Yell.com launches first cross-network classified directory SMS service - 6 November 2002
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| Launch of Yell.com by Text: classified business information by SMS across all main mobile networks |
| Redesign of www.yell.com: making it even easier for consumers to find goods and services online |
Yell.com, the UK’s leading online classified directory service, today launched an innovative text message service, which for the first time delivers a range of key classified business information across the UK’s main mobile networks.
Yell.com by Text offers classified directory information searches for eleven popular business and service types covering the most common needs of mobile phone users whilst on the move or in the event of an emergency. The pioneering Short Messaging Service (SMS) offering reflects Yell.com’s commitment to provide new and flexible ways for consumers to access its database of business listings as quickly and conveniently as possible.
Yell.com by Text enables mobile users to request and receive details of companies such as Taxis, Florists, Takeaways and Locksmiths, by SMS – anytime and anywhere. Users on the main mobile networks can access more than 100,000 businesses across 30,000 UK locations via a single number, 80 248, and have a choice of results sent direct to their phone quickly and discreetly, 24 hours a day. The service costs 25p per request, and represents the first user-pays model from Yell.com.*
Mobile phone users request information simply by sending a text message with the required business type and location (e.g. taxi EC1 or taxi Holborn) to 80 248 via the messages function of their handset. In return, Yell.com will send a reply as a single message – up to 160 characters in length - with contact details of local businesses.
The launch of Yell.com by Text is part of a wider new media strategy which also includes the redesign and restructure of the www.yell.com website – the biggest change to the site in its six year history. The site has been revised to make it even easier for consumers to find goods and services online, thereby driving more users to more advertisers.
The new-look site features an enhanced search facility offering more ways to find business details online. In addition to the existing business type, name and location search, users can now browse the site via 17 popular categories, or through a full A-Z of classifications. A new Local Focus channel, covering 1,500 locations in the UK, offers a convenient way of finding details on community services and local amenities and businesses.
Yell.com is for the first time giving advertisers the option to reproduce their Yellow Pages advertisements online, offering companies without their own website the opportunity to create an effective online presence. Other developments include the launch of localised banner advertisements.
Dr. Eddie Cheng, e-Business director at Yell.com, said: “The UK has embraced the text message and made it one of the most popular ways to communicate. We have recognised this and as a result have developed a service which enables users to access our Yell.com data via text. It’s more flexible, less intrusive and more discreet than a telephone call and can be used in situations with a lot of background noise such as busy bars and clubs.
“This and the www.yell.com site redesign underline our commitment to providing users with relevant information quickly, through whatever medium suits them and their lifestyle. They form an integral part of the continued development of Yell.com and provide a strong platform for future growth.”
