A Martinez Targeted Business Directory and Menu Guide Aimed at Promoting Business and Restaurants of Our Community.

ABOUT: Generally Speaking

WHO:
Even though businesses outside the community may use this directory, this directory is focused on all legitimate Martinez businesses, and surrounding vicinities within the 94553 area code, and all members of the Martinez Chamber of Commerce. These businesses are eligible for free listings within the site, whether they have a store front or operate out of home. Businesses are urged to check and make sure you are listed, and to contact us if there are any updates or changes needed on the listing, or if you are not listed and would like to be. To see your listing, select the "Local Business" or "Restaurant Corner" tabs and look under the alphabetically listed names.

MartinezVibes.com is a privately owned business, by a local business person with experience owning both walk-in and online ecommerce stores. [See "Who's Behind This?"]

WHAT:
MartinezVibes.com is an online business directory focusing on the businesses and restaurants of Martinez. Restaurants can request a Menu Page, which for now [See "The Future of MarinezVibes.com] is a scanned image(s) of your existing menu, along with any other relevant information including images that the restaurateur would like to provide. Business owners are also able to provide an additional page on the site expanding on what they do, what they sell, and other services they have to offer. These pages will be linked from their FREE listings by way of a noticeable banner next to their listing. These additional pages, and menu guides are also given a very easy URL (web address): martinezvibes.com/yourbusiness, so you can post the address for your clientele to easily go online and find anytime. There is also a Business Card section for businesses to post their cards.

WHERE:
MartinezVibes.com

WHY:
With any community, it is the businesses that are the lifeblood of the economic status and viability of any downtown and merchant area. This site is a catalyst to bringing all these businesses in one easy to use, Martinez-targeted, online directory. The site goes beyond just business and restaurant listings in order to provide more of an overall community interest and usage. This is why malls (or superstores) are so popular, because you do not have to travel from place to place to find what you need. With the Martinez Vibes directory, not only is every business listed, but details about the business, map links, and photo images are also available.

WHEN:
Martinez Vibes is available to list your business and advertise on right now. In the near future, this site will be migrated into an automated, dynamic data-base site. Business owners will make changes and updates anytime themselves online through a simple form. Changes will appear online immediately. This means that businesses are able to input data and make changes to their page (or creating a menu page) 24/7 through an online, simple automated form(s) and have it available for consumers view within minutes.

ABOUT: In the Future

THE FUTURE OF MartinezVibes.com
MartinezVibes.com is currently under development to become an online, dynamic, fully automated community tool and directory focusing on businesses, restaurants, entertainment, and city events. All businesses and restaurants receive a free listing, and soon will be able to update their listing for free at any time, as often as needed, by making the changes themselves through their online browser using intuitive forms and access keys. Through membership subscriptions, businesses are able to provide further information with a detail page, and restaurants with a dynamic menu page. All business and restaurant listings are input into a database, making precise searches possible. Browsers will be able to do a search for any business industry and have just that industry listing appear on the results page. Likewise, a viewer can search for any cuisine in the restaurant area, and just those restaurants with that cuisine will appear. Through the simple forms and the use of the database, this site puts the businesses and restaurants in key position of their own marketing information, and the timeliness of their content provided.

DETAILS: Sections and Areas

Local Businesses
Martinez Vibes is a dynamic business and restaurant directory. All businesses within the city limits receive a free listing of there business. As business owners, they are able to go online and update or correct their listed information anytime themselves through a simple intuitive form. Basic information that a business can provide for the free listings are: business type/category, business name, phone number, address, website with link, email link, and a few descriptive words/catch phrase. They are also able to list a number of descriptive words that are used in the database-search within the site. Visitors to the site can do a search for any local service or product, and only businesses that are related to this search will appear on the results page.

Businesses also have the opportunity to provide much more information by subscribing to a business ‘detail’ page that will be directly linked to their free listing. This detail page will be available to the public through a URL such as martinezvibes.com/businessname. This page acts as their own web page, and through a form, they will be able to provide the logo, images, and content including links, emails, map link, and an information gathering form.

Restaurant Corner
Restaurants also receive free listings and can update or change their information anytime online. The basic free information that a restaurateur can provide are: cuisine, restaurant name, phone number, address, email link, plus a few descriptive words/catch phrase. Like businesses, restaurants can also provide a number of descriptive words that are used in the database search within the site. A viewer can put in a search for Mexican food, and only restaurants that offer a Mexican cuisine will appear on the results page.

Going beyond the free listing, restaurants can provide a menu page. The menu page allows the restaurateur to upload images, logo, and input their entire menu and make changes on this menu anytime through an online form (This is not a scanned image of your menu. It is an actual editable menu that is created by inputting the contents of your existing menu into an easy to use online form. The menu will be available for view immediately). There is also an area at the top of the page to display daily specials. Alongside each menu item is a box that a viewer can input the number of orders for any given item. By selecting a ‘calculate’ button on the page, a dollar amount will show the amount of their selections, minus any tax and other charges by the restaurant. This menu page can then be printed out and faxed to the restaurant for ordering. The restaurateur can also display a vast number of feature options to display on their menu page. These features include: parking availability; smoking/non smoking; view; fire place; live music; credit cards accepted; pool table or darts availability; take-out; call-in times; etc. This menu page will be available to the public through a URL such as martinezvibes.com/restaurantname. Anyone will be able to go directly to the menu page without having to go through the rest of the site first. [See a sample of the datbase menu]

Business Card Portfolio
In here, businesses can scan their business card (or send it in and have it scanned) and upload it to the site automatically along with filling out a form that gathers relevant information used for database searches within the site and to offer more information then what shows on the card. The card will be placed online, initially alphabetically. When a viewer goes to the Business Card Portfolio page, they can search for a particular industry, ‘Plumbers’ for example. On the search results page, all cards that are plumbing related will show up on that page. At any point, when the viewer moves their mouse cursor over any business card, and small graphic will pop-up over the card (or next to) and not only reiterate what is on the card for clarification, but also will elaborate on the business through what ever content the business owner provided. The pop-up will have live links to the businesses email and web site, or to a detail page in the site they have subscribed to.

Entertainment
The Entertainment section of the site offers local establishments the opportunity to announce and market upcoming venues. As a pre-established member, they will fill out a form and the content and image they provide will automatically be placed online in the Entertainment section of the site. The administrator of the establishment will be able to make changes on the ad any time. The dates of the venue, as recorded through the form they fill out will also determine when the ad goes public (gets published) and also will automatically be removed when the date has passed. There will be room in the Entertainment section, as well as throughout the site for ongoing advertisements and banners to market their establishments.
The Entertainment section is not only for establishments, but also for local bands and groups to market their own gigs and to put the word out when and where they will be playing.

Special Events
The Events section of the site is for larger, city wide, sponsored events. These usually have more of a general public interest and are to announce anything from parades and benefits, to festivals, fairs, antique or craft shows, and even Chamber mixers. Again, all information is input online and is published automatically, and removed after the date ends.

WHOIS: Who's Behind This?

Who Is MartinezVibes.com
MartinezVibes.com is the creation of Eric Akeson. It is designed, produced, and directed by Mr. Akeson, including the database content and forms portion of the site, which is being developed by Mr. Akeson's colleague, the very talented and invaluable, Chris Johnson. Credit is given to Mr. Johnson, among other things, for producing the dynamic and innovative forms and interactivity you will soon see throughout this site.

MartinezVibes.com is a working model of a larger application, yet to be released. This larger application is the heart and sole of MartinezVibe's database-designed community web portal. It is this such application that will be made available, through licensing and other protective measures, to other communities, everywhere, following the business model and progressive design of MartinezVibes.com.

Eric Akeson is also the owner of Akeson Design, a graphic design and website development business started in 1990, and Mr. Akeson's initial career. Having also started and operated a successful ecommerce store, BathandBeauty.com, then opening a walk-in retail store under the same name (later known as 'Lifestyle Collection'), Mr. Akeson knows well the needs of promoting your business and an online presence.

BathandBeauty.com is presently an online directory targeting the bath and beauty industry, with 1000's of pre-screened links for the browser to choose from, and is recieving 200 to 400 visitors daily.

Mr. Akeson also created Adamongus.com in 2003 to be able to provide a more economical means to a web site presence for smaller businesses that could not afford a full custom designed site. Adamongus provides websites that a client chooses from a number of different pre-designed layouts, then modifies the design to fit the nature and look that the business requires. Adamongus also provides hosting.

When a client requires a larger presence, hosting, or professional design to compliment their MartinezVibes.com presence, then Akeson Design, or Adamongus will be able to provide the necessary tools, talent, and services to achieve the clients needs.

Mr. Akeson resides in Martinez, California.