Difference between revisions of "UrateLocal.com"

Description

URateLocal is a local online search service, providing information on businesses in the categories of dining, entertainment, retail, travel, and professional services in cities throughout the United States, Canada and Internationally. URateLocal is a subsidiary company of URateStuff.

Ordinary people like you and me can submit business reviews, which consist of our experiences with a business. It is a public website and others can read and rate what you have submitted. If your review is great and many people like it, then its status is upgraded and it is promoted to the first page of the website where millions of people visiting the website can read it.

As soon as you submit the review, it will be shown under the heading “Upcoming Reviews”. Other visitors and members can find them there and if they like it, they may rate it. However if the submission doesn’t attract enough ratings in the set timeframe of 30 days, then it is removed from the “upcoming” section. But if there are many ratings then it is sent to the home page of the site and is honored by being placed in “Top 15” section of the website. It is based on the popularity of the submission and the number of ratings it has received.

How it works

Site features

URateLocal hosts an online database of user-generated reviews of local businesses. Site visitors interested in finding a service may search or browse listings by business name or by type of business, to find businesses of particular interest to them.

URateLocal's success derives from merging these two components, local reviews and social networking. The combination increases web traffic and other usage numbers by making the site more entertaining to use. It also improves quality by creating a de-facto reputation system, where users can see which members are the most popular, respected, and prolific contributors, who has been a member the longest, and who has interests and taste choices the most like theirs. The reviewers that participate the most in each city, have their reviews featured the following month, on the home page in a "Featured Review of the month".

Members

URateLocal offers a directory for anyone to search for businesses or read ongoing discussions. Certain features, such as the ability to add a review or add a comment to a review, are available only to users with verified accounts, which are free.

User profiles include a standard set of attributes such as photographs, a changeable default photograph that serves as an Avatar (icon), and several fields relating to the user's location, etc. The company strongly encourages members to use their real name and photograph and participate in a sincere, mature way. Multiple accounts, and abusive or improper behavior, are forbidden.

Scope of reviews

Users may review any local business that provides services. In a high-usage city such as Los Angeles nearly every restaurant, bar, and retail store has multiple reviews, often hundreds, and there is considerable competition among users to be the "first to review" a new establishment (for which the user receives a citation). There is also considerable coverage of professional services, medical providers, automotive services, cultural venues, hotels, museums, parks, attractions, government services, etc. Users may add new businesses and update business information if they notice any missing coverage.

Business-to-business services are not often reviewed, nor are companies without a local retail presence such as large manufacturers or internet-based companies. The company does not host reviews of products, films, bands, albums, celebrities, and the like.

Geographic scope

URateLocal accepts reviews of any business or service in the United States, Canada and select International cities. The most active cities include:

• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Toronto, ON (Canada)
• Kitchener, ON (Canada)

Features

URateLocal's features include:

• Private messaging
• Rating other members' reviews
• Lists of "friends"
• Google Maps

Additional Information

Related Domains

External Links

• Alexa: UrateLocal.com
• WHOIS for UrateLocal.com