Proposal: ParaPortal - Uniting Paragliding Enthusiasts Worldwide

 

Introduction

Paragliding is not just a sport; it's an exhilarating experience that connects individuals with the beauty of nature like no other. However, finding reliable services such as tandem pilots, paragliding schools, tour operators, and equipment sellers can be challenging for enthusiasts, especially those new to the sport. "ParaPortal" aims to bridge this gap by providing a comprehensive platform that links enthusiasts with service providers seamlessly.

 

Objectives

• Centralized Hub: Create a one-stop platform where paragliding enthusiasts can discover and connect with various service providers effortlessly.

• Enhanced Accessibility: Facilitate easy access to tandem pilots, paragliding schools, tour operators, and equipment sellers globally, irrespective of geographical boundaries.

• Community Building: Foster a vibrant online community of paragliding enthusiasts, encouraging knowledge sharing, discussions, and networking opportunities.

• Promotion of Safety: Prioritize safety by featuring verified service providers with appropriate certifications and adhering to safety standards.

 

Key Features

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1. Service Provider Directory

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• Tandem Pilots: Listings of experienced tandem pilots available for exhilarating tandem flights.

• Paragliding Schools: Information on accredited paragliding schools offering training courses for beginners to advanced flyers.

• Tour Operators: Details of tour operators specializing in paragliding adventures across various scenic locations worldwide.

• Equipment Sellers: Links to trusted sellers providing high-quality paragliding equipment and gear.

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NOTE:

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You need to look at the legal aspect of this, what indemnifications etc, are required under the broader Terms & Conditions. The full terms and conditions needs to be put together (This is a perfect task for Heike)

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There are only a few affiliate ready vendors in Switzerland that I came across, which are directly associated with paragliding and outdoor adventures.

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Here are the links:

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https://tinggly.com/experience/paragliding-flight-in-interlaken/MU1C7L8VO

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https://paragliding.bstoked.net/

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https://swissactivities.tapfiliate.com/publisher/signup/swiss-activities-affiliate-program/

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https://www.tourhq.com/affiliate

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https://www.gadventures.com/affiliate-program/

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https://www.hellyhansen.com/en_us/affiliate-program

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https://commission.academy/blog/best-paragliding-affiliate-programs/

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Good practice allows you to sell digital e-gift cards for affiliate members, which can be redeemed with the affiliate directly. These can include:  flight schools, pilots, travel agents, outdoor adventure companies, local tourism and businesses. This will require agreements between these operators and yourselves. In terms of the digital transaction and how this works, we will need the following:

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Setting up an affiliate option will cost on average $10 per month. for the interface.

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• Here is a diagram to illustrate how affiliate program payments work between vendors and affiliates:

• [Vendor] <---(referral traffic)---> [Affiliate] <---(sales, leads, or clicks)---> [Vendor]

• 1. The vendor provides the affiliate with a unique referral link or tracking code to share with their audience.
  2. The affiliate shares the referral link or code with their audience through various marketing channels, such as blog posts, social media, or email campaigns.
  3. When a potential customer clicks on the referral link or uses the tracking code, a cookie is placed on their device to track their activity.
  4. If the potential customer makes a purchase, signs up for a trial, or performs the desired action within the cookie's life span, the affiliate earns a commission.
  5. The vendor processes the commission and sends the payment to the affiliate through a payment method agreed upon by both parties, such as PayPal, Stripe, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
  6. The affiliate receives the payment and reports it as income.

• It's important to note that the specific terms of the affiliate program, such as the commission rate, cookie life, and payment schedule, may vary depending on the vendor's policies. Additionally, some affiliate programs may require affiliates to meet a minimum payment threshold or pay transaction fees for each payment. It's essential to read and understand the terms of the affiliate program before joining to ensure it's a good fit for both parties.

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2. User Reviews and Ratings

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• Transparent Feedback: Allow users to leave reviews and ratings based on their experiences with service providers, aiding others in making informed decisions.

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NOTE:

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Once the business is registered users will be able to leave reviews on ParaPortal directly as well as with Google, Google Maps. These rating can be displayed on the ParaPortal website under customer reviews.​

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Backlinks are crucial for SEO as they play a significant role in boosting a website's authority, credibility, and search engine rankings. These links act as "votes" from other websites, indicating the value and relevance of a site's content.

 

Search engines like Google use backlinks to determine a page's importance and decide its ranking within search results. While the quantity of backlinks matters, the quality of the linking websites is more crucial for enhancing SEO performance.

 

Acquiring backlinks from high-authority sites is best achieved by producing original and insightful content like blogs, infographics, and videos, as authoritative websites tend to link to quality sources.

 

Ultimately, having a good balance of both quality and quantity of backlinks is essential for improving a website's visibility, search engine rankings, and overall online presence.

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3. Booking and Reservation System

• Convenient Booking: Enable users to book tandem flights, training courses, guided tours, and equipment rentals directly through the platform.

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NOTE:

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This will be a difficult task, as we would need a centralised calendar that integrates to each participating affiliate. I suggest you sell the gift vouchers (digitally). The user will need to arrange the booking directly with the vendor.;

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4. Community Forum

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• Discussion Boards: Host forums where users can discuss paragliding techniques, share experiences, ask questions, and connect with fellow enthusiasts.

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NOTE:

 

This is setup, you need to give some thought to the description and initial content for posting. Each user can follow other users of their choice, similar to FaceBook. This will need to be a regular activity, add info the the groups is a great way to encourage discussion and interaction.

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5. Safety Guidelines and Resources

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• Educational Materials: Provide comprehensive safety guidelines, tutorials, and resources to promote responsible paragliding practices.

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6. Events Calendar

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• Upcoming Events: Feature a calendar showcasing paragliding events, competitions, workshops, and festivals globally.

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NOTE:

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Once again, ideally, this needs to be an automated process, with access to calendars of the event organizers, or, this will need to be a manual process posting events and dates.

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Monetization Strategy

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Having spent some time looking into the paragliding industry in Switzerland and your prospective objectives to generate revenue streams, I have some suggestions for you to consider:

 

•  Affiliate marketing: as mentioned above, this can create a steady annuity based income stream which is ultimately generated via the social platforms. This is a slow burn process which will require a long term investment. The upside to this model is that it is exponentially scalable. Commission rates are determined by the business offering the affiliate program, these vary from 5% through to 10%.

• We will need to add an affiliate extension to the website. This will allow members, followers and users the option to join ParaPotal Affiliate program. ParaPortal in turn will pay the affiliate partner commissions generated via their social interaction. They will have their unique dashboard to monitor all their sales generated via the Paraportal website.

• Make use of all adventure related offerings; skiing, hiking, boating, helicopter flips etc.

• Direct marketing, selling physical products, apparel is one of the biggest revenue spinners. In this link I have included a Swiss based apparel company that has an existing affiliate program this could prove to be of benefit to the business.

• Acquire your own products which can be sold through the website, the upside to this is the increased margins or profits.

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1. Membership Subscriptions

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• Offer premium memberships with exclusive benefits such as early access to bookings, discounts on services, and access to specialized content.

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NOTE:

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What's the value proposition here, this will need to be defined.

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2. Service Provider Listings

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• Charge service providers a fee for premium listings with enhanced visibility and promotional features.

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NOTE:

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What's the value proposition here, this will need to be defined.

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3. Affiliate Marketing

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• Partner with equipment sellers and earn commissions on sales generated through the platform.

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NOTE:

 

One potentially great revenue stream is to use Amazon. NOT AVAILABLE IN SWITZERLAND

 

Create a ParaPortal sales page in Amazon and recommend products. These links can be setup in the ParaPortal website under products. They will directly reference Amazon. An interesting fact, if a user clicks through to Amazon but does not buy any products. If they return within 24 hours adn buy any product on Amazon, you get paid! 

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Marketing Strategy

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• Social Media Campaigns: Utilize platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to showcase thrilling paragliding experiences and engage with the community.

• SEO Optimization: Implement effective SEO strategies to ensure the platform ranks highly in search engine results for relevant keywords.

• Partnerships: Collaborate with influential paragliding personalities, blogs, and forums to expand reach and credibility.

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NOTE:

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Content creation is an imperative, without fresh regular content the game is over. You need to commit to posting a video a week every week (YouTube). LIkewise for all social media platforms, content must be published on a regular basis.

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With Wix, you as the owner can create and publish media to all social platforms using one interface. This can be done from your phone using the Wix App.

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You guys will need to reach out to potential influencers, affiliates and businesses to gain agreement to collaborate.

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Conclusion

ParaPortal endeavors to revolutionize the paragliding industry by providing a unified platform that caters to the diverse needs of enthusiasts worldwide. By fostering a sense of community, promoting safety, and streamlining access to services, we aim to make paragliding more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Join us as we soar to new heights together!