News Release
Creating a GalaxC of Opportunities for Small Businesses
Sydney, August 20th 2008: GalaxC Online Pty Ltd, a privately owned company based in Sydney, is building a new type of online marketplace for consumer services.
GalaxC.com gives small businesses a convenient and highly affordable way to win additional, profitable business and to streamline existing work commitments through sophisticated web-based tools and features.
There is no shortage of potential ways to generate customer enquiries: from advertising on Google, through to fridge magnets and direct mail. However, many businesses get a poor return for their advertising money, which often produces poor quality, “time wasting” enquiries.
Unfortunately, even the popular marketing methods such as Yellow Pages, classified adverts, and local directories can be expensive for the business they deliver. Even when using newer online directories like WhoCanDo, Service Seeking, and Service Central, it is not easy for small businesses to get the number of good quality leads they need. Equally unhelpful, some of the newer online directories focus entirely on creating “reverse auction” price competitions among service providers. Ignoring quality of service and value for money is bad for both consumers and small businesses.
GalaxC.com fills a gap for services businesses that need simple, affordable ways to get new customers, using methods which fit in with their sales needs and work schedules.
Overall, from a customer perspective, GalaxC.com removes much of the uncertainty of using a service provider whose reputation they do not know (as happens when using Yellow Pages, for example), and makes it quite simple to find the right service people who are available and able to match your timescales.
Suppliers in the GalaxC.com marketplace benefit from extremely targeted leads that produce high close rates and an impressive return on investment. Their industry will benefit by raising the standards and professionalism with which work is performed, and by making it possible for customers to choose service providers based on value for money, not just the lowest price.
GalaxC.com to Work Alongside Trade Associations To Boost Professional Standards
GalaxC.com helps service providers by delivering leads and orders from customers who are prepared to pay for good service. As money gets tighter, consumers are obviously concerned about affordability, but they also want value for money - not poor quality.
Consumers will find GalaxC.com highly appealing because it helps them to find and choose the service providers who deliver good quality service and the best value for money, without ignoring price-competitiveness.
From an industry perspective, GalaxC.com will also help discourage amateurism from people who have little experience or interest in providing quality service. GalaxC.com hopes to work with professional and trade associations to boost professional standards and help minimise the ‘fly by night’ types who can give whole trades and professions a bad name.
What Else is Different About GalaxC.com?
The software behind GalaxC.com uses a unique algorithm to match service providers with ready-to-buy customers.
An innovative matching process (patent pending) helps buyers to select the most appropriate providers for their specific needs, including availability and time-frames, which can be captured in detail. Time-tabling elements of the GalaxC.com service-matching algorithm juggles specific booking times for service visits with the availability of individual service providers.
More sophisticated benefits to businesses using GalaxC.com include comprehensive market intelligence tools. These help service providers see where most business demand is and guide decisions about which aspects of their business represents the largest growth opportunities and where their overall sales efforts should be focused.
Most importantly, the GalaxC.com algorithm also incorporates prior customers’ experience of each supplier’s work (the supplier’s “Q-Factor”), making value for money more transparent during the supplier selection process. This aspect of the GalaxC.com algorithm leverages “wisdom of crowds” effects. The more people who use the service, the more informative the Q-Factors become, and the greater value GalaxC.com has to all users.
Registration Open for Service Providers at GalaxC.com
Obviously consumers will only bother to look for service providers in places where they know they can find a good selection of people to choose from. So before our public launch, GalaxC.com is encouraging service providers to register for the service. The wider consumer launch will follow in a few months time, as will more information about all the benefits and features available to service providers.
Individuals and businesses of all types are invited to register their interest in GalaxC.com through the website at www.galaxc.com .
The GalaxC.com Services Marketplace will initially be open for business in a “beta” style of operation: rapid improvements will be made to the online service during its first few months. (Since the service is totally new, some updates are only to be expected).
During this “beta” phase, starting later in 2008 and expected to last for several months, there will be no charges for listings, customers, or work which Service Providers obtain through GalaxC.com.
At the end of the “beta” phase, when GalaxC.com is working well and is declared fully operational, GalaxC.com will start charging small fees to Service Providers.
When GalaxC.com is no longer in “beta” and is fully operational, all registered service providers will have a free services directory listing, including at least 3 keywords (terms which help the GalaxC.com algorithm to match customer needs with service provider capabilities).
An important aspect of using GalaxC.com will be access to market intelligence and other professional features through subscription to GalaxC.com PRO membership. All new service providers will get one month's free membership of GalaxC.com PRO as part of their normal membership benefits.
Incentives for early Registrations
Early registration will allow service providers to test out GalaxC.com at no cost:
GalaxC.com will not charge service providers for during the “beta” phase, even when they get new business through the GalaxC.com services marketplace (ie there will be no fees for leads, transactions or bids won during the “beta” phase).
To qualify for early registration benefits, registration of interest should be completed before 30 November 2008. Doing so will qualify businesses for:
- No charges for leads, success fees, or winning business during the “beta” phase.
- Free GalaxC.com PRO trial membership during the “beta” phase.
- Free GalaxC.com PRO membership for an additional two months at the end of the “beta” period.
- Free services directory listing, with 5 keywords included during the “beta” phase (to improve customer targeting).
- The GalaxC.com “Refer a friend” program: successfully refer two other businesses in Australia to register their interest in GalaxC.com and get an additional two months’ GalaxC PRO membership and an additional 5 keywords.
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Note to Editors
Electronic copies of this news release, together with the GalaxC.com logo and additional graphics can be downloaded from: www.galaxc.com/press_office
This news release is issued for and on behalf of:
GalaxC Online Pty Ltd ABN 40 130 907 274 www.galaxc.com
Press Enquiries
Pleases direct all enquiries to: press@galaxc.com
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