Merchant Circle Business Directory

Merchant Circle casts a broad net, helping consumers find local businesses and deals while facilitating online marketing opportunities for small companies. At first glance, Merchant Circle appears as just another local search directory, but a little bit of digging turns up more. Visitors can use the site to learn about their city’s history, instantly find local coupons and even ask advice from local experts; yes, there is actually a “what do you want to know?” search field for the curious.

On the business side, Merchant Circle is a social network for companies, and boasts active forums where business owners and managers talk shop. If you’re confused about the ins and outs of using the site, the forums can prove quite helpful. Merchant Circle also operates a blog with entries such as “Can Group Deals Work for Sole Proprietors?” and “Facebook Ads: Small Businesses are Fans.” There’s some quality info here on topics that are relevant to small businesses looking for online promotional options—which most businesses are.

Even if you’ve never visited the Merchant Circle website, if you own a business, there’s a good chance that you already have a listing. If so, claim it; it’s free, and it’s important to make sure your information is up to date. Once you claim or create a business listing, you’ll have access to your personal dashboard. From here you can edit your profile and even change your location on the accompanying map.

Merchant Circle provides more resources for business owners than the typical local search directory, offering space for a blog, newsletter, photos, video and coupons. As with other sites, customers are able to post reviews of your business as well as grant you a star rating.

With the array of opportunities on Merchant Circle, the site is a go-to for Web promotion, and should probably be on your social media roster.