Comments on: MerchantCircle Brings MySpace Platform to Local Businesses http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html Internet Marketing News Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:00:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kevin L. http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html/comment-page-1#comment-50858 Kevin L. Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:57:03 +0000 http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html#comment-50858 MerchantCircle is proud to help more than 500,000 local business acquire customers by offering an alternative to over-priced, ineffective offline marketing channels. We’ve been interviewing our merchants in all 50 states – you can read about their MerchantCircle experience here: www.visualcv.com/merchantcircle. We’re committed to providing every local business a web presence, easy-to-use marekting tools and a platform for connecting with other merchants, all for free. As always, please email any questions or concerns to support@merchantcircle.com and we will respond as soon as possible. Jim, you're close. More like 1% of that 500,000. MerchantCircle is proud to help more than 500,000 local business acquire customers by offering an alternative to over-priced, ineffective offline marketing channels. We’ve been interviewing our merchants in all 50 states – you can read about their MerchantCircle experience here: www.visualcv.com/merchantcircle.

We’re committed to providing every local business a web presence, easy-to-use marekting tools and a platform for connecting with other merchants, all for free. As always, please email any questions or concerns to support@merchantcircle.com and we will respond as soon as possible.

Jim, you’re close. More like 1% of that 500,000.

]]> By: Jim http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html/comment-page-1#comment-22511 Jim Sat, 24 Feb 2007 23:43:18 +0000 http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html#comment-22511 The issue, in my opinion, is that most businesses do not want their information placed on a site where anyone can provide an opinion or give a review. There are several Directory-type sites that try encourage "ratings" on merchants. What happens when a competitor trashes just for spite? Who controls the content? And, as Mike points out above, what if I just don't want my informaton on this site? I predict MC will end up with about 99.9% "free" listings and 0.1% who actually pay - hardly the stuff of IPO or acquisition. As for an approach that works, look at Craigslist. The issue, in my opinion, is that most businesses do not want their information placed on a site where anyone can provide an opinion or give a review. There are several Directory-type sites that try encourage “ratings” on merchants. What happens when a competitor trashes just for spite? Who controls the content? And, as Mike points out above, what if I just don’t want my informaton on this site? I predict MC will end up with about 99.9% “free” listings and 0.1% who actually pay – hardly the stuff of IPO or acquisition. As for an approach that works, look at Craigslist.

]]> By: Matt McGee http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html/comment-page-1#comment-22376 Matt McGee Thu, 22 Feb 2007 23:24:18 +0000 http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html#comment-22376 MC made some serious mistakes last Fall: http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/2006/09/27/strange-goings-on-with-merchant-circle/ http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/2006/10/04/merchant-circle-calls-off-calling-campaign/ which really angered a lot of small biz owners and earned MC a fair amount of negative press. They're certainly trying hard to recover from that, but name recognition is still a problem. MC made some serious mistakes last Fall:

http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/2006/09/27/strange-goings-on-with-merc hant-circle/

http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/2006/10/04/merchant-circle-calls-off-c alling-campaign/

which really angered a lot of small biz owners and earned MC a fair amount of negative press. They’re certainly trying hard to recover from that, but name recognition is still a problem.

]]> By: MikeOK http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html/comment-page-1#comment-22371 MikeOK Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:52:12 +0000 http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html#comment-22371 Yes Andy, there certainly are. From that point of view, what MC is doing is good. Like I said, for those without a presence (or good one). I feel as a business I should be able to control every listing created for my business. This MC does which is good. But what if I don't want a listing made by them?? Why should I have to contact them to remove the listing?? Why should I have to be concerned over one more place to update my business information. Isn't that why I built MY website for in the first place? This point is not just a MC issue. The net is getting overrun with listings, reviews etc for business owners. As a former small brick and mortar business owner, I did not have the time to keep on top of this continually growing problem. I also lacked the funds to pay a company to monitor my online repuation. I feel this is the same position millions of SME's face today. Better attention has to be paid to the business owner and their view on how they would like to see their business represented. Yes Andy, there certainly are. From that point of view, what MC is doing is good. Like I said, for those without a presence (or good one). I feel as a business I should be able to control every listing created for my business. This MC does which is good. But what if I don’t want a listing made by them?? Why should I have to contact them to remove the listing?? Why should I have to be concerned over one more place to update my business information. Isn’t that why I built MY website for in the first place?

This point is not just a MC issue. The net is getting overrun with listings, reviews etc for business owners. As a former small brick and mortar business owner, I did not have the time to keep on top of this continually growing problem. I also lacked the funds to pay a company to monitor my online repuation. I feel this is the same position millions of SME’s face today.

Better attention has to be paid to the business owner and their view on how they would like to see their business represented.

]]> By: Andy Beal http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html/comment-page-1#comment-22366 Andy Beal Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:06:06 +0000 http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html#comment-22366 MikeOK - there are a lot of non-existent, poorly optmized, and just plain bad local business web sites out there. :-) MikeOK – there are a lot of non-existent, poorly optmized, and just plain bad local business web sites out there. :-)

]]> By: MikeOK http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html/comment-page-1#comment-22365 MikeOK Thu, 22 Feb 2007 18:59:57 +0000 http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html#comment-22365 Hi Andy I am not sure how much of a feature this is to business. I suppose it would be great if your small business did not have a website. But if it did, would you not also have to then compete with yourself/MC on search result placement?? I view MC as a web design platform and not much else. The online reputation monitoring is a good next step. I just wonder how much longer will companies like Yelp keep at arms length from the business being reviewed? At that point, a company like locallaunch.com (no affil) who keeps your information fresh at sites like Yahoo and Google local will replace the need for the monitoring service. Hi Andy

I am not sure how much of a feature this is to business. I suppose it would be great if your small business did not have a website. But if it did, would you not also have to then compete with yourself/MC on search result placement??

I view MC as a web design platform and not much else. The online reputation monitoring is a good next step. I just wonder how much longer will companies like Yelp keep at arms length from the business being reviewed? At that point, a company like locallaunch.com (no affil) who keeps your information fresh at sites like Yahoo and Google local will replace the need for the monitoring service.

]]> By: htmlking http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html/comment-page-1#comment-22362 htmlking Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:08:02 +0000 http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/02/merchantcircle-brings-myspace-platform-to-local-businesses.html#comment-22362 I have read that MC will call your business with automated messages every time someone leaves a review. I have tried to contact them unsuccessfully now for about a week. I would stay away from these guys. Sounds like a major headache for small businesses. I have read that MC will call your business with automated messages every time someone leaves a review. I have tried to contact them unsuccessfully now for about a week. I would stay away from these guys. Sounds like a major headache for small businesses.

]]>