meticulously crafted virtual real estate
moreLunarLounge_009, originally uploaded by iliveisl
wow, sl is many things . . . but dancing goats on the dance floor? what will those deviants think up next? (shhh, don’t tell anyone I am a tiny furry beaver) =D
anyway, the lunar lounge continues to be developed for anyone’s use, a pretty fancy dance floor is part of it now, just need some more obnoxious rotating lights!
A_Is_For_Allison_018 , originally uploaded by iliveisl, see the entire set here
this is a mini case study on outstanding “best practices” for creating a Second Life shop
this is an example of a very creative person that truly has mastered second life. there are many clothes makers isl, and some even make a real living from them. A is for Allison is an example that should be a case study for anyone wanting to start a business inworld.
her building style allows her to use what many would consider a very small piece of land isl. it allows for 371 prims. by sl standards, that is a boutique space.
but she is able to maximize her shop with three main factors worth learning. megaprims, scripting, and branding
by using a megaprim as her anchoring shape (a megatorus) she has something unique that is only one prim. this allows her to them reuse this shape as her visual landmark (the pink floating ones). she further “brands” with it by using the same shape as a smaller prim for her display stands. that is shear genious!
how many stores irl have you ever been in that are so effective in using there iconic identity this effectively? i suspect that she has rl experience in design
and scripting allows her to enrich her offerings by using hobver text to further her message
those top three things alone are worth gold in second life marketing. they may seem subtle, but that is because she pulls that off so very well
she is also rich in her product images. take a good look and compare all her t-shirt images. she uses different models that further the message of that item, as well as gestures
finally, her shirts are incredibly clever probably a bit more, in some cases, than the average avatar will get
i’m sure i left out some aspects, but her store would make an awesome white paper on how the details allow you to create strong branding and a positive customer experience
details:
name of store – A is for Allison
description – Scarily eclectic shopping under the big, pink pearl. T-shirts like you’ll find nowhere else in SL. Beautiful Zen Sand Garden. And now featuring Giggling Goat Cheese. Mmmmmmmm!
location – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Enercity%20Harbor/121/80/31
clever use of props and models
easy to find from anywhere in the sim
hover text used to add more to the experience
(nice jab at Laughing Cow cheese & a place for people to sit and chat is excellent sl design)
tipi_001, originally uploaded by iliveisl
we never have time (it seems) to explore, even our own estate. while hunting down some whacky code making some animal rez and run really fast and disappear, we took a look at what was on an Enercity sim and found this shop
firstly, it’s a great build using megaprims that are precisely placed. secondly, the logo is absolutely fabulous! having worked at a Fortune 1000 creative agency in the past, i can say “it’s a good logo? it really is (just don’t get hung up on anything to do with a teepee, look beyond that for the simplicity and aesthetic balance)
it’s too bad that tipi.com is already taken, this “brand” could be made into a powerful icon within second life. wonder if the blog name is taken?
*hint – tp, if you pushed this out via the web with blogging, forums, xlstreet, etc. you could be one of those people that make decent money from second life. the brand imagery from your store name really is quite powerful*
well, i’m not sold on it yet, but subQ filmed a sim sweep dolly shot that is like 2 minutes long. i like the idea, but not sure about the angles, seems like maybe a fly over with several breaks would be better to show off the sims?
en tous cas, it’s up on the site and on blip :)
for whatever it is worth, this blog (iliveisl) was listed as 50th in wordpress’s Blog of the Day in the Growing Blog listing in January o_O
we do get a lot of hits and we did get a lot of hits today too, but come on? really? the 50th top growing blog?
maybe cuz of subQ’s blog post on fascinating things like our masterful coffee cup? he got a pingback from another blog that is pretty big in the e-learning world
maybe people just like Second Life rotating coffee cup ads? =p
maybe everyone needed a little more caffeine today (maybe we should sell the rotating coffee cup and move the iliveisl rl offices to bermuda?)
anyway you slice it (the pie to go with the coffee?), it’s pretty cool to get that kind of traffic out of the zillion blogs out here
*steps into the limelight and grins* =D
thanks subQ for the graphic upload
EcityCoffee_002, originally uploaded by iliveisl
well Enercity Park can get sketchy after dark (apart from the obvious zombie problem) and even mr bunny gets nervous, so we (Enercity Public Works) put out a bid for a street light to illuminate the bus stop. after much negotiation, one bid looked the best and was very inexpensive
we signed the contract, but obviously missed some fine print
we got our light alright, but it seems we sold out to a
combination light and rotating coffee cup ad
complete with fake steam! kind of reminiscent of the 50’s it seems
well since it mentions the Eville Atomic Lounge and also acts as a teleport to the Ecity Coffee and Pizza place and keeps the zombies away, it looks like the light is here to stay
=D
as you may know, the iliveisl estate’s first phase will be 52 sims and the second will be another 52. and even with the conversion of 9 OS sims, we are still growing with the addition of two new full sims in the last month.
but we were curious when we read this sl post on adding free sims to private estates! now they remain Linden sims and are connected to their Nautilus City. but those sims add a lot of value to those private estates. we are just curious to see what perks we may get when we hit 130 sims. our residents are among the very best isl and we love them tremendously and many love us back just as much (it’s a big hippie lovefest!) :p we have our openspace park for Enercity and as we grow will have more true openspaces (at our expense, but as a def value for our peeps)
so no complaints (lol, next to Torley, me and the subQ are the biggest sl evangelists out there!), just curious :)
oops, Ener goes ape again on other blogs about this
hd on Linden Labs, we will be at 130+ soon =D
enercitySquare_003, originally uploaded by iliveisl
\o/ Enercity continues to grow! nice lots for commercial and residential use. and next week, Enercity Weston will come online and 6 of the 9 Enercity sims will be open!
Wow and thank you to all the wonderful residents we have that make this a great estate. The people here are so creative and passionate and make it so easy to keep making things better. thanks everyone! =D
well winter is coming upon us and it’s a time when residents tend to really get creative. enercity is opening up a new sim on the east side and it will include some more boutique spots. they seem pretty popular and allow you to start a business isl without a lot of money.
it seems to be best to start out small and keep your expenses low. you can always get more land, but ya can’t get your money back if you over extend. running a shop or a club isl can be fun and a great creative outlet. to run a business isl takes another step up from that. and it’s not about how much land you have but about your value.
everyday more people make real money isl. just look at the economics page at sl.com. last month 588 peeps made over $1,000 USD. not too bad. their secret? well something good to have, like great hair or clothes, or a really busy club. BUT . . . here is another key ingredient – persistence. they all have hung in there. some times it seems like your business is not moving and the people that ride those times out often make it. it’s just like rl business, it takes time, a good plan, the ability to make changes in your plan, and vision
don’t expect to make money in your first month of a clothes shop. it takes many (many!) months of networking and also maybe doing work outside of sl. like making an online brand for yourself. your own blog, twitter, posting on forums, and more
but . . . if you are passionate, have something of value, and are persistent – you have a great chance of being successfull isl. good luck and always have fun =)
twitter recognition, Originally uploaded by iliveisl
hey lookie here! our very own subQ makes the big time! or is it the tiny time since it’s twitter??? :p
moreResidentCreations_004, Originally uploaded by iliveisl
what a great resident! here on Enercity we have a very creative and “spirited” person! thank you for creating this! i loved the skull that says do not touch! your details are great! please feel free to comment on here of you want to post your name and advertise your shop next door! =D
allisonsShop_005, Originally uploaded by iliveiSL
wow, that is pretty cool! megaprims rock so hard :)
and what fantastic creativity by one of our new boutique land owners. just proves that with excellent building skills and real design passion, phenomenal things can be built without getting nuts on prim count!
nice job and the textures are fabulous :)
after a few requests for smaller parcels, we created 4 spots that are about 1,248 square metres, hold 371 prims and go for $2,900L per month (or $692L per week). they are located in Enercity and one has already sold to a really neat, highly-detailed builder. he specializes in vintage TVs and stereos. he can even do custom work
lol, he is making a custom retro Ener Cola cooler! it even makes steam when you open the lid to get a soda! =D
anyway, the plots are an experiment and if popular, we will make some more. of course, they are fully bordered by public spaces and made to be easy to reach and use.
so if you have thought about giving a shop a try, it comes out to like $11 USD a month for a piece of virtual real estate! see you inworld! :)
oh, for comparison: 1,024 sm of mainland is $8 USD per month and 234 prims (in other words, it would cost $12.68 for this prim count on the mainland compared to our $11.32)
holy cow! the start of our tallest building, it harkens back to the era in Manhattan when the size of a business was measured by the size of it’s building.
what a romantic era, the Chrysler Building with it’s massive gargoyles, the Empire State Building with it’s zeppelin docking tower.
yes, it was built for trans-atlantic zeppelins to dock. pretty friggin’ amazing and steampunk almost realized. imagine the Manhattan skyline with zeppelins! wow, it gives me chills! :)
and there will be a zeppelin docking here . . .
iliveisl 