OK - I think I have it figured out now. Actually, Dogster feels incomplete because there aren't enough points of intersection between owning a pet and spending time on the site. You might enjoy looking at dog profiles - but what's in it for your dog? And you're proud when other people give your dog virtual treats - but he'd much prefer real ones.
Ted the Top Dog writes that his goal is to blend revenue desires with the ultimate priority of keeping the community happy. He's absolutely right. Most of my previous ideas focused on what might interest advertisers. From a pet owner's perspective...
(a) I still think Dogster can do more with market research. I'm envisioning an Amazon-like system that allows users to learn about (and, ideally, buy) food/supplies/etc through aggregated data on other consumers' preferences.
(b) I decided while dog-sitting for my friend Sophy that she needs a "dog dashboard" - for storing dog-related data (medical records, vet appointments, etc) and facilitating dog-centric collaboration. Instead of emailing me instructions for Mile's care and feeding, she could post it on his profile, along with info on any recent medical problems and new favorite toys. And I could post updates to keep her informed while she's away.
To make a long story short, I think Dogster would have a tighter hold on its community - as well as find more revenue opportunities - by more closely integrating its features with users' real world dog activities.
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