Your Downtown Deserves More Than Weekend Foot Traffic
You’ve revitalized storefronts, organized festivals, and built a thriving business district. But between events, your downtown goes quiet online. Visitors don’t know what’s happening. Businesses struggle to get discovered. And proving economic impact to funders feels like guesswork.
You know there’s more potential. You just need the right tools to unlock it.
The Reality Downtown Organizations Face:
“We’re event-dependent” Your biggest traffic happens during festivals and seasonal events. But what about the other 340 days a year? Businesses need customers every day, not just when there’s a parade. You need consistent visibility, not just event spikes.
“Businesses are invisible between events” A great restaurant opens on a side street. A boutique launches a sale. A gallery features a new artist. But if people don’t physically walk by, they’ll never know. Your businesses need discoverability that doesn’t depend on foot traffic alone.
“Visitors ask: What’s open? What’s new? Where should I go?” You field these questions constantly—on social media, via email, at info booths. You need a single, always-current place where people can explore your downtown’s offerings without you manually updating lists every week.
“Our business directory is outdated the moment we publish it” Printed guides are obsolete within months. Website directories require constant staff updates. By the time you fix one listing, three others have changed. You need businesses to keep their own info current—because they’re motivated to do so.
“We can’t show economic impact” Grants and sponsorships require proof of economic development. But how do you measure downtown vitality beyond event attendance? You need real data: business activity, visitor engagement, commerce happening because of your efforts.
“Small staff, big expectations” You’re managing events, business recruitment, placemaking, marketing, and more—often with a tiny team or as a volunteer. Adding “manage complex website” to that list? Not realistic.
A Digital Storefront for Your Entire Downtown
Member Marketplace gives your Main Street or downtown district a living, searchable digital hub where businesses showcase what they offer, visitors discover what’s happening, and you prove the economic impact you’re creating.
What Makes It Different:
✓ Year-round visibility, not just event traffic Your downtown stays visible 24/7/365. Businesses post updates, deals, and events whenever they want. Visitors explore anytime. You’re no longer dependent on festivals to drive awareness.
✓ Businesses manage their own presence Stop chasing businesses for updates. They can post new products, promote sales, share hours, and keep their info current—because it directly benefits them. You facilitate, they activate.
✓ Visitors discover hidden gems Search by category, browse the map, filter by what’s open now. Your marketplace makes it effortless for locals and tourists to find exactly what they’re looking for—even businesses off the main drag.
✓ Real-time “What’s Happening” feed New pop-up? Flash sale? Live music tonight? Businesses post it, and it shows up instantly. Your downtown feels alive and dynamic, not static and stuck.
✓ Prove economic impact with data Track how many businesses are active, what content performs best, how visitors engage. Show funders and sponsors exactly how you’re driving commerce and vitality.
✓ Your brand, your district This isn’t a generic Yelp page. It’s YOUR downtown marketplace, branded with your identity, telling your unique story, and showcasing what makes your district special.
Businesses self-manage. Visitors self-serve. You oversee and promote. No constant content updates. No technical maintenance. More impact with less hustle.
Don't just rely on weekend crowds and summer events. Give people a reason to visit your downtown year-round by making it easy to discover what's happening right now.
Businesses on side streets and upper floors struggle with visibility. Your marketplace levels the playing field—discovery isn't limited by physical location.
Create affiliations that align with your downtown. Have a special event? Tag all participating businesses with an affiliation. Want to highlight locally-made products, create a tag & badge for that too.
Businesses can promote their participation in district events, share event-specific deals, and drive traffic to their storefronts—all through the marketplace. You get more mileage from every event you organize.
Offer premium placements as sponsorship perks, sell enhanced business listings, or create tiered business memberships. Turn your marketplace into a sustainability tool.
Simple Setup. Immediate Impact.
Step 1: We Build Your Downtown Digital Hub Launch in days with your branding, map integration, and business categories. No complicated tech setup. We handle the heavy lifting.
Step 2: Businesses Get Tools to Shine
Each business can:
- Showcase products, services, and menus
- Post special offers and promotions
- Share events, hours, and updates
- Upload photos and tell their story
- Appear on the interactive downtown map
Step 3: Visitors Explore & Discover
Locals and tourists can:
- Search by category (food, shopping, services, entertainment)
- Browse the map to plan their visit
- See what’s new, what’s on sale, what’s happening today
- Find exactly what they’re looking for—fast
Step 4: You Track & Prove Impact
Access analytics showing:
- Which businesses are most active
- What content drives engagement
- Visitor behavior and search patterns
- Economic activity you’re facilitating
Live Marketplace Examples:
From Shop Local Campaigns to Economic Development—It All Lives Here
Support Shop Local Initiatives Create “Downtown Deals” campaigns, promote local gift card programs, and make it easy for residents to discover independent businesses. Your marketplace becomes the hub for community commerce.
Promote District Events Businesses can share their event participation, post event-specific specials, and drive foot traffic before, during, and after district-wide happenings.
Showcase New Business Openings Give new businesses immediate visibility. Feature grand openings, introduce owners to the community, and help them build awareness from day one.
Highlight Seasonal Offerings Holiday shopping guides, summer outdoor dining, winter activities—let businesses showcase seasonal products and services without you manually curating lists.
Connect Businesses to Each Other Enable B2B commerce within your district. A café needs a baker? A retailer needs a graphic designer? They find each other through your marketplace.
Drive Tourism & Visitor Spending Create a compelling digital guide for visitors planning their trip. “Things to do,” “where to eat,” “unique shops”—all current, all searchable, all mapped.
Tell Your Downtown’s Story Showcase what makes your district unique. History, culture, local character—your marketplace reflects the identity you’ve worked so hard to build.
Questions Downtown Directors Ask (And Real Answers)
Q: How is this different from Yelp or Google Maps?
A: Yelp and Google are great for discovery, but they’re not your platform. They don’t reflect your downtown’s unique identity, and you have zero control. Member Marketplace is white-labeled under your brand. You curate the experience, showcase your district’s character, and your businesses aren’t competing with chains three towns over. Plus, it’s designed for community commerce—not just reviews.
Q: Will our businesses actually keep this updated?
A: Yes—when they see value. Unlike a static directory where updates feel like busy work, your marketplace gives businesses direct benefits: post a sale and get customers, promote an event and drive traffic, showcase new products and make sales. When the tool drives real results, businesses stay engaged.
Q: We barely have budget. How can we afford this?
A: Start with our free plan—zero cost, full functionality. Your marketplace launches, businesses get visibility, and we generate revenue from businesses who want premium features. When you’re ready to scale impact and create revenue streams, you can move to our premium plan. No pressure, no upfront investment required.
Q: What if our businesses aren't tech-savvy?
A: Most downtown businesses are already managing Facebook pages and Instagram accounts. Our platform is simpler than both. Plus, we provide onboarding support and tutorials. The interface is designed for real small business owners, not developers.
Q: How much time will this take our staff?
A: Initial setup: a few hours (mostly gathering business info). Ongoing: minimal. Businesses self-manage their content. Your role is promotion and facilitation—which you’re already doing through social media and newsletters. Many downtown organizations report less work than maintaining static website directories.
Q: Can we customize it to match our downtown brand?
A: Absolutely. Your logo, your colors, your visual identity. This looks and feels like an extension of your existing website and brand, not a third-party tool.
Q: What if businesses don't sign up or participate?
A: We’ve found that businesses participate when they understand the value. Start with your most engaged businesses, showcase early wins, and others will follow. We provide onboarding materials and best practices to help drive adoption. Plus, once businesses that see other businesses getting visibility tend to jump in quickly. Real FOMO.
Q: Can visitors use this to plan trips to our downtown?
A: Yes! That’s one of the best uses. Tourists can browse by category, see what’s open, check out menus and products, and build their itinerary. It’s like a digital visitor guide that’s always current.
Q: How does this help with economic development and grant reporting?
A: You’ll have real data: number of active businesses, engagement rates, visitor interactions, content posted, commerce facilitated. These are quantifiable metrics you can share with funders, city councils, and stakeholders to prove your economic impact.
Ready to Give Your Downtown the Digital Presence It Deserves?
Let’s build a marketplace that showcases your district 365 days a year.
See Member Marketplace in Action for Main Streets
Schedule a 15-minute demo and we’ll show you:
- How other downtown organizations are using the platform
- What your branded marketplace would look like
- Revenue and impact potential for your district
- Real success metrics from active Main Streets
Schedule a Meeting Today
Have 15 minutes? Let’s chat about how Member Marketplace can help your organization.
Or Contact Us Directly: Email: sales@membermarketplaceinc.com
Phone: 833-278-2742 x600
Transform Your Community Today
Together, we can create a space that uplifts local businesses, engages members, and makes a lasting impact.