Connecting With Your Community Online

Anyone who has ever surfed the web, used a computer or even purchased a smart phone pretty much knows what an app is. They’re everywhere. Applications can be a game, simplify purchases or replace paper when you need to jot down a quick note. However it is the mind behind those apps that you’ll find most interesting.

While using that simple app on your computer or phone might seem easy enough, the work that went into creating it for you wasn’t nearly as simple. We recently spoke with John Tomblin, the owner of Sofvue, about the apps produced by his own company and the work that goes into them.

Tell us a little about your company, Sofvue, and what you do.

Sofvue is a software development firm whose focus is designing and building shrink-wrap software products. In additional to developing our own products, we also offer custom development services and have built hundreds of e-commerce, ERP, CMS, governmental and non-profit applications for small and mid-sized businesses.

What is City Connect and what does it do?

City Connect is a web-based community portal for smaller communities. Once installed in a local community, the software allows businesses to brand themselves for a fraction of the cost they would pay using other services. Local businesses can join for free and create a free business profile. Once they have signed up, they can post news, classified ads, jobs, and polling questions for free. Members can then manage their online presence through the Member Management Center, an accompanying portal exclusively for members.


What inspired it?

Over the years, Sofvue has helped hundreds of clients reach the top of the Internet search ladder using complex SEO and PPC processes, but in many instances, companies had to throw large amounts of money at the problem to make it work. Advertising a business online should not be an expensive endeavor. This was our inspiration to create a simple, easy to understand community portal that allows a local company to effectively market themselves online, for free. Should a business owner decide to expand their advertising effort, City Connect offers advertising tiles and premium keywords, but at a fraction of the cost of big city offerings.

How can it help business owners?

City Connect helps business owners eliminate their search engine, SEO and PPC budgets. It also allows a business owner to create a unique business profile and immediately being marketing their products and services for free, while providing visitors intuitive search controls that allow a business to be found quickly, but without all the search result junk you find on other search portals. As consumers come to understand the value of the portal, businesses can eliminate their local website and put those dollars into other areas of the business. Business owners can also ask satisfied customers to post reviews about their products and services which are then accessible to other visitors. Top performing companies can become a TOP100 Business or make a request to become a Featured Business of the Week.

Do you have any other applications published?

Sofvue has published hundreds of Internet applications in both the public and private sector.

Might we see any new apps the near future? Care to give us a little hint?

A new application coming in Q4 of 2010 is ‘Real View’, an Internet Application designed specifically for real estate brokerage companies who want to harness the Internet and better market their residential and commercial listings. We also plan to release ‘Wire Atlas’ in 2011. Wire Atlas has been in development for three years. When complete, it will allow anyone with a computer, mouse and idea to design, spec, scope and wireframe their own software. For large products, Wire Atlas will facilitate prototyping, allowing the designer to demonstrate tasks and prove the solution, before a single line of code is ever written. Wire Atlas will be widely used by development firms, but will also have a niche market as a consumer product for the entrepreneur.

How long have you been making software/applications?

As the former IT Director for a Fortune 500 company, I was responsible for the deployment of numerous software solutions serving thousands of branch locations across the United States and overseas, both enterprise and Internet based. Prior to my six years in corporate America, I spent another ten years designing and building database systems specific to the real estate and appraisal industry, where I designed and built numerous automated appraisal tools used in the industry.

What are some lessons that your business has taught you?

The lessons continue, but three stand out. First, no one can predict the economy. After listening to optimists, pessimists and supposed government experts for the past thirty years, I’ve learned to just keep your nose to grindstone, keep building your business and always continue marketing your brand. If these so called ‘experts’ really knew what was going to happen, why are they still working? Second, what goes up will definitely come back down. Markets ebb and flow. When hiring people, ask yourself if you can really pay that person for the next year if your business had no new sales for the next six months. Lastly, hire people, not skills. I learned a long time ago there are plenty of people much smarter than I am. I hire people with passion, desire, common sense and a strong work ethic. The rest can be taught.

Any tips that you’d like to offer fellow app designers that are just getting started?

If you’re just getting started in application development, I’ll offer two tips. First, learn the 80/80 rule which simply states that at the exact moment you believe you’re 80% done is the same exact moment you will realize you have 80% more to build. Secondly, go read “Design the Obvious” by Robert Hoekman Jr. He speaks the truth about development, the client and you.

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