Experience FH

Experience FH

Your Local Everything

Folkestone & Hythe District Council (F&HDC) has partnered with digital marketplace providers bubltown, to deliver a new district-wide local commerce platform. It is called ExperienceFH and consists of a mobile app and website and offers local businesses a new way to reach consumers and visitors.

 

Overview

ExperienceFH will enable local residents to discover local businesses on their doorstep and make it easier for visitors to “explore” the local area. By downloading a free app, users will be able to:

  • Quickly see information about a business, including description, opening times and, location,
  • Browse and redeem exclusive local offers from businesses nearby
  • Order directly from local businesses for either click-and-collect or delivery

The platform is completely free for businesses to join and to use the majority of features. You will be able to easily set up your own profile and promote your exclusive local offers. To help drive visitors and footfall to your business.

Please click on this link to register or use this QR code:

Click on the drop- down boxes below for additional information:

 

 

Helping Businesses

Businesses and organisations can register their profile free of charge on ExperienceFH.

With support from bubltown, businesses can simply list their location, opening times and highlight special offers.

If a business wants to extend and carry out transactions, such as click and collect or delivery via the platform then bubltown charges a small service fee to cover hosting. This is 3% + 10p on each transaction and compares favourably with other platforms which charge in the range of 20% to 50%.

 

 

Why Experience FH

The council has partnered with technology company bubltown, designers of the the platform, to encourage local shopping and help the district’s businesses.

The development of ExperienceFH has been supported by the government’s Welcome Back Fund targeted at reinvigorating high streets following the pandemic lockdowns.

The app has four geographical locations, Folkestone, Hythe, New Romney and the North Downs villages.

Your Local Everything

ExperienceFH is a new way of giving residents and visitors quick access to the very best of the district.

Download the free ExperienceFH mobile app from the App store or Google Play and see in an instant any local shopping rewards, promotional offers, discounts, events and attractions near you.

All the information is available online also. Visit the ExperienceFH website https://experiencefh.co.uk

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is bubltown?

bubltown is a technology company that has created an e-commerce platform to support local businesses of all kinds, sizes or digital skills levels. Folkestone & Hythe District Council has partnered with bubltown to bring the platform to serve four geographical areas in the district via a free mobile app and website.

How does it work?

Businesses upload their profiles at no cost and users of the free app and website can easily find opening hours, check out special offers and even browse an events calendar to help plan a day or evening out. Businesses can then move onto take full advantage of the platform’s e-commerce capability by carrying out transactions via the platform. Customers logging into the app will be shown offers near to them based on their location which brings the exciting prospect of encouraging new business through your door.

What digital skill level does it require?

Based on feedback from businesses using the app, setting up a profile takes less than an hour. The system set up has handy tips throughout the process and step-by-step guides where necessary. The partnership with F&HDC enables the Bubltown team to offer free onboarding and training services and they are on hand to provide expert technical advice.

How does the e-commerce option work?

Due to the partnership with F&HDC, businesses can join the platform at no charge. If businesses want to extend and carry out transactions via the platform, bubltown charges a small service fee to cover the hosting:

This is 3% + 10p on each transaction, which compares favourably with other platforms such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Groupon, Ebay, Amazon etc (often charging in the range of 20-50%). The extension of service (known as growth mode) will enable a business to enjoy the benefits of click and collect and schedule deliveries to it’s customers. A business is able to link it’s existing website and social media accounts into the ExperienceFH platform so that all can work together. There is also a link to access a dashboard where you can easily administer your profile and make changes to your offers and products.

How are payments organised?

We have partnered with Stripe, one of the leading e-commoerce payment gateways. We will send your stripe link to you in an email, after which creation of your account is done by following Stripe’s simple process. Information you will need to hand are your address, business registration number and account details. If you already have a Stripe account, we simply need your unique account number to connect your stripe account to your ExperienceFH profile.

Is there a device to help manage orders?

Businesses joining the platform must use the free Bubltown for business app, to manage orders. This contains a custom built interface, making it easier for you and your staff to handle orders. The application can also be used to redeem offers and directly message customers.

What are the advantages of joining ExperienceFH? 

bubltown and F&HDC will be promoting the platform throughout the district both to encourage businesses to join and to alert residents and visitors of the great advantages of shopping locally and the convenience of seeing all offers and promotions at the touch of a button.

 

 

 

Support and queries

F&HDC’s technology partner, bubltown, will guide you through setting up your profile and provide ongoing support to answer any further questions. You can contact them at ExperienceFH@bubltown.co.uk 

There is also a help and support section on the bubltown website you will be using to set up your account:  https://help.bubltown.co.uk/business/contact-support/

For general enquiries about ExperienceFH, you can contact our Economic development team via economy@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk

News Releases

Instant access helps Shoppers stay local

Published 28th November 2022

Supporting local shops and businesses has never been easier with the launch of a new digital marketplace in the Folkestone and Hythe district.

ExperienceFH – a free-to-download mobile app and supporting website gives instant access to a range of promotional offers, discounts and events from businesses across the district.

Residents and visitors can check out the very best of what is on offer locally by using ExperienceFH at home or whilst they are out and about.

The new way to reach customers is being promoted to businesses who can sign up at no cost to list their location and opening times or highlight special offers.

Folkestone & Hythe District Council has launched ExperienceFH in partnership with technology company –  bubltown.

Its development has been funded using the district’s share of the government’s Welcome Back funding – designed to reinvigorate high streets following the pandemic.

Cllr Ray Field, Cabinet Member for Transport and Digital Transformation, said: “This app will help the district’s residents to further support our local businesses and for them to bring their unique offer direct to customers via a few taps on a mobile phone.”

Folkestone business owner Hannah Richardson has already signed up to the app to promote the jewellery business she runs with her mother, Wendy, in The Old High Street.

She said: “Being able to reach both tourists and locals alike is very important to us as a small business. We want people to be able to see what the town has to offer and the app is the perfect way to do that.”

Businesses will receive ongoing support to maintain their profile and there is an option to extend their listing to offer delivery and click and collect.

F&HDC leader, Cllr David Monk, said: “We are very pleased to offer ExperienceFH for our local businesses across the district. It is a simple way to put residents and visitors in touch with high streets and grow support for our local economy.”

Ben Phillips of bubltown added: “Our mission at bubltown is and has always been to help the UK’s local businesses and communities to survive and thrive.

“But local success is a team sport – we can’t do it alone – so we’re extremely proud to be partnered with such a forward-thinking council as Folkestone & Hythe to deliver the ExperienceFH mobile app and website.”

Download ExperienceFH from the App Store or Google Play Store or visit https://experiencefh.co.uk or for businesses to sign up https://join.experiencefh.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

For more information, please email communications@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk

 

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