Name of your website?Mamma Marvellous
Your name?
Maryna Piepmeyer
Your Location (city, etc)
Windhoek
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Everything mom's might need on the journey of motherhood, but also for dads, family & friends. A user friendly website for Namibians!
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I was in need of services, products and lots of other things that moms need when pregnant, once the baby is born and all the way through motherhood. Things like finding a baby clinic or playgroup is now easy with Mamma Marvellous.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
I launched the first website just after completing the website course, with a 1 & a half year old toddler & a new born baby on the hip. It was the birth of Mamma Marvellous!
How did you decide on a name for your website?
I asked friends to suggest a name, then we voted on it! At the end there were 3 names left & I choose Mamma Marvellous! It's already very well known after 1 year!
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
It's the only website of it's sort in Namibia. It's not even crawling yet but have enough visitors to make it strong! It's growing & it's getting better & better!
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
The goal... to have a trusted, complete guide of all products & services available to parents & children.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
No time & no money YET!!! But I'm working very hard, maybe one day!
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
Lots more marketing the site, lots more extra's like fun things for children, info for parents.... many freebies. I would love to employ somebody to help with updating etc... Money gives time gives more quantity & quality for all!
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
I really think I will be able to cope, since I love it & more attention to the website will make it more profitable, which would enable me to employ somebody to help with the marketing as well as the updating.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Telephone accounts, server breakdowns, the normal "learning to built a website" pains... although I've learned to cope with it all! Extra treats for the children when I couldn't give them myself...
What has been your biggest challenge?
Being a mom (a marvellous mom) myself for my own kids, while helping many other mom's to be the best they can be, and finding things that will make their lifes easier.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
E-mail marketing. I try to send out e-mail newsletters with stories of how I'm coping with the website & my kids to moms I know. Who sends it on & so I would get new visitors to the site & new sign ups.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
It's much more time consuming than I ever thought, & the money is not rolling in like mad. It's something that you must attend to very often. Even though I'm not checking in on my website so many other people are - it's a non-stop ongoing snow ball - AND I LOVE IT!
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?
It will be 2 years next year February. It will continue to grow & only gets better with time!
How's your husband doing?
He's a bit tired, grumpy from time to time but most of the time his happy to help out with our 2 toddlers while his loving wife "work her website!" He's the best husband in the world!
What is your website address?
Mamma Marvellous
