A Summary Paper Concerning Processes, Evaluations, and Final Products
in the expansion of a Wired Nonprofit Organization, with Emphases on Creating
Loyalty and Growth Through Targeted Marketing Techniques and the Building of
Trust
Expanding the Virtual Community
of Refuge Earth (refugeearth.org):
Implementation of Marketing and Communications Tools
for Creating Loyalty Within Specific Cyberspace Habitats. 1
I. Table
of Contents. 1
II. Abstract 2
III. Introduction. 2
IV. Exploring
Permission Marketing: Creating Trust 3
V. Hosting
a Virtual Community: Seeking Greater Diversity and Focusing on “NICHE”. 4
VI. “Community”
as a Mental Map: Ushering In a New Social Psychology. 4
VII. Digital
Tool Kit: Choosing Tools for Personalizing the Member’s Experience. 5
VIII. Tools
Created in this Course, for Expanding Refuge Earth. 6
IX. Conclusion. 8
X. List
of References (Works Cited) 9
XI. Web-based
Tools Utilized: List of References. 9
This paper will
summarize the experiences of expanding the virtual community of Refuge Earth,
a future wired nonprofit organization. Emphases in this course have been on
the structure of a Virtual Community, marketing and communications strategies
for reaching potential members of the community, and techniques for providing
the “sticky” reasons for members to want to return again and again.
The primary focus
in my studies has been a continuation of the “hands-on” building of tools
that meet the learning objectives of the class, and which will continue to
“grow” Refuge Earth to a point where it is ready to “launch” as a real and
viable Web presence. This course has provided me the opportunity to create
tools for members’ use, such as a Community Forum, an Art Gallery that will
eventually be a catalog and shopping cart and which I currently created as an
enticement to visit the site … a free eGreeting Card site. I also created a
new Village Market, to house products from carefully selected affiliate
programs, in keeping with the needs of the target groups of Refuge Earth.
I reviewed many
tools suggested in our readings, for permission marketing and other forms.
Some of these were opt-in lists, email marketing, software for deriving
targeted marketing groups of email addresses, software for keeping track of
advertising campaigns, that would provide charts showing relative successes
of each program, banner ads and sites that exchange both banner ads and URL
listings, software for creating Discussion groups and forums, and reviews of
many products geared toward creation of Online Community.
This paper
primarily reviews my experience in “gluing” the learning of our readings,
studies, and group/Courseroom discussions … to the reality of putting some of
these things into practice. The primary works of this course are actual tools
now in place on the Refuge Earth Web site. This class has brought the
Learning Environment community of Refuge Earth – A Pale Blue Dot – to a place
where it is very near ready for promotion and taking into active business
online!
To begin your
overview, please press this link to the Navigation Page:
HTML
Navigation page for MBA8340 Final Project, Expanding the Virtual Community of
Refuge Earth
HTML version of this paper:
http://www.refuge earth.hispeed.com/pages/palebluedot/Capella/mba8340/mba8340_final_project/LCB_mba8340_final_paper.htm
Microsoft Word 2000 version of this paper:
http://www.refuge- earth.hispeed.com/pages/palebluedot/Capella/mba8340/mba8340_final_project/LCB_mba8340_final_paper.doc
This project /
paper has been the continuation of primarily a “hands-on” adventure in
creating the tools and e-spaces vital to a virtual community. In learning
different modes of marketing for online business, our class has made it
specifically clear how many differences there are, from a physical,
brick-and-mortar entity.
The power of the
member, the consumer, has never been greater – which, on the other hand, has
given the business owner an unprecedented opportunity for “growing” a business
that is personalized to the community member. In many ways, the Internet has
given the owner the chance to revert to earlier days of shops along a
familiar avenue, with Mom and Pop intimately knowing the members of the
village, and giving very personal service. All the while, the highest of
modern day tools are at the disposal of not just the business owner, but also
the community member, the buyer. It has become a very compatible setting, and
the acts of shopping, buying and selling, are more cooperative than ever
before.
The consumer literally is invited to help in architecting
the shopping and community environment! Our readings confirm that “…The
ability to affect one’s environment has long been one of the hallmarks of the
Net.” (Figallo, 1998, P.409). The Internet has, indeed, completely changed
the face of commerce:
“People
are seeking a renewed sense of community, are using the Internet to find
like-minded communities, and are enjoying them. At the same time, they are
beginning to realize their aggregated power within the marketplace as they
congregate around common areas of interest, lifestyles, or preferences.”
(Bressler & Grantham, 2000, P.
307).
Our studies have provoked much thought, for me. What EXACTLY is a
Virtual Community? Is it like a chat room on AOL, discussing the latest and
greatest on television programs? Can you merely tack a Bulletin Board on any
Web site and call it COMMUNITY? If you add some product reviews and
perhaps a survey or a poll, will this make it a community?
No. An
online community means much more than the sum of its technological
pieces parts. In a true virtual neighborhood, community is purposeful.
Human-to-human interaction is the Web site’s absolute core – not an
afterthought. Capturing the Web's actual economic and social value depends on
more than assisting with "one-to-one" interactions. Instead,
successful eCommerce must enable "many-to-many" communication.
Our readings, and studies
online have shown that an increasing number of Web-concentrated forward planners
are identifying The Online Community as the preferred tool for
generating and capturing "network effects." What this means is, the
more members per Web site, the incrementally greater the site's advantages,
payback, and utilities.
The pathway through our
course provided many surprises, sometimes a steep learning curve, and a more
intense look at the possibilities for “beating the Big Boys” at their own
game. The Internet – the great leveler – where almost everyone stands an
unequalled opportunity to compete economically. One very truthful
observation, however, is in keeping with my six-year experience with the
Internet. It is truly a unique arena, where you can literally come out the
other end of exploration, being a bit FURTHER BEHIND than when you entered!
For every one thing learned, there are dozens added, each day.
Economic experts indicate that we are moving from a transaction-based
to an "experience-based" economy. This is where even basic buying
and selling functions must be memorable, in order for customers to
return. In other words, user-centered transactions and collaborative commerce
are the wave of the future. They can be enjoyable as well as economically
satisfying for everyone involved! The underlying factor, however, is based on
something very base and essential in human relationships – TRUST.
It is wonderful that we are entering an era where
Community services such as chat and instant messaging speed the buying and
selling process, and features such as personalized search, Ask-the-Expert
Forums. Buyer guides enable members to evaluate products and benefit from the
experiences of other members. Communities give consumers and business people
alike, many wide-ranging sources of information, interactive communication,
and eCommerce choices. Communities provide collective value for buyers and
sellers by cutting the costs of doing business and accelerating the
completion of transactions. What is more, Community smoothes the progress of
business transactions across geographic and time barriers. We are no longer
locked into our own little corners of the world.
Companies are putting into practice, customer relationship
management solutions that link employees at all customer touch points —
sales, marketing, customer support, and others — which provides more
personalized customer service. The objectives are increased consumer
fulfillment and loyalty – these are things that drive repeat business. In our
readings, one very excellent tool for achieving these goals is Permission
Marketing. “The goal of the
Permission Marketer is to move consumers up the permission ladder, moving
them from strangers to friends to customers. And from customers to loyal
customers. At every step up the ladder, trust grows, responsibility grows,
and profits grow.” (Godin, 1999, P.
97).
As I progressed in this class, I saw that savvy companies
are using Community services to engage their customers in dialogue.
They are hosting Forums and discussions to get members more involved, to
update shoppers on new products and services, and to promote direct
interaction among target groups. Customers today are looking for companies
that actively listen to their points of view, their cares, and their
feedback. In providing a Forum for linking with customers one-on-one, a
Community demonstrates a merchant’s dedication to support its product and
reputation in the Marketplace. It allows the business to raise its product above
the competition. Instant communication in the customer service area allows
companies to connect with customers more efficiently – allowing more
successful management of incoming business.
eBusinesses that really listen to the feedback and insight
they gain through Communities, and use it for positively affecting the user’s
experience, will realize a number of business benefits. By enabling customers
to interact directly with each other to share tips, techniques and best
practices, this encourages trust and loyalty, and builds a sure-fire
mechanism for EVANGELISM … the tendency of the satisfied member to tell
everyone about this amazing Web community!
When the Web site is so closely geared to the NICHE group
that it targets, interesting things begin to happen! Studies show that sites
that utilize Community elements as part of their sales strategy – such as
customer reviews, Forums, and other consumer-driven, collaborative
features – benefit from higher customer purchase and retention rates, and a
marked increase in frequency of visits. This CAN be a double-edged sword! The Internet Giants, i.e. GeoCities,
Tripod, The Globe, Angelfire “are niche farms whose effects on the
average Web user can be viewed as offsetting some of the effects of Web site
consolidation [domination and mergers by the like of Yahoo! or Netscape].
Through their free and easy homepage building arrangements, they provide the
means for hundreds of thousands of people to establish their own bases for
microcommunities of friends, family, business associates, and customers …
It’s more than a bit ironic that through the consolidation of traffic into
the hands of fewer portal sites, more potential Web-based homesteads may be
established by more Web users, resulting overall in a greater diversity of
small, user-built communities.” (Figallo,
1998, P.409).
Through
increasing the diversity of a Web entity, somehow, oddly, this creates what
seems to be an inverse reaction: the method for growing and nurturing the
NICHE GROUP.
The undeniable importance of the COLLABORATIVE NATURE of
the Internet once again became very clear in our class studies. When
people are considering buying online, about half of Community users place
some importance to the opinions of their fellow community members.
However, this isn’t so much different than the recommendations dished out
along with cherry pie, at a Church social – or the traditional telephone
grape vine.
Communities offer information and assistance for people
when they are experiencing specific life stages or situations. Services such
as message boards, chat, email, instant messaging, and member directories,
all assist Community members in getting the information they need by helping
them to locate and interact with experts – or to support each other.
Our readings show us that “… space
becomes place, the new social psychology … [and that] … Communities are our
mental maps of the territory we live in. As we move into cyberspace, we need
to translate our spatial symbols, rituals, and myths into something that has
meaning in the virtual realm.” (Bressler & Grantham, 2000, P. 294). The authors go on to say:
- “Community is a mental construct, not
a site in physical or virtual space.” (Bressler & Grantham, 2000,
P. 295).
- Communities aren’t created; they
evolve in a natural progression. In the physical world, people are born
and slowly acculturated into communities. This is an intensely personal
process, and grows outward from the individual.”
(P. 296).
- The glue that holds the community
together is not geography or blood ties, but shared values. Values are
simply broad tendencies of the members of any group to prefer one state
of affairs to another.” (P. 297).
- With values rather than kinship as
the common bond, commercial interests can attract communities by
focusing on values rather than product features.” (P. 297).
- Buying and experiencing are mediated
events, conditioned by culture.” (P. 296).
- Security is key to community … the
primacy of safety in community still rules. People don’t communicate
important personal information – or reach for their wallets – unless
safety and security are assumed.”
(P. 298).
- You no longer hold power over your
customers; to keep their loyalty, you must involve them in every aspect
of your business.” (P. 305).
Carefully
scrutinized, this list of descriptors for the Virtual Community give us sound
reason to believe that social and psychological factors have changed very
much with the advent of the Internet. Humanity has always collected together
in groups, bonding for common interests … if anything, the Internet and
Virtual Community has only strengthened these tendencies. The successful
Community will therefore be the one that adheres methods for creating safety
and solidarity amongst the members.
In my readings, I have seen, more and more, that Community is more
and more being seen as the long-sought "killer app" that will turn
the Internet from an investment challenge into a profitable resource. In the
truest sense, then, the “killer app” is really a conglomeration of tools and
services. Time will tell, but, over the next year or so, I believe that online
Communities will evolve beyond simple chat rooms and gathering places, to
become complex, interconnected environments. Individuals will be able to
communicate and collaborate in ways not possible in the real world – across
time and distance. This is “evolution” in every sense of the word – an
evolution that will take today’s Web sites through stages: Right now, we have what amounts to
gatherings, crowds, groups of people who have reason to all be in the same
place. Somewhere along the line, just as in the history of Humankind, it will
take a crowd to build a village. At some point, and I believe it is quickly
approaching – many villages will evolve into a Civilization. The next
EMPIRE of Humanity will be – ethereal. Digital.
Our readings confirmed the above, with this about “the killer app”:
“Online prospects are twice as likely as the national
average to have a college degree. This is a group of people used to being
right, used to figuring out how things work, and used to getting them to work
quickly. [But,] it seems that at every turn the Net reminds people how stupid
they are ... of course, this is a tremendous opportunity. If you can build
simple tools that work, and you can make people feel smart for using them,
prospects will flock to you and stay with you … The reason e-mail is the
killer app is that it’s simple and it does exactly what people expect it to
do. Your Permission Marketing campaign should work the same way.”
(Godin, 1999, Pp. 166-67).
What
Godin did not address is that the simple version of communication – email –
is very likely to soon undergo major changes, along with everything else.
Once it advances, however, I believe that the modes of communication will
remain simple, and will do exactly what you expect it to do.
The
nature of the Internet is NOT one of entropy.
During this course, I have greatly added
to the tools that will enhance the user’s Community experience, and will add
value to products and services. I concentrated on tools that would allow
interactivity between members, that would increase sales by creation of a
topic specific marketplace for Affiliate merchants, that would entice the
newcomer to visit, in the form of free eGreeting Cards and a Gallery of Art.
The creation of a discussion forum was essential, as it tied two sister Web
sites together in the common bond and interest in Multimedia, Online
Education, and Digital Art. The Forum also replaces my Intranets.com site, as
they began to charge for the online service. I expanded my banner ad campaign
by exploring the advanced abilities for interactivity with Flash 5.0. I added
topic-specific modules to the entry page of Refuge Earth, and expanded the
navigation system. I also redeveloped the navigation so there was an easier
flow between pages … a system that was so successful that I will begin to
re-code all the pages in the entire Refuge Earth Web site. Finally, I added a
Poll/Survey, also a valuable Community addition. These samples have been
added to those of previous courses, and I now feel that this site is almost
ready to launch, to promote to the general public!
Pale Blue Dot – A Digital Learning Environment
·
Expansion of navigation elements
·
Re-coding for ease of flow of pages
·
Addition of interactive modules
·
Links to value-enhanced elements of site
|
http://refuge-earth.hispeed.com/pages/palebluedot/palebluedot.htm
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RealityBytes Multimedia – Online Course for
Macromedia Flash 5.0
·
Created as real-life
project in conjunction with this Capella course. Course is valuable
addition to the Refuge Earth Community learning site
·
Provided the setting
for the addition of Virtual Community tools such as Community Forum
·
Intense use of multimedia,
as an enticement to attract membership
·
Many Community
concepts were utilized
|
http://www.realitybytesmultimedia.com/
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The RealityBytes/EastoftheSun-WestoftheMoon
Community Forum – A Discussion Board for Digital Art and Multimedia
·
Forum software is free, web-based
·
Powered and created with Discus
·
Added value to 3 sister sites: Pale Blue Dot, RealityBytes Multimedia,
and EastoftheSun-WestoftheMoon.com
·
Learning curve: very high; proprietary scripting language/not HTML
|
http://www.eastofthesun-westofthemoon.com/discus/
Discus Web
site: http://www.discusware.com/discus/
|
EastoftheSun-WestoftheMoon.com – A Galleria for
Art and Multimedia, a free eGreeting Card site
·
Also linked to the 3-site Community Forum
·
Powered and created with MyPostCards
Network
·
Topic-specific gallery (to be widely expanded) adds value to the
community
·
Learning curve: moderate: online help manual is not well-written,
tool was difficult to use
|
http://www.eastofthesun-westofthemoon.com/
MyPostCards.com
Web site:
http://mypostcards.com/
|
The
Village Market – The Gentle Zoo Everywhere-in-the-World List of Great
Shopping Experiences!
·
Replaces earlier Village Market, set up in Miva Merchant 2.2; this
was not an appropriate “shopping cart” for Affiliate programs, was quite
expensive, learning curve was too high for relative benefits
·
Current site was hand-coded, taking advantage of topic-specific
Affiliate programs
·
High value added to Web site, with very targeted and unique
shopping items
·
Also includes link to newly created Barnes & Noble Bookstore
|
http://refuge-earth.hispeed.com/pages/shopping/shopping-main.htm
Barnes
& Noble Affiliate Bookstore at Refuge Earth:
http://refuge-earth.hispeed.com/affiliate/barnesandnoble/bnbookstore.htm
|
Poll/Survey
– The Importance of Interactivity in Online Education
- Poll/survey that finishes by adding user’s choices to the
previous, and graphing results; very effective Web-based tool
- High value to user
- Learning curve: very low; incredibly easy to use with
excellent final product
|
http://vote.pollit.com/survey?ID=480590
Sparklit
Solutions for the Web:
http://www.pollit.com/
|
Enhanced
Banner Ad
- Developed in Macromedia Flash 5.0
- Target user-specific Affiliate merchant programs/items
|
View on
Pale Blue Dot, bottom of page:
http://refuge-earth.hispeed.com/pages/palebluedot/palebluedot.htm
|
For me, there are
a couple of statements made by the authors of our text, which have been
invaluable as I’ve put together tools for expanding the Virtual Community of
Refuge Earth. My emphases are bolded:
“The concept of community is as familiar and ingrained as any human
instinct. The speed and choices afforded by the new communications media
are making the landscape so different that we must discard all existing
mental maps and construct new ones. The successful communities of commerce
will be the ones that are built on strong business fundamentals; recognize
the basic human needs met by affinity groups; consistently monitor the
changing needs of the community members and quickly adapt to their needs;
offer many options; put content into context; use education to both drive and
respond to business needs; and are not afraid to embrace new ideas.”
(Bressler & Grantham, 2000, P.
307-308).
“People get more out of their online contributions when they can feel
some personal impact and feedback from their audience. Only when they are given
the opportunity to interact with groups small enough that a real dialog can
take place do they experience the sense of community that will keep them
coming back.” (Figallo, 1998, P.410).
“The future of community on the Web is both a continuation of what has
happened up to now and an unpredictable product of changing technology and
social evolution. We can predict that people will continue to seek the
kinds of social contact that the Net has made possible so far.” (Figallo,
1998, P.413-14).
This course of study has convinced me that I have been correct for all of
my Internet years; the years of multimedia, animation, videos, and
human/computer interface. The Net is headed toward a place that will stand
beyond the comprehension of what we experience today. Those of us enveloped
in studies such as these are laying the groundwork for higher,
better-informed, intricately interlinked group of human society.
We, who are now creating Communities online, are involved in the next
evolution of human society, of this I am convinced.
The simple tools we currently use will soon be history, and will be
remembered fondly and with humor – the changes will be that drastic. There
are those of us who see this vision as a 3D virtual universe that will
link untold numbers of local digital villages, and where rotating between the
“physical world” and the “virtual world” will seem as ordinary as today’s
walk from the living room to the kitchen.
Who would have ever thought that the makers of Hanna-Barbara cartoons
of our ‘60s and ‘70s youth – such as The Jetsons – would have really been
such bearers of prophecy?
Refuge Earth is
about perception, learning about one’s self, self-value, and
… attitude.
(for project paper, Pale
Blue Dot Web site additions and expansions, Flash 5.0 banner ads, Community
Forum by Discus, Gallery and Greeting Card site, Web site Survey/Poll,
regeneration of “company store” and affiliations, Web shopping personalized
for target groups)
Bressler, Stacey E., and Grantham, Charles E., Sr.
(2000). Communities of commerce: Building Internet business communities to
accelerate growth, minimize risk, and increase customer loyalty. McGraw-Hill
: NYC, NY. Pp. 294, 295, 296, 297, 298, 305, 307-308.
Figallo,
Cliff. (1998). Hosting Web communities:
Building relationships, increasing customer loyalty, and maintaining a
competitive edge. Wiley Computer Publishing, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. : NYC,
NY. Pp. 409, 410, 413-14.
Godin,
Seth. (1999). Permission marketing:
Turning strangers into friends and friends into customers. Simon &
Schuster : NYC, NY. P. 97, 166-67.
BeFree.com/Be Free, Inc.
(1996-2001). Affiliate Partners – Be Free, Inc. Web search, Nov 1998; most
current, June 2001. [Online]. Affiliate partner: Barnes & Noble, Inc. at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.
Affiliate page for bookstore setup (need personal login and ID) is at: http://www.reporting.net/networks/affiliates/bf_browse_section_types?rep_firm_id_in=2181&site_id_in=12674164&bf_section_type_id_in=960203&search_parms_in=.
BeFree main site available: http://www.befree.com/
DiscusWare, LLC.
(2001). Discus: Free discussion board script. Web search, April 2001.
[Online]. Available: http://www.discusware.com/discus/
Macromedia, Inc.
(1995-2001). Macromedia Web player (Flash player) download center. Web
search, most recent: Mar. 2001. [Online]. Available: http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash
MyPostCards Network.
(2001). MyPostCards.com Network – Tons of free multimedia postcards. Web
search, April 2001. [Online]. Available: http://mypostcards.com/
Sparklit.com. (1997-2001). Welcome to Sparklit.com
[home page]. Web search, May 2001. [Online]. Available: http://www.pollit.com/
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