i can delegate jobs. I'm just coming straight to the forums because i want my website to be a great reference for people just like you! 

No offence intended again, but I have no use for "marketers" in general daily life and surely not in my modeling or real-car work.

I see "marketers" as noncontributing members of society who do nothing but drive costs up without adding value. EXAMPLE: generic products are very often equal to (or even superior to) heavily-marketed brands, but cost dramatically less because they don't have to support legions of professional BS-ers trying to convince people to buy them. 

"People just like" me?. Hardly.

I get inspiration, ideas, and technical heads-ups DIRECTLY from other members of this and other user-forums that have worthwhile content provided by highly-accomplished modelers or real-world people who know something I need or want to know. And you know what? MUCH of the "information" that's out there in webland is just flat wrong. It takes in-depth knowledge of the subject to separate the useful kernels of actual true and correct "content" from all the idiot noise.

And you, with no in-depth knowledge of the subject you want to exploit, will have no idea whether the "content" you may have delegated "others" create for your site has any value whatsoever...unless you hire somebody like me as your editor...and you couldn't afford me anyway.

I see useless "content" constantly, in a vast number of fields (on sites that just want to sell me something and have NO competent editorial policy whatsoever) and it's really getting tiring.

 So...my advice? Get yourself someone who knows modeling (and the REAL subjects the models represent) inside-out (who has the track record of exceptional work to prove it)...and who has an excellent grasp of English (a little math wouldn't hurt either)...to procure and edit your content. Otherwise, you'll have nothing worth looking at.  

Edited January 14, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[StevenGuthmiller]

I'm still trying to figure out what this is "actually" all about.

It just makes me a little squeamish that someone who has never built a model, & has no interest in them, comes right out of the chute by using the name "ModelKitBuilder" as his profile name.

You're not really off to a good start dude, but I wish you well on your endeavor.

 

Steve

[Rob Hall]

Sounds fake...the guy has no interest in the hobby, so what is the point..and a high school kid?  Riiiight...as a professional software engineer that builds corporate websites, I can't take seriously some kid that says they are a 'marketer' 'building websites'...  probably just WordPress or Squarespace pages..

Edited January 14, 2017 by Rob Hall

[aurfalien]

Eh, one can make money by directing traffic to websites.

So rather then making a web site optimized for search (SEO), they can simply build a gate way of sorts that's SEO optimized.

So the kid is simply trying to do that which is fine, nothing wrong with that.

However it would help by having a passion in scale model building but not required.

All in all I feel there is a greater chance of success if one has a passion for what they are doing.

[Ace-Garageguy]

 

All in all I feel there is a greater chance of success if one has a passion for what they are doing.

If you don't have any interest in or knowledge of what you're selling, at the very least, HIRE somebody who does.

I'm sick of useless click-bait masquerading as something worth my increasingly limited time.

EDIT: And I will intentionally NOT purchase products where useless BS is part of the overall marketing scheme. 

Edited January 14, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[hack-n-whack]

I don't think you're going in the right direction with your "market". All the the info here is free, hence there is no need for it. I for one would not pay for any advice (model related). It's a hobby: Everybody is an individual, with his/her own building skills. You should build a model before you offer any advice about one!

[Xingu]

Sounds like, what Bill caught early, is that it would be a website just to sell adds based on traffic. Would simply position it so that it showed up at the top of any "google" search. You click the site to check it out, because it came back in the top 3 suggested sites from your search. Your clicking and checking out the content on the site generates money for the site owner because there are paid ads all over the site. They will create or steal content (articles, photos, etc...) to make it so any number of random words or search directs you to their site.

Technically, it is a legitimate business model in today's internet/tech driven society. Not the most ethical way to make a dollar, but generally it only costs us our time.

ModelKitBuilder - I don't think this anything that the majority of the folks on this site are willing to help you with.

 

[ModelKitBuilder]

LOL wow you guys are way overthinking this. I'm simply making a niche website (blog). There will be valuable information and content, but obviously my main goal is to put ads there. It will not be click bait or a scam or anything. I don't even know what you mean by saying it's fake?!?! And i want to make the website for the long run since i will be putting a decent amount of money into it, which means the content has to be good. The way SEO and google works now is not just spamming the keywords. All i came here to do was see if you guys had any input. If you don't want to help me that is fine, i don't really care. So if you want to try and insult me or if your pissed that a high school kid who doesn't build models is making a website about models, please leave. All helpful replies are appreciated.

[ModelKitBuilder]

Sounds like, what Bill caught early, is that it would be a website just to sell adds based on traffic. Would simply position it so that it showed up at the top of any "google" search. You click the site to check it out, because it came back in the top 3 suggested sites from your search. Your clicking and checking out the content on the site generates money for the site owner because there are paid ads all over the site. They will create or steal content (articles, photos, etc...) to make it so any number of random words or search directs you to their site.

Technically, it is a legitimate business model in today's internet/tech driven society. Not the most ethical way to make a dollar, but generally it only costs us our time.

ModelKitBuilder - I don't think this anything that the majority of the folks on this site are willing to help you with.

 

Not sure why you think i would steal content?!? That's why i would hire writers. I was actually planning on seeing if people in forums like this would like to be writers.

[Xingu]

Not sure why you think i would steal content?!? That's why i would hire writers. I was actually planning on seeing if people in forums like this would like to be writers.

Not saying you would steal content, but there are those out there that would and do.

[aurfalien]

LOL wow you guys are way overthinking this. I'm simply making a niche website (blog). There will be valuable information and content, but obviously my main goal is to put ads there. It will not be click bait or a scam or anything. I don't even know what you mean by saying it's fake?!?! And i want to make the website for the long run since i will be putting a decent amount of money into it, which means the content has to be good. The way SEO and google works now is not just spamming the keywords. All i came here to do was see if you guys had any input. If you don't want to help me that is fine, i don't really care. So if you want to try and insult me or if your pissed that a high school kid who doesn't build models is making a website about models, please leave. All helpful replies are appreciated.

Well, this site is full of very passion ppl, craftsmen at there art.  One can say its hardcore and one I like very much.

Ppl here pretty much know each other so don't take it personal if you feel it's insulting.  If they weren't passionate, the site would suk,

However you should look at your question as this is a model building forum, not one about how to build scale model building related web site.  Now if you asked a question related to building etc... you'd have a ton of valuable replies.

The answers you got are not unique.  Try asking a framer, mechanic, engineer a similar question and you would have gotten an equally spirited answer.

My advice is to lurk a few months and understand the subject matter you are attempting to build a site for.  Actually build a car kit and post some questions about building it.

[hack-n-whack]

It seems to me that you are a tech-savvy 17 yr old kid. By your own admission, you have no interest in nor have you ever built a model. So please enlighten all us who DO have an interest in model cars, not to just "make a buck". Also, how would you pay the writers you hire? I agree with Xingu. You should do some research on the subject. Most people on this site are adults. This is a hobby!