ATTENTION OGR FORUM SPONSORS

You  mean train hobbyists don't know how to use Google? Google will get any customer to any competitor in a big hurry. What is left to lose by linking to OGR Forum? A niche like model railroading has to be a community in order to prosper. The tide of a growing community can lift all the boats. Then too, look at the diversity on the list of sponsors. How many of them are direct competitors? 

I retired from a very successful wedding photography business 4 years ago. We did in fact link to our competitors. We made a point of knowing all of them and having relationships with them. We participated in trade groups and sponsored many an event that included our competition. The business never suffered from any "community building" we did. In fact, it was the opposite--we routinely got business referred to us by our competitors when they couldn't serve a particular customer. And we reciprocated. 

So my answer to your question is that there is a lot of complexity under the covers. If we were talking about a Subaru dealer linking to the local Mazda dealerships then I would agree with you. Maybe. But a tight niche market has a very different dynamic than Coke versus Pepsi. I think the benefits of being in "the community" far outweigh the losses to direct competitors. You think Gunrunnerjohn has LOST business for Hennings by participating in OGR Forum? 

Don Merz

rattler21 posted:

Don,  Would you point your customers to a page listing your competitors?  John

The flipside is that a customer may learn about something here that they want to buy from the sponsor. As customers get more involved and engaged with the hobby, their interests expand.

George