Business News
R.H. Donnelley Launches DexKnows.com Across All Markets
Thursday 10. January 2008 - New Feature-rich Online Local Search Solution Available Nationwide with Enhanced Content for All of R.H. Donnelley's Markets
R.H. Donnelley (NYSE:RHD), a leading print and online local search company, today announced that DexKnows.com(TM), its comprehensive, feature-rich local search site, is being launched across all of its markets. The site includes new search technology and innovative features that help consumers find the most relevant local businesses.
DexKnows.com, which is powered by the comprehensive local content from R.H. Donnelley’s more than 700 Dex print directories, includes new search capabilities like personalized itineraries, innovative features for comparison shopping and mapping, and user-generated content, all designed to help consumers save time while finding the local businesses that meet their needs. The site was initially launched last summer with enhanced listings in the company’s Western and Midwestern markets. Now, R.H. Donnelley has expanded the breadth of DexKnows.com to include in-depth business content for all of its markets. The company plans to unify all of its current online directories with DexKnows.com by the end of 2008.
“As we continue to grow the Dex brand across all of our markets, we’re excited to be able to offer DexKnows.com to consumers nationwide,” said Jeff Porter, general manager, DexKnows.com. “Consumers in all areas across the U.S. will be able to use DexKnows.com to find basic information, such as telephone numbers and addresses, on local businesses. In addition, consumers searching within the markets we serve with our print directories will also enjoy enhanced content that will further help them identify the businesses that meet their specific needs.”
Included among the site’s many features:
— Comparison shopping – offering consumers side-by-side listings so they
can evaluate local businesses based on criteria that matter most to
them (such as services provided, locations, hours of operation, etc.)
— “My Itinerary” planning – saving time for users by providing
step-by-step directions and estimated travel times by simply selecting
the places they need to go
— Personalization tools – letting users build their own personal index of
“favorite businesses” for easy access. Information such as starting
locations (their home or office), past itineraries and frequently
visited locations are stored and ready to use each time they log-on to
DexKnows.com.
— Advanced mapping – providing easy-to-navigate maps to clearly display
locations of relevant businesses
— Ratings and reviews – providing consumers with the ability to read
comments and see how other consumers rated local businesses. Users can
register to rate, on a one-to five star scale, and write reviews of
local businesses, making it easier for other users to determine whether
a business is worth their time and money.
— Video clips – enabling consumers to watch commercials or other video
segments about the local business. This feature is currently available
in several DexKnows.com markets and is scheduled to be available in all
markets later in 2008.
— Business search – providing consumers with the ability to search for
local businesses based upon keywords within a defined geography
— Residential search – providing complete residential information,
including phone numbers and addresses — all of the information
typically found in a print directory
For local businesses, DexKnows.com efficiently extends their marketing reach, delivering their advertisements to a wider set of ready-to-buy consumers. R.H. Donnelley has incorporated DexKnows.com as part of its Triple Play(TM) offering. This integrated solution suite helps businesses reach consumers across multiple media platforms including print Yellow Pages directories, DexKnows.com and the major search engines (e.g. Google and Yahoo) via the company’s Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEM/SEO) tools.