Dec 18, 2015 06:57 PM
5874 Views
JustDial has done a job which others didn't do before: making a database of local shops(although they don't cover every nook & corner but they certainly do cover most of the areas). So congratulations to them, but how much has that proved to be useful for a customer or local businesses.
I know where I will get the item I need and at what rate whether its any daily use item, or clothes, shoes or stationery, etc. I won't be going to other end of my city for 20 Rs difference in rates because I will lose that much money for going far and my time as well.
Furthermore, no local shopkeeper likes to disclose rates. Even if you call them, they hesitate to tell you rates over phone or will tell you higher price than they would, had you went to their shop. Bargaining happens at shop, not over phone.
There is Best Deal option on JustDial to get you best rates from local shopkeeper but no shopkeeper will be interested until its a matter of several thousand rupees.
If you want to buy any branded product, you go to distributor or authorized dealer for that area. Now, if you search JustDial, you will find multiple distributors for same item and get more confused.
Free Listing
We did it for our shop and they get after you to push you to make it a paid featured listing. You try to update/change 1 thing in your listing, they call you and ask for each and every entry that exists there on online forms. Twice JustDial persons took snaps of our shop, but didn't update it even although they said it would be done.
Paid Listing
You will waste your money. If you do your business well, you will make a name for yourself /your shop and that will get you the potential customer. Newspaper/local magazine Ad is better option because that will go into hands of much more people than those searching on Justdial.
So, I don't feel this way of marketing is helpful to businesses/customers in general though there can be particular cases where it might be useful but for me or my friends, I haven't seen a single person finding a local shop on JustDial and then doing the purchase. Nobody even talks about it.