Directories re-launch
Jinfo Blog

3rd March 2010

By Anne Jordan

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In the last month, two directories from the Reed Business Information stable – the UK franchise of Kompass and trade directory Kellysearch – have announced new, improved online sites, with both giving far more emphasis to request for quotes services in an attempt to woo advertisers. The new Kompass site is not yet fully functional but described as a re-design, providing a more intuitive interface and a new search engine to improve the relevance of search results. It will also integrate the request for quotation service to all the website's pages and enable users to send requests free of charge to any selected company. At the moment, the Fast Link contact form can be used for companies which have booked keywords, but the contact link for other companies leads to a message that the feature is currently in Beta version and a new website will be available in a few days. Whilst Kompass is describing its new site as a re-design, Kellysearch goes further, calling theirs a “re-launch”, and positioning Kellysearch as a B2B request-for-quotes site. Users can fill in an online request-for-quote form with contact details, budget and timeline. According to the press release (http://digbig.com/5bbdth), within minutes of completing the form, Kellysearch call them back to check details and verify them as a genuine buyer. The lead is then passed on to matching suppliers to provide a quote. The Kellysearch press release and the Kompass announcement (http://digbig.com/5bbdtm) both state that advertisers will get a better return on their investment. It is interesting that there is no longer any sign of the Kellysearch industry news service mentioned in Tim Buckley Owen’s LiveWire posting on local classifieds last spring (http://digbig.com/5bbdtn). These changes come at a time when directories are struggling to compete for their share of advertisers’ budgets. As I reported last month, Yellow Pages has recently revamped its printed directories with a compact version replacing the traditional A4 format (http://digbig.com/5bbdtp). It remains to be seen how the various offerings fare in the market, and indeed whether these Reed businesses remain part of their struggling parent, Reed Elsevier, as it continues to restructure.

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