Comments on: Questions for Ali Diab of Yahoo! Local Products http://www.ysearchblog.com/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:49:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: John Vonder http://www.ysearchblog.com/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/comment-page-1/#comment-611 John Vonder Sat, 18 Dec 2004 17:22:13 +0000 http://ysearchblog.com/blog/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/#comment-611 I'm curious how you're going to sell advertising to businesses whose customers can (and will) write negative reviews of them. Why would I pay to advertise if my investment can be destroyed by 1 bad review from an unhappy customer? Will Yahoo be a biased directoy (i.e. one who displays only the reviews that advertisers approve of)? Or perhaps reviews will potentially go away as other features of Yahoo Local provide a sufficient traffic draw. It seems that either advertising revenue will be suppressed or Yahoo's brand will be tarnished (if users can't trust your content) to the extent that you establish a trade-off in loyalty between advertisers and consumers. I’m curious how you’re going to sell advertising to businesses whose customers can (and will) write negative reviews of them. Why would I pay to advertise if my investment can be destroyed by 1 bad review from an unhappy customer?

Will Yahoo be a biased directoy (i.e. one who displays only the reviews that advertisers approve of)? Or perhaps reviews will potentially go away as other features of Yahoo Local provide a sufficient traffic draw.

It seems that either advertising revenue will be suppressed or Yahoo’s brand will be tarnished (if users can’t trust your content) to the extent that you establish a trade-off in loyalty between advertisers and consumers.

]]> By: John http://www.ysearchblog.com/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/comment-page-1/#comment-610 John Thu, 16 Dec 2004 11:07:03 +0000 http://ysearchblog.com/blog/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/#comment-610 I'd like to understand how Yahoo is going to obtain the information for Yahoo Local. Are you going to crawl webpages and directories and provide links to those sites? Or are you going to obtain information that is not online through partners? In other words, are you going to index information that is online or are you also going to obtain offline information? Also, how are you going to handle local advertising? Most of local businesses are not used to advertising on the Internet. Will you seek local partners with sales forces to sell those advertising spaces? Or will you trust that local businesses will adhere to your current advertising programs? Thanks!! John I’d like to understand how Yahoo is going to obtain the information for Yahoo Local. Are you going to crawl webpages and directories and provide links to those sites? Or are you going to obtain information that is not online through partners?

In other words, are you going to index information that is online or are you also going to obtain offline information?

Also, how are you going to handle local advertising? Most of local businesses are not used to advertising on the Internet. Will you seek local partners with sales forces to sell those advertising spaces? Or will you trust that local businesses will adhere to your current advertising programs?

Thanks!!
John

]]> By: Guillaume http://www.ysearchblog.com/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/comment-page-1/#comment-609 Guillaume Fri, 10 Dec 2004 10:07:26 +0000 http://ysearchblog.com/blog/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/#comment-609 Local is really great, i can't wait for it to be extended internationally Local is really great, i can’t wait for it to be extended internationally

]]> By: richard ellis http://www.ysearchblog.com/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/comment-page-1/#comment-608 richard ellis Thu, 09 Dec 2004 22:32:04 +0000 http://ysearchblog.com/blog/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/#comment-608 HELP! I'm signed up with yahoo with my stock portfolio, "Richards Mining Stocks" but lost yahoo access during a recent "virus" attack. Can you offer any help? HELP! I’m signed up with yahoo with my stock portfolio, “Richards Mining Stocks” but lost yahoo access during a recent “virus” attack.
Can you offer any help?

]]> By: Greg Linden http://www.ysearchblog.com/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/comment-page-1/#comment-607 Greg Linden Thu, 09 Dec 2004 17:47:30 +0000 http://ysearchblog.com/blog/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/#comment-607 One of the more interesting features in Yahoo Local is the ability for users to write reviews of local merchants. From your press release, "Users can now rate and review almost every business in the country." Could you talk a bit about this feature and how it differentiates Yahoo Local from competitors? One of the more interesting features in Yahoo Local is the ability for users to write reviews of local merchants. From your press release, “Users can now rate and review almost every business in the country.”

Could you talk a bit about this feature and how it differentiates Yahoo Local from competitors?

]]> By: Real Estate Software http://www.ysearchblog.com/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/comment-page-1/#comment-606 Real Estate Software Thu, 09 Dec 2004 16:47:18 +0000 http://ysearchblog.com/blog/2004/12/08/questions-for-ali-diab-of-yahoo-local-products/#comment-606 Yvette - I really appreciate that you all open these interviews up to outside questions. ======================== Ali, I believe local is an excellent idea... on paper. I personally hate using the Big Yellow Book, but must if I want to find something close to me, like a repairman. Using the repairman example, what if said repairman doesn't have a website, why would he/she want to use Yahoo! Local? I was actually thinking that these Local search directories would make a lot more money (and have more listings) if they also provided a small web space for local vendors who do not have the use for a full blown website to have a place to list their information (other than the basic this is the business address and phone number) that they can call their own. I definitely think it would build loyalty and also add a lot of small vendors who are still slow to come to the web. What do you thin? Natasha Robinson Real Estate Logic “…putting Logic in Real Estate.” <a href="http://www.realestatelogic.net" rel="nofollow">http://www.realestatelogic.net</a> Yvette – I really appreciate that you all open these interviews up to outside questions.
========================

Ali,

I believe local is an excellent idea… on paper. I personally hate using the Big Yellow Book, but must if I want to find something close to me, like a repairman. Using the repairman example, what if said repairman doesn’t have a website, why would he/she want to use Yahoo! Local?

I was actually thinking that these Local search directories would make a lot more money (and have more listings) if they also provided a small web space for local vendors who do not have the use for a full blown website to have a place to list their information (other than the basic this is the business address and phone number) that they can call their own. I definitely think it would build loyalty and also add a lot of small vendors who are still slow to come to the web. What do you thin?

Natasha Robinson
Real Estate Logic
“…putting Logic in Real Estate.”
http://www.realestatelogic.net

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