The tale of a car wash underscores the need for location company Skyhook to partner with search engine firms to deliver ads to those within a few blocks of businesses. The owner makes it clear that his customers are within 5 miles of his business and they don't make reservations. Therefore, he's looking to tap into hyper-local advertising.
Murphy says he could target more of the impulse purchasers—real estate agents and other "wired" professionals—who may not live in his area but are there for business with time to kill between appointments.
The future?
To bring more of the multibillion-dollar small-business advertising market online, Skyhook is working on relationships with Yahoo and Google, and the improved local search made possible through its technology will start to be available to small business over the next 6 to 12 months, says Ted Morgan, the company's founder and chief executive.
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BusinessWeek
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