Website that offer video tutorials of vehicle servicing & maintenance tasks...

MrDarcy

Hi Folks,

I'm thinking of launching a website in Ireland that is designed by mechanics, the idea being that you can access high quality expertly compiled video tutorials on how to carry out servicing and maintenance tasks on vehicles. There is also a discussion area where you can raise a query and have it answered by experts...

Just wondering would anyone have any requests for video's, as in what type of tasks would they think would be most beneficial to them. Obviously servicing and brake change material would be most useful, but anything else??? Also, how much would you consider would be value for money for access to such a site??? We are currently thinking of around the 10-20 Euro mark for a year membership, does that sound too low, too high???

All suggestions gratefully appreciated...

mumof2

I think it sounds like a great idea especially for someone like me, who doesn't mind getting hands dirty on things like oil changes for starters! Just don't know how to do it!! Could save some of us time and money!

Good luck with it.

MrDarcy

mumof2 wrote: »

I think it sounds like a great idea especially for someone like me, who doesn't mind getting hands dirty on things like oil changes for starters! Just don't know how to do it!! Could save some of us time and money!

Good luck with it.

Thanks for that! What do you think the cost of membership should be? Another thing is that the site will offer replacement parts for trade prices to members, discounts of up to 50% of RRP...

Plug

Volvoboy has a thread up in the motors tech help forum. Very helpful for noobs.

mumof2

MrDarcy wrote: »

Thanks for that! What do you think the cost of membership should be? Another thing is that the site will offer replacement parts for trade prices to members, discounts of up to 50% of RRP...

bring it on!!

Keep membership costs low, and turnaround on your site will be soon rising!!:D

Mr.David

Make it as a dedicated motors forum - with free access to the forums. And then have a charge for the 'members' part of the site.

Only issue is - have you checked youtube? I'd imagine there are loads of videos on there that could suffice?

Maybe you could get some revenue from advertising on site.

I also think that a well put together search engine for tyres (that searches across all online stores as well as national chains) would be really useful.

MrDarcy

Mr.David wrote: »

Make it as a dedicated motors forum - with free access to the forums. And then have a charge for the 'members' part of the site.

Only issue is - have you checked youtube? I'd imagine there are loads of videos on there that could suffice?

Maybe you could get some revenue from advertising on site.

I also think that a well put together search engine for tyres (that searches across all online stores as well as national chains) would be really useful.

Thanks david, on the topic of tyres, how would end users get them fitted???

SouperComputer

It sounds like a great concept but I'm not sure how viable it might be as a profitable business...Few things to consider:

1) Liability....who is liable if things go pear shaped? Disclaimers are fine and dandy but you are still at risk.
2) The plethora of excellent, car specific sites that offer similar service for free. Frankly a lot of these guys know a lot more than your everyday mechanic. Examples: vwvortex, matthewsvolvosite
3) 50% of RRP sounds great, but bear in mind most of your visitors rarely pay RRP anyway so its not much of a sell unless its cheaper than what they are paying onlline.

My thoughts:

Take a look at the www.expert-exchange.com website for computers\tech. I think this is a model you may look at shooting for from the perspective of making it a viable business.
Speak to a solicitor regarding liability.
Throw a post on the business/entrepreneur board here for other, more specific pointers.

Theres a whole load more that comes to mind, but start with this...

/edit I think a catch-all single subscription price will be a death knell for the business, people will just share accounts. IMO it needs to be incremental or per-topic\fix fee.

MrDarcy

SouperComputer wrote: »

It sounds like a great concept but I'm not sure how viable it might be as a profitable business...Few things to consider:

1) Liability....who is liable if things go pear shaped? Disclaimers are fine and dandy but you are still at risk.
2) The plethora of excellent, car specific sites that offer similar service for free. Frankly a lot of these guys know a lot more than your everyday mechanic. Examples: vwvortex, matthewsvolvosite
3) 50% of RRP sounds great, but bear in mind most of your visitors rarely pay RRP anyway so its not much of a sell unless its cheaper than what they are paying onlline.

My thoughts:

Take a look at the www.expert-exchange.com website for computers\tech. I think this is a model you may look at shooting for from the perspective of making it a viable business.
Speak to a solicitor regarding liability.
Throw a post on the business/entrepreneur board here for other, more specific pointers.

Theres a whole load more that comes to mind, but start with this...

/edit I think a catch-all single subscription price will be a death knell for the business, people will just share accounts. IMO it needs to be incremental or per-topic\fix fee.

Thanks for that Souper... I got the idea of the business from www.asp.net, they have great tutorials on asp.net and C# and that's where I thought of the idea. As for liability, the site will be very heavily disclaimed, you will be asked to undertake that you have a qualified mechanic with you when you are working on your car, every video tutorial specifically states that it is for educational purposes only and is not a complete and professional demonstration of how to carry out tasks on your vehicle. The products offered by the site are not intended for sole use, they are meant to be used for learning purposes only, in conjunction with you having a professional mechanic supervising you when you are carrying out tasks.

I know my original post probably didn't make this clear enough.

fryup

Have some scantily clad ladies doing the tutorials and ill sign up:D

galwaytt

fryup wrote: »

Have some scantily clad ladies doing the tutorials and ill sign up:D

Yes. Ladies should be inversely attractive to the car's being worked on, just to keep mind's focused !

Seriously, though, I like the idea. And model-specific would be a big help. Naturally, the more common stuff, would be done first (Focii, etc).

As for liability, well, the site and ownership of it can be located anywhere on the planet - that's the beauty of the 'net - so I don't see that as insurmountable. However, I do believe disclaimer's will work, and if you have to pay for the site: say, a nominal €1, then, you enter a legally binding contract which controls the basis of supply of the 'education.' We really need to grow up.

You won't tell AutoCad, for example, that you don't 'accept' their terms and conditions for their software (which I use at work). You pay, you are bound by the terms.

thenashlegend

Sounds like a great idea!:D
I just wonder what the mechanics will say about this........?:p

galwaytt

...I don't think it'd affect them much, commercially, tbh. People who have no interest, nor space or tools, won't do it anyway. Some might might sign up just to be informed, so that when the next invoice appears across the counter for something, they'll comprehend what was involved.

All good, that's what I say.