Web Listing Service

Do I need this service?

When searching the web for a service it's amazing how many businesses are not listed on free websites, or are listed with only the minimum information. Any competitors who have taken the time to register and given full and precise information about their services will have a far greater chance of attracting new customers over those that haven't.

If you don't have a website, we would say it is absolutely essential to register your details on as many other websites as possible. If you have a website, then registering is still very important since these directory sites nearly always appear high up in any search results and therefore links from these sites will improve your sites visibility and search ranking. Remember, registering with many of these sites is free.

If you have a business but haven't got the time or know how to register your site on these free websites, then we would be happy to help you out. We'll tell you how to go about registering yourself and recommend you do it as soon as possible - you have nothing to lose. If you don't have the expertise, someone you know probably will, so have a word with them, or come to us.

Research

The first step is to search for your business on the internet. This does not mean entering in your business's name since you are not trying to attract customers that already know of your existence. You should try and imagine what your customers are likely to be searching for, e.g. "plumber havant" or "emergency plumber farlington". The search engine will then provide a list of links to appropriate sites. You should open each link in turn. Normally business link sites will appear high on the page and sometimes the search engines own advertising will also list nearby businesses.

It's quite normal to find your own business listed on these sites, even if you haven't registered it yourself. These sites earn money from the advertising and so are aiming to attract as many visitors to their site as possible.

At this stage, take time to see what information your competitors have provided and note down what information you will need to provide. Once you have looked at several sites you will probably have compiled all the information you need to proceed. The amount of information held on these sites varies. Some sites allow only a description and a link to your website, whilst others may include photographs and a full list of the facilities offered such as (e.g. for a pub) beer garden, children allowed, disabled facilities, etc.

Registration

Before registering, make sure you have all your information in one place, and preferably in an electronic document. This can save you time when entering descriptions etc., since you can simply cut and paste your information into the website. Also have some images ready such as a good image or two of your logo, premises or vehicle etc. in a standard format (such as a .jpg file).

To register, perform the searches again as before and when on a "business link" site, find the link that allows you to update your business's entry, or the link to add a new business. You normally have to create an account with the website to register and we recommend you make a note of the website, the web page and your account details on paper and store it safely away. You will need this information when you update the stored information. Depending upon the amount of information the site requires it can take quite a few minutes to fill out their on-line forms.

As a word of warning, as with all interactions with the web, make sure that you don't fill in any information that you don't think is relevant or that may open you to fraud.

Once registered, that's all you need to do. Some sites may post your details immediately, others may take a little while as they'll check the content to make sure it doesn't breach their terms and conditions which of course you should observe.

Web Listing Service

If you would like help in registering your business, we offer a service at £100 (basically a day's work) in which we will:

• meet with you and help to compile the information to be added onto free business link websites, including taking or converting photographs and crafting an appropriate description of your business,
• register your information on as many high profile business link websites as possible,
• provide you with a full report which tells you which sites we have registered your business with and the account details to allow changes to be made at a later date.

Web Management Service

For a monthly fee of £20 (paid in advance), we will perform a follow on service to the Web Listing Service by periodically reviewing your business listings and making any changes that you require. We will continue to register your business with any new sites that appear high in the search results and inform you of these additional registrations. This will ensure that your business information remains up to date and that your business maintains a high profile presence on the web.

Some business link websites allow customers to post reviews on the service given to them by listed businesses (even if the business has not registered itself with the site). These reviews can sometimes be derogatory since customers with a gripe are more likely to post than those who are happy. We will inform you if we think your business is being shown in a poor light by a website so that you can take action such as liaising with the site to get the posting removed, or by allowing you the opportunity to respond with a posting of your own.