A Live Interview with the Twin Cities Own Michael Sasso

On Friday, September 17th Michael Sasso will be live, promoting MapWide via exclusive interview with Peter MeClellan. The is a can't be missed event.

Michael added, "This is a great opportunity for our company to reach out and let people know who we are. The show is on 1570 AM Radio here in the Twin Cities". The station is excited to showcase our expertise and experiences when it comes to the family of sites and our marketing model for businesses.

Anyone can listen via AM 1570 from 4-5pm CST or stream the show live from the website: business1570.com. The show will also air the following Monday at 9:00 am CST and be podcast as well!

Being on the radio show is an excellent opportunity to let the listening audience get to know us and what we do.  The show is an hour, and there is 39 minutes of content. In the second segment of the show (about 5 minutes), Peter will do a Scottish bit featuring his character, Angus where they promote their financial planning business. 

Thanks in advance for your support and prayers for this great opportunity to promote our company!

A New Level of Local Search

MapWide, owner of the MapAd.com group of local web search portals, recently released several new search portals that link consumers to businesses and suppliers at the local level. Users can search by zip code, distance and category, allowing them to pinpoint desired services in any neighborhood. It’s been said by the so called “experts” that what’s known as “vertical search engines” can’t compete with the likes of Google. If said experts were to actually do real time searches of a given zip code in both engines, the contrast and ultimate simplicity of the MapWide group of websites, is obvious.

Unlike major search engines and other directories which place sponsored listings first, Map sites provide filtered and targeted results. Businesses subscribing to the Map directories are insured visibility and can opt from two premium levels of placement (Platinum and Gold) at very reasonable rates. More than just a name, address, and phone number, Map directory listings are sophisticated marketing tools, providing a place for in-depth company info, local maps, custom images, online coupons, specials, appointment function, and real-time online account management. Over 80% of consumers look online for local products and services, and Mapwide.com provides a place where consumers can find anything from restaurants to healthcare providers nearby. If you look at the cost of placing a yellow pages ad or sending out weekly coupons, the value added, sustained content of the Map sites cannot be matched. The savings can reduce some businesses advertising costs by 200%!

What struck this author overall was ease of use. The sites are everywhere and they’re linked so if I were to go looking for a tune up on Mapauto.com but wanted to stop by the florist on the way home, I would merely click on the link Mapflower.com to find one between the auto shop and home. Simple, fast, and local, it’s about time. This is truly the new generation of search engine technology built around us, the consumer. As I peruse through the seemingly endless sites under the Map moniker, I find myself asking, “Why didn’t Google think of this”. Alas, sometimes it takes new blood to shake up an industry and show the big boys there’s more than one way to find it online.

MapDentist Inc., parent company of the Map branded web directories, was developed by Dr S. Said, a Dentist in Tustin, California, in an effort to help people easily find and interact with dental providers on the local level. Currently, MapDentist Inc. owns in excess of ten thousand web domains that vertically integrate consumers, professionals, and vendors in a multitude of industries, including the health care, legal, automotive, veterinary, and retail professions. This company is poised to become the consumers new local search portal.  


Author: Chris Borowski

How Effective is Your Advertising Dollar?

As the Internet evolves and web users become more sophisticated, people are turning more and more to the Internet to find local services and products. This is true for businesses that sell directly online, and for those that use the Internet to promote their brick-and-mortar business.

The problem for a locally based business is the huge size of the Internet. A locally based website often gets buried deep in search engines, if they are even there at all. Larger national and international sites dominate the best broad search terms. Localized search marketing requires a different approach.

If your business isn’t a sprawling national franchise, the possibility of being found by someone searching for you that could be in the next office, is slim. Google will not help. Nor will Yahoo or Bing be of any assistance. To be found by the guy down the street a Local Search Engine is the only way to approach local visibility. As a local business, local traffic is the only thing that advertising dollars should be focused on. The business website you have up can be doing wonders for your company image on the net but is it bringing in local traffic? The numbers aren’t pretty here.

Yes, you can find your site on page one of Google. Just type in the site name and there it is; like magic. Now how do you pass along that URL (link) to all those potential customers in a ten mile radius around your business? That’s a tough one. It’s just not going to happen. No matter how specific a search consumers try, your business will be buried in the detritus. With one well placed ad in a value added vertical search engine, a local business can actually generate real traffic that pay with real money. Scratching your head, you ask what the heck is a “value added vertical search engine”?

Glad you asked! A value added vertical search engine usually involves a company whose sole intention is to provide industry specific searches on a local level. That means if your business is Plumbing then searches will only look for local Plumbers. This is usually broken down by zip code or mileage. The value added part usually involves bonuses like mapping within the ad leading to your business. Possibly a customized ad with flattering graphics and detailed summary. We’ve found the best companies out there will give a business the ability to edit their own ad dynamically. They might even provide you with coupon producing capabilities. These coupons can be found and printed right from the ad! This industry is in its infancy and good local search companies are still far and in between. To be sure you’re connecting with the right company, look for those value added features mentioned above. A company which can provide these things has done their homework and has a technological edge over their competitors.

So there you have it. If you’re a small to medium size business and have questions on how to spend your precious advertising dollar, local search is a no brainer. If you compare some of your choices it becomes very clear that the world is changing and to be a success, you’ve got to change with it. If you were paying $500 or more a month for any media advertising including paper based ads like Yellow Pages, you’re throwing away your money. Upwards of 80% of the population now uses the web for local searches. Many paper based companies are fading into the sunset and taking their subscribers with them! The future is now so get online and be seen!

A few companies out there stood above the rest. The one that seemed to provide the most bang for your buck is a young company based in Tustin, California called MapWide.com. In looking at what they have to offer, the valued added items mentioned above have all been covered and more. They provide industry specific listings for every zip code in the United States. That means their search engine will probe your neighborhood and respond with only the vendors local to whomever is doing the search. The pricing plans are considerably lower than some of their more popular competitors.

Lastly, think about what’s going on in today’s business environment and don’t be afraid to jump in the fray. To be static in any aspect of your business is to give your industry rivals an opportunity to pull your customers out from under you. Be dynamic and make technology work for you.

Author: Christopher Borowski