Your go to site when searching online for a service?

[Seth1968]

Hi Beyond.

I'm doing some minor market research, and was wondering how you all search for various services. More specifically, do you use the generic Google results, or do you go directly to a site like Yelp and/or Yellow Pages?

Thanks.

[ExtraSlow]

Google search. Hate Yelp and yellow pages website.

[ganesh]

Google Search.

I don't use Yelp at all. They are known for their shady business practice and altering the surveys.

[EK 2.0]

Google.

[Seth1968]

Thank you for the replies so far.

Even more specifically, if your Google results include Yelp or YP, do you go to either of those?

[BokCh0y]

I use google for research. If it's like researching minor services like a plumber or something, I used to use yelp to read their reviews, but not anymore.

i've noticed that with yelp, it seems to only list positive or "relevant" results or something, but down at the very bottom if you scroll down, you'll see a grayed out area that has their "not recommended reviews". This screwed me when I was looking for a plumber as I didn't see the 100+ poor reviews. Apparently their system screens out reviews that don't make their cut whatever that means.

Otherwise, Beyond has been pretty good to me for recommending various services.

[HiTempguy1]

There are some sites that are better than google for specific services. I'm thinking things like travel (expedia), food (urbanspoon), gas (gasbuddy) etc.

For general information, google all the way. I'm actually finding Facebook is starting to really crank up the jam and get their targeted advertising figured out, I actually save a couple ads a week it seems now.

[Swank]

Beyond, every time, always been very happy with the results.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I might start with google for direction, but I take info/recommendations from forums or objective sources only. If you google "best place to get X service", the search results will probably return the opposite. You almost always have to dig deeper IMO, past the ad revenue, trolls, etc.

[Dumbass17]

I use Excite search and Bing, if you need more info, pm me your ICQ number

[max_boost]

I start with google, always. After i go to a site that primarily review that service.

[Xtrema]

Backpage

[nismodrifter]

Originally posted by Dumbass17
I use Excite search and Bing, if you need more info, pm me your ICQ number

[NoPulp]

Google. With the search results I avoid yelp and yellow pages, find them useless.

[Star1995]

I start with Beyond and move to Google, once I find someone or some company I Google that name with the word scam in the search and keep going from there. Example Direct Energy scam...

[max_boost]

Originally posted by Xtrema
Backpage

lol

[pheoxs]

If its a local service/business then google but if its something online then usually reddit (or reddit via google)

[speedog]

Yellow Pages?

How do they manage to continue to exist? I do not actually remember the last time I've used the Yellow Pages either in hard copy or online. They're a medium that's become a dinosaur and just can not compete with Google.

[CompletelyNumb]

Yelp's pretty well known to be shady. They will call businesses up and offer them a premium listing that hides all the negative reviews. If you say no, the negatives ones start appearing more often.

Google reviews and Beyond are often accurate.

[SKR]

Originally posted by speedog
Yellow Pages?

How do they manage to continue to exist? I do not actually remember the last time I've used the Yellow Pages either in hard copy or online. They're a medium that's become a dinosaur and just can not compete with Google.

I still use a phone book for certain things, even if I'm sitting in front of a computer or have my phone with me. It's faster to flip pages than wait for a website to load just to get a phone number. Or, if you're in one of those situations where you know who you want to call, but can't remember the name unless you see it, you'll be forever trying to search for it.

If I had to pay for a phone book I don't think I'd have one though.