- Zip Code

Since all Zip Codes can be easily matched to a location, Geotargeting by zip code works fine - as long as person is telling truth. People lie all time when signing up for free services and filling out survey forms.

Still, what we have now works most of time, and as technology improves, so will results.

GEOTARGETING SOLUTIONS

Geotargeting is done in a number of ways, but they all fall into one or more of following four basic categories:

1. Localized content – This is advertising or information that applies to a local or regional area. Some providers of localized advertising include online versions newspaper, television, and radio; also includes city guides, yellow pages and directories.

2. Banner advertising – Most banner ads are sold through one of online ad networks, and all of them provide some sort of geographic targeting and demographic selection. Some ad networks include Doubleclick.com, ValueClick.com, and Commission Junction (www.cj.com).

3. Registration Data - Most sites that provide services such as email or internet access require users to register. That process often includes zip code, which can be used to target by city or even street. These types of sites can also use cookies (small bits of data stored on user’s computer) to recognize user each time they return by matching it to their registration data. Examples include aol.com, hotmail.com, yahoo.com, netzero.com, etc.

4. Geographic Data Providers – Providers of geographic specific data, such as phone directories and map services, can easily serve up local ads. That’s because to get information they need, people have to give either zip code or area code, which is easily mapped to location. Examples include mapquest.com, switchboard.com and weather.com.

New sources for geotargeting are popping up all time, as traditional postal list owners such as magazines and catalog vendors realize they’re sitting on a goldmine of customer information. As technology gets better, you can expect geotargeting to become even more widespread.

The bottom line? For local business, geotargeting will help to deliver on oft-repeated promise of a level playing field. Forget global economy ....the future of Internet is local.

COMMUNITY & LOCAL INFORMATION

Community information is like a magnet -- it draws locals online. People care about their communities and want to know what's going on around them. They're also looking for weather forecasts, local headlines, entertainment listings, and sporting events info. Savvy business owners recognize this and revamp their websites to include local information and real-time content, available from companies like www.moreover.com and www.yellowbrix.com. Content is #1 reason users return to websites.

INTERNET AUCTIONS

An estimated 22 million people in over 100 countries are flocking to auction sites such as Yahoo, BidBay, uBid.com and granddaddy of them all, eBay. The listing fees are a small price to pay for kind of exposure businesses can get. About 1.4 million items are up for sale every day on eBay, in every imaginable category, including services, cars, and houses. Consumers can also search by region and category at http://pages.ebay.com/regional/hub.html - "eBay Local Trading", where major cities are setup as regions. If you're selling anything at all, especially consumer products, you should definitely check out eBay.

These are some of ways consumers are using Net. For local business owners, message is clear: your customers are online...and so is your competition. How much longer can YOU afford to wait?