From Shop Local Delmarva Facebook page:
Monday, January 27, 2025
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Sneak peek of the new Shop Local Delmarva app
Here's your first look at what to expect with the new Shop Local Delmarva app in pictures. Please keep in mind the app you will see tomorrow is not the finished product. It is the foundation for a project that will be in work for at least the next ten years. Your feedback is important to shape how the app will grow and adapt to your needs. What you will get tomorrow is Shop Local Delmarva 1.0. You will shape its future versions as the Shop Local Delmarva community grows.
Please note as you browse through the pictures, all businesses you see are fictional and were test businesses in developing the app. They will not be listed in the live version being released tomorrow.
First up is the warm up page. As the app downloads the directory, you'll see the place holder page with the new name, The Original Shop Local Delmarva. Since I didn't hold onto my Shop Local Delmarva name and website from eleven years ago (that would've cost a lot of money), someone else now uses the name and .com website that goes with it. I had to rebrand my business name (adding "The Original") and change the website, that will be coming sometime in the future, to .org instead of .com. There is a .com website out there, but it is not affiliated with the app or the work I started fifteen years ago.
Once everything loads up, first time users will have the option to sign up as a user or business owner (vendor). Users can create a personalized account or simply use the app as a guest. Business owners, however, will be required to set up an account. Don't worry. It's free to sign up and maintain a business account. Once you've set up an account (user or business owner), you won't see this page any more. The app remembers who you are.
You will next be taken to the page that greets you every time you open the app after being set up. The app will load the businesses within a five-mile range of where you are currently located. You will need to have your location activated for this to be accurate.
The important feature on this page is the search field. Of course you can search by business name, but the most helpful tool will be the three transit line menu in the right hand side of the search bar. There are two sets of filters. One sets the distance radius to search from zero to fifty miles out. The other filter searches by category and subcategory of the business.
The important feature on this page is the search field. Of course you can search by business name, but the most helpful tool will be the three transit line menu in the right hand side of the search bar. There are two sets of filters. One sets the distance radius to search from zero to fifty miles out. The other filter searches by category and subcategory of the business.
The miles slide bar is self explanatory. If you want to search all businesses by miles only, you're done. Click the "apply filter" button.
The category filter is also self explanatory. You get to select one main category and then the subcategory becomes active. The subcategory is tailored to each main category and so will be different for each main category. You can select as many subcategories as you like. Click the "Apply Filter" button and all businesses meeting your search requirements will be shown.
Please note you can use both filters at the same time. For example, you can search for retail (main category) businesses in a 15-mile radius of your location that are nurseries/garden centers, roadside stands, or florists that offer loyalty programs or rare and exotic plants.
As a business owner, you will want to take advantage of the category and subcategories. Category and subcategories are how most people will find you. All business owners get to pick one category. Paid subscriptions determine how many subcategories you can pick to describe your business.
Please note you can use both filters at the same time. For example, you can search for retail (main category) businesses in a 15-mile radius of your location that are nurseries/garden centers, roadside stands, or florists that offer loyalty programs or rare and exotic plants.
As a business owner, you will want to take advantage of the category and subcategories. Category and subcategories are how most people will find you. All business owners get to pick one category. Paid subscriptions determine how many subcategories you can pick to describe your business.
When you select a business, you'll see the details of the business. The one pictured below is the Heron level subscription. It has the most features available. Subscription levels range from Shorebird (free) through Oriole (a bit more options, yet affordable) to Osprey (even more options) to Heron (the most options).
Since the app is new, Shorebird and Oriole are the best options to select. We need a sizable directory to attract users, so I wanted to make the subscriptions attractive and affordable. The Osprey and Heron levels are competitively priced for the features they offer but not cost effective right now. The nice thing, though, is as the app grows, business owners can change their subscriptions at any time. If by summer, for example, we have 500 businesses in the directory and 10,000+ users, the business owner can easily change their subscription to the level with more features to attract more customers than a basic free Shorebird or Oriole level can attract.
Since the app is new, Shorebird and Oriole are the best options to select. We need a sizable directory to attract users, so I wanted to make the subscriptions attractive and affordable. The Osprey and Heron levels are competitively priced for the features they offer but not cost effective right now. The nice thing, though, is as the app grows, business owners can change their subscriptions at any time. If by summer, for example, we have 500 businesses in the directory and 10,000+ users, the business owner can easily change their subscription to the level with more features to attract more customers than a basic free Shorebird or Oriole level can attract.
If you click on "Profile" in the lower right hand corner, you'll see your personalized account (means you can add your picture), but more importantly, you can find all the important fine print.
And there you have it, the buck ninety-nine tour of the Shop Local Delmarva app.
Right now the app is only available for android phones. The iOS phone availability is coming at a later date. As a business owner, though, you don't need an android phone to add your business to the directory. Tomorrow I will be posting a landing page where all businesses owners can load their business information. It's a lot easier to upload the information from a desktop or laptop than on the tiny screen of a phone. Also, the link to the landing page will be accessible in the right hand column of this page.
Right now the app is only available for android phones. The iOS phone availability is coming at a later date. As a business owner, though, you don't need an android phone to add your business to the directory. Tomorrow I will be posting a landing page where all businesses owners can load their business information. It's a lot easier to upload the information from a desktop or laptop than on the tiny screen of a phone. Also, the link to the landing page will be accessible in the right hand column of this page.
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