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About The Opt-Index
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| Q: |
What is The Opt-Index?
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| A: |
The Opt-Index is an on-line business directory, similar to the yellow pages, except that all listings are entered directly at our website by their owners. |
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| Q: |
Is The Opt-Index free?
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Yes! There is no charge to search the directory or to add a listing. |
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| Q: |
Where does The Opt-Index get all of its listing information?
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Our sole information source is our directory membership. Each listing was originally entered by someone representing the named business or organization.
We do not reference telephone directories, other Internet directories, or search engine results.
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| Q: |
Do you verify each listing?
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No. We cannot check each listing for accuracy. All information in the directory is provided by individual account holders who are responsible for its accuracy, integrity, and quality.
Please verify the identity of any business or individual you contact based upon an entry in directory, especially before transmitting any sensitive information.
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| Q: |
How big is The Opt-Index?
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The directory contains thousands of listings in more than 10,000 categories, and it's getting larger every day. Businesses from over eighty countries have taken the time to add their listings since 2004. |
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| Q: |
Does The Opt-Index contain anything besides business listings?
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Yes. The directory has many purely informational listings as well. Websites that primarily act as information sources are welcome to list in one of our many Information subcategories. |
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| Q: |
What does The Opt-Index do with its listing information?
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We only use our listing information for display via our website, in response to user searches. We do not share or distribute this information in any other way. Please see our Privacy Policy for complete details. |
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| Q: |
Is The Opt-Index staffed by real people?
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You bet. Even though our fees are minimal, our customer service is not. We promptly respond to every query we receive and review most listings within 24 hours.
If you ever have any questions, suggestions, or problems, please contact us. We look forward to receiving your Feedback!
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Searching the Directory
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| Q: |
How do I search the directory?
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All searches start at our New Search page. |
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| Q: |
Do you have a simple search box option for searching?
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No. With our directory, you have the ability to narrow your search using a wide variety of search options. Use our extensive New Search form to find what exactly what you are looking for. When searching, simply complete those fields that interest you and ignore those that don't. |
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| Q: |
Why are there four Search buttons?
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For convenience. Use whichever one is the handiest — they all work the same. |
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| Q: |
How do I use The Opt-Index like a telephone yellow pages?
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To search for a list of businesses by type, leave the Business Name field blank and specify a Subcategory.
You may type in a category name directly or select a specific category using the Find Category assistant.
Please see Picking a Category for details.
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| Q: |
How do I use The Opt-Index like a business white pages?
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To search for a specific business, enter the Business Name. Narrow your search by specifying type, keyword, or location information. |
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| Q: |
How many search results are shown per page?
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Normally, the Search Results page displays 10 results at a time. You do have the option of showing 20, 30, or 40 results per page instead — just select the desired number directly in the search criteria box towards the top of the page. |
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| Q: |
How come more results are displayed on a page than I expected?
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Nine times out of ten, the last page of results will contain less than a full page, sometimes just one final entry. Instead of requiring you to retrieve another whole page to see the last few results, we automatically extend the next-to-last page to include up to four extra entries. |
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| Q: |
How are search results ordered?
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Search results are ordered alphabetically by business name. If searching by keyword, you have the option to reorder results by relevance. |
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| Q: |
When it comes to search results, how is relevance determined?
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Keywords are defined for directory listings by their owners. The order in which the owners define and associate their keywords determines their relevance. |
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| Q: |
Are positions in the results sold to the highest bidder?
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No. Although we offer many business marketing opportunities, changing the order in which we display our results isn't one of them.
It is our goal to offer you unbiased, useable search results.
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| Q: |
How do I get more information about an entry in the directory?
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Each entry is accompanied by a magnifying glass icon. Click on an entry's magnifying glass to see detailed information such as phone numbers, email addresses, or business hours.
Because it is up to each listing's owner to define this information, some listings may contain more information than others.
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| Q: |
What is the 'effective date'?
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The freshness of each listing is clearly shown alongside each listing in the form of a date stamp (for example, "Effective: 08/2006").
This date indicates the last time that the listing owner updated or reviewed this information.
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| Q: |
What if I find a problem with one of the listings?
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| We encourage users to report problems with directory entries. We investigate every problem report that we receive. To report a problem, simply click on the red flag icon associated with the listing.
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| Q: |
Do you track an individual user's search activities?
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No. We do not track an individual's activities such as the keywords used, sites visited, or people contacted. We do not maintain a per-user activity history, and we do not monitor what any particular user has been doing, even while logged in.
Please see our Privacy Policy for complete details.
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Picking a Category
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| Q: |
How are your categories organized?
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Our category system is arranged in a hierarchical tree structure. Every subcategory can be found under one of the fourteen top-level categories, possibly several levels down. In general, our system is product-based. To
find a category, first navigate by product, then by service. For example, all services related to automobiles can be found under the Automobiles category, whether referring to building them, buying them, renting them, or just learning about them. |
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| Q: |
How many categories are there?
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Our category system contains over 10,000 individual categories. The exact number changes frequently as we constantly add, split, or rearrange the category tree to accommodate new business types. |
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| Q: |
Why should I worry about selecting the right category?
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One of the primary advantages of a directory over a search engine is its ability to narrow results based upon data classification. Searching within a particular category is an excellent way to reduce your search results to a manageable level.
In order to gain any benefit however, the directory entries and the user searches must reference the most appropriate category. Otherwise, never the two shall meet!
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| Q: |
How do I pick a category?
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To pick a category, select the Find Category link next to the category field. Doing so will open a pop-up window displaying the top-level categories.
You may click on the categories directly to navigate through the category tree, or you may select the List Alphabetically or Search Categories links at the top.
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| Q: |
When should I Browse Categories?
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If you would like to see what categories we have available, browsing through the tree by clicking on categories directly is a good approach. If you have difficulty finding a particular category however,
it may be more productive to switch to viewing an alphabetical list or to searching the categories directly.
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| Q: |
When should I use List Alphabetically?
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If you already know the name of the category you need, such as Dentists or Pets, it may be faster to see a list of categories arranged alphabetically and select the desired category directly. |
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| Q: |
When should I Search Categories?
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Use this option when you have a general idea about the category but aren't sure where to look. For example, searching for Anchors will yield Boat Parts and Accessories. Searching for Gauges will yield Industrial Instruments. |
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| Q: |
How can I tell which categories may hold actual listings?
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In our category tree, only the 'leaves' may contain listings. In other words, listings cannot be placed in any category that has more categories defined below it.
Categories that contain further subcategories may be recognized by the presence of a count to their right. For example, Photographers 15> indicates that there are fifteen subcategories under the Photographers category.
As you browse the category system, you should look for categories that lack a subcategory count (a number with an arrow). Clicking on one of these categories should display the category ID and a CONTINUE button. Selecting CONTINUE will pick the selected category.
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| Q: |
Why are some categories shown with a '@' next to them?
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Related categories that are actually located elsewhere in the category tree are shown with a 'link' symbol '@'. Clicking on one of these categories causes you to jump to a completely different place in the category tree.
For example, clicking on Editorial Cartoons@ under Politics will take you to Comics and Cartoons, where all cartoon-related categories are defined.
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| Q: |
What is a Category ID?
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Every category in The Opt-Index has a unique ID number that allows us to identify a specific category, even if the category name changes. The IDs used at The Opt-Index are unique to our category system. |
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| Q: |
Can I search more than one category at a time?
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Yes. Try our Power Search! When searching, you need not limit your searches to 'leaf' categories — those final categories that hold the actual listings. You can search higher level categories just as easily. For
example, say you wished to search both the Bed and Breakfasts category and the Inns and Lodges category to plan your vacation. These two categories are both located at the same level under Lodging Places.
However, by searching one level up at the Lodging Places category, you can search these two categories, as well as all other types of lodging places, all at once! Simply select the desired category starting point
from the category trail shown at the top of the pop-up window. In this case, click on Lodging Places in Top > Transportation and Travel > Travel > Lodging > Lodging Places.
To widen your search further, click even further up the trail: try Lodging, Travel, or even Transportation and Travel. |
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| Q: |
Can I list my business in two or more categories?
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At The Opt-Index, a single listing may appear in as many as ten categories. Adding your listing to additional categories is an excellent way to expand your coverage within the directory.
Additional categories beyond the one included with our free, standard listing are available at an extra cost.
Please see Marketing Your Business for details.
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| Q: |
How do I a get a second category?
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In order to be in two or more categories, you first purchase additional categories for your listing from our Enhancements page. To purchase an enhancement, simply Login, navigate to the Update Listing area, select the Enhancements page, and choose the extra category option. |
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| Q: |
How do I make use of my newly purchased category?
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Once you have enhanced your listing with an extra category, navigate to the Business Info page. There, you should find blank fields ready to accept your new category selection. Simply use the Find Category
link next to the appropriate category field as before. |
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| Q: |
What if I can't find an appropriate category?
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With so many categories, it can sometimes be difficult to locate the most appropriate category. If you can't seem to find the right category, or if you simply would like help selecting the best category, you may request assistance from the Business Info page. We will review your listing and contact you by email with our recommendations. This is a free service. |
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Our Listing Service
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| Q: |
How much does it cost to be in The Opt-Index?
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Nothing! A listing in The Opt-Index is entirely free. We do offer other marketing opportunities for a fee. Please see Marketing Your Business for details. |
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| Q: |
What types of businesses may join?
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The Opt-Index is open to all legitimate businesses and organizations. This includes the full range of company structures: corporations, nonprofit, partnerships, sole proprietorships, home-based, and so forth. |
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| Q: |
Do you accept listings for independent agents?
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Yes. We are happy to have individual listings for independent business owners such as real estate or insurance agents.
However, agents must keep in mind that no website may be listed in the directory more than once. If you are an agent that makes use of the corporate website, you must refer to a web page within the site that is dedicated for your use.
You must also provide us with a business street or mailing address that refers to you specifically.
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| Q: |
Who is permitted to represent a business?
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Business owners and authorized employees may list their businesses, but we also allow listings to be entered on behalf of a company by third-parties. Third-parties acting as marketing agents must have obtained
the exclusive right to promote the business. |
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| Q: |
Are affiliate listings accepted? |
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No. Affiliates typically have not been given exclusive permission to market a business. Because a business may allow multiple affiliates, there is a strong chance that the business would get listed more than once. |
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| Q: |
May a business be listed more than once? |
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No. Each business may only have one listing in The Opt-Index. A business entity is defined by its physical location. Two divisions operating out of the same facility are considered one business. Two outlets operating at separate locations are considered two businesses. |
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| Q: |
What if our business maintains two separate websites? |
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If both websites are for a single business (as determined by its physical location), then the business may only be registered once. However, the business's sole listing may be defined to reference both websites at our Website page — each with its own distinct set of keywords. |
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| Q: |
Can I list another company's website?
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No, not under any circumstances. Each web page address you enter for your listing must refer to a website that is entirely under your company's direct control.
For this reason, we cannot accept URL references to entries in other on-line directories, yellow pages, classified services, or auctions.
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| Q: |
What if there are other websites on the Internet similar to mine?
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Your website should contain unique, informative content. The Opt-Index cannot accept a reference to a website that is identical to or substantially similar to any other Internet website.
Doing so would quickly fill the directory with duplicate entries.
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| Q: |
What is meant by unique content?
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If there is another website on the Internet that looks just like or predominantly like your website, then it is not unique. For this reason, we cannot accept URL references to merchant sites that are only distinguished
by an affiliate ID, such as 'www.mymerchant.com/?afid=12345'. Nor can we accept references to websites that are really hosted by a central merchant website and have simply been rebranded with a new domain name, title graphic,
or other minor details. If your website is one of several versions of an on-line retailer site supplied by another merchant who maintains control of the primary website, as well as the product, financial transactions, and
fulfillment, then your listing will not be accepted.
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| Q: |
What is meant by informative content?
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If your website relies heavily on content pulled from other sources to redirect users using affiliate or merchant IDs, then it is not considered informative.
For this reason, we cannot accept listings with websites that are primarily populated with affiliate banners, affiliate links, or adserver ads, unless they also contain substantial, original content.
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| Q: |
How long will my listing be in the directory? |
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All listings automatically receive a 2-year, renewable display term. This 2-year period is restarted each time you successfully login. If you do not login for 2 years, we will consider your account dormant. Before we mark your account dormant, we will send you reminder notifications by email. If your account becomes dormant, your listing will no longer be shown in search results.
Dormant accounts will be kept in the directory for one additional year. If you login during the 1-year grace period, your account will automatically be reinstated. If you fail to login before the year is up, your account will be considered abandoned and will be terminated. Accounts with paid enhancements will be displayed until the end of their subscription term or for 2 years, whichever is longer.
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Submitting Your Listing
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| Q: |
How long does it take to get listed?
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It is not a matter of weeks, days, or even hours. It typically takes less than fifteen minutes to complete the forms and login to activate a listing.
This quick response is what makes us the Real-Time Business Directory. |
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| Q: |
How many pages is the listing submission process?
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Three or four pages, depending upon your business focus. If you are registering a strictly web-based or traditional business, then it takes three pages.
If you are registering a business that offers significant products or services through both its website and traditional channels, then it will take four pages.
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| Q: |
What happens to my information if I quit the submission process midway?
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Until you select SUBMIT on the final page of the Add Listing process, none of your information is added to the directory. Partially entered submissions are discarded. |
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| Q: |
How come I am unable to see the last page of the submission process?
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The last page accepts your personal Administrative Contact information and must be transmitted via a secure link (via HTTPS). Our server is configured to reject connections from older browsers with weak security. If you
are unable to retrieve this page, you will need to switch to a more modern browser (one that supports a minimum of 56-bit strong ciphers). |
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| Q: |
Is each new listing reviewed by an editor?
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In most cases, yes. Although we do not guarantee that we will be able to review every new listing, we make every effort to do so. When we perform a listing review, we often provide the account holder with a copy of our review results by email.
Only those listings that meet the guidelines specified in our Terms of Use pass the review process. Account holders are welcome to request a formal review at any time.
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| Q: |
What are your listing guidelines?
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Every listing in directory is expected to meet these general guidelines:
- All information should be spelled, punctuated, and capitalized correctly, avoiding unnecessary CAPITAL letters.
- Descriptions should be informative, objective, and well-written. Superlatives and time-sensitive information (such as prices) should be avoided.
- Vulgar words, offensive terms, and material that promotes illegal activities are not permitted.
- Each listing must be placed in a category that directly relates to one or more genuine business functions within the organization.
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| Q: |
What happens if my listing is found not to meet Opt-Index guidelines?
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Depending upon the nature of the problem, we will take one of three courses of action. To correct small problems with format or content, we may edit your listing ourselves. For more serious problems, we may temporarily remove your listing from the active directory - awaiting your attention, or
we may remove your listing from the directory entirely. If we choose either of the latter two options, we will notify you by email.
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| Q: |
What type of information will I need to create a listing?
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The Opt-Index requests and stores two different, distinct classes of information: personal Administrative Contact information, and public Business Listing information.
We use the Administrative Contact information to maintain your account with us. We use your Business Listing information to create your publicly displayed directory entry.
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| Q: |
What is Administrative Contact information?
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Administrative Contact information is personally identifiable information such as your name, address, telephone number, and email address.
This information is used solely for our internal administrative purposes and is considered confidential. It is never included in our search results or otherwise shared or distributed in any way.
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| Q: |
What is Business Listing information?
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Business Listing information is what we use to create your entry in the directory. It includes your company name, description, address, web addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses. This information, by its very nature, is intended for public display. The Opt-Index displays Business Listing information via its website in response to relevant user searches. |
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| Q: |
Do you store sensitive financial or personal information?
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No. We do not require identification numbers such as driver's license or social security numbers. Nor do we ever ask for bank account information.
Only when you make a purchase do we ask for a credit card number, and this information is deleted from our webserver once the transaction completes.
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| Q: |
Do I have to use my real name when registering? |
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No. You may use a general position title such as 'Web Master' or 'Domain Manager'. You may not, however, use a fictitious name or someone else's name in place of your own. |
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| Q: |
Why do I have to provide my address and phone number?
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When you register with The Opt-Index, you are opening an account with us. If a problem should arise with your account, we must be able to contact you by mail or phone.
You need not use your own home information, however. Any business or mobile information that will allow us to reach you is just fine.
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Activating Your Listing
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| Q: |
What does it mean to 'activate' my listing?
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It takes two steps to get your listing in our active directory. The first step, submitting your listing, gets your information stored in our system, but your information is not made available for display.
We will not place your information in the active directory until you activate your new listing.
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| Q: |
How do I activate my listing?
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Activating is easy! All you need to do is log into your account the first time. Your listing will then immediately be made available to the searching public. For more information, please see Logging In for details. |
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| Q: |
Where do I get my initial password?
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Your first password will be sent to you automatically by email. |
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| Q: |
Why do you email the initial password?
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All new account holders must login to activate their listings. They cannot do so without the system-generated password that is sent to them by email. This process ensures that
new accounts are created with valid email addresses and goes a long way to eliminate fraudulent listings. |
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| Q: |
How long should it take for my password email to get to me?
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Your password is sent the instant you complete your initial listing submission. From that point, the travel time depends upon many factors, including the distance between our server in Texas and you. Our experience has
shown that United States' accounts typically receive their password in under a minute, and account holders on the other side of the world may take 10-15 minutes. |
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| Q: |
What if my password fails to show up?
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If you fail to receive your password after 30 minutes, we may have had a problem emailing you. Typical problems include mistyped email addresses, mailbox-full errors, or overzealous SPAM filters.
You may have our system make another email attempt by requesting your password again at our Login Assistance page.
If you still have no luck, we encourage you to get in touch with us. (Please see our Contact Us page.) Sending us an email may not prove fruitful, however,
if we must reply to the same email address that may be problematic. We recommend you provide us with an alternate email address, if possible.
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| Q: |
How long do I get to activate my listing?
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If you fail to login with 14 days of submitting your listing, your information will be discarded. |
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| Q: |
Will I be warned before my listing is discarded?
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Yes. We will automatically send a reminder to your email address the first day, later when about half your time remains, and finally when you have one day to go. |
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Logging In
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| Q: |
Do I need to login to search?
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No. Access to our search facilities is open to all. Only account holders who have registered their businesses need to login to access their account information. |
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| Q: |
How do I login?
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Members access their accounts by logging in at our Login page. By logging in, authorized account holders identify themselves to our website by providing a unique username/city combination and password. |
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| Q: |
How do I get a username/city?
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Account holders select their own usernames when they initially add their listings. The login city is determined from an account holder's administrative contact information. These two items, along with the rest of an account's
contact info, may be reviewed or modified at any time by logging in and navigating to our Admin Contact page. |
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| Q: |
What do I do if I have forgotten my username or am unsure of my city?
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Enter your contact email address at our Login Assistance page. Your username and city will immediately be sent to you by email. |
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| Q: |
What if my email address has changed?
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You may login and update your contact email address at any time at our Admin Contact page.
However, if you have forgotten your username/city and know that the email address on file for you is incorrect, you must contact us directly. You may reach us via our Feedback page or by email at service@optindex.com.
Please provide us with your old email address, username, business name, account number, or other information to help us locate your account.
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| Q: |
Why do I need to enter my city when logging in?
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We identify registered users by a username/city combination in order to increase the number of usernames available to our members.
If we used only a username (as is typically done with other on-line services), then only one person worldwide could claim a particular username.
By adding the city, we allow the same username to be used multiple times — as long as it is unique within a particular city.
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| Q: |
What is a temporary password?
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When a new account is created, we generate a random password and send it to the registered account holder by email. We also send temporary passwords to existing account holders that request assistance with a lost password from our
Login Assistance page. Because these passwords are sent by email, they are liable to be intercepted and are thus limited to only one login operation. Whenever a temporary password is used, the account holder is required to provide a permanent
password for subsequent logins. |
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| Q: |
Can I pick my own password?
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Yes. In fact, every user is asked to select a new, permanent password when logging in for the first time.
Existing account holders may change passwords at any time by logging in and navigating to our Admin Contact page.
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| Q: |
What should I do if I have forgotten my password?
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Enter your username and city at our Login Assistance page. Your current password will be erased and replaced with a randomly generated temporary password. This temporary password will immediately be sent to you via email.
When you login you will be required to answer your verification question and enter a new password of your own choosing. This new password will then be used for subsequent logins. |
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| Q: |
Why can't you just email me my current password?
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For security purposes, all account passwords are stored in our database using one-way encryption. This means that once your password is encrypted, we have no way
of decrypting it — we cannot see what password you have used. It is your secret.
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| Q: |
How does "Remember me when I return" work? |
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When you login, you may choose to have us associate your computer with your account by checking the box next to "Remember me when I return". When you do so, we will know to lookup your account to determine your username and city whenever you return to our website. You will still have to enter your password, however, so your account remains protected against unauthorized access. |
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| Q: |
How do I clear the remember-me feature? |
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At the Login page, simply select the Clear link to remove the association between your computer and the indicated account. |
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| Q: |
What is the point of the verification question/answer? |
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Because the temporary password is sent via standard email, it is liable to interception. The verification process ensures that the original account holder is the one presenting the temporary password for authentication. |
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| Q: |
What if the system does not accept my verification answer?
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Because the verification answer must be entered exactly (except for upper/lowercase), it is not uncommon to have difficulty with the verification question.
If you are unable to get past this point, please contact us directly. You may reach us via our Feedback page or by email at service@optindex.com.
If emailing, please email us from the same email account that you specified when registering. We also ask that you provide us with your best guess at your verification answer.
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Updating Your Listing
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| Q: |
Can I review or update my listing information?
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Yes. Each account holder maintains complete control of all listing details throughout the life of the listing.
To update your listing, you must first Login.
Then, select the Update Listing link at the top of the page. Your options will be shown in the left-hand side menu.
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| Q: |
How long after I make a change will it show up?
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Instantly! The moment we store a change to your listing in our system, it is made available to users in our search results. |
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| Q: |
What makes a good business description?
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We recommend you write your business description like a sentence or sentence fragment. Your description is your opportunity to make a good first impression. It should amount to a short sales pitch.
Space is limited however, so your message should focus first on the goods or services your offer, and then the qualities that distinguish you from your competition.
We discourage the inclusion of contact data such as address, phone number, email, or website info. There are dedicated fields for these items, and including them dramatically reduces the space available to describe your business.
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| Q: |
Can I get more room for my description?
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Yes. The standard description that comes with your free listing is limited to 200 characters, but you can quickly double your space by purchasing the extended description option.
To get a full 400 characters for your business, simply Login, navigate to the Update Listing area, select the Enhancements page, and choose the Extended Description option.
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| Q: |
Are descriptions ever searched?
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No. The content of business descriptions is not used during the search process. We only reference descriptions when displaying an entry among the search results.
If you would like to create a list of those things for which you would like to be known, create them as keywords. The description is for human consumption only.
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| Q: |
How do I pick appropriate keywords?
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Pretend you are a user looking for your particular business. What would you type in the keyword field? What words succinctly describe your goods or services?
Generate a list of keywords and phrases, listing the most important items first. Enter your list, up to 25 keywords or phrases, separated by commas on our Keywords page.
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| Q: |
How should I format my keyword list?
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Consider each keyword and phrase independently — they are not combined during searches. Leave out small words and articles, unless they form a logical part of the key phrase.
For example, use 'spa' instead of 'a spa'. Include all likely stemming varieties of words. For example, consider 'remodel', 'remodels', 'remodeling', and 'remodeler'.
There may be cases where users are likely to misspell some of your keywords, such as 'garantee', 'warrenty', or 'maintanance'. Include these where appropriate.
Skip general words that are not tied directly to your business functions, such as 'the best', 'cheapest', or 'daily'.
You may wish to include your business name or location, as users often place these items in the keyword field.
Case has no impact, so we recommend you enter all your keywords in lowercase, even proper names.
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| Q: |
Can I use other company's brand names for my keywords?
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Possibly. You may not use terms which may infringe on the the copyrights or trademarks of competitors such as product or company names. However, you may use brand names of products or services you provide if you have permission to use them in your regular advertising. |
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| Q: |
Can I define more than 25 keywords?
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Yes. Each free listing is limited to 25 keywords, but you can have up to 2000 keywords for your listing by purchasing more in groups of 25.
Simply Login, navigate to the Update Listing area, select the Enhancements page, and select the number of extra keyword groups you would like to have.
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| Q: |
What is my listing's 'effective date'?
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The effective date is shown alongside your listing in our search results. It indicates the freshness of your listing information.
You may wish to keep this date fairly recent as users often associate freshness with accuracy.
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| Q: |
How do I change my listing's 'effective date'?
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We assume that every time you login, you will take the opportunity to review your listing information and update it if necessary. Consequently, we consider your successful login adequate to reset your effective date. You
need not submit any changes just to roll this date. |
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| Q: |
What is my account status?
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At The Opt-Index, each account is assigned one of several status values. Only accounts marked Active are shown in search results. Accounts marked Pending are awaiting activation.
Accounts that are under review and are awaiting attention by their owners are marked Flagged.
To check your status while logged in, simply navigate to the Account Status page from the Home page.
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| Q: |
What is my listing status?
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Normally, all listings are marked On-line, indicating that they are to be shown in search results.
Account holders have the option of temporarily removing their listings from the active directory by taking their listings Off-line.
Doing so has no impact on an account's listing information or the owner's ability to login.
To review or change your status while logged in, simply select the Update Listing link at the top of the page and select the Status option from the left-hand side menu.
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Marketing Your Business
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| Q: |
What do you mean by 'marketing your business'?
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All businesses need sales, and sales require customers. A successful marketing campaign should increase your exposure to potential customers so that you can convert them into sales.
Before declaring a productive campaign 'successful' however, one must consider the cost of reaching and acquiring those customers. A good marketing campaign should more than pay for itself.
It should also avoid relying on just one or two marketing channels.
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| Q: |
Should I list my business with The Opt-Index?
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We would ask, in turn, why not? Being a free service, there is no budget required. The only cost is your time. We believe that the fifteen minutes required is well worth the years of exposure —
twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Obviously, thousands of the world's business people agree.
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| Q: |
What makes The Opt-Index different from other free directories?
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Several things. First, the Opt-Index was designed and built from the ground up using proprietary, highly efficient, scalable technology. None of our web pages 'exist' as static files. Every page you view at our website
is assembled by the server on the fly by custom, object-oriented software. This approach allows us to customize each page on demand. Second, we provide the most thorough free listing in the business. We challenge you to
find another directory that provides so much to so many for so little. Third, consider how long it takes to get your listing posted — no time at all! Changes are posted in real-time as well. Contrast this with search
engines that can take weeks to process changes, or other directories that require a one or two-week review cycle. Finally, all of this is backed by customer service that is uncommon in the Internet business world. Just give
us a try! |
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| Q: |
What do you offer besides your free service?
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We offer two excellent ways to get your business noticed: listing enhancements and featured advertising.
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| Q: |
What are listing enhancements?
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A standard listing in The Opt-Index is certainly complete, but it does have its limitations. Perhaps you wish you could increase your coverage within the directory by being in another category or defining more keywords. Both of these items would increase your chances of being found.
On the other hand, perhaps you would like to make your listing standout in a crowded category when it does get found. Having your business name in large or bold letters, or describing your business in greater detail would go a long way to getting you noticed.
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| Q: |
What enhancements do you offer?
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In the arena of search enhancements, we offer
- extra categories, up to 10 total, and
- extra keywords, up to 2000 total.
In the arena of appearance enhancements, we offer
- larger font,
- bold font,
- italic font,
- color font, and
- extended description, a full 400 characters.
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| Q: |
How much do enhancements cost?
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All of our enhancements are sold on a annual subscription basis and are very inexpensive. For example, to have your business name in bold costs $10USD/year.
That's only 3 cents/day! Please see our Pricing page for complete details.
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| Q: |
How do I purchase an enhancement?
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To purchase an enhancement, simply Login, navigate to the Update Listing area, and select the Enhancements option from the left-hand side menu.
After you make your selections, be sure to choose the length of your subscription term - between one and ten years. By purchasing longer terms, you can avoid possible price increases in the future.
When you are ready, continue to the next page where you can confirm your selections and enter your payment information.
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| Q: |
Is my credit card transaction secure?
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Yes. Your credit card information is sent to us via a secure socket connection using strong encryption. This approach ensures that no one intercepting our communications will be able to read them.
When we receive your payment request, our communications with the banking network are made securely as well. After the transaction completes, your credit card information is cleared from our servers — we do not retain any sensitive financial information.
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| Q: |
What is featured advertising?
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With featured advertising, your listing is displayed above our regular search results in a single advertising pane located above the Search Criteria box.
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| Q: |
What determines when an ad is shown?
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Ads are run-of-site, appearing on the Search Results page regardless of the search terms used. All advertisers are rotated through the single ad space, but no more than ten advertisers are accepted at any one time. In other words, each ad appears on at least one tenth of all search result pages returned.
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| Q: |
What constitutes an ad?
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Each ad consists of a business name, description, and active link, all pulled directly from the general listing. Changes to any of these fields in the general listing are immediately reflected in the ad copy. |
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| Q: |
How do you charge for featured advertising?
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Ads are paid for ahead of time on a flat monthly basis, not on a cost per impression (CPM) or cost per click (CPC) basis. This approach eliminates the possibility of click fraud, and keeps advertising costs manageable, regardless of traffic or interest levels.
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| Q: |
How much does featured advertising cost?
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Currently, only $10USD/month. Considering that a single click on a CPC search engine for a popular term can easily cost over $1.00 and monthly budgets run into the hundreds of dollars, we think that our platform provides a good return on investment.
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| Q: |
How do I purchase ad space?
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We don't currently offer an automated ad campaign system. Once you have contacted us about advertising, we'll ask you to fax or phone us with your credit card info for payment.
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| Q: |
How long after I sign-up will my ad appear?
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Your ad will be activated within twenty-four hours of your purchase — possibly far less if you sign-up during business hours. |
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| Q: |
How do I turn my ad on or off?
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Ads can only be started and stopped by The Opt-Index Sales department. However, by placing your general listing off-line at the Status page, you can remove your ad from circulation.
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| Q: |
Are there any statistics available regarding the display of my ad?
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At this time, we do not have any tracking tools that might assist you with seeing the amount of traffic related to your ad, but they are under development.
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| Q: |
Do you ever run any specials?
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Yes, frequently. Please see our Special Offers page for our current offers.
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| Q: |
Can I link my website to The Opt-Index? |
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Yes. We welcome your link to us. The more people that know about us, the better we will be able to serve all of our users.
Please see our Link to Us page for details.
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