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FINALLY... I AGREE and WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT

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  • #16
    Originally posted by FrightProps View Post
    [MENTION=7879]terrormasue[/MENTION]:

    What I never did understand was this: Upon reading the threads; what I understood was the sole reason you setup the site was to "out" a couple of vendors. Once the site was up and running those two vendors were never listed or even mentioned on your site... ?! It also never gained momentum and has become stale. Why is that? i don't know. Will yet another vendor review site be successful? I personally think not.
    It isn't stale. It has every vendor that has a business that is at least recognizable, and I get emails frequently from companies that want their name added to the list.

    Originally it was our intent to email vendors, get honest feedback on issues, and keep the website up-to-date, however no one gave a shit. No one here, no one anywhere. Its difficult to get a site up so that they can be rated by anyone who has bought their product, and then have no one write a review, because it is too difficult to create an account, or they would rather RANT on a forum rather than take the time to write a well-constructed criticism helping others to be informed of business' poor practices, etc.

    Thanks for your time.

    Keegan

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    • #17
      I think people would give a shit if everyone knew the people behind the site, so Larry stands a better chance than most so for that reason alone it'll be more popular...

      DA

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      • #18
        Meh, whatever. My website has logged crazy hits on the vendor list page. so, at least I'm good for something.

        Comment


        • #19
          Ignorance

          Keegan's site it a great way to have a quick look at vendors before you buy from them. Unfortunately, most of the people who are patrons of hauntworld refuse to give anything new a chance. Larry isn't the only person who can be successful in the online industry. (although he has done a very good job of providing us with this online forum) . I think Larry's page will be great for vendors to advertise themselves easily and buys to respond accordingly, but if you want to find a vendor and their past record of reviews, Keegan's site is going to be the place to go.

          DA: If you want to know Keegan to trust his site, he's a great american soldier who's been shipped away from home for almost a year now. He's been working on his haunt for several years and i hope his hard work pays off in the near future. He's becoming a talented web designer and is probably the most generous haunter I've met to date.

          As for Sue, she has also been working on her home haunt for years now (opening 2011!!). She helps with Insane Shane every year on top of everything else she does. And she too is a very kind, generous person.

          Feel better about your fellow haunters? Give their site a try.
          sigpic
          Catie Mahfouz
          Blood Ink Writing Service
          www.hauntwriter.com

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          • #20
            If your going to do business in the haunt industry, it's unfortunate that you have to check out vendors first, but it's no different than any other industry. You've got good vendors and bad vendors. That's why Keegan built his review website and I created mine inside my site at HauntersDigest and built it into our mobile app, to help protect buyers in the haunt industry. I know that during HAuNTcon and Midwest Haunters, our review section get's a ton of traffic thru our mobile app checking out vendors and I would imagine the same if for Keegan's website around that time too.

            Personally, I think that if everyone checks out these vendors first and leaves reviews, then it will either force vendors with bad service and products out of the industry or to fix their performance by improving their services and products. Either way, that's a good thing. And if Larry is wanting to get involved also with offering reviews, then I say all the better. The more places that everyone can get info on vendors and leave reviews, the more chance others will have to see them and avoid getting screwed over by shaddy vendors. Everyone should uses Keegans HauntCompanyReviews.com, My HauntersDigest.com Vendor Reviews, and hopefully soon Larry's vendor reviews.
            News and event coverage from directly inside the Haunt Industry - http://www.hauntersdigest.com
            Get a Website and/or Mobile App for Your Attraction - http://www.charlesterry.com

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            • #21
              Catie,

              I respect and appreciate our soldiers but they sign up for that gig. So a guy serving in the military says nothing to me about the person he is, his business prowess or in this case his ability to maintain a viable site to the industry. I'm sure he's a cool guy but let's face it and I speak from experience myself if you want respect and attention in this or any industry you need to be a major player which neither of us are right now.

              Larry has the means to beat a message into your head with this forum and his magazine and he spends tons with vendors. All this adds up. It's not that a new face or personality couldn't make an impact but it's much more likely to take off and get more than scant attention than from an industry leader. Everyone reading this agrees whether they want to say it or not.


              DA
              Last edited by Darkangel; 08-12-2011, 06:56 PM.

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              • #22
                It is NOT about anything but improving what we already have available now. We have improved everything about our site and now we will go another step and make our vendor directory better than it is now. First and foremost we want to support our advertisers FIRST! Hauntworld is a VERY EXPENSIVE website to operate probably costs us about $100,000 a year to do everything we do. That is a lot of money. So those vendors who support us will get our support first and foremost. So doing an overhaul on that program to HELP THOSE who support us first and foremost is a priority.

                We want to send BUSINESS to THOSE business that support us. I think our haunt vendor directory can do better and we'll do that.

                Secondly we want to give all vendors a better opportunity to promote their business with some of the features we've included on our haunted directory. So now that we have already created these features like embed facebook, or tweets, or other improvements we will make sure we incorporate those into the vendor directory.

                So its not all about just bashing on vendors who screw you... however I also want to make it so buyers can leave reviews of vendors products, and their customer service.

                So its NOT at ALL about bashing on a bad vendor, its more about improving what we do first, supporting our supporters second, and lastly offer a way for the buyers to communicate better with not only the vendor but also leave feedback, reviews and more.

                Its not about anyone having power over anyone its about giving you a better way to communicate with the vendor and the industry in general.

                Once Halloween rolls around and things slow down I will make sure this is improved.

                You will really like it a lot I promise you!

                Larry
                Larry Kirchner
                President
                www.HalloweenProductions.com
                www.BlacklightAttractions.com
                www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
                www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

                Comment


                • #23
                  No matter who compiles these lists, no matter how many lists there are, no one is seeing them. You need to do a little search engine work with tags so when you look up a vendor, no matter how you heard about them or where you saw them, your review or listing without a review comes up somewhere. You might as well have just bought 1000 business card and they are still at your home in a box.

                  This is the first time I have read through the list of vendors on hauntcompany reviews and I have to say I already know of a dozen just in the local 200 miles that does not participate in the grand industry of trade shows and getting listings in buyers guides. There is secret business that none of these lists can capture ever. Handing off haunted house crap in Home Depot parking lots and such.

                  So all you have done is cut out a slice of the vendors that are high profile enough to have trade show status and the real haunt underground goes on untouched, uncommented on and dealt with in privacy. So someone in the underground ecomomy rips someone off and all the trade show people need to provide all their documentation at random check points? So the good people get promoted, yes but only in a lackluster way unless more effort and diligence is really put forth by anyone.

                  And sure putting a list together and making it really be effective is a lot of work and costs money so if you haven't figured out how to monitize your efforts it will suck for you. Right now you can pick out any vendor name and search it and none of these listings shows up as any content out there at all, nothing recent, nothing at all so you aren't protecting or promoting anyone.

                  I'm just saying there are win win opportunities here way beyond handing out a buyers guide that was printed up or an internet listing that no one knows is there.

                  Now there are some very good hard working people in the underground that have never stiffed anyone and given great deals and they have jobs and limited ability to turn out great quantities of products to feed the world wide demand. Still these lists only show off probably 20% of what the market really is. The underground can totally function without the internet. It's like driving out to the farms and seeing if they are planting potatoes this year.

                  Can you boost people at artist level or are you only focusing on the tradeshow elite and major scammers. Who is that really serving.

                  In the bigger picture, each method of media is focusing on only promoting THEIR site, THEIR podcast, THEIR printed buyers guide and it only goes as far as they would like it to, to their particular audience and that might be pretty small. A very small number of people are informed. Not that intentionally little cliques have been established but, the lack of wider exposure sure makes everything look that way.

                  Still there needs to be information available that somehow monitizes your efforts with out hitting a pay wall or forced registration/sign up page, or there is no organic public service being done. You should also put out the call for smaller independent people to want to be listed for free. Then the list should also include suppliers of raw materials. It should go further to include groups that provide certain services all the way to people that are available to crew up and go to work. Or equally somehow make notice that they are booked up and not available or they have sold so many orders at the show they have reached production capacity.

                  Start thinking who the real consumers are. Are you reaching them? Are you really in that other 80% of what is happening out there? Are you getting a review out there in the real world that seems like it is worth anything? Right now I have to say it is not considered worth the bother to a lot of people. That could change if effort was put out there. If the technologies were really used properly. If the one on one relationships really existed.
                  sigpic

                  Another fabulous post from the U.S.Department of Wild Imaginings, now in spectaclar stereo, sponsored by the Adhesives and Sealants Council, suggesting ways to stick things together since the 1800s. Not fabulous in a gay way. Your results may vary. Illinois residents add 8% sales tax. These posts have been made by professional post makers, do not try this type of posting on your own without extensive training, lovely assistants and a trusty clown horn.

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                  • #24
                    A few weeks ago, a relatively successful haunt guy gossiped to me, hey so and so seems to be really somebody in the haunt industry, I had no idea they were doing that. Lets put this into perspective. What they are doing is hop nobbing around and proclaiming to be someone in only a small fraction of stuff going on, so they can figure out what to do and what works, that has nothing what so ever to do with our local market. In no way does it really help that persons haunt because all the people in the industry bottom line are not buying tickets at their event. In no way whatever is decided and pontificated on, even written and notarized by any committee or new web site mean anything because they don't know how to tell anyone what they have accomplished even exists. And they are spending money and time just to be somebody instead of putting all that effort into their event.

                    And none of this has anything has to do with how customers buy tickets or if they are somewhat successful one day pull a dark cloud over what we ARE doing out here. So no, so and so is nobody. Who gives a crap. Don't waste any time offering them hours and hour of information. I really don't wish everone stays unsuccessful but, sometimes you have to let crap seek it's own level.

                    A similar drag on vendors doing things that only get seen by a small percentage of customers is also existing. Lots of time and money output instead of having the freedom to put all their efforts into their product or service. How can you not impact them greatly. Not everyone is your customer. You have to target who is your customer. Or in some cases everyone should be your customer. Maybe the existing market with all its flaws already has these vendors doing and making all they can. Does publicizing it further help or hurt? Does it stetch them out further?

                    The underground only makes what they can and eats the rest. No problem.

                    Thats my review for the week.
                    sigpic

                    Another fabulous post from the U.S.Department of Wild Imaginings, now in spectaclar stereo, sponsored by the Adhesives and Sealants Council, suggesting ways to stick things together since the 1800s. Not fabulous in a gay way. Your results may vary. Illinois residents add 8% sales tax. These posts have been made by professional post makers, do not try this type of posting on your own without extensive training, lovely assistants and a trusty clown horn.

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                    • #25
                      Outstanding post Greg

                      Others think it... you said it.
                      For those at the top of the food chain, it pays off, to some degree to engage the industry. For the vast majority of haunts, money spent on saying, to their peers, "Hey, look at me!" could be used in a much more effective and direct way. With any business, it is all about getting into the mind of your customers, and grasping their thought process. For some, that is tough, because you can't read the label when your inside the bottle. In other words, they are out of touch.
                      If it makes everyone feel better to have a vendor review, then I say do it, and good luck, but whoever said "build it and they will come" was an "Idiot". It takes quite a bit more.
                      www.haroldshaunt.com

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                      • #26
                        Sure, none of these sites have EVERY vendor listed. That's almost impossible. Vendors come and go ever year. Every month. You can't expect all vendors from all cities to be listed. These vendor sites are mainly to list and rate the vendors who reach those of us at "the top of the food chain" . If you go to Transworld, MHC, HauntCon, or any of the other conventions, you will see at least one vendor. These are the vendors on the sites, the ones that people need to know about. If you think a vendor near you needs to be added to the list so other locals can benefit from your experience, add them to the list. Keegan's site (and I'm sure Larry's) has a "add vendor" option. so why don't you stop complaining that you're left out and get in on the industry. we don't forget who else is out there, we're just trying to get everyone together so we can ALL benefit from it. I applaud those who are doing more to improve the business.

                        And DA, you really are a piece of work. Anyone who is willing to be shipped off overseas (and sometimes even put their lives in danger) for the sake of maintaining world order as best our gavernment is capable of is of highest marks in my book. At least he's doing something worth while. and there is no amount of marketing that can persuade me one way or the other. I'm not a lesser mind that is subject to such manipulation.
                        sigpic
                        Catie Mahfouz
                        Blood Ink Writing Service
                        www.hauntwriter.com

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                        • #27
                          I'm pretty sure if I just "added a vendor" they would all be pretty pissed. Nothing gives anyone the right to list someone else.

                          As far as being outside the industry, not being part of the industry? That's exactly my point, smaller venues never make the money to go bopping around the country side to visit all of these conventions and yet there could be open calls to smaller vendors and services to add themselves.

                          It isn't a fact that vendors are coming and going at any high frequency at all, it is that they have enough referals to do as much business as they would like without being promoted further or paying more to be noticed. Can you imagine people actually getting calls and contacts without having to do anything? It actually happens.

                          Another basic in business is to get people to bring you money rather than go everywhere and spend money. I'm pointing out that like many other services everyone does everyday, the flow of information needs to be automatic, part of the landscape and not something to argue about certainly.
                          sigpic

                          Another fabulous post from the U.S.Department of Wild Imaginings, now in spectaclar stereo, sponsored by the Adhesives and Sealants Council, suggesting ways to stick things together since the 1800s. Not fabulous in a gay way. Your results may vary. Illinois residents add 8% sales tax. These posts have been made by professional post makers, do not try this type of posting on your own without extensive training, lovely assistants and a trusty clown horn.

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                          • #28
                            I have put those points out to be thought about by about 3 different people. Really thought about. Even Larry's site would have to ping every listing regularly in order to get individual vendor sites noticed directly. It is more than entering data for hours and proof reading. It is a machine someone needs to decide to investigate and turn on. A level of importance to set to any cause and not just cater to the top of the food chain.

                            I'm seeing all kinds of opportunities here that people are plain unaware of an unable to see. It isn't a complaint. It's when you get real old you will be pretty bitchy too. Ya kinda have to be hip with the interwebs. If I was a real prick, I could harvest your list right now and add Google adsense on it, even give credit for where the list came from and make money. But I'm not a prick or a theif. I just suggested your friend could make some money and would thus be vested in a manner that actually making the list seen by someone, anyone at all would actually happen. The more vendors you can hunt out the more money you make. Your list is not the whole story and you CAN list a lot more.

                            If you are focusing totally on last years floor plan from Transworld and a few other conventions, game over. Your site will sit there and rot and fade away not getting any further traffic. Someone with knowledge will do a better job and poof it is irrellivant.

                            Everyone uses the model that it has to be done for free as some kind of I'm helping the industry thing or the vendors need to pony up or sponsor to be on the list. It doesn't have to be that way. I totally agree with what was said above, who ever said build it and they will come was an idiot.

                            So lets try to understand the words coming out of my keyboards.
                            sigpic

                            Another fabulous post from the U.S.Department of Wild Imaginings, now in spectaclar stereo, sponsored by the Adhesives and Sealants Council, suggesting ways to stick things together since the 1800s. Not fabulous in a gay way. Your results may vary. Illinois residents add 8% sales tax. These posts have been made by professional post makers, do not try this type of posting on your own without extensive training, lovely assistants and a trusty clown horn.

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                            • #29
                              In fact, any of these vendors has already figured this out and that is why each of them already had the first 15 places on any search network already staked out, so then what. You join a secret society to have a list of things that the internet already provides in a way that drowns out any relative information? Or there is power in numbers and the vendors ALSO pump you along with mentions and back links and such. It doesn't matter how pretty the words are.

                              The fact that they can dump your list to page 20 if it shows up at all makes your list already gone. When the only mention is how hard someone worked on something and everyone who doesn't appreciate it sucks. Really.

                              A long time ago when I was about your age, I went to this office and for $40 bought a list of apartments available in the area. So I started driving around to find they were all never for rent or had been rented out 2 months ago. I was lucky to capture the asshole selling this list still in his office and get my money back. How is your list any different. I'm not joining any secret societies. I have enough decoder rings.
                              Last edited by Greg Chrise; 08-14-2011, 10:04 PM.
                              sigpic

                              Another fabulous post from the U.S.Department of Wild Imaginings, now in spectaclar stereo, sponsored by the Adhesives and Sealants Council, suggesting ways to stick things together since the 1800s. Not fabulous in a gay way. Your results may vary. Illinois residents add 8% sales tax. These posts have been made by professional post makers, do not try this type of posting on your own without extensive training, lovely assistants and a trusty clown horn.

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                              • #30
                                Plus I'm so glad for you that you are part of the top of the food chain now. You have no idea how happy I am for you.
                                sigpic

                                Another fabulous post from the U.S.Department of Wild Imaginings, now in spectaclar stereo, sponsored by the Adhesives and Sealants Council, suggesting ways to stick things together since the 1800s. Not fabulous in a gay way. Your results may vary. Illinois residents add 8% sales tax. These posts have been made by professional post makers, do not try this type of posting on your own without extensive training, lovely assistants and a trusty clown horn.

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