Tech View Kiman Wong

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Buying online doesn’t mean you can’t buy local

As the years roll by, online commerce has become mainstream not only for applications such as paying your bills or buying books or computers from the mainland, but also for doing business locally.

For example, I have purchased online tickets from Hawaiian and Aloha airlines, processed photos from Costco and Sam's Club, flowers from local FTD florists, card refills from Starbucks and even pizza.

I soon realized in researching this piece that for others akamai in technology, Web commerce has taken a variety of forms.

Peter Kay, computer maven and managing director of FlatEarthVentures.com, says he uses the Web as a kind of "uber" yellow pages and never walks into a store without first researching the product online.

"Let's say I'm interested in a digital camera," said Kay. "I'll decide what the best one is by researching it on CNET (www.cnet.com) or some other tech site, and then seeing if a local store such as CompUSA or Best Buy carries it. If the price is right, I'll go there and buy it."

Kay said he also likes to send gift baskets from Big Island Candies and to friends and relatives on the Mainland.

Mike Meyer, CEO of CTA, a local computer consulting firm, reckons that his favorite local online purchases are crafts.

Meyer says locally made crafts are good gifts for local or mainland people and recommends www.windwardceramic.com.

Olin Lagon, an Internet entrepreneur with several startups under his belt, is partial to Craigslist Honolulu (http://honolulu.craigslist.org) as a means to buy or sell local goods and services. Craigslist allows anyone to post free classified ads complete with pictures.

Lagon noted that a recent check showed 14,558 goods for sale -- all searchable. By using this you can screen buyers, manage all communications via e-mail, and nearly instantly post and pull ads. A colleague who just moved here from Seattle was able to purchase a bed painlessly by sending the seller an offer via e-mail, and got it delivered the next day.

Even merchants now are posting items on Craigslist. For example Lagon needed some bodywork done on a car and found a service provider within minutes. There are other local places like PostPig.com and daily newspaper Web sites, such as https://archives.starbulletin.com/classifieds/

Roxanne Darling, founder of Bare Feet Studios, an Internet consultancy, says that as a newcomer to the Islands, she found Google's "Local" search "incredibly helpful" because it not only provided data on what a store or restaurant offered, its business hours and phone number, but gave her a map so she could find the place. For example if you type in "Big City Diner, Honolulu" you get all their locations, maps and even if they accept credit cards.

Darling said she also likes a couple of locally produced Web sites and blogs to steer her toward Hawaiian music, trendy restaurants and local events.

As a music fan, she relies on 808TALK.com and Doctortrey.com, which have a variety of information, free music downloads and podcasts that cover new music and events. Darling is fascinated by the variety of local grinds, and through Hawaiidiner.com, which has podcasts and articles, she's discovered Hawaii's universe of ethnic food.

Do you have a favorite local online business? Drop me a line and we'll try to use it in a future story.

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