The small business web world has a handful of very valuable solutions for businesses and consumers alike. The Internet has provided many opportunities for local businesses of all kinds to improve their business through the use of the Internet. Businesses of all kinds use the Internet to find customers and make them happy. This article is designed to investigate some of the ways that small businesses can use existing applications on the Internet to improve their business.
The old local business directories, or yellow pages, were the first websites designed to use the Internet to improve local businesses. The Internet provided a platform for these local business directories to enhance their local search with built-in keyword search, faster search times, and easier directions than traditional print directories. As the web has grown, a handful of new websites have sprung up that improve the way people and small businesses interact online.
This article will briefly explore some sites that provide a valuable new way for local businesses and their customers to interact. Various yellow page websites are the most popular way to find local businesses online; however, this article is designed to explore other websites that people use to find and support local businesses.
1. Craigslist – The general public has fallen in love with this free classifieds website. Craigslist provides a great way to buy, sell, find a job, and even find dates in local geographic communities. Craigslist receives millions of hits every day and provides its service for free, aside from postings for job openings from employers. There is a section on Cragslist dedicated to ‘Utilities’ and many small and home-based businesses use it to promote their businesses. Users can post information promoting their business once every 48 hours, although many businesses find ways to repost within this time frame. Posts will stay online for up to 7 days, but they get the most attention when they’re at the top of the list or right after they’re posted. The main benefit of Craigslist is how quickly people can reach a number of interested consumers in their area. Some shortcomings of Craigslist are that business listings expire, and to reach customers, businesses need to re-register multiple times a day to generate more sales leads. Also, there is no guarantee of quality with Craigslist. There is no easy way to check the legitimacy or quality of businesses listed on Craigslist.
2. MoreWorld: MoreWorld takes great web 2.0 technology and delivers it to small businesses, home-based businesses, and their customers in an attractive, easy-to-use package. Businesses enjoy free registration and highly customizable company accounts. This includes a free business website, a full menu of products and services, and free inclusion in MoreWorld’s local search. Businesses can even use MoreWorld to manage a list of their customers and employees and send group emails. MoreWorld also offers a comprehensive local search for companies, products and services. Users can also search for businesses by category. The search results provide pricing details and customer feedback information. The most exciting part is that when a user sees more details about a company, he gets much more information than what is available in the traditional yellow pages. They get a detailed description of the company from the company, including a detailed description of the company’s products, services, and prices. The biggest drawback to MoreWorld is that they only have information for companies that have registered on the site.
3. Yelp: Yelp has had success integrating social media with a site designed to rate local businesses. Yelp provides a fun, easy, and addictive platform for users to create and submit reviews for many types of local businesses. Plus, all of the services available on Yelp are free, except for sponsored search results for businesses. Users interested in finding a product or service can search or browse listings by distance and star rating, as well as various other search areas. The website also provides a forum for users to discuss local businesses, events, and other things in their area. All information on this site is managed and updated by Yelp users. Yelp customer service will review all business listing change requests to ensure the most accurate information is available. Yelp provides a great way to find detailed reviews of local businesses. Yelp’s main drawbacks are the reliability of the reviews and the lack of a business interface. Also check out InsiderPages for another great site based on user reviews.
4. ServiceMagic: ServiceMagic offers an exciting new approach to the local business front. ServiceMagic provides an attractive and easy-to-use platform that helps connect consumers with the contractor for their work. Service magic has a simple project description form for people to fill out. Once the form is submitted, ServiceMagic matches them with a handful of qualified contractors and the communication begins. Users can read the ratings of different service providers, as well as a detailed description provided by the company about themselves. Users seem very happy with the amount of time ServiceMagic saves them in finding the right business for their job. While ServiceMagic is great for finding a contractor, it is limited to the types of businesses it can help you find. Another problem is that companies must pay to be in magical service, so the best deal for a job may not be available to the user because that company is not interested in paying. The final drawback is that there is no search function for users, which leaves people limited to seeing only the companies that ServiceMagic allows.
5. Angie’s List: Angie’s List is another site that aggregates consumer reviews of local businesses, like Yelp. Angie’s List differs from other similar sites in that they charge for membership. This includes charging to view and write reviews. Angie’s List prides itself on its level of user engagement and the credibility of its information. A major benefit of Angie’s List is that businesses cannot pay to be listed, they must be reviewed by a member in order to be listed. The main drawbacks of Angie’s List are that it’s not free and there’s no interface for businesses.
There are many great tools available to small businesses and their customers. Whether you are a business owner trying to attract new customers or a consumer trying to find a business, there are sites that can help. With the variety of sites available, there are options available to meet the diverse needs and preferences of different businesses and individuals.
