Competitive Differentiators
The HCC service has a number of characteristics – many of them unique – which significantly distinguish it from its competitors:
Growth potential and opportunity
No comparable service currently exists (see Competitive Comparisons, below). HCC instances could potentially be established in any/every neighborhood or community in the U.S. and could extend worldwide. The growth potential for HCC is virtually unlimited.
Competitive Comparisons
The localized online classified advertising niche has four categories of competitors.
1. Independently-created single-community web-based services
Services in this category tend to be relatively unsophisticated and do not lend themselves to extension into other communities. To us, they are not so much competitors as positive indicators of the demand for our offering.
2. Facebook groups
Half of the locales across the United States have at least one – and often several – administered Facebook “By and Sell” pages. Subscriber numbers to these groups range from less than 100 to many thousand, averaging 8,000 in my sample of 286.
These groups are limited by the constraints of the Facebook service, which lacks many of the features we will offer.
30% of online users don't use Facebook, and teens are leaving Facebook at an estimated rate of up to a million a year.
3. Local newspapers with online classifieds
These are generally bundled with the newspaper's printed classifieds. They may offer more images than the print ad, but the copy length is typically limited to that available for the print ad.
4. National or global web-based advertising services
Craigslist.org
This industry giant has not changed its basic look or business model since its inception in 1996, creating unmet needs among its users.
Craigslist is the only centrally administered service we are aware of that is in any way localized and serves multiple communities. However, its degree of localization does not approach the hyperlocal model that we propose, and users do not enjoy the security and other amenities we will offer.
eBay
Since it is not localized, items or services that do best in a local market are unlikely to be posted on eBay. As our network grows, we will link communities together in a way that will compete with eBay.
Overall competitive assessment
Our social positioning and our vision for community networking far exceeds that of any competitor. Our plan to return revenue directly to the hosting communities further distinguishes us. Additionally, HCC will bring a sophisticated aesthetic to this medium, creating further competitive advantages for us.
Compared to its competitors, HCC will offer such a high level of service and sophistication that it will quickly flourish in any marketplace in which it takes root.
- We will return a percentage of our revenue to our host communities to support their good works.
- Editors are local, trusted individuals with established community relationships
- Subscriptions are free; subscribers are vetted prior to approval
- Subscriber listings are reviewed and subject to editing prior to publication
- Subscribers' listings are free to post, although a payment is expected in most cases when an item or service sells
- Our application will support rapid turn-key instantiation and customization in new communities
- The landing page is easily customized by the local editor to meet specific community characteristics and needs, and is intended to serve as a potential home page to subscribers
- Along with serving individual communities, HCC can also link together adjacent communities or distant communities with similar interests and needs.
- Linking communities enables buying and selling between trusted HCC communities.
Growth potential and opportunity
No comparable service currently exists (see Competitive Comparisons, below). HCC instances could potentially be established in any/every neighborhood or community in the U.S. and could extend worldwide. The growth potential for HCC is virtually unlimited.
Competitive Comparisons
The localized online classified advertising niche has four categories of competitors.
- Independently-created single-community web-based services.
- Facebook or Yahoo “For Sale” groups
- Local newspapers with online classifieds
- National or world-wide web-based advertising services
1. Independently-created single-community web-based services
Services in this category tend to be relatively unsophisticated and do not lend themselves to extension into other communities. To us, they are not so much competitors as positive indicators of the demand for our offering.
2. Facebook groups
Half of the locales across the United States have at least one – and often several – administered Facebook “By and Sell” pages. Subscriber numbers to these groups range from less than 100 to many thousand, averaging 8,000 in my sample of 286.
These groups are limited by the constraints of the Facebook service, which lacks many of the features we will offer.
30% of online users don't use Facebook, and teens are leaving Facebook at an estimated rate of up to a million a year.
3. Local newspapers with online classifieds
These are generally bundled with the newspaper's printed classifieds. They may offer more images than the print ad, but the copy length is typically limited to that available for the print ad.
4. National or global web-based advertising services
Craigslist.org
This industry giant has not changed its basic look or business model since its inception in 1996, creating unmet needs among its users.
Craigslist is the only centrally administered service we are aware of that is in any way localized and serves multiple communities. However, its degree of localization does not approach the hyperlocal model that we propose, and users do not enjoy the security and other amenities we will offer.
eBay
Since it is not localized, items or services that do best in a local market are unlikely to be posted on eBay. As our network grows, we will link communities together in a way that will compete with eBay.
Overall competitive assessment
Our social positioning and our vision for community networking far exceeds that of any competitor. Our plan to return revenue directly to the hosting communities further distinguishes us. Additionally, HCC will bring a sophisticated aesthetic to this medium, creating further competitive advantages for us.
Compared to its competitors, HCC will offer such a high level of service and sophistication that it will quickly flourish in any marketplace in which it takes root.