When Lynn Graham noticed how difficult it can be to find Black-owned businesses to patronize while shopping, she decided to be about it and not just talk about it. With the help of FaceBook Groups, she launched ClickUrban, an online directory of Black-owned products and services.
“I believe that Black people want to support one another, and we need to be more proactive in representing ourselves. For example, we are the largest consumer of hair products, yet own only a few of the products in the hair arena. As Black women, it would be so great if we knew exactly where to buy and sell hair products, or where to find the right makeup for our skin tone,” Graham told TNJ.com in a recent interview.
Graham says the goal is for ClickUrban to get Black-owned businesses connected to consumers locally and worldwide. “For me, the consumers win and the entrepreneurs, which I call business partners, win. I am so ready to start rebuilding our communities and building that trust factor,” she says.
Black attorneys, realtors, banks, magazines, fashion boutiques, etc. are now one click away for consumers. “I want them all to be housed under one roof: ClickUrban. Why not?” she asks.
In addition to the website’s company listings, ClickUrban’s business partners can also use the website to market their business if they don’t have a website presence of their own. “They can use the platform within ClickUrban as a website,” Graham reveals. “Depending on which package they buy, they have access to customer reviews, product features, analytics, coupons, event and property listings, videos, blogs, article publishing and much more.”
Packages include Basic ($9.99 monthly) and Premium ($29.99 monthly) levels, both of which, says Graham, are search engine optimized, but with different offerings. No matter the level, though, one thing she emphasizes to her business partners are online reviews. “I direct them to get those reviews up because almost 80 percent of consumers nowadays read the first 10 reviews about a company and decide from there whether to do business with them,” she notes.
And while the site, which is also mobile responsive, hasn’t garnered any ads yet since it just launched earlier this month, Graham is focusing on getting the site populated by reminding members to upload their information, especially their logo.
With a current base of 430 members, Graham hopes to gain even more members through a New Year’s Special she’s planning: the first 200 businesses to sign up will be granted the Premium Level at the Basic Level cost.
