DealsForEquality – Support Businesses That Support Equality

22 thoughts on “DealsForEquality – Support Businesses That Support Equality”

1. Visit http://www.dealsforequality.com. Select Austin.
   I did as directed.
   What do you think about the look and feel of the site? the navigation?  The site looks decent, and the links work without any issues.
   Find the business directory and select a business. Is the description interesting? Would it make you want to shop there?
   I clicked the directory tab and it brought my to categorized businesses.  I suppose the description would be interesting to audiences it is intended for.  I would not shop at a place solely for its decisions, because there are just too many factors to make this kind of decision.  It would not make me personally more or less inclined to shop there.
   Can you tell what the website is about? What the goal of the site is?  Yes, it is very clear what the goal of this website is about and what you support.
   As a business owner who supports equality, would it make you want to join and participate in the site?
   As other businesses experience on a daily basis, some customers choose to shop places because of factors such as these, however not all customers make these kinds of decisions.  The fact that a subscription is involved is a big turn off.  This information can be accessible just as easily if it were free.
   Do you find information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day complete? Do you have any questions about how the site works?
   Yes, the Buy a Day package is clear that the business will be highlighted on Youtube for that region/city for a day.  I do not have questions about how the site works.
   Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.
   Something to consider is that this site could have a negative impact upon businesses as well.  For the same reasons that some may shop exclusively at the participating stores, there are others who might ban shopping at stores that openly choose to be affiliated with your site.  This type of activism may be a turn off and must be expected with this topic.

2. Visit http://www.dealsforequality.com. Select Austin.

   I went to Austin.

   What do you think about the look and feel of the site? the navigation?

   I like the layout of the site. It is simple and looks professional and nice. I really like the banner up at the top as well as the navigational bar under the picture.

   I haven’t seen many sites with this concept and I think it is a good idea. I do think it is easy to navigate through.

   Find the business directory and select a business. Is the description interesting? Would it make you want to shop there?

   I went to the Expedition School under sports/recreation. I think the description sounds exciting. I don’t think the description describes in detail what this place actually was. I had to go to the website to fully understand what Expedition School was.

   If I lived in that area, I would probably check out all the activities they do since I am into sports and recreation.

   Can you tell what the website is about? What the goal of the site is?

   Yes, I think you did a good job explaining what the site is about and what the goal is. I was able to tell when I first went to the site what it would be about when I saw the flag pictures on the homepage. I also got a better feel for what the site was when I clicked on Austin.

   As a business owner who supports equality, would it make you want to join and participate in the site?

   Although I support equality, I do not think about if a company or another business creates everyone equally when I shop or participate in that business. I understand the need to have to list lgbt friendly businesses due to all the discrimination and hate these days, but at the same time, not everyone is like that.

   I shop at places because I want/ need to. The fact that they are friendly to a certain type of group doesn’t come to mind so I would probably not join or participate in this site.

   However, this site might be beneficial for someone else and might want to join and participate in it.

   Do you find information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day complete? Do you have any questions about how the site works?

   I understood the social media package and what it entails but I am not clear if the social media package coincides with the buy a day. If not, what are the prices of the social media package?

   Also, I found the buy a day rather confusing. Before I picked a month, I understood that each day is $2 dollars. But when you click on the calendar the price goes up each day. So if you are the first one to pick a day, you can pick the first for $2 dollars but if you are late then you have to pick the dates with the higher amount? I do not like that concept. I do not like how the dollar amount goes up each day. One company gets to pay $2 but another one has to pay $56 for the same service?

   Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.

   I like the about us section and how it works. I think it is important for sites to explain to the public why the site was made and how it works.

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4. What did you think about the look and feel of the site? The navigation?
   The look is very professional, and it has a good feel not like other sites of this kind that feel like they were thrown together over nite. The links all seem to work fine and quickly, no lagging, good solid links. I am unfamiliar with these types of sites, and it was easy enough to navigate.
   Find the business directory and select a business. Is the description interesting? Would it make you want to shop there?
   I went to the restaurant section under the directory. The description for the only single restaurant on there was very generalized, and not a whole lot of detailed description that would make me seek this place out.
   Can you tell what the website is about? What the goal of the site is?
   It wasn’t clear at the very first until navigation of your site was started. But, just a few clicks into it I caught on. I like the idea of separation the attractions in cities, or points of interest in the selected city category
   .As a business owner who supports equality, would it make you want to join and participate in the site?
   I think as being a business owner who supports equality, I would like to have as much advertising, and arrows pointing to my business as possible. Although, alot of business owners have a budget set aside for advertising. If this is a town pride, or free tourism site, that was free for all I think this site would blow up very quickly. And again, even at a reasonable rate, this would be excellent advertising, because of the city categories.
   Do you find information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day complete? Do you have any questions about how the site works?
   I think it is very clear of how the buy a day, works. I could not find the prices for social media packages though. But as far as being clear, and how the site works, I think a person owning a business, looking for this kind of marketing would be completely satisfied on the site mechanics and pricing.
   Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.
   Very good job on the professorial layout, idea, and overall flow of the site. Appearance is very important right of the bat from the first page and click. Good Job.

5. Visit http://www.dealsforequality.com. Select Austin.
   What do you think about the look and feel of the site? the navigation?

   The site is not filled with unnecessary information, therefore allowing viewers to easily navigate through the site’s text contents.  The background should include more color not only for decorative purposes, but also because LGBT is symbolized by an array of multiple colors.

   Find the business directory and select a business. Is the description interesting? Would it make you want to shop there?

   The description in the business directory is interesting enough to make me want to shop there, but I was already intrigued from reading the contents of the Home Page. 

   Can you tell what the website is about? What the goal of the site is?

   The goal of the website is precisely displayed.  I think this business will do well, especially in cities where a large population of LGBT reside.

   As a business owner who supports equality, would it make you want to join and participate in the site?

   I would join and support the site.  A safe haven is crucial to the survival of those who are constantly harassed because of their preference/appearance and for that reason alone I feel the website will gain much publicity and recognition.

   Do you find information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day complete? Do you have any questions about how the site works?

   I found both the Social Media Package and Buy A Day information adequate.

   Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.

   I really believe the site will succeed and expand equality in the LGBT community.

6. My first thought was that I liked the home page.  It was well written and easy to understand.  But I was surprised when I clicked on “Austin, TX” and landed on a page which is structured like a blog, especially because the first post is basically a job ad, and that wasn’t what I would’ve expected.  I thought I was going to be taken to a directory of LGBT-friendly businesses in the Austin, TX area.  Then I was further confused when I clicked on the tabs at the top of the page because they seem very much directed toward businesses, yet the home page is directed toward the consumer.  I would suggest dividing the home page into two sections, one for businesses and one for consumers.  Each section could then link to the relevant pages for each market.
   I checked out three different businesses in the directory.  The copy is fine, but I would add some pictures.  People are very visual.  In the end, though, I think the big selling point here is going to be that these businesses are LGBT-friendly, no matter how the copy reads.
   It’s very clear what the web site is about.  It tries to promote visibility of businesses that support LGBT rights so that consumers can more easily identify them.
   If I were a business owner who supported LGBT rights, I would gladly join the directory since it’s free.  However, I would want to see evidence that you’re getting substantial traffic before I would shell out any money for the other advertising packages.
   I found it slightly confusing that there are two different tabs for “Social Media Package” and “Buy a Day” even though these are really the same service.  Other than that, I found the copy very clear and persuasive.  At this point, the rate you’re offering–$2.00 for a day–seems very worthwhile.
   In all, this site seems to have a unique concept.  I’m not really familiar with LGBT community sites, but this is the first time I’ve seen a directory of LGBT-friendly businesses.  I think this has the potential to be a great site, especially if you can expand it to include businesses outside of just Texas.  In fact, I would focus on more liberal states that are likely to have larger LGBT populations and more businesses that are interested in LGBT equality.  Again, my only issue with this site is that the home page seems directed at consumers, while the rest of the site seems more directed at businesses.  I think the consumers need an easier way to go straight to the directory.
    

7. Visit http://www.dealsforequality.com. Select Austin.
   I went to the site and selected Austin.
   What do you think about the look and feel of the site? the navigation?
   I like the simple, but clear navigation of the site. The lines are crisp and clean in regards to lettering. The tool bar is great. I found everything that I had questions on.
   Find the business directory and select a business. Is the description interesting? Would it make you want to shop there?
   I chose the restaurant, M Two. Although it was described it was too brief. I think that is should be expanded upon more. Just seeing that description would not make me want to go there any more than any other restaurant.
   Can you tell what the website is about? What the goal of the site is?
   You are able to tell what the website is about quite easily. I like the tool bar. I like the simple category of “How It Works”. It is much like a FAQ section, which is always helpful.
   As a business owner who supports equality, would it make you want to join and participate in the site?
   Not necessarily. The subscription comment and the fact that it would be changing is not encouraging.
   Do you find information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day complete? Do you have any questions about how the site works?
   I do not have questions about how the site works. That is clear. I do not like the fact that subscription fee will increase. I like the Social Media Package in itself. However, the Buy A Day does not settle right with me. The pricing is not quite fair, as it increases daily.
   Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.
   I like the fact that you put in a contact telephone number instead of just an email address. When people are having a problem they usually like to solve it right away so that they can move along in what they are doing.

8. What do you think about the look and feel of the site? the navigation? Clicking on Austin, I do not immediately know what this site is about.  It feels a little obscure to me in the fact that the description of what the website pertains to is located at the bottom.  I see the fact that Deals for Equality is hiring, but I am not sure what I would even be applying for without the immediate explanation as to what this site is about.  I did not learn all the information I would be looking for on the home page either.    I feel that the About page, which actually answers the questions of what this website is all about should have been my initial landing page if not the home page, then when I clicked on Austin, I should have had this information made immediately available to me.
   Find the business directory and select a business. Is the description interesting? Would it make you want to shop there? I selected from the Directory PETS, which immediately brought me to “metrodog”.   The ad was clear, but it did not do anything to really make me want to shop there.  I feel it was rather bland.  It did not visually stimulate me to proceed further.
   Can you tell what the website is about? What the goal of the site is? Again, referring back to my first answer, I did not immediately know what this site was about until If found the ABOUT screen.  I believe the goal of the site to be a place where a certain community can shop and visit while trying to make a statement that this is their patronage.  However, I did not immediately realize this, again, until I found the ABOUT tab.  I feel that this information should have been available to me on the website’s landing page.  If I were web surfing and landed on this site, I really would have no clue as to what it was about.
   As a business owner who supports equality, would it make you want to join and participate in the site? Potentially.  However, I don’t feel that there is anything that immediately makes me feel like that by joining this site, my company would benefit.  Again, I think it’s because there is nothing to make me want to stay and learn about this website.   Potential customers need instant gratification, both visually and psychologically.. but I feel this website fails to meet these needs.  I don’t feel it makes me “WANT” to participate.
   Do you find information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day complete? Do you have any questions about how the site works? Yes.  I feel this information is portrayed in a manner that is quite understandable for the lay person.  I do not have any questions about how this site works.
    
   Overall, I have certain criteria I look for when I land on a website.  I want answers as to what the site is about, what do I need to do, what do you sell, how much, and how do I contact you about it if I have additional questions.    I did not feel that all of the answers to my questions were not made readily available to me without an extensive search of the website.
    
    
    

9. Thanks lyndzeb for the feedback.
   In regards to the $2 a day deal…..the price is set with the number of users on the site.  Since we are a new site, not a lot of users, the price for the “buy a day” is set low so that businesses will be encouraged to participate.  As more businesses participate and our user base increases so does the value of the service and the price – $2 a day until the desired price is reached, at which point all businesses will then pay the same price.
   In my opinion, It is hard in the beginning to justify paying a high price when there are very few visitors.  If I was a business owner, and prices were all set the same, I would wait a few months, let the site get a following and then purchase the service.  Problem with this is the whole chicken and the egg thing.  Without businesses you don’t get users, without users you don’t get businesses.  I thought this was a good solution.
   I will try and make that more clear on the social media and buy a day pages.

10. Thanks PGS28 for your feedback and encouraging words!

11. Thanks for pointing out the issue with the job ad on the main page.  The main page for the cities will be a blog with information about the business for that day.  Since I have not actually started promoting this package (we are process of finishing the site) the blog (main page) is pretty slim as you can tell.  But once we start promoting it and getting businesses on board I think that will solve the issue of expecting a directory when you click on the city.
    Your comment about wanting substantial traffic before paying goes back to the $2 a day for the social media/buy a day package.  As traffic increases, so does the price until the desired amount is reached.
    I will need to make that more clear on those pages.
    Thanks again for your feedback.

12. Visit http://www.dealsforequality.com. Select Austin.  What do you think about the look and feel of the site? the navigation?

    I like the page layout.  It looks very professional and easy to navigate.
    Find the business directory and select a business. Is the description interesting? Would it make you want to shop there?

    I clicked on “boot camps”.  It came up with two different selections.  I clicked on both to read more.  It was easy to read and understand but I’m not sure if it would make me want to shop there besides the fact that it supports LGBT rights.  There was nothing that stood out.  I felt like I was looking at an ad in the yellow pages.  I think that you should add more of a description and make it more interesting.  One way of making it more interesting is stating in the description how these companies or businesses support LGBT rights.  Do they donate money to the cause?  Exactly how do they support the cause?
    Can you tell what the website is about? What the goal of the site is?

    Yes it is very clear.  You promote or advertise  businesses that support LGBT rights.
    As a business owner who supports equality, would it make you want to join and participate in the site?

    Yes.  When a person feels so strongly about rights they will want to shop at places that support those rights and they will tell their friends about it.  Example, I am really into Peta.  I will shop anywhere that promotes Peta and the same rights that I so strongly believe in. 

    If I had a business, I would join your site.  I believe in LGBT rights and I would be proud to be on your site and for people to know that I support this cause. 
    Do you find information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day complete? Do you have any questions about how the site works?

    I think the information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day very easy to understand.  It explains everything step by step. I have no questions. 
    Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.

    I think that you need to state exactly what LGBT is on the site page.  It took me a few minutes to figure out what LGBT stood for. 

    One thing that I don’t understand is why is your service only limited to the state of Texas?  The internet is a world wide thing.  Why not expand your service through out the whole United States?  Example, California is known for LGBT rights.  You would be able to get a lot of companies on your site through California alone.  I think you should get every state involved.  On your site page, instead of people clicking on the cities, they can click on the state which will open up cities in which they could click on in order to see the companies in those cities that support LGBT rights.

    Like I stated above, I think you should include what these businesses do to support the LGBT rights in their descriptions.  

    I think your site is a very good site.  I’m glad that there is a site like this.  It looks very professional, easy to understand, and easy to navigate.  I think if you make a few changes in which I mentioned above, this site could expand a lot more. 

13. Visit https://www.dealsforequality.com. Select Austin.
    What do you think about the look and feel of the site? the navigation?
    The look of this website seemed a bit basic to my visual needs. There wasn’t enough animation and color and it appeared a bit unfinished. Although the simplicity of the website is a plus, I did not immediately know where to click; it’s almost too basic.
     
    Find the business directory and select a business. Is the description interesting? Would it make you want to shop there?
    
    When I clicked on Austin, Texas and viewed the companies that were listed, there wasn’t enough information on the companies and no pictures to show what the people heading the companies and the products being promoted were about. Again it seemed a bit too basic and didn’t draw my attention.
     
    Can you tell what the website is about? What the goal of the site is?
    
    
    At first glance i could not tell what the website was about, but after clicking on Austin, Texas (the only city that was available) i discovered the about icon in which i was able to do further research on what the site was about. The homepage should definitely have the About icon along with contact info and surrounding information. I shouldn’t have to click on a city icon to retrieve this information.
     
    As a business owner who supports equality, would it make you want to join and participate in the site?
    This website as it is now would not make me want to join the site. One American Flag and Two rainbow flags on the top right corner does not grab my attention. In a world where the look of a site is everything that lack of visual stimulation would turn me off instantly before even taking the time out to read the description.
    
    Do you find information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day complete? Do you have any questions about how the site works?
    I found information about the Social Media Package and Buy a Day sufficient. It did not bring up any questions about how the site works it was actually pretty straightforward.
    Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.
    I really love the direction this site is going as there aren’t enough companies that support the LGBT communities in those surrounding areas; this website will definitely provide an avenue for them. I just feel as if the site needs to bring out colors that will catch my attention more. Presentation and delivery are everything.
     

14. Visit https://www.dealsforequality.com. Select Austin.

    What do you think about the look and feel of the site? The navigation?
    The site itself is simple, yet pleasant with a nice easy-to-read layout. Navigation is very easy.
    Find the business directory and select a business. Is the description interesting? Would it make you want to shop there?
    I easily and quickly located the directory through the only clickable city image, Austin, Texas and clicked on a business there. Since I have been having some back pain, I chose massage. This business category generated 3 results in this arena. The initial descriptions on each of the businesses were interesting enough to make me want to read more about them. I chose Body Mind and Spirit Massage and the brief description was enough to make me want to go there and desire the luxury of a massage. The description includes the address, phone number and website which I find very useful.

    Can you tell what the website is about? What the goal of the site is?
    The very first lines on the home page give you an idea of what the site is trying to accomplish and their goals in bringing equality-minded people together with businesses that support equal human rights.

    As a business owner who supports equality, would it make you want to join and participate in the site?
    I support equal rights in business, but I really do not think about businesses today as not being supportive in these efforts, I can see how it would increase business visibility as long as the website has enough promotion. It might be a good catalyst toward increasing awareness in the general public since I do not believe a majority of people think about whether a business avidly supports equal human rights. I do feel this is a good niche that has a lot of potential. This is one of those I might or might no consider joining the site directory. I would have to keep an eye one it to see how fast its popularity grows.

    Do you find information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day complete? Do you have any questions about how the site works?
    I took a look at the package and the concept and found it to be interesting and complete for the services offered for the package. I think it gets a little pricey, especially for this economy toward the last few days of the month. I personally think maybe sticking to one set price would drive businesses to use this package more. Posting on Twitter and Facebook is nice, but something almost anyone can do for themselves throughout even a busy day. I would want more blog posts for my money on popular blog directories. This is a good way to spotlight your business overall, especially when you want to offer specials. I do find this to be uncomplicated and easy to understand from the home page to the Social Media Package offer page.
    
    
    Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.
    This concept is unique and interesting and has a lot of potential to be a big deal in a short time with the proper promotion. I believe it to be a very good service for connecting businesses that support equal rights with people of like-mind. This is a great niche.

     

15. ·  Visit http://www.dealsforequality.com. Select Austin.
    What do you think about the look and feel of the site? the navigation?
    The site looked okay, kind of bland for me.  I like color and this just looks boring to me.  I was able to navigate the system with ease to learn more about this site
    ·  Find the business directory and select a business. Is the description interesting? Would it make you want to shop there?
    I picked pets and thought that the description was very interesting and made me want to find out more about this company.  Not sure if I would do business with them right away.  If I am unfamiliar with a company, I check them out first to ensure they have everything I am looking for.
    ·  Can you tell what the website is about? What the goal of the site is?
    I was able to tell what the website was about and the goals.  However, not everyone would be familiar with this community. 
    ·  As a business owner who supports equality, would it make you want to join and participate in the site?
    I would be willing to join and participate in this site.  Just not sure if I would want to pay to buy any of the different services.  You could probably get the same type of business just by word of mouth from your loyal customers
    ·  Do you find information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day complete?
     I do think that all the information about the Package and Buy a Day is all there for the potential client to see.  However the pricing was a little confusing and I had to read it a few times to completely understand
    ·  Do you have any questions about how the site works?
     I think that I would like the pricing might be explain a little bit better, especially how if goes up due to the increase of business
    ·  Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.
     I don’t think I have any questions, but I think that you might want to explain a little bit more about the community.  I understand it, but there are some that might not know what a LGBT friendly company is.  There are a lot of different companies out there that would like to be part of this community but might not understand

16. Visit http://www.dealsforequality.com. Select Austin.
    What do you think about the look and feel of the site? the navigation?
    
    After selecting Austin, I thought the picture in the upper right hand corner of the page was nice for the look. However, I thought the overall look of the page was not very interesting. If you add some color, it could be more appealing. The navigation is pretty simple and easy to locate more information.
    Find the business directory and select a business. Is the description interesting? Would it make you want to shop there?
    I chose retail. The description was informational, and got me interested in finding out more about the business. I would probably want to see a catalog or something before I start shopping there.
    Can you tell what the website is about? What the goal of the site is?
    Yes I could tell what the website was about and the goal. I think it is very honorable to have a site geared towards equality for the LGBT community.
    As a business owner who supports equality, would it make you want to join and participate in the site?
    I think I would want to join and participate in the site, and I believe its a great way to get the word out about businesses that do support equality.
    Do you find information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day complete? Do you have any questions about how the site works?
    Yes, I find the information about the social media package and buy a day complete. I think the site says everything you need to know and leaves nothing to question.
    Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.
    I think the price being increased by $2 a day until it reaches $120 is a bit high. I would decrease that price increase by half, because I think it may dissuade some business owners from the Buy A Day program.

17. Visit http://www.dealsforequality.com. Select Austin.
    (Done)
    What do you think about the look and feel of the site? the navigation?
    Very easy to navigate with specific descriptions. Is user friendly, simple but no difficult to understand.
    Find the business directory and select a business. Is the description interesting? Would it make you want to shop there?
    Yes, it’s interesting because is not a long and boring description, if it were in the tv it would be a 30 second commercial, which make the person bored and look somewhere else.
    Can you tell what the website is about? What the goal of the site is?
    The website helps the companies that don’t discriminate against the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transexual community. It teaches the persons that if we treat fair all the persons everyone wins, the LGBT because they advance another step in their constant fight, and the straight because we help the world to be a more peaceful place in where everyone gets the respect they deserve, at the same time that our business gets the benefit of more patronage thanks to our anti discrimination policy.
    As a business owner who supports equality, would it make you want to join and participate in the site?
    Yes, because is a great way to contribute to the LGBT cause, and at the same time I’d take a message of fair treatment and equality to all persons, even if they have another preferences for their life.
    Do you find information about the Social Media Package/Buy A Day complete? Do you have any questions about how the site works?
    Yes, and I don’t have questions about how the site works.
    Please share any additional feedback/comments you might have.
    Before visiting the website, I would never have imagined that there was a website dedicated to this. Is great to know that even though the LGBT are long way from getting the respect they deserve and need, every effort is a little step closer to them. Congratulations for such an original idea.

18. $5 awarded to lyndzeb.

19. $5 awarded to greatfeedback4u.

20. $5 awarded to Sierra12346.

21. $5 awarded to charlene8487.

22. $5 awarded to mikib.

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