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Most consumers shop locally. Inspite of all the efforts of search engines, there is still no easy way for consumers to locate local businesses on the Web.
Yet wouldn't it be great to do a little research online before approaching a salesman or making a phone call? We hope The LAD makes this "sniffing around" a little easier.
Of course, this works two ways. The Web also gives business an opportunity to convince the consumer of their worth. A website can work for a business even if the store is closed!
More recently another benefit of listing in The LAD has become apparent. It promotes visibility to the major search engines.
We have noticed that it is easier to have a site registered in the Google database if the site is listed elsewhere on the internet. Many search engine spiders regularly monitor The LAD.
A couple of comments about the structure of the directory:
Category list
In drawing up the list of categories we were particularly mindful of making it useful to families and householders. It therefore has a "retail" focus on the major category page.
Our target groups were also the most likely to want to find businesses in their local area. A simple, easy to use site was a high priority.
"Below the surface", however, there is a large database of industrial sites within the appropriate sections. To make it easier to find them, the "keyword" search should be a great help if it is not obvious which category to search.
As a matter of policy, there are no "adult" sites in The LAD. |
"Suburb" field
A CATEGORY search result will include a "Suburb" entry if the nature of the business suggests location is important, otherwise the field will be left blank. It will also be left blank if the information was not available from the site.
For example, a plumber on one side of Melbourne is unlikely to go to the opposite side of the city to do a small job. The "Suburb" entry helps you make those judgement calls without needing to visit the website.
(However, if you are really impressed with the business, don't be afraid to give them a try. I have convinced an electrician to come out to "the sticks" and my fencing contractor has done jobs up to 50 kms from his home base.)
Where a business has multiple locations in a city e.g. a large retail chain, you will see "4 or more locations" in the Suburb column. This means that most people should find an outlet within a reasonable distance of their own suburb and is enough indication that a visit to the website could be followed up by a personal visit to the premises.
The "Suburb" column will be particularly useful when trying to locate small businesses where the operator must travel to the householder e.g. landscaping, painting and plumbing. It helps the householder find a business he/she can actually USE.
The directory was created by The LAD Website Services Pty Ltd. in 1999. The company is a family owned business dedicated to providing an all inclusive website service for small business.
We are different from other designers in that we design and maintain corporate websites for a fixed monthly fee. This means clients can avoid the cost of purchasing programmes and paying salaries for staff training yet still have an up-to-date website.
Any business can look to The LAD for a fully customised website for a fraction of the cost of desigining it inhouse. More info >>
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