It seems the red hot local directory space just keeps on getting hotter and just when you thought you had your head around mobile internet, satellite images and local maps, another innovation in online directories is looming.
But with US giants such as Google wading into the scene and matching blows with incumbent Telstra/Sensis and major media players News Corp and PBL it is unclear exactly who will emerge with the killer app.
The people from Yellow of course are hoping the ‘old world’ rules will apply and their massive databases acquired over decades will insulate them from the would be online pretender’s encroachment of their closely guarded monopoly which generates hard copy revenues in Australia of over $1billion each year.
However, anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that many users try Google or other search engines such as Yahoo before they let their fingers finally do the walking, in which case the boys from Mountain View will ultimately assert themselves down under particularly if they can provide a superior offering to would be users.
Some industry commentators have been greatly swayed by Google’s ‘bells and whistles’ approach and are in rapture of Google’s mapping capabilities, however, when it comes to directories, as with most forms of publishing (not a Google strong point), content is always king.
And the dubious advantage of a satellite image of the local butcher shop will never overcome a less than comprehensive compilation of local business listings.
The usability of various competing tools may ultimately sway some users to a particular choice and several new entrants including SmartPages are easier to use and access than most of the big players’ offerings.
Whether these particular features or products will be adopted by the larger companies seems likely given other belated and much needed improvements adopted by them in the past 12 months.
Providing a truly localised authentic experience for users would appear to be unachievable by top down international or national players for obvious reasons. But what are the types of localised content only locals can develop?Google are the masters of collecting text based information and archiving hard copy material capable of scanning and their recent acquisition of YouTube has also created a beachhead for them in the global video domain.
However the availability of localised video content will remain a challenge for Google/YouTube in their current format and this is where they may be vulnerable to initiatives from Australian players based closer to the action.
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