Livineasy.com Frequently Asked Questions

Contact:
Jon Boroshok
TechMarcom, Inc.
978-502-1055
jb@techmarcom.com


What is Livineasy.com?
Livineasy.com is a gateway to the Internet for mature adults who are uncomfortable with computers and the Internet. It provides training and guidance to the "newbie" computer user, supported by a rich assortment of helpful articles and services such as news, weather, and a search engine. We have developed a style of instruction that is uniquely suited for the older community of computer users.


How does it differ from a Web portal?
It is becoming a portal - or more appropriately a destination. People who are new to computers and the Internet come back often for the training tips, and articles, and continue to return because of the fresh content added every week. As we add chat, discussions and free email, we expect a much greater rate of return.


Who is Livineasy.com trying to reach?
Livineasy.com's primary audience is adults who want to access all the resources on the Internet but who are not yet computer-savvy.


Why would a Web site try to reach this audience?
Early baby boomers and senior citizens are the fastest growing segment of our population, possessing half the discretionary income in the country and with more time to spend it than any other segment of the population.


What is the size of your target market in terms of people and potential dollars spent?

According to Age Wave LLC, a marketing and venture firm specializing in the 50+ market, and substantiated by the research of Roper Starch Worldwide and the United States Administration on Aging, the 50 and over age group represents a $9 Trillion Consumer market.

There are currently 74 million men and women in the United States who are over 50 years old. Although they represent only 27 percent of the population, they have a combined annual personal income exceeding $2 trillion and control 70 percent of the total net worth of U.S. households--nearly $9 trillion. Today, Americans over 50:

These numbers are destined to rise dramatically for decades as the 78 million baby boomers advance into maturity.


Our focus is on the 42 - 44 million within this 74 million person group who have an interest in using the Internet but either do not have a computer or who are uncomfortable using a computer. That includes between 7 and 9 million who presently use their computer for email only.

AARP has 33 million members of which 38% own a computer (7.8 million) and 17% are online. That is consistent with the percentage of the entire online 50+ population, where about 17% are online.

According to Roper, AOL (with percentages from AARP), the top 5 online purchases of this age group are:

E-mail is this age group's top reason for Internet use, followed by gathering information. The top three types of information most often sought by this population are:


Why would a baby boomer or senior citizen visit Livineasy.com?
Early boomers and seniors repeatedly visit Livineasy.com because they find it easy to read, easy to navigate and it offers the help they need to become more comfortable on the Internet. It's comfortable, not flashy. They love the tips, free stuff, and helpful articles, and come back for more. They also love the way we present the material to them - in a language they can understand. Further, we provide articles that describe the Web sites that offer the information they want.


How are visitors using Livineasy.com?
Livineasy.com visitors are using the site to learn more about computers and the Internet. We've even received letters from instructors who are using Livineasy.com's content and the site to teach seniors about the Internet. Visitors also use the articles - most with links to the Web sites where more information can be found - to learn about subjects that interest them. This eliminates the need to cull a large, often confusing list of Web sites turned up by a search engine. Livineasy.com visitors learn exactly which Web sites to visit and what to expect when they get there. As we add discussions, chat and e-mail, they will also come to the site to use those services.

What type of content do you offer?
Livineasy.com has the following article topics: Computer and Internet training, Tips for first time computer users, Free Stuff, Health, Lifestyles, Home and Hearth, The Workplace, Our Multi-cultural Community, Technology, Entertainment and Travel, Finances, Shopping on line, and Book Reviews. We also have guides who offer columns that include Gardening, Cooking, and Beach Living. We offer an "Ask Georgia" question and answer column. Georgia is a psychotherapist who focuses on life changes. We also offer news (headline news, finance, sports and healthy living), weather, switchboard.com and the GoTo search engine. We are adding discussions, chat, stock quotes, horoscopes, movie reviews, and more over the next few months.


What are your sources of content?
The services (weather, search, etc,) are free from those who provide them. The articles are either written by Livineasy.com following research on the subjects, submitted by members or independent writers, exchanged via content exchange with other sites, written by professionals (doctors, lawyers, financial planners, etc.) or obtained from news services we subscribe to. We edit the articles as needed for clarity and publish them giving credit to the authors when appropriate.


How often is the site updated?
We add at least 7 -8 articles, 10 -15 tips and 10 -15 "Free Stuff" listings every week. The news is updated daily. The Guide's columns are updated monthly. The discussions (Forum) and chat are updated interactively throughout the day.


Is there a "live" person that visitors can contact with questions or site difficulties?
Yes, we offer both an email address and a telephone number for people to use - and they do.


How fast do you respond to e-mail from visitors?
We believe responsiveness is essential to visitor retention. We respond to e-mails within 12 hours - usually faster. If we don't have an immediate answer to their question, we still follow up to tell them we are working on it. No one is left wondering.


How many visitors does Livineasy.com average daily, weekly, monthly?
Livineasy.com currently brings between 800 - 1200 visitors a day to the Web site, about 30,000 per month. This appears to be on the upswing as news articles, radio appearances, and referrals from key people has helped to increase the traffic significantly the past two months.


How many visitors are repeat visitors?
Our reports show that about 42 % of the people who come to the site come back for between two and eight visits per month. Some visitors come the Livineasy.com site first and remain there, going to other sites only via Livineasy.com links to those sites - so they can use the Livineasy.com return link to get back.

Where are your visitors coming from?
Livineasy.com visitors come from search engines, links on other sites, news articles, and referrals. We have a "refer this article" and "refer this site" box on the site that our visitors often use to refer the site and our articles to their friends.


Is there any cost to the consumer?
No. All Livineasy.com training, articles and services are free.


Does Livineasy.com work well with AOL browsers and with WebTV?
We're optimized for a number of browsers and platforms. 30% of or our visitors come to our site from AOL, and 4% use WebTV - which is consistent with the market for AOL, and higher than the market for WebTV users. We're sensitive to these services, as they often serve as an initial entry point to the Internet. We are also preparing to work with Internet appliances in the future.


Must visitors register to use the services?
Registration (membership) is optional. The basic training and the tips are available to all who come to the site. We do offer added benefits to those who join (free membership). They get added training in the use of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, plus "Free Stuff" and a free weekly newsletter. In the future they will participate in contests at which they can earn prizes such as gift certificates for dinner at a favorite restaurant.


Are visitors tracked? Is that information sold?
No. While we gather information, we do not track the movement of our visitors, nor will we ever do that. Our privacy policy is clearly stated - we will never sell or share the information we gather from our members. We consider that a breach of privacy. All of the information we have from visitors and members is in their user profiles, to which they have access using their password. They can view it, change it or delete it at any time. We have earned the seal of the Better Business Bureau Online, and exceed the criteria set by other Privacy Protection organizations.


Will consumers be "spammed?"
Never. This is a pull/opt-in technology only. The only e-mail we send out is to members who have requested it, and they can easily unsubscribe at any time. In fact, they can go to their own information to unsubscribe themselves.


Do you screen advertisers to make sure they are legitimately appropriate for your audience?
Absolutely. We are very particular whom we send our community to. We have a set of criteria they are expected to meet.

What steps do you take to protect seniors from scams?
Livineasy.com does not participate in any program that would contribute to scams. We will not accept advertisers that use scams. We will not give away or sell our mailing list. In fact, we have published many articles on scams, indicating how to identify them. We are very protective of our community. Livineasy.com has a twofold mission - to be a Web community that welcomes and accommodates the "newbie" adult, and to serve as an advocate for their right to comfortably use the Internet and in a manner accommodating to their needs. For example, our approach to advertisers is, "If you want their money, you must make it easy to shop on your sites - and with the level of service they require."


Who are some of your partners?
Livineasy.com partners through link exchanges with a dozen sites and 100 sites have a link to Livineasy.com on their Web site. We are developing partnerships with merchants and developers of new technologies, as well as sites with whom we plan to exchange content.


Who is your competition?
We have no direct competition because there is no other site that does what we do - with our focus on training and educational content. While several other senior and boomer sites offer some degree of training, that is not their focus. Other sites targeting seniors and boomers expect their visitors to be Internet savvy. There are also many sites that provide training of all sorts, but most of that training is at an advanced level for technical professionals, or for children. Livineasy.com is the only training Web site that caters to the mature adult. We have a unique and very effective subtle style of training that is almost impossible to duplicate.


How does Livineasy.com differ from an AARP Web site or iGrandparents.com?
AARP is a national association with a broad agenda. Bringing adults to the Internet is not their focus. While they offer some training on their site, it's "on the back burner" relative to their agenda, and is not presented as a priority. iGrandparents.com is focused on the relationship of grandparents and their grandchildren, as their name implies. We don't view each other as competitors. Even many of the "senior" Web sites that would ordinarily view our Web site as competitive because of some of our content actually support our site through links and kind words because of the service we provide. After all, we are bringing the community to the Internet that will visit their sites when they learn how to navigate the Web. With less than 20% of the targeted audience for senior Web sites currently online, our mission is to contribute to the effort to encourage the 80% who remain to take the digital leap. All Internet sites that cater to the mature community should profit by our effort.


What is Livineasy.com's value-add to businesses?
Livineasy.com can deliver this affluent aged 50+ market to businesses. The boomer market in particular is extremely diverse, and their interests cover a broad spectrum. The good news is that their level of their interest is very high, and they are eager to try new things. The trust Livineasy.com earns through our online community is transferred to advertisers - "if they are on Livineasy.com, they have to be good guys." We also consult to all of our sponsors on the best approaches to take to promote their products to this market, and advise on the services needed to encourage our visitors to shop.

What is Livineasy.com's value-add to consumers?
Visitors can and do trust what we say. They can trust that we would never send them to a Web site to shop unless we were convinced the product was worthy, and the service meets their needs and expectations. We establish relationships with vendors we can trust. That works to the benefit of consumers.


How and why would a dot-com use Livineasy.com?
A dot-com could benefit from a relationship with Livineasy.com, for those same reasons stated above. They could share the trust we have developed on our community. They would enjoy the consultative relationship we offer to all of our sponsors. They could gain access to our consumer base with their targeted advertising on our site.


What is your revenue model?
Most of our revenue will be earned through advertising sales, although we also will earn money from major sponsors, and commissions.


Are you publicly held?
Livineasy.com is a privately held company.


Is the company profitable?
Not yet, but we plan to be. We have reinvested every bit our income back into the site. We expect to become profitable in 2001.


What is your source(s) of funding?
We are self-funded and will soon receive seed money from an investment group. We are preparing to speak to venture capitalists about the next level of funding required to make Livineasy.com a household word.


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