What would you want to see on a Local Search site?

Let's assume you have business listings and websites

[inbound]

I'm interested to see what people would see as useful features on a local search site.

I'm talking a national site that has the equivalent of Yellow Pages data for the whole country and can match those listings with websites.

I'd probably want to keep features to a minimum as people tend to like simplicity (Look at Google).

Would you want to see a 'search websites within these results'? Would you want to see a hand edited website directory that is pay for inclusion (at cost)? Would you see maps as essential or just for certain categories? Would you have a neat way of finding categories?

I guess we can build a picture of a great local search site with our combined knowledge.

[ortelius]

How will this proposed site offer consumers anything new? Users can go to YellowPages.com, or Switchboard.com, and plug in a search, and get results with website links, maps, and so on. With Google Local, and Yahoo, you can get reviews, building images (I think, or it's coming) -- guess I'm just not seeing the business model here, and with Google and Yahoo so focused on local search offerings, and with users flocking to Google and Yahoo -- well, as I said, I don't see the logic. But, I'm sure you've put some thought into it, which I obviously have not, so I humbly ask for enlightenment.

Ortelius

[dh3325]

After several years of running a local search IYP we find that by being local we can offer the following better than the big boys.

1) Because we have people on the ground selling and tracking local businesses our database is very accurate and changes and updates happen within days if not sooner. I just ran a search on backyard deck builders on Google Local and on the first page - 10 listings, there is one steel erector, one attorney named Deck, two businesses that are out of business and one business that has been at its location for 8 months not showing.

2) We are able to offer better business info pages and advertising for our listings at much less cost than the big sites. Plus the average owner who does not know how to upgrade his info can simply call us and out customer service department takes care of it.

3) We are able to tie alot of local information such as events calendars, classifieds and sales sites, alumni listings etc and more to our directory to offer our users more information that the big sites.

Mainly though because we are local and we keep our costs down we have accurate, up to date and easy to use information, even for businesses without web sites. I just looked at Google Local and I find it very confusing to read the info on a restaurant when the same information is listed 4-10 times depending on the references. I have had several of my advertisers tell me the same thing.

In a nutshell, we are Local, we are in contact with Local businesses, and we care more about our advertisers and community than the big boys do. Will we get rich from our directory? Probably not, but we are doing well enough to expand into a couple new markets this summer. Is it as simple as buying a directory script and a $5.00 hosting account and be successful? No. I have over 4 years into this business and many thousands of dollars invested. Is it worth it? I think so.

In reference to an earlier post I would love to see a Local Search association formed with a database of sites and information on whats working and what is not. If anyone else is interested contact me and maybe we can get something going.