Name of your website?Pure Anthems
Your name?
Jay Angus
Your Location (city, etc)
Sunderland
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Pure Anthems is an online community of music fans who can chat about the best in dance, trance and club tunes, new releases and anything else music.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I have a deep interest in music, and wanted to meet other people who had the same interests. It was a social experimentation that I never thought would take off.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
I launched my first website about 4 years ago, a series of forums for people with mental health problems, where they could chat and make each other feel better without the social stigma usually attached to mental health.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
It's about music, so I wanted something that would say that. Someone mentioned Anthems but there was already a site called that, so I added Pure to the end, and it seemed to fit.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
We have a good online community who really care about the music, rather than wanting free tracks. We talk about music with deep passion, looking for the best tracks out there.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
To create an even larger worldwide community and hopefully create a record label on the back of the forums, specialising in new and interesting artists and songs.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
I spend a lot of time every week on the website and forums, and it's paid off not in monetary value, but in social value. I've made lots of friends there and so have others, and we span across the world, so we all meet new and interesting people.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I wouldn't change a thing about it. I love it the way it is and so do all the members.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
I would. I have a lot of space set aside for people to come into the community, and we're always actively seeking new members.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Well, I had to find a web host that would promote a large site. That was tricky. And getting the first couple of members was hard, since the site was unknown back when it started.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Bringing new people on board, both as volunteer moderators and bloggers, and as members.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Linking through other sites. Links are always important in promotion, and reciprocating those links helps to keep people friendly and more ready to promote your site further.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
I thought it would be an easy task, but it's been quite hard really.
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 for six months now, and I will keep it up until someone shoves me into a coffin. It's my baby.
What is the best thing about your site?
The members. They are the driving force behind successful websites and forums, and without them, the website wouldn't be here.
What is your website address?
Pure Anthems
