Marchex Announces Reputation Management Product
Marchex Announces Reputation Management Product, Helping Local Businesses Monitor and Increase Their Digital Footprint
Marchex applies proprietary local search technology to solve Small-to-Medium Size Business problem of understanding, monitoring and improving online presence
SEATTLE - Oct. 13, 2009 - Marchex, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHX), a leading local search and performance advertising company, today announced the beta version of Reputation Management, a simple-to-use, online marketing product designed for Small-to-Medium Size Businesses (SMBs) looking to leverage customer insight to grow their business. The Marchex Reputation Management product is an extension of the award-winning Marchex Connect platform, which supports hundreds of thousands of marketing campaigns for local advertisers.
According to a new BIA/Kelsey local advertising forecast, the E-mail, Reputation and Presence Management (ERPM) category is expected to grow from $460 million in 2008 to $3.1 billion in 2013. Additionally, the number of SMBs using ERPM will increase from approximately 500,000 to nearly 4 million during the forecast period. As user-generated reviews continue to become more prevalent with consumers, local businesses are seeking ways to leverage this opportunity to ensure their online reputations are kept intact and enhanced. Marchex Reputation Management is intended to give SMBs an information advantage, allowing them to manage their online reputations with a level of detail not previously available in the market.
"SMBs are the heart of local, yet these businesses have yet to find a cost-effective solution that leverages technology to comprehensively manage their reputations," said Matt Booth, senior vice president and program director, Interactive Local Media, BIA/Kelsey. "Marchex is well positioned in the ERPM market to help SMBs save valuable time and also improve their online marketing efforts."
Online Business Intelligence
Marchex Reputation Management was built using proprietary local search technology from Marchex's Open List local search network. Covering more than 8,000 sources and currently containing more than a quarter billion pieces of meta-data, Marchex Reputation Management monitors and reports on a specific business' online footprint, including its user reviews and news, blog and social media mentions. In addition, Marchex Reputation Management ensures the accuracy of information in existing online business listings found on general search sites, local search sites and directories, such as consistent business name, address and phone numbers, as well as making recommendations as to where to add new listings for more coverage. This information is refreshed daily.
Marchex Reputation Management blends Marchex's heritage in local search with its proven ability to partner and deliver local advertising solutions. Specific features include:
- Reviews: Charts break out the percentage of positive, neutral or negative reviews in an easy-to-read display.
- Mentions: Charts demonstrate activity by reviews or mentions to tie the information back to particular changes in the business or marketing efforts by month.
- Business listings: Ensure business listings are accurate and visible on top online consumer destinations.
- Keyword identification: Top keywords and phrases are highlighted to identify the terms that differentiate the business and act as an alert to any customer service issues.
- Competitive marketing analysis: Compare a business to other local businesses to analyze how its reputation and marketing efforts stack up.
- Ability to engage: Share positive news and reviews with customers and employees through email, Twitter, Facebook, Digg or other sources.
"Local search is a solved consumer problem but it's not yet a solved SMB problem. By applying our local search technology in an innovative way, we can consistently deliver an aggregated, intelligent view to an SMB of how it is viewed by local consumers," said Pete Christothoulou, COO, Marchex. "Our Reputation Management product is the most simple, comprehensive and effective way for SMBs to manage and take action on their reputation. We are providing them a huge information advantage while saving them valuable time from searching multiple Web sites to see what consumers are saying about them or checking every search engine or directory to ensure that their business listings are in every appropriate place."
Complement to Marchex Products
Marchex Reputation Management is the first major extension of the Marchex Connect suite of SMB marketing products, expanding the Marchex Connect footprint from full service search engine marketing (SEM) provider to full service SEM complemented by sentiment analytics.
Pricing and Availability
Marchex Reputation Management will be available to a limited number of local businesses during the beta period, which will conclude in Q1 2010. Businesses interested in learning more about Marchex Reputation Management, or trying out the product as part of the beta program can visit: www.marchex.com/repmanagement.
Once the beta period has concluded, Marchex will offer this product through select Marchex Connect reseller partners who typically have large installed bases of SMB end customers. Pricing to SMBs will be a subscription-based model and will vary depending on how the product is bundled with other offerings.
About Marchex
Marchex, Inc. (www.marchex.com) is a leading local search and performance advertising company. Marchex's innovative advertising platform delivers search- and call-based marketing products and services for local and national advertisers. Marchex's local search network, one of the largest online, helps consumers make better, more informed local decisions through its content-rich Web sites that reach tens of millions of unique visitors each month.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenues, acquisitions, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. There are a number of important factors that could cause Marchex's actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements which are described in the "Risk Factors" section of our most recent periodic report and registration statement filed with the SEC. All of the information provided in this release is as of Oct. 13, 2009 and Marchex undertakes no duty to update the information provided herein.
For further information, contact:
Marchex Press:
Michelle Craig
Nyhus Communications for Marchex
Telephone: 206.323.3733
Email: michelle(at)nyhus.com
Marchex Investor Relations:
Trevor Caldwell
Telephone: 206.331.3600
Email: ir(at)marchex.com