Case Study · 2006–2014
JackColton.com
I started JackColton.com in 2006 to help people have a better time in Las Vegas. Where should you go? What would it cost? Who could you call? Those simple questions became the foundation of the site.
2006
Founded
2014
I sold the business
6,500+
Forum members documented in an early interview
15M+
People helped by 2019, according to the successor company
2019
JackColton.com rebranded as LasVegasNightclubs.com
The problem
Las Vegas nightlife was expensive, confusing, and unusually dependent on insider knowledge. Venue marketing, paid VIP services, and third-party sales pages gave visitors plenty of information but weak incentives for neutral guidance. The original goal was straightforward: tell visitors what they needed to know without making the information contingent on buying something.
What we built
The site brought together club schedules, prices, dress codes, direct contacts, and a public forum. You could plan a night out, ask a question, and hear from someone who had been there.
The community
An archived interview from the period documented more than 6,500 forum members exchanging advice and making connections. Readers could share what had just happened, answer questions, and help the next person plan their trip.
How far it reached
Forbes used Jack Colton as an independent source in its 2010 guide to Las Vegas nightclubs. A later successor-company announcement said JackColton.com had helped more than 15 million people since its 2006 launch before the brand transitioned to LasVegasNightclubs.com in 2019.
A note on audience numbers
The 15 million figure comes from the successor company’s 2019 announcement. It describes the site’s reach since launch, including the years after my involvement.
What carried forward
Make the decision easier
A visitor needed to choose a club, understand the cost, and know who to contact. Answering those questions was the useful part.
Independence is part of the product
The site’s usefulness depended on readers believing the information was not merely a sales pitch from the venue or a third-party concierge.
Let people help each other
A large public forum let members exchange current advice, make connections, and fill gaps that a static editorial guide could not cover on its own.
Make the introduction
A useful guide can take someone only so far. A direct introduction to the right person helps them take the next step.
Give people a reason to come back
People return to a site that keeps helping them. Fresh information and an active community gave readers reasons to visit again.
Further reading