By Allan Maurer
RALEIGH, NC—Enterprise channel partners, the ones who sell the big company’s software or widgets, often don’t have a lot of time to spend updating their Web sites with Enterprise content, even though it would benefit both.
“We talk to partners about their pain points,” says SharedVue founder and CEO Reid Overcash. “They may have 15 people selling daily. Updating the Web site isn’t a priority.” SharedVue’s technology automates the process.
“You might go to some channel partner Web sites where the content is two or three years old,” says Overcash. “Their maintenance of branding and content integrity is often very low.
“Competitors involved with the same partner may have a better appearance. There is little in the way of lead generation and a loss of potential sales growth. They’re really brochure sites.
“We create a pipeline between say IBM and its channel partner Web sites,” he says. “We provide a platform for the Enterprise to distribute content out to partner Web sites.”
The software as a service platform, called Syndic8, has channel partners place code on a Web page that opens a conduit for SharedVue to distribute the Enterprise content.
The system, which sells to large, billion-dollar Enterprise customers, can instantly change content on hundreds of sites. That permits immediate exposure of promotions and real-time lead generation. When a free trial from a partner site results in a sale, the partner is compensated as they would be for any other sale.
Partners can put their own spin on site design. They can alter the look and feel of the site, but the SharedVue technology controls what content appears.
Both the syndicator and the partners get dashboard views with statistics such as how many leads are coming through (requests for quotes or meetings or trial downloads), average number of page views and other metrics that can be broken down in a variety of ways.
The Enterprise administrator can look at data on partner sites, such as which is getting the most views and those that might need help from SharedVue’s Facilit8 team.
The partner console even includes a training module.
The company also sells a product called Communic8, which sets up a landing page for monthly promotions and allows partners to send automated email to drive leads back to the landing page. “It’s a much more active lead generator,” says Overcash.
“It’s all much more cost-effective than traditional ways of marketing. With current budgetary issues, we’re getting a lot of interest.”
Overcash and partners formed advertising agency in 1985, known today as Strategic Insights Inc., which specializes in branding.
It was responsible for the initial development of Click It or Ticket and Booze It and Lose It as well as a variety of other brand-building campaigns for the State of North Carolina and many private institutions.
It helped fund the launch of SharedVue in 2007, which also raised some money from friends and family and an outside board. The company employs seven people.
It’s not currently seeking venture backing, says Overcash, although he says that could change, “Depending on how quickly we want to get into the marketplace.”
“If we did raise money, it would be for offense, not defense,” says Overcash. “We would use it to push out to the market more quickly and for new technology development.”
Online: www.sharedvue.com
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