Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Joe's Upgrade Syncs With NYT Coverage
When opportunity comes knocking – in our case, a business and economics columnist for The New York Times gathering information for an article about online barter companies – one doesn’t beg off, saying, “Sorry, I’m not ready for my close-up. Could we wait a few weeks?”
So, in the midst of a major upgrade of our website, Joe Barter sat down with Jim Flanigan of The Times to discuss its strategic direction for 2008. The resulting article, published July 17 in the Business section, also covered the lineup of Joe Barter’s online barter competitors.
The good news is that barter, which generated some $6.5 billion in commercial barter transactions in 2007, is growing slowly.
Two years after its launch, Joe Barter has some 2,500 registered members who can buy, sell or barter products and services freely on our website’s Trading Post. It’s not a huge number, but we’re the new kid on the barter block, still learning.
And we’re thrilled with the publication of The New York Times article that gives Joe Barter more than just a passing mention.
What we’re excited about, though, is the website upgrade, which, when completed, will see a new Joe Barter -- Web version 2 -- partnering with 25 to 30 other online businesses that will “power” its website.
Registered members will be able to access apartment and rental listings, job opportunities, vacation and travel offers, discounts at local retailers, free music downloads, free e-mail and an array of other resources and services.
One new feature in the works, a bulletin board, will allow members to post content and photos that highlight important events in their lives.
Another new feature, a free forum for members who want to communicate with one another, marks Joe’s first steps into the social networking arena of the Web.
Our vision is to become the “Lexus Nexus” of the online networking arena, where members keep coming back to our website to buy, sell or barter products and services, and to take advantage of an expanding pool of resources and services that will help them enhance their professional and personal lives.
We’ll talk at you later, when the upgrade is complete.
To read The New York Times article about barter in its entirety, click the link below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/business/smallbusiness/17edge.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
So, in the midst of a major upgrade of our website, Joe Barter sat down with Jim Flanigan of The Times to discuss its strategic direction for 2008. The resulting article, published July 17 in the Business section, also covered the lineup of Joe Barter’s online barter competitors.
The good news is that barter, which generated some $6.5 billion in commercial barter transactions in 2007, is growing slowly.
Two years after its launch, Joe Barter has some 2,500 registered members who can buy, sell or barter products and services freely on our website’s Trading Post. It’s not a huge number, but we’re the new kid on the barter block, still learning.
And we’re thrilled with the publication of The New York Times article that gives Joe Barter more than just a passing mention.
What we’re excited about, though, is the website upgrade, which, when completed, will see a new Joe Barter -- Web version 2 -- partnering with 25 to 30 other online businesses that will “power” its website.
Registered members will be able to access apartment and rental listings, job opportunities, vacation and travel offers, discounts at local retailers, free music downloads, free e-mail and an array of other resources and services.
One new feature in the works, a bulletin board, will allow members to post content and photos that highlight important events in their lives.
Another new feature, a free forum for members who want to communicate with one another, marks Joe’s first steps into the social networking arena of the Web.
Our vision is to become the “Lexus Nexus” of the online networking arena, where members keep coming back to our website to buy, sell or barter products and services, and to take advantage of an expanding pool of resources and services that will help them enhance their professional and personal lives.
We’ll talk at you later, when the upgrade is complete.
To read The New York Times article about barter in its entirety, click the link below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/business/smallbusiness/17edge.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
