Staunton
Virginia
ABOUT
"EatDrinkShopDo.com is Staunton's QR-code activated mobile guide for tourists and locals exploring Staunton, VA. Marketed around town with window-cling signs and print flyers."
My name's Nick and I'm building this EatDrinkShopDo website. My partner Julia owns Staunton Books & Tea, and we also have a background in website and media development. I noticed an increased use of QR-codes by tourists walking around downtown and researched to learn that 84% of mobile phone users scan QR-codes. A QR-code accessed online tourism guide optimized for mobile users is the perfect way to inform visitors of all the amazing things Staunton has to offer. Here's a look at what's been developed so far and an invitation to have your business join us.
When visitors land on the home page they're shown a random selection of 3 listings. They can use the dropdown menu to select categories for other listings.
A listing can include:
- A main single image, or a 3-image slider, or a video
- A "Featured Business" banner
- A heart allowing visitors to add the business to their list of Favorites
- Business name and description
- Address linked to Google map with directions
- A popup video that can be a tour of your business (sample)
- Instagram, Facebook, Website, Text, Phone links
- Button tags that open other listings with that tag
- Coupon
Visitors can use the menu to select primary categories or tags, or a list of their Favorites, or search by keyword. A Google map showing businesses by category or their Favorites is being developed.
In addition to business listings, there's also a Featured Product spotlight to showcase the amazing products or features you have at your business.
There's also a Featured Creator spotlight to showcase one of the local creators and their products that you carry in your business.
The Calendar section offers a list of local upcoming and recurring events which can also be added to the visitor's Favorites.
Restaurant listings include a set of industry-specific features, including:
- Menu link
- Reservations link
- Virtual tour (e.g., Google 360)
- A popup video that can be an ad, tour of your business, etc.
- Instagram, Facebook, Website, Text, Phone links
- Special category tags, e.g., "Gluten Free"
- Dish/Drink Spotlight that shows up as a separate listing and drives traffic back to your primary listing
The Map is very clean and displays only the businesses listed on the site (no auto-repair shops, chain restaurants, or big box retailers like you'd get on Google Maps). Visitors can click on pins to open the listings and click the Locate button to see their actual location on the map.
Currently in development, a self-guided, free walking tour of historic Staunton will be incorporated into the site:
- Replaces the visitor center's limited-availability, restricted-size paper pamphlet
- A comments section allows locals to reminisce about locations and post additional photos, further engaging the visitor with the local community
- Can place visitors directly in front of listed businesses for additional exposure
- Includes coupons and listing links from businesses
Each participating business receives one or more QR-code window clings that take visitors to the home page. The strategy is to have as many window clings displayed around town as possible to achieve maximum exposure and opportunity for visitors to scan the QR-code.
In addition to window clings, each participating business receives a stand-mounted custom QR-code display with their business name on it. This QR-code goes directly to the individual listing for the business. Having a stand-mounted card lifts it out of the clutter of other cards and eliminates the need to restock cards.
EatDrinkShopDo.com has been accepted to the Shenandoah Community Capital Fund's Capacitor Incubator Program which will allow us to work with a team of industry experts to scale the guide beyond Staunton, so we'll be able to give your business heightened exposure and draw visitors from other cities, such as Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Winchester, Lexington, and Roanoke.
Intro Level
$0/mo
- • For Downtown businesses
- • Links to IG, FB, website
- • 1 headline image
- • 3 category tags
- • Custom QR-code window cling to post near your hours sign at eye-level that takes customers directly to your individual listing
Free to Downtown Retailers & Attractions
Featured Level
$5/mo
- Thank you for helping us cover print, web, and marketing costs!
- Everything in Intro Level, plus:
- • Featured rotation on home page and on category page
- • Expanded keyword search
- • 3-image slider or video
- • 5 category tags
- • Calendar postings (sample)
- • Coupons (sample)
- • "Show me a video!" popup video (sample)
- • Local creator spotlight (sample)
- • Product spotlight (sample)
- • Custom QR-code window cling to post near your hours sign at eye-level that takes customers directly to your individual listing
$5 Monthly FEATURED LEVEL
$25/6 months
(inc. 1 free month)
Intro Level
$5/mo
- Thank you for helping us cover print, web, and marketing costs!
- • Links to IG, FB, website
- • 1 headline image
- • 3 category tags
- • Custom QR-code window cling to post near your hours sign at eye-level that takes customers directly to your individual listing
$5 Monthly INTRO LEVEL
$25/6 months
(inc. 1 free month)
Featured Level
$10/mo
- Thank you for helping us cover print, web, and marketing costs!
- Everything in Intro Level, plus:
- • Featured rotation on home page and on category page
- • Expanded keyword search
- • 3-image slider or video
- • 5 category tags
- • Calendar postings (sample)
- • Coupons (sample)
- • "Show me a video!" popup video (sample)
- • Local creator spotlight (sample)
- • Product spotlight (sample)
- • Custom QR-code window cling to post near your hours sign at eye-level that takes customers directly to your individual listing
$10 Monthly FEATURED LEVEL
$50/6 months
(inc. 1 free month)
Intro Level
$10/mo
- Thank you for helping us cover print, web, and marketing costs!
- • Links to IG, FB, website
- • 1 headline image
- • 3 category tags
- • Custom QR-code window cling to post near your hours sign at eye-level that takes customers directly to your individual listing
$10 Monthly INTRO LEVEL
$50/6 months
(inc. 1 free month)
Featured Level
$15/mo
- Thank you for helping us cover print, web, and marketing costs!
- Everything in Intro Level, plus:
- • Featured rotation on home page and on category page
- • Expanded keyword search
- • 3-image slider or video
- • 5 category tags
- • Calendar postings (sample)
- • Coupons (sample)
- • "Show me a video!" popup video (sample)
- • Dish spotlight (sample)
- • Menu link
- • "Make a Reservation" link
- • Custom QR-code window cling to post near your hours sign at eye-level that takes customers directly to your individual listing
$15 Monthly Featured Level
$75/6 months
(inc. 1 free month)