Publication:- Revolution

Date:- November 2004

Shopping Buddy

Thepeoplesweb.com's Mark Tuppen tells Emma Rigby how his new ad-free site will enable users and firms to sell and buy items or services in their local area The internet is good at creating revenue through a range of different advertising models, but Mark Tuppen, director of thepeoplesweb.com, says he has found a means of creating it without advertising by enabling users and businesses to buy and sell local products and services online. Following an investment of £141,000 and three years' development, Tuppen is preparing to roll out the UK site (www.thepeoplesweb.com) as a commission-free means of shopping online. Its business model involves charging users a one-off flat-fee to set up an account. So, no revenue is earned from advertising on the site and no money is being spent on marketing, other than PR. It works like this: individuals and companies set up an account on the site allowing them to post their products and services. Traffic is driven to their own site if they have one. Tuppen reckons that if the scheme takes off, it will be a cheaper alternative to advertising on web sites that offer directory services, such as Yell.com and Thmsonlocal.com. It also acts as a shopping search service: users setting up an account can specify an item they're looking for and receive an email alert when that type of product is posted by another user in their area. "It is a matchmaker service for buyers and sellers," says Tuppen. "It's a way of bringing people together online." He claims that he isn't going head-to-head with auction and shopping-comparison sites or even directory sites, but rather he's building a community online, "Like a virtual car boot sale", he explains. "The people's Web not only provides a forum for buyers and sellers, but actively matches them." The site soft-launched as a beta version in October for the business market. The landing page, which is currently live, will be redesigned by agency Mustoes for the consumer rollout planned for January 2005. Although the site is still being tested through word-of-mouth, Tuppen already claims that there were some 4,000 unique visitors in October, measured in-house through the web sites host, Exalia, although he doesn't specify how many of these visitors have registered accounts. There are already, he claims about 50,000 items on offer on the web site, and companies such as Crabtree & Evelyn and Volkswagen have signed up to support local retail outlets. "Companies posting their inventory on the site can drive traffic to a local site, rather than to just a home page," he points out. Users can sign up to buy and sell products or services through three types of personalised internet accounts. The service is available to consumers for a £5 fee, to small businesses and service providers (such as your local plumber) for £25, and to larger companies that would like to have their entire stock uploaded on the site via XML feeds for £100. More than 100 business accounts were signed up in October, claims Tuppen. Consumers can shop and buy on a regional or national basis, and they can do this in 12 different categories, such as travel, DIY, motoring and fashion. Additionally, there are plans to roll out a mobile arm, based on GPS-targeting by the end of next year. This would enable users to sign up to receive a text alert when they come within a 20 mile radius of a product they would like to buy. Tuppen is relying on natural search-optimisation to compete against other online-shopping names, but hopes it's unique, local proposition will keep visitors coming back for more.

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