Thursday, May 10, 2007

Social Networking online

Social networking has taken on a new meaning thanks to the internet. People are now not only connecting with old friends and long-lost family, they're also meeting people through what's being called “social shopping”. As the New York Times article states, ““social shopping” tries to combine two favorite online activities: shopping and social networking. These sites are hoping to ride the MySpace wave by gathering people in one place to swap shopping ideas. Social shopping is just the latest solution to a chronic problem for online retailers and shoppers: many shoppers aren’t sure what to buy, but they know they won’t find it on the sites of mainstream retailers.”

Among those trying to take advantage of this ever-expanding concept is bridalfever.com, which aims to connect brides, grooms, and every entity involved with throwing a wedding. The company offers a free wedding web site, on which the bride and groom can share details of how they met, add music, share honeymoon plans, and even accept RSVPs online. The site's main purpose, however, is to connect brides and grooms to photographers, florists, bands, travel agencies, and of course other brides and grooms who might be able to shed some light on a vendor they're considering or give advice on a topic. It also provides a forum for discussion as well as an event list for certain areas.

There is certainly a niche for this type of site, given that a wedding day is one of the most cherished and expensive (and vulnerable) days of some people's lives. Anything can go wrong, and unless everything is well-planned, something might, but bridalfever tries to help quell this possibility. This web site can also be used for anniversaries, bar/bat mitzvahs, baptisms, etc.

The revenue for bridalfever comes primarily from direct-paid advertisements it has on each page as well as those rated vendors who have the opportunity to share their work (i.e. floral photos or professional photography). Unfortunately, as I found, the web site still has many bugs in it, but the idea is there and solid.