Community and Advertising Board

My ultimate goal is to provide a website that is effectively an enhanced version of the old BBS and current "community" type websites that are scattered across the web today.? (Ebay, Craigslist, Angie's List, etc.) By community - I mean to provide a "forum" for interaction among real live people to trade goods, services, and information. The community will be a "closed" community in the sense that information is open to an individual only after "joining" the site by releasing personal contact information and creating a log in id.? This creates credibility and accountability amongst users. The bottom line to the "value" of this service is that in each area of allowable interaction, users will have a chance to rate each other based on their experiences with the "transaction" that took place.? (In otherwords - regardless of the type of interaction - a feedback is left from both parties from both sides of the interaction.)? Future users will be able to publically refer to and view this feedback in order to assist in chosing which other members to interact with. I already have a core, functional website design and logistics from some friends of mine.? I wish to add SEVERAL features and polish the existing functionality of this site. ## Deliverables I would like to have a discussion (more than likely several) regarding the many different several "pieces" to my website idea - AND - the integration of all those pieces throughout the site. The description here so far is fairly high level and I want to get into more detail with someone who is interested in the job AND has the experience necessary to complete the work in an expedient manner. The website will have the following features: USER INTERFACE (FRONT OFFICE ACCESS) Market Place - buy and sell individual items through a bidding system - AND - create stores to sell goods through bidding or fixed prices. Professional Services - advertise business to consumer services which are rated by members.? Allow for invoicing customers for work done and payment. B2B Services- advertise business to business services which are rated by members.? Allow for invoicing customers for work done and payment. Job Board - advertise jobs available and post resumes/desired job features between employers and future employees.? Alerts. Community Calendar - provide contact information for local government and civil service institutions - AND - post events, promotions, parties, etc., on a public calendar board. Personal Profiles - Summarize a user member ID by showing preferred personal contact information and showing all the active items within the sections that the user member ID has currently posted throughout the website.? Include the ratings and feedback from each of the active sections throughout the website and provide a scoring system for the overall rating of the user member ID. Credit Card & ACH Processing - Similar to PayPal.? Accept credit cards and check payments online.? (Not just for my site - but for each individual user to accept credit card and check payments.? Payment method of choice on my site.) Email List Management - Similar to YourMailingListProvider.com.? Provide an email list manager for people that will verify email addresses provided by the user (syntax, domain name, and smtp account exists.)? Additionally give the appropriate LEGAL email methods (unsubscribe, etc.)? Allow to manage subscribe vs. unsubscrbe lists, groups, WYSIWYG editors.? Provides means to stay in touch with friends, clients, prospects with regards to your personal life or business life all via EMAIL. Web Blog - mainly a place for my company (myself) to post and update blogs on the website.? BUT - provides for blog accounts for each of the user members.? Each user can have their own blog account that they can post and update regularly. PAY PER CLICK SYSTEM. The entire website service will be FREE OF CHARGE.? However - rankings and age of member ID will help to push the item, business, store, etc, closer to the top of the list.? Certain "grading" criteria must be met in order to be placed in premier positions.? BUT - if someone would like to "pay per click" and bring users to their desired page (store, business, etc.) this will push their listing futher to the top.? (E.g - if I want my plumbing service listed at the TOP TOP spot - I need to have met a certain minimum number of feedback left, a minimum rating score, AND be the highest paying PER CLICK user for that spot.? The pay per click price will be open to the public and any user who is willing to pay the most PER CLICK will get the top spot.? Competing members who pay less will be placed lower in the list.? But again - if NO ONE is paying for that section - the users postiing will still be placed higher or lower based on the feedback ratings and number of reports left. There will also be a TOP banner that shows based on a user's search for a service or item.? This banner will be a paid for banner that is similar to PAY PER CLICK.? Each user member will have placed their address to get in the system.? Based on the address and let's say the area that the plumber would cover - if the user searches for a plumber - and that plumber happens to cover that user's area - if that plumber is paying for the TOP BANNER - then his banner would show to increase the likelyhood that the user would find his spot and contact him for the job. USER ACCOUNT PAGE Messaging system - allows for the users to receive messages from the other users about bids on items, request for work to be done, job information, etc.? (Contacting other members is through the site and as a result of the items posted in the various sections of the site.) Posting - items, companies, jobs, resumes, stores, blogs, etc.? Control for all the functionality offered through the various sections of the site. ADMINISTRATOR FUNCTIONS (BACK OFFICE ACCESS): On the back side of this - I need an administrator functionality site.? I will have access to manage CRM (Customer Relationshiop Management) type functionality for each user member ID.? I plan on having my call center contact the user members of the site on a regular basis.? So an ability to manage the user member contact information and record calls, actions, and other type of activity and interaction with the user members. Ideally I would like the admin side to allow user login for employees that are given Role Level access.? (e.g. - call center employees can access user records for updating and recording interation- but myself as the main administrator can send system broadcast email, change website content, etc.) Also - I would like the CRM portion of the site to allow easy call scheduling and management to allow employees to press a "next" button and the next appropriate contact record and call comes up. Also would like this to integrate with VoIP which will allow forced recording of call outcomes and display caller id (contact record) of incoming calls, etc. Ability to make email broadcasts to the user members (both directly to email address and through the website messaging system.) Ability to change website content (text) and certain layouts including WYSIWYG editor functionality. Certain other functionality on the admin side may be desired - but more discussion on this later. There is MORE to discuss - but that's what I want to hash out and get finalized in a design document that we both agree to as what will be the FINISHED PRODUCT. * * *This broadcast message was sent to all bidders on Monday Feb 25, 2008 6:49:41 PM: It has been approximately 21 hours since I posted my requirements for my website project. I have already received 27 bids from people all around the world. I am very excited at the prospects of working with so many highly qualified and professional programmers/website designers. However, at the same time I am a little overwhelmed and a little worried. The overwhelming part is this: There are so many "seemingly" well qualified people/companies from which to choose as "the" programmer/designer for my website. I'm not exactly sure how to pick quite yet. I will continue to review - but your feedback as to what will make it easier for me to choose very well just may be helpful to both of us. The "worried" part is due to the fact that the "basic core" website that I have completed with my friends - I found myself having many changes and new requirements/features as we went along. Mostly due to the fact that we never did any kind of "mock up." As the site was developed and I had more of a tangible "vision" of the site, and I could "touch and feel" the site - ideas and functionality became quite clear to me. So the reason I am worried is because I don't want this to be a "never ending" project - at least to a fully functional and satisfying "1st phase." I am certain that over time and through user feedback - I will want to make updates, upgrades, and enhancements. But I want to be able to budget this first go around (actually 2nd round if you count my friends' build.) So I am having a hard time grasping the concept of how I will communicate - to the fullest extent - my desires in the total functionality of the "finished produect." And then how I will know that the designer I choose has a full understanding - AND FURTHERMORE - that the price quoted to me will get the job done to 100% completion and my expectations are satisfied. Your help in understanding more about this process or procedure - it will be GREATLY helpful and appreciated! * * *This broadcast message was sent to all bidders on Wednesday Feb 27, 2008 8:16:47 PM: Thank you all for your feedback with my last concerns. Based on a common response - I have decided that I do need to be much more specific and thorough in my detailing what I want for this project. I can tell you - however - that this could take some time. My project is intended to be feature rich and cover a lot of ground (as explained in the original post.) I want to make sure that we get to a VERY excellent quote for the price to complete - lock it in - and have the design stage show everything that I intend to see - and finish - all within budget and on time. So if you are not seeing any response for a few days - it is because I am trying to type this description up as I do my regular duties. Please be patient with me.