1. Direct Web site link of summary pet sitter search page
We have added a direct link to members websites on the first summary pet sitter search result page.

We are crawled by the major search engine at least on a weekly basis. This means our pet sitter members pages will also be crawled found and indexed more often. The search engine spiders are more likely to follow the external links when they are not too deep in a website. So this should be a benefit for all members.

The link text is Busness name & webiste. If you have not included your business name click update after login to add it, otherwise it just appears as business name.

2. Changes to the pet sitter search order
Up till now all searches for an area appear in order of join date. So the members who have been with us longer are at the top.

We are looking at randomizing 50% of the search results so all members get an equal chance of appearing at the top. The other 50% of the searches will remain in order of joining to recognize the members who have been with us a long time - in other words a loyalty bonus.

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Ian White Moderator pet-sitters.biz
Provide links from blogs, forums, websites to pet-sitters.biz and earn 50% commission on petsitter signups. Articles available for publishing and other promotion ideas. Join pet-sitters.biz free affiliate program

So, now two sitters in my area are out of business and I have to share the search order with their disabled websites. How do you justify making them come up as featured and as the top listing when they are now out of business after only 3 or 4 months. This is why I believe that the older, longer lasting listings should be left in that order.
The last time I replied on this open forum with my opinion on the changes to the search order, my reply was deleted. Will that be the case this time?

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Cathi
At Home Pet Sitters
Savannah, GA
www.athomepetsitters.net

We love them, when you have to leave them!

Hi Kathy

Thankyou for your feedback.

We investigate all complaints about advertisers. if you have some complaints about advertisers please email me directly via the contact link at the website, with the username of the advertisers and we will investigate.

Half of all search results are in order of join date so pet sitters who have been members for a long time do benefit. Fairness and balance is required here. The oher half of search results are in random order, so everyone has an equal chance of appearing at the top. As in life - eg the balance between trade union and employer there needs to be justice and fairness. Eg if the pendulum swung too far in the direction of trade union power the employer would go out of business and no one would benefit. This site costs a lot to run and promote. The advertising revenue has gone down over 7 years due to the stenghening of the AUD$ from .63 to .83 USD. We try to bring value for the advertiser and small business by providing 12 months advertising a very low cost. However without new revenue we cannot afford to run or promote the site.

No posting was deleted. Kathy you emailed me on this directly on August 20 and responded directly to your email address on that date.

regards
Ian

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Ian White Moderator pet-sitters.biz
Provide links from blogs, forums, websites to pet-sitters.biz and earn 50% commission on petsitter signups. Articles available for publishing and other promotion ideas. Join pet-sitters.biz free affiliate program

Edited: 09/12/2007 at 02:16 AM by ianwhite

Thanks for the reply. I know about balance and all that, but it just irks me that I have to share top listing with businesses that are here today and gone tomorrow. I have been a constant advertiser on this site since I found it on the internet and signed up. I haven't ever gotten a lead from this site.
I keep the listing because it is low cost and it keeps my name on the net. I am also listed on other paid sites and a huge amount of free sites. I have gotten calls from leads from many of the free sites.
Now all of a sudden, with no warning, (which is your right) the cost of the listing goes up and then I am rotated with sitters who just signed up and 3 months later they have closed their business and do not come in and remove their ads. This is why I feel the rotation idea is unnecessary. People should be able to come to a site and find sitters who are still in business. Instead, they are now "half the time" finding the top site to no longer be in business. Maybe, they don't go any farther because they think that all the businesses must not be operating because the "first one" isn't. I don't know if that makes a difference, but it would if I was searching for something and the top listings on the site is no longer valid.
Of course, I am complaining. I do not handle changes in my advertising choices very well. I choose where I want to be and expect it to not change suddenly so late in the game. Mostly because I see this happen with sitters all the time and the companies that stay and provide service in a consistent manner should be the ones who are rewarded with top listings.
Yes, I did email you directly. But, when this was first posted on the forum, I replied on the forum and my response was deleted. I thought it was kind of weird, but just chalked it up to the forum owner being able to do what he or she wishes with the posts.
One more thing, I will not be sending any complaints about advertisers. It is not my responsibility to keep your listings up to date. I feel it is each advertisers responsibility to do that.
I just want my listing to be first all the time! :0) Just kidding!

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Cathi
At Home Pet Sitters
Savannah, GA
www.athomepetsitters.net

We love them, when you have to leave them!