Does anyone have experience in turning a website idea into a working business? I had a website idea so me and friend decided to make it happen. So far the development is going well, but we don't really know what's next after we're done. Does anyone know any resources regarding what's next? However to reach audience, investors and staff like that?

*how. I wish there was an edit option

idk I think you need a bussiness plan before that.

word of mouth effect. talk to friends and associates, go to business networking events. pitching events.

i 'd say expose your website to the target audience through social networks for example and to track the number of interested parties lock your key features behind a registration wall .

I would suggest this as a topic for an upcoming devRant podcast. @dfox @trogus and may a couple other successful entrepreneurs. I also have material to share.
Make sure you are solving a problem, improving people's lives... Think outside the box. Know how you will reach your audience. Carve a niche rather than being everything to everyone. We should share this type of info with our dev friends.

@Jumpshot44 It's something that'd fill a gap as far as I'm concerned. The thing is, we need many active users to make it work as planned. I don't want to go into details at thistle phase, but we'd need to reached students like Yik Yak did. I believe in my idea, but my friend has doubts. It'd be good to have a solid plan that addresses his reasonable doubts (reaching users in particular).

Sorry for the typos, SwiftKey gets weird sometimes.

Talk to some people represent of your audience and get input. Start building a personality map of your desired user. Who is he and she? How will you reach them in mass. Are they college students? Maybe a marketing champion for your app at different schools. How will you get publicity? Is your story newsworthy.
There are some great books that can help you and I am sure our devRant founders have great incite as well.
The saddest thing, and it does not have to happen, is when devs or even big companies think, 'if I build it they will come'. You need more to build your business.
If you have a great product, great marketing and great sales you have a chance to create the business of your dreams.

Actually its the other way round. You first develop a business and then a website. Not sure how this can work like this.
Your website can offer a service that can generate you profit, a SAAS basically.
Pick up a good idea and start building a service around it.

@sdhnshu The website is the heart of this particular business. We need a userbase that we can target with ads and other ad-like incentives. And the site would also have a virtual currency which you could by for real money.

@620hun marketing, marketing, marketing. Google ads, Facebook ads, talk to friend, events.

make sure your customer support is great.

marketing, marketing, marketing.