What happens when every business in a hyper-local community gets online correctly?

 

Critical Path Research Project

Together with Missouri universities and high schools we are doubling down on local. Our mission is to build a community oppoerating system that helps locals start and run businesses, enages the public, spotlights the heratage history and heros of the community – and with attention on tuning the Access, Exposure, and Reputation of the community and every business within it, scaling to a modern digital web presence for the entire region.

You may ask why governments, business associations, chambers, tourism departments are not offering free website optimization…? The truth is that not many small companies are leveraging the internet correctly, or at all. Over 80% of all businesses are small family businesses in rurual America. Today, the entire Earth can shop online from anywhere on the planet with unparalelled convenience. This is exactly how the local community loses its self sustainability, when more people in the town are buying outside the town, and are working and shopping out of town. The internet and mobile phones are leaching the local populations attention away from basic and essential needs of the community that are mutually benefiical to every citizen in and through the area. Atenntion is the number one resource. We can creat more by tuning into Access, Exposure, and Reputation.

Hypothesis:

If every business in a zip code is activated online correctly with a modern web presence, then the entire community will directly benefit in an expoential way.

This can be quantified by year over year measurable sales tax revenue increase with the city and conversations with the local businesses.

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Assumptions:

Comprehensive local business directory does not exist, even online.

Cities do not have a list of every business in a community, not all have locations or need licenses.

Chambers do not have a list of every business in a community, not all are members.

The majority of people search online, on mobile, for things. 

Often people purchase products online, meaning from out of town, and based on reviews

Local shopping both online and in store purchases are typically from repeat customers, personal referrals, Google reviews, and optimized Online Listings (there’s over 60 data sources pulling business info and often it is outdated or incorrect). This is creating lower ranks in search and often drives potential new customers to higher quality listings with clear branding and honest reviews.

Creating a complete online presence is a simple series of steps between claiming listings, optimizing websites and social content, and leaning into targeted ads. 

There is a simple Minimum Direct Cost to claim listings and build or optimize essential website functions and social profiles.

If that cost can be offset by other fundraising sources and spread out across revenue channels, then the Minimum Direct Cost to the actual business could be little to nothing.

If every business in a hyper-local community gets online correctly, the whol town will experience direct and indirect positive benefits.

Process Development

Improve Access Create more access points. The internet is  multiple locations without the overhead.

Increase Exposure Create a distinguishable brand and go where your customers are.

Manage Reputation Request, incentivise, and respond to reviews. Stay humble.

Production Leverage

• Teach students marketing concepts and tools while building community websites and offering free or reduced cost marketing support to local businesses.
• Use leading digital tools and AI to streamline production workflow and deliverables.
• Unite the community around a shared sense of collaboration and brand identiy.