Te Puke Online app can be downloaded

Epic Te Puke marketing manager Rebecca Larsen with the new Te Puke Online app.

Te Puke is at the forefront of the development of an app that is being pitched to overseas markets.

The new app brings everything from the Te Puke Online website to a smartphone.

It has been designed by Flaxx Technologies, the company behind Te Puke Online, a website designed to unite businesses, organisations and the community.

“We are really lucky in Te Puke to be working with the developers,” says Epic Te Puke marketing manager Rebecca Larsen. “They have given us this app and donated the development of it and offered it to us at no cost as a way to see how it goes for a town and also as a progression of the website - because a lot of people are doing things on their mobile these days.”

She says as well as being a good tool for Epic Te Puke, it is also helping share others’ content.

“It’s very much like a social media platform so while people are searching for things, they might find other things on there.”

Rebecca says there is a very real threat to local businesses from giant international online retailers.

“This is a platform to try and support those local businesses to get them online and build a community space online that is useful, so traffic comes and so the usefulness of it increases.”

As well as business pages, there are community pages and Epic’s community calendar.

“I really hope we get good use of [the calendar] with organisations submitting their events so we’ve got a place where people can easily see what [events] are coming up and who’s doing what.”

She says the app is an extension of the website and a handy tool for people to have on their phones.

“The developers are working with Australian organisations and pitching to American towns and showcasing what we’ve done with Te Puke Online, as well as what they are trying to achieve with the town set-up, which is supporting the locals on the ground.”

The app is still new.

“We are open to feedback about what will make it more useful, so anybody can get in touch with Epic and give us that feedback, but we very much hope it will be downloaded by locals.”

The app can be downloaded from the Te Puke Online website.