ShopLocal.com redesigns its web site
ShopLocal.com, a local shopping portal launched in mid-August, has redesigned its web site to allow businesses to supplement their print ads with an online presence on the site’s new Ad Marketplace.
ShopLocal.com was developed by CrossMedia Services Inc., which is partially owned by three of the nation’s largest newspaper chains—Gannet Co. Inc., Tribune Co., and Knight Ridder. The site gets about 1.5 million visitors a month, says David Hamel, chief marketing officer.
Among changes on the site, ShopLocal.com is giving retailers a more prominent position through its new Ad Marketplace feature. With Ad Marketplace, local retailers can present messages from their newspaper print advertising in addition to listing their sales items, Hamel says.
The Ad Marketplace makes it easier for consumers to search for services from local businesses, Hamel says. For example, in addition to getting search results for “pizza” from a local grocer, consumers can search for “pizza” under the Ad Marketplace and get results from the local pizzeria.
Visitors also can search and browse traditional newspaper ads from local businesses through Ad Marketplace.
ShopLocal.com also modified its navigation bar to appear on the left side of every page so a consumer doesn’t have to return to the home page to start a new search. “In our past versions, the categories weren’t available on every page, so you’d have to go backwards or click a button at the top of the page to look at the categories again,” Hamel says.
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