SBclick, a Web site and application that provide targeted deals and content for Santa Barbara residents, is set to release a new version and expand its reach to Staten Island, N.Y.
The company — a strategic partner of Noozhawk — is an online content-delivery platform that informs Santa Barbarans of the most up-to-date deals and events through their computers and smart phones. But now, SBclick is hitting the East Coast, according to Melissa Tierney, director of business development and operations for the startup that launched in the fall of 2009.
“People have been inundated with more global solutions like Yelp and Places, and it’s been interesting how they have reacted to hyper-local content; we’ve had some good results,” Tierney said. “It will be going live in Staten Island, N.Y. We have a model that can be replicated in other cities, and by the end of the year we hope to ramp up our presence in many locations.”
By creating a free account on the site and establishing personal preferences, users can start receiving text and e-mail notifications about upcoming events, shows, concerts, local news updates, real estate listings and exclusive deals. Users can also use the iPhone app to view photos and video content and stay up-to-date.
“There’s no easier and faster way to take a look at what’s going on around you in regards to events, offers and real estate in Santa Barbara,” Tierney said. “It has the ability to boost business and drive traffic in the most advanced way to reach your target market.”
SBclick is set to launch version 3.0 to optimize the smart phone’s push technology and efficiency. The app uses the user’s GPS location to target new merchants and updated content.
“It’s basically a much more improved app with more features like local news feeds, the ability to share deals on social networks and display real estate listings through photo tours of houses,” Tierney said.
The application is unique because, through the site, business owners and merchants can customize specific demographics based on location, age and shopping preferences, she said, adding that it’s a platform that offers exclusive local content that national services don’t have.
“Santa Barbara is not a deal-hungry town,” SBclick senior adviser Jacques Habra said. “I don’t think people in Santa Barbara wake up looking for deals; however, they are extremely community-oriented. We’re trying to tap into that energy in providing content that’s community-driven.”
The more information the user gives, the more specific the offers become, Tierney said. Yet none of that information is sold to third-party companies.
“We are very private with all our information,” she said. “There are people and companies in town trying to buy that content, but we do not sell or share personal information with a third party, which often isn’t the case with Facebook or Yelp.”
Businesses want repeat customers, and Tierney said SBclick can maximize those customers by offering various types of content rather than solely relying on coupons to drive traffic.
“Businesses don’t want to send out a coupon and the next day have business slow down again,” she said. “We’ve enabled our platform as a medium to keep people completely informed so people are enticed to constantly come back.”
Tierney noted that, unlike other sites and apps that require printing coupons, SBclick is strictly digital.
“We were the first and only truly green offering in city, she said. “We want people to avoid printing.”
Tierney not only wants to give people unique insight on Santa Barbara but multiple cities throughout the nation.
“We want to be in key cities at the end of this year,” she said. “We built a model that can be replicated for that purpose, but also keep growing locally.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Alex Kacik can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.
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