New website helping businesses connect with customers in a whole new way
Thanks to a recent partnership, Vancouver Chamber of Commerce members have a new benefit – a free subscription to a virtual marketplace called WhoCanHelp.com.
"Unlike classified advertising, this website brings businesses and consumers together directly," said Gina Bacon, communication manager for the chamber. "It supports our ‘shop local, shop Chamber' philosophy."
WhoCanHelp lets consumers who need a service post their needs online for free, using their zip code. Subscribing businesses are notified instantly by email or smart phone text message of local service requests, and can reply with a bid.
From divorce attorneys and CPAs to sheep shearers and repairmen, WhoCanHelp CEO Carl Hicks said his website is unique in the breadth of services it covers.
According to Hicks, the site provides three crucial pieces of information that help connect businesses and consumers: when the job can be done, how much it will cost and the reputation of the service provider.
"There's no other place you can get all of that in one place quickly," said Hicks.
WhoCanHelp is still in its infancy (www testing ended last May) and it currently covers only a few locations in Oregon, Montana, Idaho and Washington – with Vancouver being added a few weeks ago. But Hicks said website usage rates have increased 30 percent over the last month and he's negotiating subscription deals with several more chambers of commerce and the Master Builders Association.
The site has also attracted the attention of Microsoft's Bing search engine team. Hicks said one Microsoft representative declared WhoCanHelp had "cracked the Holy Grail of localizing the Web."
Local Maaco franchise owner and chamber member Glenn Miller purchased an ad spot on WhoCanHelp.com. And though it's too early to tell if the ad is bringing in a lot of customers, Miller said he thinks the site is a "pretty viable idea."
Chamber members who use the service are identified as members in their profile when they respond to service requests. According to Hicks, 43 percent of consumers are more likely to select a chamber member if they have a choice.
Hicks said the Internet is the best way for businesses to find new customers.
"The genie isn't going to go back in the bottle," he said. "People aren't going back to yellow page ads."
