Today, SocialVest is launching its online and in-store shopping platform that makes it easy for consumers to support non-profit organizations while making purchases. The free service works by rewarding users with cash back for purchases from retailers. Money earned by SocialVest users can then be donated to over one million registered non-profits with the service.
Here’s how it works. Consumers sign-up for SocialVest with their info and credit card details and can then start shopping in its online mall or at physical stores with whom SocialVest has partnered. The startup currently has partnerships with over 500 retailers including Target, Macy’s, Home Depot, Best Buy, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales. When the user make a purchase at one of these stores using the registered credit card, SocialVest will give users a cash rebate ranging from 1% to 15% of qualifying purchase prices. Funds are accrued in users’ SocialVest accounts, and can then be pledged to any non-profit.
SocialVest has also partnered with Causes, and will be the exclusive registered credit card shopping partner for the community. The startup, which has raised $500,000 in seed funding, faces competition from CauseOn, Causeworld and Endorse For A Cause.
Online forums and communities present a largely untapped opportunity for making money — at least according to Dan Gill, cofounder and chief executive of Huddler.
The San Francisco startup is officially launching today. It’s one of those weird launches where the company has actually been working with customers for more than a year, and is only now getting around to telling the media that it exists. Gill said he wanted to make sure the technology was solid before doing too much to publicize it and attract competition.
Community-building software is a broad category, but Huddler approaches the market with a specific audience and mission. It’s looking for popular, product-focused forums that are built on either vBulletin or phpBB technology. Huddler contacts the owner of the site, offering to modernize the forum and bring in more money too.
Gill gave me a long list of benefits that Huddler can offer over older platforms. It gives the sites a makeover, so they look a bit less old-fashioned, not to mention more advertising-friendly. It optimizes the pages for search engines, and also makes them easier to share through Facebook Connect. And all the software is hosted online, rather than installed on someone’s computer, which means there’s less hassle for whoever’s managing the site.
Financially, there’s not much risk to the forum owner, since the software is free. Huddler is only paid by through a percentage of the increased revenue that it brings to a site. That revenue boost comes in a number of ways, Gill said — since the sites are product-focused, Huddler creates a product page with a link where visitors can buy the item in question. It also allows companies selling related products to create their own pages on the forum and engage with the community. And of course the sites can run advertising.
The transition to Huddler can be a challenging one because of the technology issues, as well as the likelihood that change will upset some forum members. Gill didn’t offer any details, but he hinted that he has seen his share of angry comments from users who didn’t like a new forum. But Huddler has become more proficient at both moving content to a new site and preparing users for the change, he said.
There are now 24 sites using Huddler, adding up to a total of 9 million unique monthly visitors. The success stories include EpicSki, which saw a 70 percent increase in natural search traffic after switching to Huddler, and DenimBlog, which doubled pageviews in two months and is now bringing in three times the amount of revenue.
Huddler raised $5.5 million in funding from New Enterprise Associates last year. For now, the company is focusing on existing forums because they’ve already got the audience, but Gill said, “There’s no reason you won’t be able to start your own Huddles in the future.”
[image via Flickr/Daniel Borman]
Next Story: Salesforce: Yes, Chatter really does improve productivity Previous Story: Otoy scores important deals for its server gaming technology
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Times They Are A Changing
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robert shumake
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Times They Are A Changing
In the 60's it was a song of revolution when change was just not as common. Today, it reflects a fact of life, at least for small business owners and.
<b>News</b> - Katy Perry's Sesame Street Segment Cut Over Her Cleavage <b>...</b>
"Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on You Tube," says a show rep.
autosport.com - F1 <b>News</b>: Ecclestone pushing for medals system
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone plans to make a fresh push to introduce his gold medal system into the sport, after suggesting that the new points system introduced this year has not improved matters.
Today, SocialVest is launching its online and in-store shopping platform that makes it easy for consumers to support non-profit organizations while making purchases. The free service works by rewarding users with cash back for purchases from retailers. Money earned by SocialVest users can then be donated to over one million registered non-profits with the service.
Here’s how it works. Consumers sign-up for SocialVest with their info and credit card details and can then start shopping in its online mall or at physical stores with whom SocialVest has partnered. The startup currently has partnerships with over 500 retailers including Target, Macy’s, Home Depot, Best Buy, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales. When the user make a purchase at one of these stores using the registered credit card, SocialVest will give users a cash rebate ranging from 1% to 15% of qualifying purchase prices. Funds are accrued in users’ SocialVest accounts, and can then be pledged to any non-profit.
SocialVest has also partnered with Causes, and will be the exclusive registered credit card shopping partner for the community. The startup, which has raised $500,000 in seed funding, faces competition from CauseOn, Causeworld and Endorse For A Cause.
Online forums and communities present a largely untapped opportunity for making money — at least according to Dan Gill, cofounder and chief executive of Huddler.
The San Francisco startup is officially launching today. It’s one of those weird launches where the company has actually been working with customers for more than a year, and is only now getting around to telling the media that it exists. Gill said he wanted to make sure the technology was solid before doing too much to publicize it and attract competition.
Community-building software is a broad category, but Huddler approaches the market with a specific audience and mission. It’s looking for popular, product-focused forums that are built on either vBulletin or phpBB technology. Huddler contacts the owner of the site, offering to modernize the forum and bring in more money too.
Gill gave me a long list of benefits that Huddler can offer over older platforms. It gives the sites a makeover, so they look a bit less old-fashioned, not to mention more advertising-friendly. It optimizes the pages for search engines, and also makes them easier to share through Facebook Connect. And all the software is hosted online, rather than installed on someone’s computer, which means there’s less hassle for whoever’s managing the site.
Financially, there’s not much risk to the forum owner, since the software is free. Huddler is only paid by through a percentage of the increased revenue that it brings to a site. That revenue boost comes in a number of ways, Gill said — since the sites are product-focused, Huddler creates a product page with a link where visitors can buy the item in question. It also allows companies selling related products to create their own pages on the forum and engage with the community. And of course the sites can run advertising.
The transition to Huddler can be a challenging one because of the technology issues, as well as the likelihood that change will upset some forum members. Gill didn’t offer any details, but he hinted that he has seen his share of angry comments from users who didn’t like a new forum. But Huddler has become more proficient at both moving content to a new site and preparing users for the change, he said.
There are now 24 sites using Huddler, adding up to a total of 9 million unique monthly visitors. The success stories include EpicSki, which saw a 70 percent increase in natural search traffic after switching to Huddler, and DenimBlog, which doubled pageviews in two months and is now bringing in three times the amount of revenue.
Huddler raised $5.5 million in funding from New Enterprise Associates last year. For now, the company is focusing on existing forums because they’ve already got the audience, but Gill said, “There’s no reason you won’t be able to start your own Huddles in the future.”
[image via Flickr/Daniel Borman]
Next Story: Salesforce: Yes, Chatter really does improve productivity Previous Story: Otoy scores important deals for its server gaming technology
robert shumake
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Times They Are A Changing
In the 60's it was a song of revolution when change was just not as common. Today, it reflects a fact of life, at least for small business owners and.
<b>News</b> - Katy Perry's Sesame Street Segment Cut Over Her Cleavage <b>...</b>
"Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on You Tube," says a show rep.
autosport.com - F1 <b>News</b>: Ecclestone pushing for medals system
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone plans to make a fresh push to introduce his gold medal system into the sport, after suggesting that the new points system introduced this year has not improved matters.
robert shumake
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Times They Are A Changing
In the 60's it was a song of revolution when change was just not as common. Today, it reflects a fact of life, at least for small business owners and.
<b>News</b> - Katy Perry's Sesame Street Segment Cut Over Her Cleavage <b>...</b>
"Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on You Tube," says a show rep.
autosport.com - F1 <b>News</b>: Ecclestone pushing for medals system
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone plans to make a fresh push to introduce his gold medal system into the sport, after suggesting that the new points system introduced this year has not improved matters.
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