The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Bahamians were yesterday urged to "acquire a taste for app development" and go beyond simple flyer promotions on Facebook or What's App.

Sherwin Johnson, president of Evo Bahamas, developer of the Bahamas Nightlife app, told Tribune Business: "App development is still something we have to acquire a taste for. Sadly, our people are not forward thinking to embrace technology that quickly. It takes us a while."

The Bahamas Nightlife app is currently in use by Potter's Cay dock vendors, and Mr Johnson said: "We got the vendors at Potter's Cay to sign up. Locally I would say that it hasn't been embraced like it should, but internationally, especially since the borders have been rumoured to be opening, we have had a surge in visits and people looking.

"So I was confident that people were ready to find things to do when they get here. But locally, in terms of businesses being signed up, there is still little or next to nothing. I think we have the innovation. We have the quality of service and products.

"However, it is strictly down to mindsets. We haven't taken marketing serious in The Bahamas. We still think that word-of-mouth is the way to go, but it's going to be mindset."

Mr Johnson added: "I think we're in a prime position to move forward with technology, but it's all about mindsets because with technology advancement we are going to understand that our value may decrease based on how technology may affect our position.

"We're in a prime position and we need to move forward, because that's' the way the world is moving. I think we are going to get there, and it is just going to take some time."

Mr Johnson said he has been "on a roll" with educating people on the importance of marketing and what this involved "because persons feel like putting a flyer on Facebook is marketing".

He added: "You still have to be strategic with how you post, what you post, the feel of what you post, etc. I have been trying to educate persons on the importance of marketing, and what is actual marketing, for the past few months, so hopefully it hits a nerve with some people and they embrace the fact that posting on Facebook, or just posting a flyer or sharing it on What's App, is not marketing."

Besides the Bahamas Nightlife, Mr Johnson said he is also developing the Nightlife Florida, Jamaica, California and Georgia apps. "Right now we are working on Florida. Without even having the content, we have seen a surge in the Florida website; we are excited about that," he added.

"We haven't launched the app officially; we are still working on it. The first beta test will be in the next few weeks, but maybe Florida would be the catalyst for the Nightlife push and then work our way back to The Bahamas."

While COVID-19 has put a "spoke in the wheel" of his Florida Nightlife app launch, Mr Johnson said he has been in discussions with the Sun-Sentinel newspaper and a major airline to be the "official travel" partner for his six-week Nightlife tour when he goes to the state.

"We were supposed to do our tour in April, but because of the COVID we had to postpone," he explained. "We haven't set an official date as yet; we're still waiting on our partners to instruct us on how best to follow up. I'm not afraid to travel, but my crew I still have to worry about their safety and take into consideration their thoughts as well."

Mr Johnson said other companies he has represented under the Evo Bahamas group, particularly Bahamastickets.com, Bahamscoupons.com and 4rent.com were companies he was going to launch, but he has opted to focus primarily on the Nightlife brand for the time being.