We're so excited about the updates we are rolling out to our Patch users in a couple of weeks. Among the most exciting: the transformation of our Directory from a simple listing of information to an interactive platform for Avon's business owners.
It's all the same great information about each business that our users have come to rely on, but on the new Patch, each business will have its own 'group'.
(Here's a sneak peek from our sister site, Garden City Patch.)
Each business owner who has already claimed his or her listing still has it — but in the group format, Patch offers so much more. We encourage business owners who have not yet claimed the listing to do so now, in order to reap all the benefits of the new Patch right away.
What does the group mean for the business owner?
- You can use your Facebook and Twitter networks to invite people to follow your Directory Group and keep current and future customers updated at the same time.
- You will have a direct connection between you and your community. You can view who in the community is following your group.
- No time or money to create/run your own blog/website? Now your listing will have terrific blog-like features (photo posting, article linking, commenting) without the hassle of having to maintain separate pages.
- The updated business rating system is more protective of your local reputation while still allowing customers to provide genuine feedback to you and their neighbors. You have the flexibility to accept followers of your group. You can limit who is commenting on your group and you can make your biggest fans managers of your group to help you.
- You can upload your logo as a group icon. This will appear whenever anyone in the community sees your business information in the directory, reviews which groups to follow, or sees content reposted from your group.
- The unique Patch algorithm suggests groups to users based on their site activity, hence your actively managed Directory Group will be suggested to future customers.
Every registered user on Patch will still be able to review businesses.
Here are some examples of local business listings on Avon Patch:
Miller Foods
The Meat House
Whole Health Associates
The Coffee Trade
Brownstone's Bakery for Dogs
Premier Fitness
