ifPeople empowers BALLE network with Plone web sites and custom business directory
Document Actions
BALLE is an innovative network of business organizations that is bringing new solutions to the need for economic development, responsible business, and sustainable communities. With affiliate organizations in 28 cities in the US and Canada (and growing) serving over 4,500 independent businesses, the Internet is key for communication and collaboration. To strengthen its network and offer better services to its stakeholders, BALLE is creating more accessible information through an elegant, sophisticated online publishing system and a new online image. The site, created by ifPeople using the Open Source Plone and Zope technologies enables BALLE to publish online documents, while providing tools for content management, newsletter sign-ups and more.
The Problem: BALLE has a need to reflect diversity in its
network, yet achieve
efficiency in providing services (including web sites and communication
tools). How to give freedom, yet standardize enough to automate? On top
of that, BALLE was using a cumbersome, outdated proprietary CMS.
The Solution: ifPeople chose the Plone content management system and leveraged its
API to completely automate the creation of new sites. From the initial
investment in template and set of products each network would use, ifPeople was able to create easy
deployment mechanism for affiliate organizations and reduce the cost of the sites
by 80-90%!
Each network got its own independent site while benefitting from
innovations and investments anywhere in the network. ifPeople also
created a custom product for handling interactive directories of
locally-owned businesses.
Results: Regarding the process of working with ifPeople, heres
what Id say: Clear communication at every stage, clear agreement on
scope-of-work, and on-time deliveries!! Its a great talent to
have super-ambitious deadlines and complicated projects, and be able to
manage them with minimal stress for everyone involved (or at least on
the client side!) Don Shaffer, Director, BALLE.
The new, attractive design and easy content management features have
also helped BALLE boost their web site traffic: in the last year of
using the site, the monthly traffic on the site has gone up 375%!
This is in part due to better tools for metadata and better traffic
from search engines that Plone enables, as well as the constant
attention to fresh content on the site.
The efficient deployment for the network has also enabled many affiliates to launch their own web sites. Like BALLE, ten other organizations are already adapting Plone. See the full list below.
Innovations: BALLE is an innovative network, and its
communications technology reflects that. On top of the powerful Content
management system, ifPeople provided customizations such as:
- A shared calendar:
affiliates in the network add events onto their own site and then they
get aggregated into a central calendar on the BALLE site.
- Modern business directory that servers administrators and
members! The directory is a tool for marketing business members, which
provides members complete control to edit and maintain their listing in
the directory. Administrators get tools to manage their online and
offline database. And the user gets great tools like search, sorting by
distance to find the
closest network, showing the business(es) on Google Maps, and more!
- Shared directories: Can't finds something locally? You can
search across all the BALLE affiliate directories at the click of a
button! From the BALLE site, you can tap into all the networks (currently over 1600 businesses).
- Local directories: Networks such as SBNPhiladelphia have grown their local marketplace directory to nearly 800 listings!
| Find out more about leading independent businesses, about the economic impact of "buying local", and the building blocks of a local living economy at livingeconomies.org. |
Other ifPeople clients that are BALLE affiliates include: Sustainable Business Network Philadelphia, Sustainable Business Network Portland, Sustainable Connections (Bellingham, WA), Living Economy Network (Ann Arbor, MI), Responsible Business Association (Boston), Cambridge Local First, BALLE BC (Vancouver), Inspiring Futures (Atlanta), and San Francisco Locally Owned Merchants Alliance.
More on the BALLE site
The BALLE international Web site now utilizes an Open Source system called Plone, and has been launched publicly. ifPeople, working with Conscious Creative
for graphical design support, has developed a new design, and a site
technology that enables BALLE to easily publish content, keep the Home
page updated with recent information. The site also includes
functionality such as a calendar of events, mailing lists, and flexible
search. The new design incorporates more graphics and best practices
for maintainable, accessible design that meets established Web
standards. The site also leverages strategies to ensure better
search engine visibility, including metadata management and the
separation of content from the design. In addition, the system creates a platform for
development of new programs with business directories for flexible
management options by affiliates.
- Staff can easily manage content through a browser-based interface with no programming knowledge, saving time and costs.
- An online database of articles, events and featured entrepreneurs provides a valuable resources for readers and encourages additional traffic to the site.
- A more efficient approach to domain and link management will improve the rankings in search engines.
- Home page is always updated through the use of a dynamic Featured Content areas to display content on that is designated featured. Each section can also have its own featured content.
- ifPeople staff also helped BALLE understand and organize services to save money and become more self-sufficient.
Online Business Directory
Ever wonder where to go to find businesses that conform to
environmental and social best practices, have organic produce, or are
locally owned? The BALLE directory will provide a leading resource for
those seeking to find progressive, independent businesses. The
development for a shared business directory system by ifPeople will
provide a means of promoting businesses in the network from any affiliate's site, for building
the effectiveness of "buy local" campaigns, and for giving independent
businesses another means of promoting their products and services.
The directory, developed by ifPeople, can also be deployed for other
organizations supporing the devleopment of a just, sustainable world
for their membership. Download a product brochure here.
