The city of Monroe is getting a new smartphone app, which will be available as a free download in both the Apple and Android app stores on March 1.
Created by a Minnesota-based technology company called CITYCENTER Marketing Solutions, the software will create an interactive experience for users, providing them with information on Monroe's businesses, parks, schools, nonprofits, churches and events.
CITYCENTER President and CEO Dan Evans has been working closely with the City of Monroe and the Monroe Chamber of Commerce in preparation of the app's upcoming launch. Informational sessions have been held for the Monroe business community, so that business owners can become familiarized with the technology.
Two additional sessions will be held on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., at the Sultan-Monroe Masonic Lodge (125 S. Lewis St. in Monroe).
All businesses who attend one of the sessions will receive a business listing in the app free of charge. In addition to providing an address, the business listing shares basic information about the business.
For businesses who wish to engage with the app more comprehensively, there is a monthly subscription service that can provide more extensive marketing services.
For Evans, the app is all about supporting small businesses and bringing the community together. Coming from a family of small business owners, he had always wanted to find a way to acquire customer feedback instantly, the moment they left his store. And if the customer's experience was positive, he wanted to be able to broadcast that out to everyone who would listen. With technology, he found a way to do just that.
Through his research, he learned that 80 percent of today's internet users have a smartphone, and 70 percent of people who have a smartphone use it while they're in stores. He also learned that 95 percent of people are using their smartphones to locate nearby restaurants, events, parks and more.
With nearly everyone on Facebook now, the app will have the ability to interact with Facebook directly, providing instant customer feedback that is then posted on the user's Facebook page. This is done through a small piece of hardware known as a beacon.
"It's this little device about the size of a half-dollar, and it mounts near the door of a business,GÇ¥ Evans said. "It broadcasts a signal anywhere from 3 inches to 80 feet.GÇ¥
Business owners who subscribe to the service and install one of the beacons will be able to transmit special offers out to potential customers who come within range of their store. When a customer who has the app leaves their establishment, a message will pop up on their smartphone, asking them about their experience.
"If you say excellent or good or you give a positive answer GÇô which is just a tap of a button, then it will put a post out onto your personal Facebook page, telling all of your friends that you had a great experience at this person's business,GÇ¥ Evans said.
The app will feature information on Monroe's parks, a city wide directory of local businesses, contact information for different departments at city hall, elected officials, police and fire. Evans credits Monroe Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Una Wirkebau-Hartt for embracing the idea of bringing the app to Monroe, along with the city for following her lead.
Evans recently moved to Snohomish County from Minnesota. A single father raising four daughters, he is currently living near Granite Falls, but hopes to move to Monroe sometime this year.
"We spend all of our time here. This is where we go to the movies, this is where we go to the Y, this is where we go to everything,GÇ¥ Evans said. "I love driving into town and seeing the mountains off in the background.GÇ¥
To contact Evans, send an email to Monroe@citycenterapp.com. Those who are unable to attend the Feb. 12 informational session can contact him to set up a one-on-one consultation. To learn more, visit the CITYCENTER Facebook page www.facebook.com/citycenterapp.
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