askbjoernhansen Intro

[askbjoernhansen]

Our website is http://www.yellowbot.com/ -- we're a local search / yellowpage directory site with 3-4 million users a month. I'm joining to learn about how we can service local florists better!

In particular then it's a goal of ours for this valentines season to help local florists on our site (as opposed to the listings for teleflora-like call center phone numbers disguised as local businesses!)

 

[BOSS]

Interesting search results... where are you dragging your data from?

I notice you're using Google Maps...

You have a link to add a listing but I must have missed the one to report and out of business business or a business that does not fit the search criteria...

What's up?

 

[askbjoernhansen]

Hi Mark!

We license data from one of the data companies (Localeze) and additionally get data from about a thousand other sites and data feeds. Google Maps are just used to show, well, maps - not for data (although we do provide some data to Google Maps).

Except when the business owner has logged in and verified that they're the owner of a business then all the profile pages should have a "Submit a correction!" link for submitting changes. However, my goal here on FlowerChat was to get some help from the community for figuring out the patterns for which listings are not real stores so we can just block them in bulk. (For example one we spotted a few days ago is "All American Flowers" on 8004443569 with a couple of thousand listings across the country).


- ask

 

[Victoria]

That's an interesting concept. One of the biggest peeves found in this community are dishonest advertisers.

V

 

[BOSS]

However, my goal here on FlowerChat was to get some help from the community for figuring out the patterns for which listings are not real stores so we can just block them in bulk. (For example one we spotted a few days ago is "All American Flowers" on 8004443569 with a couple of thousand listings across the country).


- ask

A "couple thousand"?

Are you saying that you remove deceptive listings, like a florist with web pages for every city like those shown below?

That's a novel idea.

 

[askbjoernhansen]

A "couple thousand"?

Well, that was just that one particular company/phone number!

Are you saying that you remove deceptive listings, like a florist with web pages for every city like those shown below?

That's a novel idea.

Yeah, that's the idea! We have hundreds of listings for "Wesley Berry Flowers" -- some of them look like real locations from the data I have; but after you pointed it out when I look into it there are some tells, of course (the website for example is all about teleflora-ordering and they advertise 24/7 opening hours). Anyway - you pointing them out is helpful, that's exactly the thing we'd like help with. Another thing I think we'll need help with is some more subtle cases than the obvious big company with spam listings everywhere. What about a smaller company with internet ordering -- what if they don't have a store front, but they do local delivery on their own? I'd say that'd be an honest listing; but I think your community could help educate us!


- ask

 

[askbjoernhansen]

That's an interesting concept. One of the biggest peeves found in this community are dishonest advertisers.

Hi Victoria,

We have about 17 million businesses in our US database (on yellowbot.com) and whatever the number of businesses is in Canada on weblocal.ca. Believe me, we are just as annoyed at the dishonest advertisers creeping in there! In particular for a business category like florists where there are plenty real, honest and good stores, too.

(If we were talking about locksmiths the program is even worse; try a "locksmith" search on google maps -- google don't even try to manage the problem!)

- ask

 

[BOSS]

We have hundreds of listings for "Wesley Berry Flowers" -- some of them look like real locations from the data I have;

Wesley has 1 maybe a couple locations and a school, all near or in Detroit.

sfox?

 

[BOSS]

(If we were talking about locksmiths the program is even worse; try a "locksmith" search on google maps -- google don't even try to manage the problem!)

- ask

That's a fact, a neighboring business friend of mine is a Locksmith.

 

[roysecityfloristand gifts]

Hello YellowBot,

I've actually been with you since 11-26-08. However, in checking my listing just now, I discovered that you have many, many places that are NOT in Royse City Texas, listed as if they are.

I also checked YellowBot Maps, there you have 6 pages of places listed for Royse City Texas. In fact many of those listings are either no where near Royse City (in fact they are over 20+ miles from us and could not deliver here themselves), out of business, not florist (ie. landscape companys, grocery stores, gift stores), or fakes. We are the only florist in Royse City TX.

I really don't like that in your tags, you are associating FTD with my listing. There appears to be no way for me to take that off is there?

I appreciate that you are offering to correct these errors for all florist. Do that and we might just elect you to some fantabulous position!! hehe!

 

[Victoria]

Thank you for being so forthcoming with your answers.

Welcome to the community.

V

 

[Rhonda]

Gee, maybe we can get Weasley to get rid of the "master florist" listing in my town??

 

[theRKF]

At first, a site like YellowBot seems such a small player, vs Google Maps, Yelp, etc ... but this is where the battle must be fought. We have to take the small victories, clean up every little corner we can. Even a relatively small directory like YellowBot (small in traffic) impacts thousands of internet users each month. Each time one of those people finds a local florist, it's a victory.

 

[BOSS]

Hmmm... have to send him an email I guess... I'm onto it...