Recent News
July 17, 2011
5 Tips for Group Deals Success
While many small business owners have considered offering a group deal, only 10% have actually run one, according to recent research from MerchantCircle. And while the results have been promising... read more.
July 26, 2011
A New iPhone App Gives Local Businesses Marketing Muscle
Gino Orfitelli has the cure for whatever's ailing your PC, and he makes house calls.The owner and self-appointed... read more.
June 20, 2011
A Look At The Boom In Location-Based Services
The search for local products and services continues to shift away from the Yellow Pages and online directories and search engines to location-based services via a plethora of mobile apps... read more.
June 23, 2011
Foursquare check-in service hits big but faces challenges
If you don't believe Dennis Crowley is tech's latest celebrity, you merely needed to soak in the red-carpet line at Gracie Mansion, the putative home of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, during an awards ceremony here this month... read more.
June 17, 2011
Snapshot Of Small Business Confidence
According to the MerchantCircle quarterly Merchant Confidence Index for the second quarter of 2011, local merchants say that business optimism is holding steady, following the jump in economic sentiment in the previous quarter. The current MCI score... read more.
June 13, 2011
Facebook Tops in MerchantCircle Merchant Confidence Index
MerchantCircle, an online network of local businesses, released the results of its Merchant Confidence Index survey which revealed that new local ad offerings from Facebook are seeing increased pick up and may even be putting the pressure on Google and Groupon... read more.
June 13, 2011
Local Businesses Warming to Advertising on Facebook
Although only 22% of local merchants say they have used Facebook Ads, nearly two-thirds of those who have done so (64.9%) say they would use the service again, according to a report by MerchantCircle. Meanwhile... read more.
June 10, 2011
What Will We Be Using Facebook For In Five Years?
Facebook is estimated to have somewhere around 700 million users art this point. It was only 500 million when the marketing campaign for The Social Network launched last year... read more.
June 9, 2011
MerchantCircle Survey Indicates Plenty of Runway for Facebook Ads Among Local Businesses
While 66% of small businesses have used Facebook for marketing, only 22% have used Facebook ads, according to MerchantCircle, the largest online network of local business owners... read more.
June 9, 2011
Facebook Top Marketing Method for SMBs
MerchantCircle (recently acquired by lead-gen site Reply) put out its latest quarterly Merchant Confidence Index. In general this measures SMB attitudes about the state of the economy... read more.
June 9, 2011
Facebook Ads Gaining Popularity Among Local Businesses
22% of local merchants have used Facebook Ads, and two-thirds of them would use them again, according to a survey from MerchantCircle... read more.
May 26, 2011
Reply.com Acquires Marketing Network For Small Businesses MerchantCircle For $60 Million
Ad network Reply has acquired online marketing network for small business owners MerchantCircle for $60 million in cash and stock. The transaction is expected to be completed in Q3 2011... read more.
May 26, 2011
Local ad players link up in $60 million deal
Two Bay Area players in the increasingly competitive local online advertising space are hooking up, as Reply Inc. announced plans Thursday to acquire MerchantCircle... read more.
May 26, 2011
Reply Buys MerchantCircle for $60 Million
The owner of sites including Contractors.com and iMotors.com has agreed to acquire local business network MerchantCircle. Reply, a firm that connects buyers and sellers of real estate, auto, and home contractor leads and site traffic, purchased MerchantCircle... read more.
May 4, 2011
MerchantCircle Debuts iPhone App For Small Businesses To Manage Marketing
Online marketing network for small business owners MerchantCircle is launching an iPhone app today that allows small businesses to manage and update their listings on the site and other social media pages, upload photos, answer new customer inquiries and stay on top of their reviews on the go... read more.
November 18, 2010
Click It and Book It: MerchantCircle Brings Appointment Making Online
The days of having to know somebody who knows somebody to get an appointment at the local chi-chi salon could be over, as using the online ecosystem as a way to make your life easier and find deals rapidly becomes localized... read more.
November 5, 2010
Bloglines Shutdown Avoided, as MerchantCircle Swoops in
Pioneer RSS feed manager Bloglines will continue operating thanks to a last-minute agreement for MerchantCircle to take over operation of the service from Ask.com... read more
November 4, 2010
Bloglines Will Be Resurrected By IAC-Funded MerchantCircle
The saga continues. After informing us in September that the IAC-owned Bloglines was to be shut down permanently, Ask.com (the IAC property that operates Bloglines) has resurrected the troubled RSS feeder, the company tells TechCrunch exclusively. IAC has transferred ownership of the property to an unlikely new patron: MerchantCircle, an online marketing network for small business owners... read more
September 21, 2010
MerchantCircle Acquires Online Meeting Scheduler TimeBridge
Online marketing network for small business owners MerchantCircle has acquired meeting scheduler TimeBridge, we’ve learned. We’ve confirmed the acquisition with MerchantCircle. Terms of the deal were not disclosed... read more
September 16, 2010
August 26, 2010
Hyperlocal Business Directory MerchantCircle Takes On Patch With Content Studio
The Local Content Studio aims to bring bring short-format information and articles that focus on the long tail of consumer local interest. The idea behind the studio is to create in-depth local content designed to connect customers with merchants. read more
August 18, 2010
MerchantCircle featured on Great Day San Antonio
PR Director, Sean Pate, visits with Great Day SA to discuss the benefits of the network for small business owners in San Antonio... watch the video
Featured News
July 22, 2010
More small businesses use Twitter, Facebook to promote
In growing numbers, small-business owners are adopting social-networking services, location-based services, Twitter and online video to promote products and services, according to a new study by MerchantCircle, a social network for small businesses. It polled a fraction of its more than 1.3 million members... read more
May 26, 2010
Social networking site for small businesses
(WOFL FOX 35) - MerchantCircle is a social networking site for small businesses. It offers free services to clients...
Watch video here
October 27, 2008
MerchantCircle Chairman featured on The Wall Street Journal
Silicon Valley technology startups are adopting a new business plan: deferral. MerchantCircle Inc., a Los Altos, Calif., Internet startup, typifies the trend. Last month, company founder Ben Smith was in New York talking to media companies about raising $50 million, with which he planned to make acquisitions to fuel MerchantCircle's growth.... read more.
February 21, 2007
Think MySpace, but for Local Businesses
"MerchantCircle provides a search-optimized Web site where business owners can advertise and network free. The company's next task? Figure out how to make it pay"
Creating an online place where owners could post business profiles, advertise, network, and endorse one another for free, thought Yamamato and Smith, would result in the introduction of millions of businesses not currently online to the Web... read more
March 2007
Rev Up Your Local Web Marketing
"Need to drive more business to your door? Use our practical guide to rev up your local web strategy."
The Blonde Bear's MerchantCircle.com site combines a business description, reviews, a blog, coupons, a map and links to other businesses listed on MerchantCircle.com. All those Kenai businesses on the site got there through word-of-mouth; Showalter estimates she's brought 30 other businesses onboard to help build up the cross-promotional and networking benefits of the site. Look for more services like MerchantCircle.com to hit the scene as the local web market heats up... read more
June 5, 2006
MerchantCircle: World's easiest small business Web sites
"[T]here may be no quicker way to establish an online presence ... advertisement management is the real value of MerchantCircle ..."
Thanks to location-specific services (like Google and Yahoo maps), the Worldwide Web is becoming a great resource for local business. In fact, I believe all small and local businesses should have their own Web sites. But many don't... read more
