We got a nice write-up in technation

There were a few areas we wanted to comment on, which are:

The product/service differentiation on the clickfind search is actually there to help users filter results and find what they need more quickly. We’re continually reviewing usability, so we’ll look at whether users feel the extra click is a help or hindrance. Not everyone is proficient at searching, and our job is to help them find what they need and filter out what they don’t. As more detailed business listings are added, the results will improve.

A user can search clickfind for a product/service (eg “ accounting software” or “MYOB”) without knowing what type of business sells it, or where they’re based. It’s more like Google in that way, but less of a minefield for the average user, because the results are always products or services for sale in Australia. Note we do show the map location of all businesses listed on clickfind, and use the ABN to verify they are genuine Aussie-registered businesses.

In summary, we’re NOT trying to be the same as local directories. On truelocal, Yellow and others you can find an accountant near you, but you’re lucky if you get anything more than a phone number and map location. Because clickfind has product and service info too, you can use the info to help decide who to contact, or visit their website for more info or to buy the product. That’s better for business owners, and better for users.

We’ve recently started to use AAP to distribute our Press Releases, and we’re pleased to see that the PR has been taken up by some websites.

http://www.thestandard.com/…

http://www.computerworld.com.au/…

Brisbane based Clickfind.com.au has launched a direct attack on the established Yellow Pages Online & Microsoft’s Mylocal business models offering advertising free directory listings that help secure top Google rankings for Australian business owners.

According to a recent AC Nielsen survey internet shoppers are up 40% over the last two years to 875 million people worldwide of which 85% have searched, shopped, and completed a purchase online. Taco Fleur, founder of Clickfind.com.au says, “these trends are forcing many business owners to review their directory spend, demand more web site traffic and more assistance in improving their search engine rankings on sites like Google & Yahoo which are crucial to getting sales online. Search engines like Google have hundreds of formula and criteria that decide site rankings and business owners are telling us it’s a nightmare to understand so they would rather use a simple online directory listing to ensure they improve their web site search engine rankings and sales”.

Older business directories such as D-Look, Mylocal, True Local, and Yellow Pages all a offer pay per listing directory and then supplement their revenues with banner advertising. Fleur says, “I talk to many of business owners who realise how important the internet is and pay good money to list in these in directories only to find that a banner advertisement from a competitor is appearing right next to their listing without ever being told this may occur and they are rightly furious.” Clickfind.com.au has ignored this model in favour of no banner ads, lower listing rates, more space for client product and service description, and a specialist technical team dedicated to improving the major search engine rankings for clients. Clickfind.com.au believes this type of service is key in securing the long term listing relationships that help increase client’s web traffic and deliver sales.

Since the major site launch 90 days ago Clickfind has indexed 32000+ pages in Google and has been rushed by Australian and Asian companies looking to list immediately. Free listings are scheduled to close on 30th March 2008 after which low fee options will be standardised at up to 80% less than equivalent Yellow Pages Online listings rates. The rapid growth has generated significant international interest and the directors are currently in talks with several overseas companies who are seeking licensing rights to major foreign markets in Asia. Visit Clickfind at: www.clickfind.com.au
Related links:
www.clickfind.com.au 
www.yellowpagesonline.com.au
www.dlook.com.au
www.truelocal.com.au           
www.mylocal.com.au                             

Interview and press packs available from:
Contact:                      Taco Fleur
Web:                           www.clickfind.com.au

Tuesday, 26 February 2008

 MEDIA RELEASE 

Two IT professionals have gone up against Microsoft’s Mylocal and other giants. They’ve created a high quality Web2.0 Business Directory for Australia. www.clickfind.com.au was launched less than 3 months ago and is rapidly gaining momentum.

Clickfind already has 32,300 pages indexed in Google and its Alexa ranking (a measure of website traffic) has already passed that of some more established local competitors. Cheekily, clickfind have even published a directory comparison, highlighting where clickfind scores over its competitors.

 It’s about people, not technology

The owners’ IT experience goes way back. One of the owners designed screens for a forerunner to the Internet in the late 80’s, and the other has run IT companies in different countries over the last 13 years. Both have been working with the Internet since the early days of the world wide web.

Despite their IT background and use of latest web features, this is not an enterprise run by (or for) geeks. The focus is not on technology but on ease of use, clarity of information and extracting maximum benefit from other search engines.

Anyone visiting the site will immediately notice that there are no banner ads cluttering up the site and detracting from the business listings. There are lots of useful features – like localised searching, postcode finder, online chat and more – but these are designed to improve the experience for users, rather than to add the whizz-bang factor.

 Small and adaptable

Being small has definite advantages. It means the owners can focus on the tiny details that the big guys often neglect, like accessibility and quality of content. It also means they can put themselves in the shoes of the target market (small businesses), listen to what they want, and adapt to their needs.

Feedback and suggestions for improvement are actively encouraged. This is definitely an Australian business made for Australia that does its best to listen to what Australians want. The company is now focusing on attracting more good quality listings of Aussie businesses, products and services.

 The business has thus far been privately funded, but is looking to sell a 39% stake in order to continue to grow the business, as mentioned by Merger Market. The owners are also aiming to build mutually beneficial partnerships, and are currently negotiating with online community and business review site RAYV (www.rayv.com.au).

Raveaboutit mentions our PR and probably has a valid point in regards to Sensis. Keeping in mind though, that the mention of Sensis was more to give an idea of what type of company could be interested in stake. My actual comments in regards to Sensis were probably a little more colourful than portrayed

You can find the post at

http://raveaboutit.blogspot.com/2008/02/clickfind-0-to-26-mil-in-year.html

 Keep in mind that Raveaboutit works closely with a direct competitor of clickfind.

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16737/545/
http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16739
And http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16738

Click here to view the PR

I had an interview with Louise from Merger Market a week ago, following is the article she wrote.

clickfind™ seeks to sell 39% stake in 2008; will appoint external adviser, founder says  

clickfind™, a private Australian search engine and business directory, plans to sell 39% of the company later this year, founder Taco Fleur said. The aim is to spur the growth of the company, which started late in 2007, Fleur said, giving an initial possible ballpark valuation of between AUD 5m (USD 4.5m) and AUD 10m (USD 9m) for the stake.

 Based on there being some 1.3m businesses in Australia and assuming that clickfind™ gets just 5% of the market (around 65,000 subscribers) paying a monthly subscription of AUD 19.95 (USD 17.99), the company would have an annual revenue of around AUD 15m (USD 13.5m), Fleur explained. This could be achieved within a 12-month time frame, with the right “backing”, he said. The right investors would be marketing or IT services companies, but he said he had not identified any specific potential buyers yet.

Clickfind’s competitors include DLook.com.au, a private Australian online business directory and Truelocal.com.au, a business directory owned by the listed Australian media company News Ltd, Fleur said.

When asked if DLook.com.au or Truelocal.com.au could be suitable investors, Fleur said clickfind™ might possibly be of interest to a company like News Ltd, but that he was not sure they would be the right bidder. clickfind™ would want to keep its model intact, whereas a company like News would probably want to run the company differently, he explained.

The appeal of clickfind™, which focuses on a specific niche, namely business products and services, lies in a number of unique selling points, Fleur said. The company has a flat subscription rate, only lists genuine Australian businesses with ABN numbers, and carries no advertising. It applies strict quality controls with every listing manually evaluated. clickfind™ also allows listings of products, as well as services, so it is more than just a simple directory, Fleur said.

When asked if Australian search engine and directory business Sensis, which is part of listed Australian telecommunications company Telstra, could be a suitable investor, Fleur said it would make sense for them to look at Clickfind, but he would not be able to assess their suitability as a potential investor, “without discussing it internally and knowing what else is out there”.

 With regards to growth, clickfind™ is also interested in selling licences in Thailand, New Zealand and other English speaking countries, Fleur said. He is currently talking to a company in Thailand about a licence sale, he said. When asked if the Thai company could also be a potentially suitable investor, Fleur said it would not be big enough. He would prefer the stake sale to an Australian player, but he did not rule out selling a stake to companies in other markets that might want to licence the technology and then buy in.

Clickfind would “without a doubt” look to appoint an external M&A adviser when it got closer to finalising a stake sale, Fleur said.

by Louise Weihart

Read the article here

Chris took part of our PR and added some of his own opinions to it
Read the full entry

clickfind is in the news again
Read the story

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=58699

clickfind is in the Rust Report
Read the rust report

We’ve been published on www.itwire.com http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16307/545/ 

clickfind is in the news on Yahoo!http://fe15.news.re3.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20080117/bs_prweb/prweb633661 

Always nice to see

Today was exciting! We launched our first press release since our launch a month ago.

The press release can be found here
http://www.prweb.com/releases/australian/search-engine/prweb633661.htm