James Flanagan, Founder and CEO of HoverIT with Benjamyn Gardner, Founder of the award-winning Perth skincare brand AntiBeauty. Benjamyn said: “I’m looking forward to cutting through the noise with HoverIT’s tagging system and increasing the brand’s reach and visibility.” AntiBeauty’s totally inclusive product range is vegan, ethical, Australian made and carbon neutral. The brand is making waves by challenging traditional beauty standards.

James Flanagan with Ian Ricciardi, owner and director of Northern Star Ocean Products, a proud family owned West Australian harvester of wild ocean caught prawns and seafood from the crystal clear waters of Shark Bay.

James Flanagan at Clancy’s Fish Pub. Tom Fisher of Clancys Fish Pub said he is “looking forward to participating in an endeavour that will direct new clients to Clancy’s and Fremantle, whilst at the same time offering our existing punters some great opportunities.”

Dr Garnett Hall is the owner of Fremantle Animal Hospital and founder of the #petfriendlyfreo campaign. Also pictured in these photos are James Flanagan’s partner, Catherine, and their 10-month-old puppy, Paddy Chunk.

Tim Bolton, co-owner of South Beach Boardies, producer of ‘Better for the Planet Beachwear’

AN E-COMMERCE PLATFORM DESIGNED TO CONNECT AND SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Businesses can connect with their local community and reach more people using HoverIT, a new e-commerce platform with a social media look and feel. 

Freo is fortunate to be the launchpad of HoverIT, which will soon expand to connect communities with their local businesses all around the world. 

Founder and CEO James Flanagan, a Freo local, wanted to make it easier for Covid-hit businesses to reach buyers, without having to worry about Google rankings and cutting through the noise on existing social sites. 

With HoverIT in your toolbelt, you don’t need a degree in IT and a huge marketing budget to be seen. 

“Social media platforms and search engines are not designed with e-commerce in mind,” says James. “Our platform has been purposely designed to support local.”  

An exclusive ‘Fremantle Verified Tag’ will connect the Fremantle business community and make it easy for locals and tourists to see what the town has to offer. Businesses can create a profile to sell their products and services, it’s free and takes just minutes. 

Among one of the many Freo businesses already signed up as an early ‘beta’ adopter is Northern Star Ocean Products, a proud WA family owned business and harvester of wild ocean caught seafood. 

“It’s about the community knowing we’re here and being able to buy right from the boat,” says owner and director Ian Ricciardi. Northern Star prides itself on using sustainable methods to deliver the freshest produce to both local and international markets. 

HoverIT’s precision tagging system allows businesses to simply tag their offering via their posts, products and stores.  

“It’s simple,” says Mr Ricciardi, “which allows us to focus on the fi shing and giving the customer the best possible experience.” 

Buyers find products and services by scrolling their home feed, visiting a seller’s profile and store, or through the HoverIT search engine. As for delivery and local pick-up options, it is easy to customise. HoverIT’s designers have taken care to provide a simple, accessible and enjoyable experience for both buyers and sellers.

Retailers aren’t the only businesses that can benefit from the online marketplace. Tom Fisher of Clancy’s Fish Pub is using the platform to advertise deals and allow people to purchase vouchers for loved ones. 

“I’m looking forward to participating in an endeavour that will direct new clients to Clancy’s and Fremantle, whilst at the same time offering our existing punters some great opportunities,” he said. 

Local service providers are also getting involved. Dr Garnett Hall is the owner of Fremantle Animal Hospital and founder of the #petfriendlyfreo campaign. 

“We pride ourselves on being part of the community. Being a small business, I’ve relied on my own knowledge of SEO, and I was worried that I had not done it effectively. Knowing HoverIT’s tagging system takes care of this in a way I can trust is very important to me.” 

Connecting local buyers to local sellers helps reduce the high carbon costs of shipping, supports small businesses and drives local employment. 

When it comes to buying local goods and services, it couldn’t be easier. Purchases are made directly through the app and secured by HoverIT’s payment partner Stripe. 

Scan the QR code and join Fremantle’s online community today!  

Find exactly what you’re looking for: 

HoverIT enables sellers to tag their products and services using the same language customers search with. 

For example, if you are looking for cruelty free skincare on HoverIT, you will find AntiBeauty, the 16x-award-winning label that is making waves by challenging traditional beauty standards. 

Owner Benjamyn Gardner loves being able to tag his totally inclusive skincare range as Australian made, ethical, vegan, and carbon neutral. He is enthusiastic about using HoverIT to increase his brand’s visibility. 

Tim Bolton, co-owner of Freo’s “better planet beachwear” store, South Beach Boardies, likes that the platform enables people to shop to their values, such as buying sustainable, recycled clothing. Mr Bolton’s board shorts are made from recycled plastic bottles in ethical factories. 

It doesn’t stop there, either. HoverIT can create exclusive ‘Verified Tags’ for member organisations, locations, causes and communities – the possibilities are endless. 

Use the QR code to sign up today.