Big changes are coming (and we think you're going to like them)!

Our goal has always been to help busy people solve everyday problems.  Whether it’s helping local merchants promote their business online, or helping busy consumers get things done – we focus on connecting people with a vibrant network of local business owners who are eager to help. Our goal hasn’t changed, but the way we approach it certainly will.  In the coming weeks, we will be introducing a "beta" version of the new and improved MerchantCircle.



Most of the time, people need more than just online reviews to solve a problem.  Our network of 1.6 million local merchants makes MerchantCircle the one place to go to find trusted merchants, get great deals, find expert advice and get competitive quotes for real-life projects.  No more surfing the web for hours trying to find what you need – we have it all right here.



Here are some exciting new features being added to help both MerchantCircle Neighbors and our member merchants:



For MerchantCircle Neighbors:

• Deals - with enhanced search capabilities, promotions, coupons and offers will be easier to find


• Reviews - we're making changes to ensure that you get real reviews from people in your community


• Better search – find more relevant businesses and local advice

For our merchant members:

• Free member support - just call our US-based call center (more to come soon!) 


• New forums - same great discussions, but way faster and easier to use 


• Updated listing templates - we’ve freshened up and reorganized the look and feel of listing pages so people learn more about your business

So stay tuned – we’re excited about the new direction and we hope you like what you see.

Sincerely,

The MerchantCircle Team

Investing in Local Listings: Time + Money = Traffic

A lot has been written about the importance of reviews in driving local traffic (here and here) and user engagement (here). At MerchantCircle, we encourage our members not only to ask their customers to write reviews but to create all kinds of fresh content to drive consumer traffic. As part of this effort, we set out to understand the relationship between content creation and pageviews.

Our analysis of MerchantCircle listings with varying degrees of content reveals:



The “Free” pageview numbers represent the relative average pageviews during January for our free members (i.e., those who aren’t buying our SEM products). The “Starter” pageview numbers represent the relative average January pageviews for our members who’ve purchased our entry-level “StarterCircle” package for $29/month.

Here are the relative pageview stats in chart form:


It’s amazing to see the value both groups derive when they take the time to create content on their listing. And for those who take advantage of every opportunity to create content, (i.e., those who have created all content types including newsletters and network ads) the rewards are huge! Interesting to note that each content type added drives incremental pageviews versus “No activity”. But, the real benefits come when merchants create multiple types of content on their listing.

We here at MerchantCircle have long believed that getting traction online requires a real investment of either time or money. Our data suggests that for those merchants who invest both time (to create fresh content) and money (in advertising dollars), the rewards are significant.

Darren Waddell
Sr. Director of Marketing
MerchantCircle

Why Fonzie Would Kick Your Butt

The 'Fonz' on Happy Days knew about his reputation. Heck, everyone knew about his
reputation. He could end fights without even throwing a punch. He could pick up girls
without opening his mouth. If he wanted to, he could steal your customers without breaking a
sweat.

His reputation was managed to a tee.

Here at MerchantCircle, we want to make sure that you can manage your reputation. And
believe me; you have one, not only on the streets, but on the web. (Thanks to that darn Al Gore!)

So to counter this influx of content from consumers, we created a reputation score for you
so you know where your business is being listed, or more importantly, isn't being listed so
you can do something about it. That reputation score goes up as you take back control of
your web presence and reputation and gain more traction with customers.

Fonzie had a kick butt reputation, but once people got close, they could see he had a great
heart as well.

Sincerely,
Kevin
Community Relations

It's Not You, It's Me....

MerchantCircle does things differently that everyone else. No qualms about it.

Other sites give complete control to customers and their reviews. We give complete control to you, the business owner. Don't like a review? Delete it. Want to customize your business listing? It's yours. Upload pictures, blog about your business, build coupons, share tips... whatever you'd like.

We want to make sure that the web isn't a scary place for you to navigate, but we also want to make you aware that customers are writing reviews about your business on the web. We want to show them to you and many times those reviews aren't flattering. Don't take it personal with us. We just want to let you know so that you can manage your online reputation.

We're different. I've already said that, but we're different because we're letting you know that this information is out there. No one else is doing that. The web is a rapidly changing, consumer-driven destination. It's only fair that you can keep track of it all.

Sincerely,
Kevin
Community Relations