MerchantCircle, which now claims 385,000 members, is introducing a program it calls “MerchantCircle Verified.” It places a badge on the profiles that merchants whose information has been expanded and confirmed and who pay the $2.99 per month fee.
The program attempts to distinguish particular merchants and, for MerchantCircle, aims to increase participation of more merchants, as well as generate a small amount of incremental revenue. (I suspect the fee however is less about revenue than the perception of value from the merchant perspective.) In some respects it’s very similar to Local.com’s prior “Local Verified” program. (Yahoo! also has a merchant verification program.)
Here are the benefits as presented by MerchantCircle:
- A special badge on your listing showing that your business has been verified
- Higher ranking on MerchantCircle search results targeted to your business and community
- More consumer trust and more exposure for your business
And here’s the verification process:
“MerchantCircle Verified” is based upon a three-pronged verification process that includes: submission of detailed business information, aggregated reviews and ratings across the web, and peer-to-peer endorsements from other local business owners. Merchants who qualify for the “MerchantCircle Verified” program will receive a special badge on their business listing, indicating a higher level of trustworthiness.
Here’s how it looks on a merchant profile and in a search result (although this on is for the specific business).
April 4, 2008 at 6:14 pm
But on the flip side, doesn’t this mean MC is admit it has not verified most of its merchants? Thus throwing the 385k number in limbo?
April 4, 2008 at 10:51 pm
[...] MerchantCircle Debuts "Verified Listings" Program, Screenwerk [...]
April 4, 2008 at 10:56 pm
[...] MerchantCircle Debuts "Verified Listings" Program, Screenwerk [...]
April 4, 2008 at 11:02 pm
[...] MerchantCircle Debuts "Verified Listings" Program, Screenwerk [...]
April 7, 2008 at 8:28 pm
They may have jumped the gun here… there’s a lot they could be doing to build their brand at the grassroots level, which would in turn add value to the Verified program. Without a solid base, where is the compelling proposition?
April 17, 2008 at 10:55 pm
I just received my first MerchantCircle call. I’ve been waiting for it like a birthday gift. After setting up a free MerchantCircle account several weeks ago, I’ve received many emails with various offers and news. Today they called to say that a consumer searched Google, found my listing and asked if my business was *verifed* - I need to go to merchantcircle.com to verify my listing. The voice was slick. Hat’s off to MC for using voice applications to bridge local search to the world most of us still live in and live by - the world of the phone.
April 18, 2008 at 11:10 am
LOL — re “birthday gift.”
April 30, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Hyperpcs.com are verified members of Merchant Circle. We also have other members whom we have added to our circle which we don’t mind doing.
We do not however, add or provide the email addresses of other companies we deal with or our customers as that violates our privacy policy.
I think the verified program may potentially improve your rankings as well as give you an opportunity to create relationships with other companies who may appreciate the values of your business and you in turn theirs. Thats the point.