Comments on: Helping local businesses to grow: A follow-up to the New Business Models for News summit http://timwindsor.com/2008/10/27/helping-local-businesses-to-grow-a-follow-up-to-the-new-business-models-for-news-summit/ Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:25:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Greg http://timwindsor.com/2008/10/27/helping-local-businesses-to-grow-a-follow-up-to-the-new-business-models-for-news-summit/comment-page-1/#comment-1401 Greg Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:21:57 +0000 http://timwindsor.com/?p=327#comment-1401 I've been thinking about this problem recently and have spoken to a few local business owners about this. I think part of the problem is that the existing solutions really do work well enough: word-of-mouth is still how I'm going to pick my next plumber or roofer or contractor. My wife is going to clip coupons from the weekly/monthly circular that shows up in the mailbox. Local retailers focus on selling locally, and in-person; converting a web ad/lead into a local, in-store sale is hard. I agree that more could be done, I think it's a matter of finding a system that balances the capacity these businesses have for growth and their budgets. I've been thinking about this problem recently and have spoken to a few local business owners about this. I think part of the problem is that the existing solutions really do work well enough: word-of-mouth is still how I'm going to pick my next plumber or roofer or contractor. My wife is going to clip coupons from the weekly/monthly circular that shows up in the mailbox. Local retailers focus on selling locally, and in-person; converting a web ad/lead into a local, in-store sale is hard. I agree that more could be done, I think it's a matter of finding a system that balances the capacity these businesses have for growth and their budgets.

]]> By: Greg http://timwindsor.com/2008/10/27/helping-local-businesses-to-grow-a-follow-up-to-the-new-business-models-for-news-summit/comment-page-1/#comment-1267 Greg Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:21:57 +0000 http://timwindsor.com/?p=327#comment-1267 I've been thinking about this problem recently and have spoken to a few local business owners about this. I think part of the problem is that the existing solutions really do work well enough: word-of-mouth is still how I'm going to pick my next plumber or roofer or contractor. My wife is going to clip coupons from the weekly/monthly circular that shows up in the mailbox. Local retailers focus on selling locally, and in-person; converting a web ad/lead into a local, in-store sale is hard. I agree that more could be done, I think it's a matter of finding a system that balances the capacity these businesses have for growth and their budgets. I've been thinking about this problem recently and have spoken to a few local business owners about this. I think part of the problem is that the existing solutions really do work well enough: word-of-mouth is still how I'm going to pick my next plumber or roofer or contractor. My wife is going to clip coupons from the weekly/monthly circular that shows up in the mailbox. Local retailers focus on selling locally, and in-person; converting a web ad/lead into a local, in-store sale is hard. I agree that more could be done, I think it's a matter of finding a system that balances the capacity these businesses have for growth and their budgets.

]]> By: Greg http://timwindsor.com/2008/10/27/helping-local-businesses-to-grow-a-follow-up-to-the-new-business-models-for-news-summit/comment-page-1/#comment-77 Greg Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:21:57 +0000 http://timwindsor.com/?p=327#comment-77 I've been thinking about this problem recently and have spoken to a few local business owners about this. I think part of the problem is that the existing solutions really do work well enough: word-of-mouth is still how I'm going to pick my next plumber or roofer or contractor. My wife is going to clip coupons from the weekly/monthly circular that shows up in the mailbox. Local retailers focus on selling locally, and in-person; converting a web ad/lead into a local, in-store sale is hard. I agree that more could be done, I think it's a matter of finding a system that balances the capacity these businesses have for growth and their budgets. I've been thinking about this problem recently and have spoken to a few local business owners about this. I think part of the problem is that the existing solutions really do work well enough: word-of-mouth is still how I'm going to pick my next plumber or roofer or contractor. My wife is going to clip coupons from the weekly/monthly circular that shows up in the mailbox. Local retailers focus on selling locally, and in-person; converting a web ad/lead into a local, in-store sale is hard. I agree that more could be done, I think it's a matter of finding a system that balances the capacity these businesses have for growth and their budgets.

]]> By: digidave http://timwindsor.com/2008/10/27/helping-local-businesses-to-grow-a-follow-up-to-the-new-business-models-for-news-summit/comment-page-1/#comment-76 digidave Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:17:44 +0000 http://timwindsor.com/?p=327#comment-76 It was great getting to meet you Tim. <br><br>I'd love to do a follow-up interview with you - or have you write a guest post at <a href="http://NewsInnovation.com">NewsInnovation.com</a><br><br>Don't hesitate to contact me if you are interested.<br><br>Best<br>David It was great getting to meet you Tim.

I'd love to do a follow-up interview with you – or have you write a guest post at NewsInnovation.com

Don't hesitate to contact me if you are interested.

Best
David

]]> By: Mykel Nahorniak http://timwindsor.com/2008/10/27/helping-local-businesses-to-grow-a-follow-up-to-the-new-business-models-for-news-summit/comment-page-1/#comment-74 Mykel Nahorniak Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:32:34 +0000 http://timwindsor.com/?p=327#comment-74 I think the inherent problem with helping local businesses reach their patrons is lack of motivation. If you look at the Web site of a typical local business, it hasn't been updated since 2004. There's no incentive to dedicate consistent time into keeping it updated, because people will stumble across your place no matter what. If times get rough, they blame it on something other than a crappy Web presence.<br><br>For businesses to overcome the online hurdle, they need to put some effort into it. There are services out there, but they don't mean anything if businesses aren't going to actively use them.<br><br>Not to toot my own horn, but we put a lot of time into a solution for this on <a href="http://Localist.com">Localist.com</a>. We wanted a way for businesses and patrons to communicate with each other without it being intrusive. The best way to do that seemed to be to treat businesses just like any other user. Patrons can send them messages like everyone else. This way, the business doesn't need to dedicate a ton of time to keeping their online presence updated, but they can have a finger on the pulse of their customers.<br><br>Here's an example business profile: <a href="http://www.localist.com/baltimore/8x10">http://www.localist.com/baltimore/8x10</a><br><br>Compare it to a typical user profile: <a href="http://www.localist.com/myke">http://www.localist.com/myke</a> I think the inherent problem with helping local businesses reach their patrons is lack of motivation. If you look at the Web site of a typical local business, it hasn't been updated since 2004. There's no incentive to dedicate consistent time into keeping it updated, because people will stumble across your place no matter what. If times get rough, they blame it on something other than a crappy Web presence.

For businesses to overcome the online hurdle, they need to put some effort into it. There are services out there, but they don't mean anything if businesses aren't going to actively use them.

Not to toot my own horn, but we put a lot of time into a solution for this on Localist.com. We wanted a way for businesses and patrons to communicate with each other without it being intrusive. The best way to do that seemed to be to treat businesses just like any other user. Patrons can send them messages like everyone else. This way, the business doesn't need to dedicate a ton of time to keeping their online presence updated, but they can have a finger on the pulse of their customers.

Here's an example business profile: http://www.localist.com/baltimore/8×10

Compare it to a typical user profile: http://www.localist.com/myke

]]> By: Steve http://timwindsor.com/2008/10/27/helping-local-businesses-to-grow-a-follow-up-to-the-new-business-models-for-news-summit/comment-page-1/#comment-73 Steve Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:27:50 +0000 http://timwindsor.com/?p=327#comment-73 The best example of newspapers helping local businesses int he digital world that I have run across is what LJWorld is doing with their marketplace - <a href="http://www2.ljworld.com/marketplace/">http://www2.ljworld.com/marketplace/</a> The best example of newspapers helping local businesses int he digital world that I have run across is what LJWorld is doing with their marketplace – http://www2.ljworld.com/marketplace/

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