Posts Tagged ‘Bewertungsplattform’
Lokale Suche: Alles Google oder was?
Place Pages, Map Navigation, Social Search, Wave – hat der Google-Overkill der vergangenen Wochen zu einer Götterdämmerungs-Stimmung auf dem Markt der lokalen Suche geführt? In den letzten Tagen jedenfalls mehrten sich im Web Stimmen, die meinen: Irgendwie ist die Sache mit der Lokalen Suche doch gelaufen…
Bezeichnend ist der Beitrag von Matthew Berk auf Search Engine Land schon in der Headline: „Local Search: A Solved Consumer Problem“. Seine These: Die großen Suchmaschinen machen ihren Job bei lokalen Suchergebnissen inzwischen „gut genug“, sprich: Die User haben die Services, wie sie heute verfügbar sind, akzeptiert und sich so daran gewöhnt, dass kein Platz mehr für bessere, innovative Angebote bleibt. Was bleibt lokalen Firmen? Sie müssen sich den Tatsachen anpassen und stärker im „Reputation Management“ engagieren. Will laut Berk heißen: Schaut Euch genau an, wo im Web Ihr Eure digitalen Spuren hinterlassen habt. Mit anderen Worten: monitoren, wo was im Netz über eine Branche oder das eigene Unternehmen geredet wird, Bewertungsplattformen durchforsten, Kundenfeedback auswerten. Mit diesem Informationsvorsprung gilt es dann, seine (potenzielle) Klientel aktiv mit Informationen über die eigene Firma zu versorgen und so den digitalen Fußabdruck wieder stärker zu lenken.
Wen wundert es, dass dieser Beitrag für Diskussionsstoff gesorgt hat?
Noch eins drauf gesetzt hat dann Andrew Shotland, ebenfalls auf Search Engine Land. Kurz gesagt hält er Googles neue Social Search für das Nonplusultra in der Zukunft der Lokalen Suche. Spätestens mit der Einbindung von Twitter und dem Start lokaler Features bei Facebook ist es seiner Meinung nach dann soweit. Denn durch den konsequenten Aufbau von Social Communities auf diesen Plattformen habe jedes Unternehmen eine Riesenchance, bei den Social-Search-Treffern von Google gelistet zu werden, wenn denn der Suchbegriff denn passt. Shotlands Rezeptur hierzu: ein eigenes Profil auf den führenden Social-Networking-Seiten anlegen, falls vorhanden auf Social-Media-Seiten der eigenen Branche anmelden, Firmensitz und Firmenbranche in keinem der Profile vergessen, und natürlich: mit Leuten verbinden, die an der eigenen Branche oder dem Standort interessiert sind.
golocal mit neuer Startseite
Die lokale Such- und Bewertungsplattform golocal hat kürzlich neben einer umgestalteten Startseite auch ein paar neue Funktionen erhalten.
Laut einer Pressemitteilung zeigt die jetzt im Stile eines Magazins gestaltete Startseite dem Nutzer auf einen Blick alle Highlights aus zwölf Kategorien in seiner und jeder anderen beliebigen deutschen Stadt. Zudem finde man darauf unter anderem auch aktuelle Events, die neuesten Bewertungen oder die aktivsten User der jeweiligen Ortschaft.
Eine weitere neue Funktion sei das “Stöbern in Deinen Nachbarorten”. Automatisch zeige golocal dabei eine Auswahl an Orten im Umkreis von 30 Kilometern der eingegebenen Stadt an. Überdies sollen registrierte golocal-User ab sofort auf einen Blick sehen können, wer noch im selben Ort als “Local” aktiv ist, und schneller und einfacher als bisher Kontakt zu anderen Mitgliedern aufnehmen können.
Qype und Qiro haben sich zusammengetan
Das mobile Netzwerk Qiro hat Qype in seine Plattform eingebunden.
Laut einer Pressemitteilung von Qype können Nutzer der Qiro-Community durch diese Kooperation nun auch ohne iPhone oder das Google Handy G1 über den Location Based Service von Qiro mit jedem java-fähigen Handy auf die Daten des lokalen Such- und Bewertungsportals zugreifen. Das heißt, sie können sich jetzt Plätze in der Nähe des eigenen Standortes anzeigen lassen und sich mittels der Bewertungen der Qype-User einen ersten Eindruck davon verschaffen.
Yelp: Unternehmen dürfen Bewertungen kommentieren
Wie bereits berichtet, kündigte Yelp Anfang April an, eine Kommentarfunktion für Anbieter einzurichten. Diese ist jetzt online.
Darauf weist Yelp-Chef Jeremy Stoppelman im Blog des amerikanischen Bewertungsportals hin. Mit diesem Feature können sich Unternehmen öffentlich zu den Beurteilungen äußern – allerdings müssen sie sich dabei an einige Vorgaben halten, wie man den Business Owner’s Guide entnehmen kann. Laut Stoppelmann gab es schon kurz nach dem Start des neuen Features ein paar Unternehmen, die diese Möglichkeit genutzt haben.
Yelp: companies can now answer their critics
The USA ratings portal Yelp, still only represented in English (see our post), plan to offer the possibility for companies to respond to user criticism/comments.
This was recently reported in The New York Times newspaper. Businesses may use this new response feature in order to correct facts, or to report that/how they have been able to correct perceived problems. Advertising or personal attacks will not be possible. Yelp does not intend to monitor these responses once they are published. However if a user regards a business response as inappropriate, they will be able to flag this response for the Yelp-team for their examination.
Until recently, companies were only able to respond to user criticism/comment via e-mail, and in the case of negative ratings, to hope that the direct contact would favorably influence the user’s opinion and their resultant rating of the service offered. The new function, which according to the NYT is to launch imminently, should give more transparency and afford a more public dialogue.
All-round changes at Qype
The makers of Qype have redesigned their local search and ratings platform. The completely revamped version went online at the end of February 2009.
First impressions of the ‘new’ Qype center on the visual changes on the site. Instead of the familiar olive and orange color scheme, the page is predominantly in bright red, blue and grey. Further there is a new logo and slogan. As explained by Community Manager Stephan ‘Moe’ Mosel in a blog post, the new slogan “Entdecken, Empfehlen” [en=Discover, recommend] (previously “Das Beste der Stadt” [en=The best of the city]) should bring home the goal of the site in just two words. The new logo, in handwriting style, is seen to represent the community aspect.
Along with the purely aesthetic changes, the website displays a completely reworked structure and several new functions. For example the central tab menu (formerly places, Guides, Groups, etc.) has disappeared. In its place, the horizontal navigation bar now displays special categories such as “Eating and Drinking”, “Shopping”, or “Nightlife”. As a result, the Search function now has become more prominent. The new trick is that users can now self configure this navigation bar: under “Alles” [en=all] you can find many categories to choose from. The links to Guides, Groups and People are now found to the right, below this nav bar, in the new module “Mein Verlauf” [en=my progress]. This keeps the user-specific activities clearly separated from the rest of the page.
Further, in another press release, Qype has also concentrated more on the regional aspects of its offering. In the new version, search requests are now possible for specific city parts. This is not fully implemented, at least when we ran our own tests, which were not altogether satisfying.
Rebate coupons from Qype
Price reductions or two-for-the-price-of-one, using coupons/vouchers usually tempt clients. This has been noted by Qype; registered businesses have recently been able to offer such deals on the local search and ratings portal.
Locations offering rebates are marked with a red tag in the results lists. In the entries themselves, one finds a coupon on the right, over the map view. On clicking, users can view, print and redeem the vouchers by the respective companies or service providers.
In a post in the company blog, the community manager of Qype, Stephan ‘Moe’ Mosel, announces the new function, and illustrates these with some examples. As the application is very new, there are as yet very few vouchers on offer at present.
In the USA, this form of advertising has been represented for some time on local search services (see our post). In Germany, the online directory glenglobe.de has until now been the only local service provider offering something similar.
Qype releases API; announces new CEO
Qype is on the move: alongside its announcement of its new head, it has also released its API and is offering to reward developers for the best mashups.
It was recently announced that Qype-founder and CEO until now, Stephan Uhrenbacher has resigned his position. He will become Chairman of the Board, as described by the company in a press release. The new head of Qype is Stephen Taylor, whose credits include Regional Vice President and Managing Director von Yahoo! Europe as well as Managing Director of Overture Europe.
Just a few days before the change in management was announced, the company released their API. As announced in a press release, content from Qype, such as places, ratings, locations, place categories or photos become accessible for integration in mashups and other apps. The recently released ‘Qype Radar” application for iPhone (see our post) is based, for example, on the API.
Developers can download version 1.0 of the Qype API, and start designing applications. In fact, the best apps will be rewarded: first prize will receive a prize of Euro 3.500, second prize Euro 1.000 and third prize Euro 500. To participate, developers must submit their completed new apps by February 28, 2009 to Qype.
The API is not going to remain at v.1.0. As Stephan Uhrenbacher announced in the company blog, the first quarter 2009 should see the appearance of the Qype-API 2.0. Using the innovations of this API, it is planned to also integrate photos and reports from Qype.
Yelp starts in the United Kingdom
In July 2004, the local search and ratings portal Yelp was founded in the USA. It has continued to expand since its launch, introducing a Canadian version in August 2008 and finally has crossed the Atlantic to Britain.
Yelp-CEO and co-founder Yeremy Stoppelman detailed the changes in the company blog. Now Yelp users can also search for undertakings, and relevant ratings in London and surroundings.
In a press announcement, Stoppelman disclosed that London has long been a planned destination – it being the center of the English-speaking world, and comes additionally as a result of the wishes of British Yelp users.
Yelp is one of the market leaders in the area of local Web2.0 portals in the USA. According to sources, Yelp’s users have submitted more than 4,5 million ratings. In December 2008 alone, the website recorded a total of 16,6 million unique visitors. Can one predict a similar success story in the UK? The competition has not been sleeping ¬ Yelp is going head-to-head with successful contenders, including Brownbook, Trusted Places and the German search and ratings portal Qype (already in Britain since June 2007).
Recommendation portal – TestMyBIZ
The recommendation portal TestMyBIZ is now available for users searching for local companies or service providers, who wish to choose exclusively from other users’ suggestions.
As outlined by the operators TestMyBIZ GmbH in Bergische Gladbach in a press release, registered users can submit and recommend their favorite stores and businesses. Only positive ratings are possible, contrary to other sites such as Qype or Dialo.de.
Users are able to use a 5-star system, ranging from “above average” through “tops”. The ranking of the results on TestMyBIZ is derived exclusively from the user ratings and is absolutely unable to be influenced by the company itself being rated. However, in order to activate a full/complete entry with ratings etc., companies must approve the ‘publication’ of the entry. A basic entry is therefore free; however if an undertaking wishes to augment and expand the entry to cover further information and/or photos, a charge will be made.
Though the portal has been online since September 2007, the sheer numbers of entries, at least in our test experience, are somewhat thin on the ground.







