One of the most interesting aspects of Harvard Square, and certainly what helps to set us apart, is our fabulous geography. There is a twist and turn around every corner which adds to the delight, the surprise and admittedly, occasionally confounds the weary traveler. In order to help those folks navigate the square, and to pique the interest of our web visitors, we have added a fun new feature to our website.
“It’s a great honor to be a part of EveryScape’s groundbreaking efforts to create a 3D virtual world online,” said Denise Jillson, executive director of HSBA. “Harvard Square will be one of the first communities to launch alongside major metropolitan areas around the country. Now the global community can experience the culture, energy and bustle that local residents and business owners see every day.”
EveryScape is offering Harvard Square businesses an exclusive opportunity to showcase their storefronts online. By setting up a Mini WebScape and storefront listing on the visual tour, customers can actually experience your store, hotel, or restaurant before they arrive. Drive traffic to your business by letting potential customers “walk” right into your virtual space to check it out first-hand. To see a demo of how it works, go to the preview of Harvard Square at http://www.everyscape.com/partners/harvardsquare.aspx/. Soon, it will include interiors of participating local businesses like yours.
“We’re excited to launch in Harvard Square and are overwhelmed by the enthusiasm around our partnership with the HSBA! EveryScape is building the canvas and we want the Harvard Square community to add the color,” said Jim Schoonmaker, CEO of EveryScape. “We’re proud to offer local businesses these premium showcase opportunities online, which can help increase off-line traffic. A strong digital presence is becoming increasingly vital for small businesses as customers regularly refer to the Internet as a sort of background check on new restaurants, stores, hotels and entertainment venues.”
EveryScape, Inc. has embarked on “The People’s World Project” to build the 3D Web, bridging the gap between the physical world and the virtual one by allowing people to search, find and experience every aspect of a city or town in 3D. To do this, EveryScape is creating a virtual experience of metropolitan, suburban and rural areas in which people can share their stories and opinions about real-life daily experiences against a backdrop ranging from streets and cities, communities, restaurants, schools, real estate and the like.
By the end of 2007, EveryScape plans to launch 10 metropolitan areas, including Cambridge and Boston. To learn how your business can take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity and learn more about the packages for HSBA members, email Jeff Brandes at harvardinfo@everyscape.com.