Zoodango used to be a regular social networking website wherein it aims to attract users to be part of the website and eventually connect to more users as the website became popular. However, the social network hits a snag when another social networking website took the world by storm.
When Zoodango was about to become a viable alternative social networking website, Facebook.com was released from college use and became one of the most popular social networking websites today.
James Sun, the CEO of Zoodango have been thinking of competing with Facebook.com but because of the massive popularity and user sign-ups of the website, there is no way Zoodango could compete with Facebook.com. The CEO has to think of another way to get Zoodango up and running again.
That’s where Zoodango’s transformation started. As a start-up company, competing with the biggest in the industry with the same formula will never work to their advantage. They have to create a niche or a unique service that could place them relatively higher than other start-ups.
Mixing Online with Offline Experiences
The re-launched version of Zoodango has shown their new focus – instead of creating a website for everyone to use, the website now aims in catering to professionals who wants the best of online interaction with offline experiences.
In gist, Zoodango allow users to search for restaurants, bars and other establishments by searching on a city. These bars and restaurants are already rated by members of the website which could also be rated in the future by new users. It’s a social website that allows users to review certain establishments in the city for an improved experience in the city.
But the website’s use doesn’t end there. The social networking side of the website starts when users invite fellow users to meet offline. Based on the user’s recent rankings of different restaurants, bars, other establishments and user’s preference, the host will know the preferences of the guests. This prevents location problem or discomfort during the meeting since the best possible location is selected.
Challenges on Zoodango
But Zoodango is not a website without challenges. Like many start-up companies, it still feels the pangs of a “new kid” in the industry especially when they are offering a niche. It might take some time and a lot of resources before the website could attain considerable users.
Another challenge for Zoodango is on its inability to expand rapidly. For now, the company operates in a small scale with less than 20 full time employees. Although this might not be a factor, social networking especially on those who wanted to work outside online environment have to make their presence felt more than just simple representation in different cities.
Advantages for Professionals Offered by Zoodango
On the other hand, even though Zoodango is relatively new in the industry of social networking, the website offers a rare opportunity for professionals to be the best they can be in networking with even better results.
The social networking side of Zoodango is already there. That means professionals would just have to sign up for the services of Zoodango and expect a full featured social networking website. This will help professionals connect to other professionals and businesses who are already members of Zoodango and even invite other businesses to be part of the social networking website. As the invitations for other businesses to join increases, the network improves.
The beauty of Zoodango doesn’t end in getting contacts within the social network. Impressing your client or even your future employer will be a lot easier because it will give users an idea on the preferences of their business contacts. This advantage will also work in vice-versa since your preferences as a professional will also be revealed. Your choices will be recorded as well and will your preferences will be revealed to your clients.
Zoodango may just be one of the many start-up online companies in the world. But they have created a niche or an opportunity for themselves to attract businesses as part of their social network. Through proper management and increased number of users, Zoodango could easily beat other rivals through their unique offering which will eventually make them one of the most useful social networking tools for professionals.
