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This is Marc. Marc owns a small restaurant. Marc wants to increase his business without spending a bundle on advertising. Marc discovers CityLightsGuide. Marc networks to meet new customers and stays in touch with current ones - all in one place! |
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favoriters When people love something, they want to share it with everyone they know. CityLightsGuide users declare their love for Marc's restaurant by adding him as a favorite on their profile for all their friends to see. Soon, their friends try him out and favorite Marc too! Word spreads fast. Now, Marc has a rapidly expanding network of favoriters who just adore his restaurant and want to tell the world about it! |
profile Marc's profile is his own public page on CityLightsGuide to say exactly what he wants about his restaurant in his own words. Users check his profile to find information, maps, photos, video, coupons, events, reviews, newsflashes and more. They share it with friends and add it to their favorites. It is available to anyone, anywhere, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be found both in our network directory and on all the major search engines like Google and Yahoo. |
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video previews Video is the hottest thing on the internet and Marc is on the cutting edge of the movement. Marc has created a video preview where he showcases the cozy atmosphere of his restaurant and talks about his commitment to high-quality cuisine. Video connects Marc directly to his customers. They recognize his face and feel comfortable walking through his door in a way no other advertising can accomplish. Marc can also upload up to 50 photos to his profile. |
newsflashes Marc is introducing a brand new brunch menu. He wants to get the word out right away. Marc quickly sends out a newsflash - the speediest way to announce hot news, specials and events. Immediately, his message is posted on the profile of every user who has favorited him. That weekend, his restaurant is packed for brunch. |
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events + invitations This weekend, Marc is hosting a wine tasting at his restaurant. From his profile, he simply creates a new event and fills in all the important information - date, time, map, details - then sends invitations to a few or all of his email contacts and favoriters. If they plan on attending, users easily add the event to their datebooks. Marc can see a list of who's going, who has declined and who has not yet replied. As an added perk of CityLightsGuide events, Marc can view a list of any and all public events scheduled at his restaurant by date and time, as well as see who's going to each. |
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user reviews Whenever users write reviews about his restaurant, Marc is instantly notified and, unlike other directory services, he can pick + choose which reviews appear on his public profile. User Reviews are one of the most powerful forms of marketing because users trust and rely upon the opinions of real people like themselves most. Marc also values being able to directly hear what his customers think - receiving clear feedback, whether positive or negative, always helps to improve his business practices and customer relationships. |
versus other advertising Marc considered placing an ad in his local newspaper. With his budget he could only afford a 1/4 page ad on a weekday. The ad would only appear in a single issue of the paper. He would have to hope that readers, when browsing that day's article content, would spot his ad and remember him. This ad would cost him $240*. Then Marc discovered an option that was a million times better - featured listings on CityLightsGuide.com. His featured listing would equip him with a full marketing tool set - photos, messaging, online networking, events, reviews, newsflashes, reservations, coupons and more. What's better, Marc could change his profile content at any time, easily and from his own home. Marc's listing would be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, not just locally, but worldwide. Users would discover his business through friends' favorites and through internet searches. Instead of looking to read articles and other content, users coming to CityLightsGuide would already be searching for businesses like his in particular. Marc compared prices: The same $240 that would buy him a 1/4 page, one-time, one-day, local newspaper ad would buy a full Featured Listing on CityLightsGuide for 1 WHOLE YEAR. Marc's decision was easy.
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messages + comments Marc knows how important personal relationships are in keeping his business healthy. He uses CityLightsGuide's built-in messaging features to stay in touch with his customers - sending and receiving messages and leaving personalized comments on user profiles. They can see he cares about them as customers and, with public comments, their friends do too. |
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reservations + coupons To make it as easy as possible for users to take the step from his online profile into his real life restaurant, Marc uses two powerful tools: reservations + coupons. Customers can easily make reservations right from his restaurant profile. He receives the reservation and instantly sends back a confirmation. And, with our coupon tool, Marc creates special coupon offers that users print out themselves and can't wait to bring in. |
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* Based on average 2007 rates from local newspapers in Boulder, Colorado.