Kudzu.com
 | |
Type of site | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Founded | June 2005 |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, GA, USA |
| Founder(s) | Tom Bates |
| Key people | Mat Zimmerman, General Manager |
| Industry | Business ratings and reviews / Local Search |
| Services | Review site |
| Parent | Cox Media Group |
| Website | www.kudzu.com |
Kudzu.com is an online directory that aggregates user reviews and ratings on local businesses, merchants, and service providers. Kudzu.com is owned and operated by Cox Media Group.
History
The website originally served the market of Atlanta, and expanded to Arizona, San Diego, and Las Vegas in the fall of 2006. In the fall of 2007, Kudzu.com expanded its listings on a national level, offering business information and the ability for customers to rate and review businesses in all markets across the United States.[1]
In August 2010, Kudzu.com partnered with HGTV, in which HGTV's videos and content were added to Kudzu.com, while the ability to search Kudzu.com's listings was added to several HGTV websites.[2] The partnership ended at the end of 2011.
In the beginning of 2013, Kudzu launched a Digital Solutions product line.
Features
Kudzu.com's database of over 13 million businesses has structured profiles to describe what the companies offer. Profiles can include marketing descriptions, photographs of work performed, videos, coupons, professional affiliations, and credentials. It also lets consumers provide user-generated reviews and ratings of local businesses. Site visitors interested in finding a service provider may search or browse profiles by service rendered, specialty, geographic location, and “star” rating, among other fields, to find businesses for their particular home and personal needs.
The site focuses on small businesses and home-owners. Merchants that register with Kudzu.com have the option of replying to negative reviews.
Some of Kudzu.com's features include:
- Facebook: Users can log in to Kudzu.com with their Facebook ID and password and share reviews with their Facebook friends
- Merchant written profiles
- Lists of services, brands, styles, etc.
- Multiple reviews per business
- Mapping capabilities
- Star ratings and attribute scoring (for Quality, Service, and Price)
- Merchant-uploaded videos
- Merchant-uploaded photos
- Printable online coupons
- “Virtual House”, where users can click on parts of the house, room-by-room, to get appropriate directory listings. Clicking on a fish aquarium in the master bedroom, for instance, leads to listings for pet stores. Clicking on the rug leads to listings for maid services.
References
- ↑ “Kudzu.com Announces 100,000 Comprehensive Consumer Reviews”, Kudzu.com press advisory, 27 June 2007
- ↑ “HGTV Pairs with Kudzu for Local Effect”, ClickZ, 10 August 2010
External links
General
Articles
- Arizona Republic: New directory aiming for top of search lists (December 20, 2006)
- KGTV San Diego: 10News Click: Kudzu.com (December 11, 2006)
- Forbes: The Future Of Newspapers (October 11, 2006)
- SearchEngineWatch.com: The Local Video Revolution (Jun 1, 2007)
- Search Engine Journal: Kudzu.com Local Search Growing Outside of Atlanta (October 30, 2006)