Sign Maker Central

I was flipping through the channels the other day when a commercial made me stop in my tracks. I was struck by Esurance’s pithy tagline, “Technology when you want it, people when you don’t.” It’s simple, straightforward and honest.

“Hey,” I thought, “That describes our custom sign business perfectly!” I was excited.

The first thing I did was call up our copywriters and fire them for not coming up with it first. Just kidding!

But it’s true that Esurance’s brilliant slogan also represents our business model.

Technology when you want it…

We strive to provide online support, tools and programs that are free and easy to use. These days, people don’t always want to pick up the phone. A quick, easy online solution is what many of our customers are looking for. To meet that demand, we offer:

Instant online live chatHow-to videosE-mail responses within the hourOnline design tools SignMagic, LiveDesign and DesignExpressLetter sizing calculatorsA comprehensive library of helpful articlesEasy online orderingOnline pricing calculatorMaterial Selection WizardQR code generator

…And more!

And we have an in-house techno-nerd who is constantly developing new ways to serve our clients.

…people when you don’t

But some people still like to do business the old-fashioned way. And even if you use our online tools, it’s good to know that you can get in touch with us directly when you need to. In fact, we’re available by phone anytime between 9am and 9pm seven days a week. We barely sleep! Our head SignChef even had an extra line installed in his house so he can personally answer your calls when no one is at the office.

Our customer service team can answer any question you have and is always going out of their way to provide you with over-the-top support. We all strongly believe that superb customer service is the most important aspect of a business. After all, we do all of this for YOU!

So thank you, Esurance, for putting into words what we could not.

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GroupTabs is a hybrid check-in and group buying application. Users check-in to bars and restaurants to unlock time-sensitive group deals. Offers tip once a specified number of users check-in at a venue. Every deal has a window, usually a couple of hours. The service works through an HTML5 web application (gtb.me) rather than a native iPhone or Android app.

GroupTabs mixes check-ins with group experiences. It socializes check-ins by tying geo-targeted behavior to the power of the crowd. Mashable describes the application as "Foursquare Meets Groupon."

The GroupTabs service essentially lets merchants activate deals after a set number people check in to their venue, all the while encouraging patrons to spread their checkins via social media to encourage a swarm-like effect. (via Mashable)

I see great potential in GroupTabs' business model. I love the combination of LBS and group buying. With the advent of Facebook Places, offering its vast network of social connections to spread check-in behavior far and wide, GroupTabs could come to embody the perfect marriage of location awareness, social media, and group buying.

Why Should GroupTabs Look to Digital signage">Signage?

Given the time-sensitive nature of place-based deals on GroupTabs, digital signage">signage would be a powerful promotional tool for driving social check-in behavior. Real-time deals could be announced on digital signage">signage networks, providing an engaging call-to-action to promote more user check-ins and to drive venue traffic via social media channels. Location-based digital displays could act as deal countdown clocks, presenting live check-in stats as patrons moved closer to tipping a deal.

Retailers, bars, and restaurants could use digital billboards near their establishments to broadcast GroupTabs deals. Using digital out-of-home media as an advertising outlet for flash group buying offers, would extend the innovative GroupTabs platform to a larger population of consumers. Maximizing user check-ins would provide establishments with valuable data about their customers. The dynamic nature of DOOH networks would give GroupTabs' location partners the ability to promote different deals, working to drive the greatest number of people to their venues.

View the original article here