UpstartRadar launch diary, Day 3: 186 visitors, 60 listings and the “free” launch sites that aren’t

Day 3, and the pattern from Day 2 is holding: more people are visiting, but getting them to engage is still the real challenge. Today also brought a lesson about what "free" means in the launch-site world.

The numbers so far

186 visitors yesterday (up from 164), and 79 so far today
60 live listings (up from 56)
27 listings run by their creators
24 members (up from 20)
4 newsletter subscribers (doubled, from a very small base)
4 pieces of feedback and backs across the whole site (up from 3)

Google traffic is holding steady at a trickle. No listings have been removed.

7 emails in 12 hours

After listing UpstartRadar on a free launch site, I got 7 unsolicited emails in about 12 hours, all from other launch sites and directories offering to list it.

Some only had paid options. Every single one that offered a free listing came with the same condition: add their badge to your site, and they'll give you a dofollow link in return.

I started signing up to a couple of them, then stopped before adding any badges. The theme was the same every time: something offered for free that wasn't actually free.

Why I'm not adding the badges (yet)

A badge swap is really a link swap. One or two from genuinely good sites can be worth it, but a footer full of badges for directories with little real traffic doesn't help visitors, and search engines tend to discount links traded like that.

It also doesn't fit UpstartRadar. One of the things I promise creators here is a dofollow link with no badge required. It would feel odd to fill my own site with other people's badges.

So I'll look at each offer properly (real traffic, real activity, the right audience) and pick one or two at most. I'm noting every site's requirements as I go, because "does it need a badge?" is exactly what people want to know before they submit.

What I shipped since Day 2

Give feedback, get feedback: give feedback on two projects and yours moves to the front of the Needs feedback queue. Thanks to a Reddit commenter's suggestion, projects similar to yours are shown first, because feedback from someone building something similar is far more useful than a polite comment from someone in a completely different space.
The Early Supporter badge: creators can now thank the people who backed or helped their project. Those members get a badge on their profile.
A weekly newsletter, now on AWeber. The first issue goes out this weekend, with projects that need feedback, new launches and a "Scout of the week". Subscribe here (new subscribers get 25 bonus credits).
Behind the scenes: a record of removed listings (so I can see if and why people leave), and a big search update: clearer titles and descriptions, proper headings, and better links between similar projects.

The lesson: engagement is the job now

Not a surprise, but it's the clearest thing these three days have shown me: getting people to visit and list is the easy part. Getting them to engage (claim their listing, leave feedback, back a project) is hard, and it's what makes UpstartRadar worth anything.

Everything I'm building right now is aimed at that. I'll keep sharing what works and what doesn't.

One ask

If you've built something, list it free, then leave feedback on one project in the Needs feedback list. Yours moves up the queue, and I'll give your project genuine feedback in return.