Frequently Asked Questions

What is the platform for?

It gives the community: (a) a central hub for all aspects of community life – it does that by including LISTINGS for the businesses, clubs and other community organisations, as well as easy and direct access to other useful information; and (b) a free-to-use communication channel to the mobile phones and computers of residents and visitors.

What is included in the platform?

It is made up of (a) an Apple approved App which runs on iPhones and iPads - this version of the App is available for download from the App Store; (b) a Google approved App which runs on Android devices - this version of the App is available for download from Google Play; (c) a mobile-enabled, public-facing website that can be viewed on all smartphones, tablets and desktops (called the Community Website); and (d) a mobile-enabled website that is the content management system for the Community Website (called the Manager Website).

Who can have a LISTING on the platform?

LISTINGS on the platform will be limited to organisations in the local area unless the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) agrees otherwise.

If you require further details, please contact the Area Administrator by clicking on “Contact” at the foot of the Manager Website.

What types of listing are available on the platform?

The types of listing to be made available on an installation are chosen from a menu of available listing types. You will find details of the types that the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) has chosen for this particular installation from the dropdown menu at "Account Type" when creating a new ACCOUNT on the Manager Website. The menu of available listing types includes:-

(a) free COMMUNITY listings for clubs, schools and other not-for-profit organisations;

(b) free STANDARD listings for commercial businesses; and

(c) ENHANCED listings for commercial businesses - these are designed to be paid-for on a monthly subscription basis but, on this installation, the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) may have opted to offer them for free, either permanently or temporarily.

If a commercial business has an ENHANCED listing, it can choose to increase its profile further by having that ENHANCED listing appear as a PROMOTED listing or as one or more SPONSORED listings. If the platform is divided into sub-regions, a commercial business with an ENHANCED listing can also have that ENHANCED listing appear as a LOCAL+ listing in one or more additional sub-regions.

How can the platform be used as a communication channel?

When a DEAL EVENT or POST is added to an ENHANCED listing, or an EVENT or POST is added to a COMMUNITY listing, the platform automatically sends a (free and immediate) push notification/email about it to every user that has that LISTING in his/her FAVOURITES.

In addition, the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) can use the platform to send (free and immediate) push notifications/emails at any time, both to users and to listers.

An App user who is not receiving push notifications should do two things. Firstly, navigate to “My Notifications” in the App and confirm the correct settings are recorded in there. Secondly, navigate to “Notifications” on the mobile phone/tablet itself and confirm the correct settings are recorded in there.

What is a COMMUNITY listing and & how do I set one up?

A free COMMUNITY listing is available to most not-for-profit organisations. It features (a) an image (which can be a photograph or a logo); (b) one touch phone dialling; (c) one touch emailing; (d) one touch access to the lister’s website; (e) a long description (of up to 2,000 characters); (f) the ability to advertise EVENTS (including associated imagery); (g) the ability to make POSTS (including associated imagery) to communicate with members, etc; (h) a full postal address; (i) relevant times information; (j) a link to Google Maps showing the lister’s location; (k) links to the lister’s own social media on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube; and (l) sharing functionality (enabling users to share details of the lister’s offering).

To set up a COMMUNITY listing, the lister first applies to open an ACCOUNT of the corresponding type via the Manager Website (a link to that appears as “Manager” in the footer of the Community Website). Details about the lister and the principal point of contact (called the Account Administrator) are entered and submitted to the Area Administrator for approval. If the Area Administrator approves the application, the ACCOUNT is opened and the lister is advised automatically by email. If the Area Administrator rejects the application, the lister is advised automatically by email.

Once the ACCOUNT is open, the Account Administrator can sign into it from the Manager Website, compile the COMMUNITY listing and submit it to the Area Administrator for approval. If the Area Administrator approves the COMMUNITY listing, it is published on the platform and the lister is advised automatically by email. If the Area Administrator rejects the COMMUNITY listing, the lister is advised automatically by email.

After first publication, all responsibility for the content of the COMMUNITY listing is with the Account Administrator. Save for any EVENTS that the lister may apply to include in the WHAT'S ON, no content is subject to pre-publication approval by the Area Administrator after that time.

Will EVENTS that I add to my COMMUNITY listing also be included in the WHAT'S ON?

Perhaps

If the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) has opted to allow it on the platform, EVENTS submitted by listers with COMMUNITY listings may appear in the WHAT’S ON subject to pre-publication approval by the Area Administrator on an EVENT by EVENT basis. If that facility is available on this installation, it will be offered as an option when a new EVENT is being added to a COMMUNITY listing.

Can the Account Administrator add other users to the ACCOUNT and set different authority levels for them?

Yes - this is done via the "Users" page of the ACCOUNT.

The Account Administrator simply adds the details of each new user and selects the appropriate "Role": (a) ADMINISTRATORS have full editing rights on the ACCOUNT and all LISTINGS in it - they also have full approval rights, allowing them to authorise changes that will appear on the platform (b) USERS+ have no editing or approval rights on the ACCOUNT or LISTINGS, but they do have full editing and approval rights on DEALS, EVENTS and POSTS (c) USERS have no editing or approval rights on the ACCOUNT or LISTINGS and, although they have full editing rights on DEALS, EVENTS and POSTS, any additions or changes they make will not go live on the platform until they have been approved by an Administrator or a User+.

What is a STANDARD listing and & how do I set one up?

If the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) has opted to allow it on the platform, a free STANDARD listing is available for commercial businesses. It features (a) one touch phone dialling; (b) one touch emailing; (c) a full postal address; (d) a link to Google Maps showing the Lister’s location; and (e) sharing functionality (enabling users to share details of the lister’s offering).

To set up a STANDARD listing, the lister first applies to open an ACCOUNT of the corresponding type via the Manager Website (a link to that appears as “Manager” in the footer of the Community Website). Details about the lister and the principal point of contact (called the Account Administrator) are entered and submitted to the Area Administrator for approval. If the Area Administrator approves the application, the ACCOUNT is opened and the lister is advised automatically by email. If the Area Administrator rejects the application, the lister is advised automatically by email.

Once the ACCOUNT is open, the Account Administrator can sign into it from the Manager Website, compile the STANDARD listing and submit it to the Area Administrator for approval. If the Area Administrator approves the STANDARD listing, it is published on the platform and the lister is advised automatically by email. If the Area Administrator rejects the STANDARD listing, the lister is advised automatically by email.

After first publication, all responsibility for the content of the STANDARD listing is with the Account Administrator. No content is subject to pre-publication approval by the Area Administrator after that time.

What is an ENHANCED listing and & how do I set one up?

If the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) has opted to allow it on the platform, an ENHANCED listing is available as a premium-level listing for commercial businesses on the platform. It features (a) an image (which can be a photograph or a logo); (b) one touch phone dialling; (c) one touch emailing; (d) one touch access to the lister’s website; (e) a long description (of up to 2,000 characters); (f) the ability to advertise DEALS (including associated imagery); (g) the ability to advertise EVENTS (including associated imagery); (h) the ability to make POSTS (including associated imagery) to communicate with customers/potential customers; (i) a full postal address; (j) opening hours information; (k) a link to Google Maps showing the lister’s location; (l) links to the lister’s own social media on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube; and (m) sharing functionality (enabling users to share details of the lister’s offering).

To set up an ENHANCED listing, the lister first applies to open an ACCOUNT of the corresponding type via the Manager Website (a link to that appears as “Manager” in the footer of the Community Website). Details about the lister and the principal point of contact (called the Account Administrator) are entered and submitted to the Area Administrator for approval. If the Area Administrator approves the application, the ACCOUNT is opened and the lister is advised automatically by email. If the Area Administrator rejects the application, the lister is advised automatically by email.

Once the ACCOUNT is open, the Account Administrator can sign into it from the Manager Website and compile and submit the ENHANCED listing.

What happens next depends upon whether or not the Area Administrator has an online checkout for taking payment of any fees due for an ENHANCED listing. If there is no online checkout: (a) the submitted ENHANCED listing will be sent to the Area Administrator for approval; (b) if the Area Administrator approves the ENHANCED listing, it will contact the lister to discuss any associated costs and payment arrangements before any charge is incurred - once those are agreed, the Area Administrator will publish the ENHANCED listing on the platform and the lister will be advised automatically by email; and (c) if the Area Administrator rejects the ENHANCED listing, the lister will be advised automatically by email. If there is an online checkout: (a) the lister will be asked to make payment at the online checkout after submitting its ENHANCED listing; (b) the ENHANCED listing will go live immediately payment is made; (c) the subscription fee for the ENHANCED listing will payable monthly in advance; and (d) there will be no set-up costs and the subscription can be cancelled at any time (and, if that happens, no further subscription payments will be due and the ENHANCED listing will be deleted from the platform at the end of that calendar month).

All responsibility for the content of the ENHANCED listing is with the Account Administrator. Save where there is no online checkout and save for any EVENTS that the lister may apply to include in the WHAT'S ON, no content is subject to pre-publication approval by the Area Administrator.

I have been offered a free ENHANCED listing for a period of time but what happens at the end of it?

If the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy), in its absolute discretion, offers you a free ENHANCED listing for a period of time, your free listing will be displayed until the date specified, when it will be deleted automatically. If you wish to retain an ENHANCED listing on the platform after that date, you will need to log in to your ACCOUNT and create a new ENHANCED listing.

Will EVENTS that I add to my ENHANCED listing also be included in the WHAT'S ON?

Perhaps

If the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) has opted to allow it on the platform, EVENTS submitted by listers with ENHANCED listings may appear in the WHAT’S ON subject to pre-publication approval by the Area Administrator on an EVENT by EVENT basis. If that facility is available on the platform, it will be offered as an option when a new EVENT is being added to an ENHANCED listing.

Will DEALS that I add to my ENHANCED listing also be included in the consolidated DEALS section?

Yes

What is a PROMOTED listing and & how do I set one up?

A PROMOTED listing is an ENHANCED listing that, in addition to its normal placement on the platform, is given a “top of page” position (immediately underneath the SPONSORED listing if there is one) on a listings page and added prominence by being coloured green.

There is only one position for a PROMOTED listing on each page of listings and that position can only be occupied by a business whose ENHANCED listing appears further down the same page.

PROMOTED listings can be booked by calendar month (up to 12 months ahead) and are paid for at the time of booking.

How a PROMOTED listing is set up depends upon whether or not the Area Administrator has an online checkout for taking payment of any fees due for it. If there is an online checkout, log in to the Manager Website, select your ENHANCED listing, click on the “PROMOTE” button, complete the form that appears and proceed to the online checkout. If there is no online checkout, the “PROMOTE” button will not be visible and you should contact the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) by clicking on “Contact” at the foot of the Manager Website.

What is a SPONSORED listing & how do I set one up?

A SPONSORED listing is an ENHANCED listing that, in addition to its normal placement on the platform, is given a “top of page” position (immediately above any PROMOTED listing) and added prominence by being coloured yellow.

A SPONSORED listing can appear at the top of a page of listings but, unlike a PROMOTED listing, it can also appear on a page that (i) has a menu, not listings, on it (and given that many of these menu pages rank amongst the highest traffic pages on the platform, this offers a great opportunity to commercial businesses to raise their profile in the local community); and (ii) relates to a business sector different to that in which the lister operates – that being so, a local plumber can place his SPONSORED listing on the high traffic “Cafes & Coffee Shops” page in his home sub-region.

There is only one position for a SPONSORED listing on each page.

SPONSORED listings can be booked by calendar month (up to 12 months ahead) and are paid for at the time of booking.

How a SPONSORED listing is set up depends upon whether or not the Area Administrator has an online checkout for taking payment of any fees due for it. If there is an online checkout, log in to the Manager Website, select your ENHANCED listing, click on the “SPONSOR” button, complete the form that appears and proceed to the online checkout. If there is no online checkout, the “SPONSOR” button will not be visible and you should contact the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) by clicking on “Contact” at the foot of the Manager Website.

What is a LOCAL+ listing & how do I set one up?

LOCAL+ listings can be added if the platform is divided into geographical sub-regions. It is an ENHANCED listing that, in addition to its normal placement within the lister’s home sub-region, appears in one or more other sub-regions. This functionality allows (eg) a plumber based in the sub-region of Kensington to have its ENHANCED listing also appear in the sub-region of Chelsea. As an alternative, of course, that plumber could subscribe for a second ENHANCED listing (this time, in Chelsea) but the cost of that would be higher and it would necessitate DEALS, EVENTS, POSTS and other content being added/maintained in two separate listings.

A LOCAL+ listing cannot be used as the basis for a PROMOTED listing or a SPONSORED listing in another sub-region, nor will any EVENTS or DEALS included in it appear in the WHAT’S ON or consolidated DEALS section for that sub-region. In addition, a user will remove a LOCAL+ listing from view if he/she uses the “show local” filter on a list of listings.

The subscription fee for a LOCAL+ listing is payable monthly in advance. There are no set-up costs and the subscription can be cancelled at any time. If that happens, no further subscription payments will be due and the LOCAL+ listing will be deleted from the platform at the end of that calendar month.

How a LOCAL+ listing is set up depends upon whether or not the Area Administrator has an online checkout for taking payment of any fees due for it. If there is an online checkout, log in to the Manager Website, select your ENHANCED listing, click on the “LOCAL+” button, complete the form that appears and proceed to the online checkout. If there is no online checkout, the “LOCAL+” button will not be visible and you should contact the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) by clicking on “Contact” at the foot of the Manager Website.

What is a BANNER AD & how do I set one up?

A BANNER AD is a form of display advertising that can be placed within any of the headline “Explore” categories. It appears at the foot of each page within the chosen category that has a menu or a list of listings on it. A BANNER AD can be set-up with a “click-through” to the advertiser’s own website or splash page. The cost of a BANNER AD varies depending upon the “Explore” category chosen.

BANNER ADS can be booked by calendar month (up to 12 months ahead) and are paid for at the time of booking.

To set up a BANNER AD, the advertiser first applies to open an ACCOUNT via the Manager Website (a link to that appears as “Manager” in the footer of the Community Website). Details about the advertiser and the principal point of contact (called the Account Administrator) are entered and submitted to the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) for approval. If the Area Administrator approves the application, the ACCOUNT is opened and the advertiser is advised automatically by email. If the Area Administrator rejects the application, the advertiser is advised automatically by email.

How a BANNER AD is set up depends upon whether or not the Area Administrator has an online checkout for taking payment of any fees due for it. If there is an online checkout, log in to the Manager Website, click on the “+ BANNER AD” button, complete the form that appears and proceed to the online checkout. If there is no online checkout, the “+ BANNER AD” button will not be visible and you should contact the Area Administrator (whose details can be found in the Privacy Policy) by clicking on “Contact” at the foot of the Manager Website.

What is a PARTNER’S LOGO & how do I set one up?

A PARTNER’S LOGO is a form of display advertising that sits at the bottom of the Community Website and the HOME page of the Apps. It can be set-up with a “click-through” to the advertiser’s own website or splash page. It is not necessary to have a listing to be able to have your PARTNER’S LOGO included.

To set up a PARTNER’S LOGO and for pricing information, please contact the Area Administrator by clicking on “Contact” at the foot of the Manager Website.

Do I need to have an ACCOUNT or LISTING if I just want to publicise a one-off Public Event in the WHAT’S ON?

No. Navigate to the WHAT’S ON section of the Community Website, click on the “Submit Public Event” icon and follow the onscreen instructions.

Normally, there is no cost involved for including a one-off Public Event in the WHAT'S ON but the Area Administrator will contact you about that before any charge is incurred.

Do I need to have an ACCOUNT or LISTING if I just want to include a story in the NEWS section?

No. Navigate to the NEWS section of the Community Website, click on the “Submit News Item” icon and follow the onscreen instructions.

Normally, there is no cost involved for including a story in the NEWS section but the Area Administrator will contact you about that before any charge is incurred.