Author Archives: Phil

The Tech Threshhold

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The Pew Internet & American Life Project recently published a study on the usage of information and communications technology (there’s a great breakdown here). This includes internet and cell phone usage. The most interesting part that jumped out at me was the number of users that either are annoyed by technology (29%) or don’t use it due to inexperience (23%). So, I ask this question:

If technology was easier to use (and understand), would more people be comfortable using it? Or, does the very nature of technology limit the number of users that will adopt it?

In context, this is very relevant to me relating specifically to the work I did on the eNeighbors application interface. My design efforts were focused on simplicity and a very “non tech” look and feel, but even more importantly, the very essence of the application was designed to focus on a small number of tasks and to perform those tasks easily and efficiently. In short, I was targeting the inexperienced technology user with no prior exposure to things like web 2.0 sites, Ajax tools, RSS, blogs, etc. Does this make it more likely to be used, or will those individuals who resist using technology still be reluctant to adopt the tool?

I think the key is relevance.

If a technology tool can provide a service or information that is relevant to the user, those previous biases can be overcome since there is a very real reward for exerting that extra effort.

When it comes to content, there are certain types of information that we’ve become numb to. TV commercials, banner ads, etc. have lost a significant amount of their impact due to the fact we encounter them when they are not relevant. I think the future of online advertising is heavily dependent on this concept of relevance.

I realize that is exactly what Google keywords does (and why it’s been so successful), but ultimately, the amount of quality within those pieces of relevant information needs to grow before we once again grow numb to it. That level of quality is going to be based on filters and behavioral awareness. There must be a limit to the information, otherwise it loses it’s impact. And that it is exactly why there is a race to the “local” finish line. The question is: where does that line exist?

I like to think it’s in my own backyard.

Getting your Board “on board”

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Yesterday, Chris touched on one of the hurdles we are trying to overcome right now here are eNeighbors — getting neighborhoods through the signup process. In addition to that, there is usually an issue getting the board of directors of a given neighborhood to get on board (pun intended) with the idea of paying a monthly fee for a web-based service.

We’ve had conversations with both residents and actual board members, and they tell us that they hit a wall when they try to get the board to make a collective decision. For one reason or another they are hesitant to make the commitment. So, I’ve come up with a quick cheat sheet (if you will) for convincing your board of directors that they need eNeighbors.

1. It will make their job easier.
eNeighbors is all about communication. We all now the biggest issue in neighborhoods is that no one knows what’s going on. Communication is weak. By providing a web-based platform to communicate, neighbors keep each other informed. This takes the burden off the shoulders of the board.

2. It’s cheaper (and better) than a normal static website.
Most custom web designers charge anywhere from $1000 to $5000 for web development. This cost does not usually include the hosting fee either. Additionally, the board doesn’t have to make the updates to an eNeighbors site since every resident can do it themselves. Saves the board time and lets them focus on other more important issues.

3. It will make your neighborhood cooler.
And I’m not talking about the average temperature in your area. eNeighbors is a cutting-edge social network website. Nobody else is doing this. Your neighborhood can have all the bragging rights to being the “cool kid” on the block. eNewsletters, online social events, classified ads — these are just a few of the features that will make your neighborhood very attractive to people looking to move to your area.

Find out more about eNeighbors

Does “Local” Really Work?

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There’s been a rash of local listing websites sprouting up lately (CityWaboo, Oddpath, FatDoor) and even more adding new features to their existing services (Local, AskCity, Superpages, CitySearch).

All these sites claim to connect me with all sorts of restaurants, coffee shops, book stores, events, etc. in my area, but they all seem like they just rehash the same data. Additionally, it occured to me that I can search all day long for chinese restaurants in my neighborhood, but the only one I’m going to eat at is the one my friend says is really good because he ate there last week.

So, what does that mean? Am I unusual? Do people really perform random searches for new bars to hang out in? Where is the word of mouth captured in these scenarios? We all know the personal recommendations matter the most. JudysBook and Yelp are on the right track, but unless I know any of the people giving the review, what’s the likelyhood that I’ll seriously consider it? In my experience… not very.

So how do you connect hyper-local audiences so they can share their collective insight and personal experiences? Furthermore, how do local service providers then tap into that collective to grow their business?

Start by getting your neighborhood online.

Broadband Is King

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Broadband internet (DSL, cable, high-speed internet, or whatever you want to call it…) is now reigning supreme in the world of connecting people to the internet in the United States. AT&T and Comcast have officially surpassed AOL in subscribers bumping AOL to the #3 spot.

With broadband adoption over 50%, the future is bright for the internet companies, and hopefully this is a sign that web 2.0 will not burst like it’s ill-fated 1.0 version. To give you an example of why I believe this to be a great sign of the times and also why the web 2.0 companies are approaching this next era with more focus and realism, we at eNeighbors have approached our business model in the following manner:

1. We launched a web 2.0 application in less than 6 months for under $100k.

2. We have less than 5 people in the company.

3. We have no official office space (we all work virtual).

4. Finally, we are self-funded so far — no insane VC funding/spending here.

There’s no substitute for critical thinking and talent. We excel at both. The market is primed. Online use is on the rise. Google, Yahoo, YouTube, MySpace, etc. have made it commonplace (and cool) to be connected 24/7. This is a great time to be working in the online space. It’s so much more fun to go to work when you’re having fun!

Oh, and happy Cinco de Mayo!

Trial by Fire

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We had our first “server crash” today here at eNeighbors. From sometime early this morning till about 1pm, our site was down. Apparently our hosting company had some sort of hardware failure that took out a number of servers, routers, etc… I’m not a network admin, so the details are a little lost on me. However, we are back up and everything seems fine now!

I guess you’re not a true start-up company until you’ve had a server crash, right?

Neighborhood Transparency

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Tom Skiba, the CEO of Community Associations Institute (CAI), posted a great article on neighborhood communication on the CAI blog, Ungated, last month. He highlights a community in Arizona that is making extra efforts to provide effective and clear communications to their residents.

Cottonwood Palo Verde at Sun Lakes is the HOA in question. The HOA spokesperson, Richard Hawkes, states that they will be working with local news publications in addition to their website, weekly flyer, and TV programming in order to deliver on their promise of open communication.

It’s great to see that HOA boards are so open to the next generation of communication tools. This is the same sort of transparency of communication that eNeighbors is promoting with our web-based service. The eNeighbors tool allows for 24/7 communication to and from any member of the community. We encourage open dialogue between residents and the board of directors. In addition, we take the typical website up a notch. Our service is private and secure. Only the residents of the community can view the site and participate.

More about all the eNeighbors features.

The Small Business Owner Dilemma

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Let’s say I own a restaurant, and I want to run a Google ad campaign where I buy keywords to show my ad to users within a 10 mile radius of my physical location… uhm, nice try.

Urban Mapping posted some insight last week that does an excellent job describing the issues surrounding local advertising — mainly how it fails miserably.

Sure, Google and Yahoo can attempt to deliver your message to a specific geographic region, but if you want targeting any more focused than the general metropolitan area, I’m afraid you’re out of luck.

The portals don’t really give clear data on how exactly all this “we’ll only show your ad to certain users in the country” thing really works. And speaking from experience, if you are local small business owner — good luck getting your keyword buy to only show your online ad to the local residents around your establishment. Most likely, you’ll waste most of your daily budget advertising to people that would never even consider visiting your business based on logistical distance issues, if nothing else. Ultimately, there is nowhere to go for effective online advertising if you’re a small business.

This is where eNeighbors will change everything.

eNeighbors is building the first “bottom up” hyper-local, social network based on where you live. This social network will then provide neighborhood-centric targeting for advertisers to spend their ad dollars more effectively. Instead of Val-Pack coupons, or the typical 1.5% return on direct mail flyers, these small business owners can leverage an online channel to message their service offerings while being confident that the people actually receiving this message live nearby.

Can you imagine the response rate on such a marketing tactic?! I make no predictions in terms of numbers or percentages (yet), but it’s going to be unbelievable! It will literally change the advertising landscape.

Get started by getting your neighborhood online today!

When In Rome…

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Greg Sterling has a great post today on his blog, Screenwerk. He is once again stressing the importance of local/neighborhood level search and advertising when it comes to differentiating between similar cities, towns, or general geographical areas that the larger search portals often get mixed up.

We all know the major metros get the coverage they deserve, but what about the little guy? For that matter, the “little guy” might just be in an outlying suburb of one of the metros and inherently get the short end of the stick due to the traditional “top down” national view of the portal approach.

Yet again, I’ll make my plea for the “bottom up” approach to this entire paradigm. eNeighbors aims to build a network of users that are tied together by where they live, not what internet portal they use.

Learn how to get your neighborhood online with eNeighbors.

Amber Alert

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I don’t have an insightful industry post today, but I wanted to highlight one of the features of the eNeighbors service — Bulletins.

Bulletins is a great feature that allows an email message to be sent to the entire neighborhood instantly. Bulletins are most effective for an emergency situation where the entire community needs to be contacted immediately. I compare it to a neighorhood-level Amber Alert. In fact, of there was a case where a child was missing, the Bulletin feature would be the quickest way to alert everyone just like the Amber Alert system.

Find out more about the other eNeigbors features.

Next Net Neighborhoods

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I wrote yesterday about how we need to start creating the first online network of neighborhoods and in turn drive the value of local advertising for the businesses in our community. Here are a couple of guys already doing that.

citysquares.com
Ben Saren has created a great locally-based online community centered around Boston. Citysquares.com is a local company that brings together local businesses and their consumers. The philosophy is that you enhance local neighborhoods by strengthening the locally owned businesses. Local businesses are what make our neighborhoods unique. Citysquares.com is focused on providing rich, hyper-local content for urban and suburban communities.

Visit citysquares.com

Front Porch Forum
Based in Vermont, Michael and Valerie Wood-Lewis created Front Porch Forum to help people create healthy and vital community within their neighborhoods. Their mission: common sense and a growing body of research tell us that well-connected neighborhoods are friendlier places to live, with less crime, healthier residents, higher property values, and better service from local government and public utilities.

Visit Front Porch Forum