A new local Website, BallantyneLive.com and ‘Ballantyne’ mobile app guides for iPhones and Androids (the first mobile apps devoted to Ballantyne) have just been released. They are part of a national entrepreneurial trend that has quickly spread to over 30 U.S. states including Hawaii and well over 120 U.S. communities, mostly small towns. TownWizard.com creates the Website and the smartphone apps and the owner of the ‘town’ inputs all of the content.
Information entered into BallantyneLive.com feeds to ‘Ballantyne’ the apps. The iPhone app is available FREE from Apple’s App Store and the Google Android app is available FREE from the Android Market.
“These days, people always have their smartphones with them, and they want to stay in touch with what’s going on here today, right now,” said Jeff Jones of BallantyneLive.com and ‘Ballantynes’ the apps. “That’s what our new mobile guides are all about.”
“I believe users will love the app,” said Jones of ‘Ballantyne’ the app. “It lists all of the events and local restaurants in Ballantyne and across south Charlotte. To be sure their event or special is covered businesses and organizations can go online and add them FREE! It is a simple one-minute process and again it is FREE. So anyone can have their event ‘go mobile’.
“When you see an event you are interested in you can click and call or click and be guided to the event via the GPS map”, said Jones. “Every day, we feature local events, charities and businesses at the exact moment when people are looking for that information. If it’s happening in Ballantyne, it’s on BallantyneLive.com and ‘Ballantyne’ the apps.”
In addition to events and places the apps provide south Charlotte weather information including the current temperature, a five day graphical forecast, time of sunrise and sunset, the heat index, the humidity level and wind speed.
Users can easily upload and share photos from their activities around Ballantyne with others. Once the photos are approved they will appear on the Website and on the mobile apps. Users can also recommend favorite YouTube videos to be featured.
Jones says, “I’m a user of the iPhone app myself and so it behooves me to make it as useful as possible. I especially enjoy hearing from users of the Website or the Apps and welcome comments or suggestions.” Users can contact Mr. Jones via email through the Website or through the apps.
The public is invited to visit the facebook page, Facebook.com/BallantyneLive and to follow on twitter, Twitter.com/BallantyneLive.
(Mr. Jones is also the owner of ‘RockHillToday.com’ and ‘Rock Hill’ the mobile guide.)
‘Ballantyne’ the apps are Ballantyne’s #1 Mobile Guide, featuring local events, restaurants, news, weather, photos, videos, activities and more. The free apps are available in the Apple App Store and the Android Market.
· iPhone version – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ballantyne/id421862792?mt=8
· Android version – https://market.android.com/details?id=com.ballantynelive
Features of the apps:
· Events – offers a calendar of what is going on in Ballantyne and south Charlotte as well as business deals and specials. Information differs per event but usually includes hours, contacts, Websites and addresses with a link to a GPS map.
· Places – offers a list of restaurants, businesses, and other places which is searchable by keywords or by alphabetical list. Using GPS mapping the list will also show what places are near you so you can find a restaurant, etc. quickly.
· Weather – provides the
o current temperature
o a graphical five day forecast
o time of sunrise and sunset
o the heat index
o the humidity level
o and wind speed
· Photos – users can easily upload and share photos from their activities around Ballantyne with others. Once the photos are approved they will appear on the Website and on the mobile apps.
· Videos – users can also recommend favorite YouTube videos to be featured by emailing the Webmaster the URL or Internet address of the video.
· Map – The GPS map will show the user their location and provide a map of the area. User’s location will update as they travel to their desired destination.
· Contact – The app will allow you to easily contact the Webmaster via email.
About Jeff Jones
The Webmaster and owner of the Website and Apps is Jeff Jones. Jeff is the father of three and married to a nurse practitioner. He is a media specialist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. He has two Master’s Degrees. The latest is a degree in Media and Library Information Science from The University of South Carolina.
ABOUT TownWizard.com:
The Website and mobile apps are part of the TownWizard.com network, an extended family of local mobile guides. The network was featured in the February issue of Entrepreneur magazine. (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217882)
The TownWizard network is featured in the February issue of Entreprenuer magazine which focused on “Small Investments, Big Ideas, HUGE PAYOFF”.
“TownWizard helps its partners get their websites and applications up and running, including submitting each app to Apple’s App Store,” wrote Entrepreneur, which reaches over 2.5 million readers every month. Entrepreneur magazine has the largest newsstand circulation of any business monthly, and it’s been the #1-selling business magazine for 5 years running. Their website generates 93 million monthly page-views and reaches an additional 6 million people every month.
Buck Lawrimore
editor@www.charlotteareanews.com
