Metaphor Portals:

Portals and Community Sites

Sites like Myspace, Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Live and MSN are considered portals and are actually customer network gateways to the Internet. A Portal attracts a broad (horizontal) range of users, whereas certain portals appeal to a more narrowed (vertical) audience. By Integrating Fancy Multimedia Servers - Metaphor assembles Portal Technology called GM1.0 Verticles.

GM1.0 is focused on like-minded groups of people with a specific passion or interest. They are sometimes called 'online communities' or ' vertical portals.' If you are interested in visual arts, for example, go to avaaonline.org. Here you can see a visual artist community and people interested in visual arts. These markets are where you find web customers spending longer and longer on our site framework under the GM1.0 conditions.

Our network of customers buy related products and find information about what they already appeal to. Our like-minded groups often yeild 25% or greater response to our advertising messages. There is no better way to target customers.

Is this a secret to success or a logical set of direction?

Metaphor provides the platform, the required standard operational procedures; then it is the role of the Metaphor TF Advisory Board combined with the (IABA) representation adding legitimacy to your verticle or horizontal market with a like-minded business network of builders and technology farmers.

Metaphor GM1.0 Features:

Metaphor Portal development may include adding several features or components that are not normally found on a typical website.

For example, you may need a Discussion Forum so that your visitors can share ideas or experiences.

To get a forum working on your site requires installing a third party software (component).

Components vs Building From Scratch

Metaphor creates a custom portal from the ground up or we can integrate pieces that have already been developed.

The existing components or the module we use when building a portal is faster and more cost effective.

Metaphor installs these components and modules as the building blocks that form the framework of the site, then content can be added to your website. Look at the menu of components below and decide what you want to build.

There are other components or modules you may wish to add to your Portal/Vortal. Many of these are free and most can be purchased for less than $500.

Components: The Building Blocks of Your Site

PORTAL PACKAGE $2500 (does not include cost of components)
Here is a plug-and-play portal designed to get your online community up and running. It is like ordering off a menu: you describe what you want and we can create the portal. Pick any 6 of the items listed below and we will get your portal or vortal going. We will spend 50 hours building your portal including the integration of the six components that you select.

Home Page - including 5 additional pages.

Form - 1 feedback form which will be e-mailed to you each time someone fills it in and stores the information in a database.

Discussion Forum - Here your visitors can post questions and comments to the database.

Links - This component allows visitors to add links to your site. It is similar to Yahoo! or other search engines.

Personal Profiles - User Home Pages includes pics, bio or other information you want to have on a member or employee. This is the heart of creating a community.

Classified Ads - Allow your visitors to publish their own ads.

Survey - Use this to get customer feedback and at the same time provide a spontaneous way to view compiled results.

Poll - Many people like to know the opinions of others.

Test Poll - Let your visitors test their knowledge.

Banner Ads - Advertise your products or receive income from others. We will create two banners ads for you.

Search - Allow your visitors to search your site for words.

Auction - Conduct an online live auction.

News - Allow your visitors to post information and news.

Site Statistics - We will set you up so that you can easily monitor the number of visitors coming to your portal.

Handbook - These instructions will help you to keep your site going after we have created it.

Guest Book - Here your visitors can post their names and comments.

Click Here - Features Menu