MapQuest Yext Combo Misleads Small Business

The marriage of Yext and MapQuest

A few months ago, Mapquest and Yext officially partnered.  Because they are trying to make more money, you’ll find it difficult to create or update a MapQuest listing without having to pay for it.  The tactics are misleading because you don’t have to pay if you know what you’re doing.

First-hand advice, “follow this method, and you won’t be charged.”

#1  Search to see if you have an existing listing for your business:  http://www.mapquest.com/

#2  If you find it, claim it.  You’ll need to go BACK to http://www.mapquest.com/ and ‘sign in.’

#3  ‘Sign in’ is in the upper right corner.  When you get there, you’ll see how an account can be setup using your Facebook account:

Important:  If your claiming process follows the steps in the image to the lower right, then you are in the wrong place and will be asked to pay a fee.

 

Side note:   MapQuest has some really neat features.  However, I researched the results of my business Yext report and found the data to be incorrect and misleading. Yext is a computer program, not a person.  The best way to manage your online reputation is to do it yourself, (if you have an extra 10 or so hours per month).  Google, Yahoo and others have some nifty online tools.   Your online reputation is at stake…if you don’t have the time, hire a professional like The Leaning Tree Marketing.

 

Business profitability and Weather Woes

Last week, news and authorities urged people to stay indoors to avoid life-threatening cold conditions.  Schools closed, businesses closed, and most of us went into a hibernation state of living.  The last time a city in Wisconsin was close to -18 below wind chill was 1979.

Although this extreme weather isn’t typical or frequent, there is still a legitimate concern regarding any harsh weather condition and the effect it has on business.  (Both positive and negative.) While it’s true nothing can be done to prevent the weather, the way consumers and businesses react is quite interesting.

In high demand, according to Bloomberg Blizzard Business:

• Home Depot, Lowes
• Energy Companies
• Generator Companies
• Hospitals & Care Clinics
• Snow Removal Companies
• Online Retail

When people postpone buying, it can be a real mess for retail.  “Bon-Ton says stores stung by bad winter; warns of possible 2013 loss…”

Article from The Wall Street Journal:  The Weather Channel forecasts what consumers will buy and where advertisers should place spots.

There isn’t a good amount of research to share regarding the effect of weather on small business, but I could speculate that the experience is far more extreme.  For many businesses, the influence of weather is very real.  If the same weather doesn’t repeat the each year, sales results will fluctuate.   So much so, that it’s often built into sales forecasts along with potential economic and specific marketplace conditions.  Because weather absolutely affects the bottom line, companies big, and small, must constantly prepare and react to the changes and challenges that come along with it.