“Press Release 3/5/10
Irish Online business directory Wicklowdirectory.ie appoint new director via Twitter
Wicklowdirectory.ie, Ireland’s leading online business directory, has announced the appointment of Cork based investor and management consultant Paraic Hegarty, as the online venture’s new Director of Strategy and Innovation.
The appointment of Mr Hegarty, who was recruited via the social networking site Twitter, will assist Wicklowdirectory.ie’s ambitious plans for future growth, in turn, helping Irish Businesses capitalise on the economic recovery.
Speaking on his appointment, Paraic Hegarty, a former partner with Deloitte & Touche said “Wicklowdirectory.ie is innovative, dynamic and completely driven by customer needs. I'm looking forward to working on building partnerships, channel relationships and new technology innovations that will continue to deliver exceptional value to our customers.”
Congratulating Paraic Hegarty on his appointment Barbara Gordon, Managing Director of Wicklowdirectory.ie said “We’re delighted to welcome Paraic to the Wicklowdirectory.ie team. His appointment will assist us in our next phase of expansion by enhancing our online customer offerings, developing and deepening relationships with other businesses and bringing more advertisers and searchers together on Wicklowdirectory.ie.”
“In 2008, we invested in a new dynamic directory, extensive SEO, more regional sales staff and local advertising” she added. “The directory is currently receiving over 6,500 visitors a day and more than 68,000 companies are listed. These figures are growing daily and we look forward to Pairic’s input.
The appointment came as a result of chatting on social networking site Twitter as Wicklowdirectory.ie’s Financial Director, Sian Phillips explains; “I’d chatted to Paraic on Twitter a couple of times and discovered he was an Angel Investor. I asked about it and after a few direct messages, we all met up! He’s now a very welcome member of our team and will help take Wicklowdirectory.ie to new heights.”
Additional information for editors
About Wicklowdirectory.ie
Wicklowdirectory.ie is an online business directory listing companies, sole traders, shops and other small Irish businesses. The online directory serves anyone using the internet to find a business, product or service in Ireland - much like the way we used to search for products and services in a telephone directory. The user can search either locally or nationally.
Wicklowdirectory.ie went live in 2002 and has built its number of listings, visitors and search engine rankings organically over the last eight years. Wicklowdirectory.ie promotes small to medium sized businesses on the internet, at an affordable cost. The directory presently brings over 25,000 Irish businesses to the first page of Google.ie searches through its site categories.
About Director or Strategy and Innovation, Pairic Hegarty
Paraic Hegarty is a consultant, adviser and investor in businesses providing products and services using science, engineering and technology. A former Partner in Deloitte & Touche, he holds a BA in Computer Science, a Postgraduate Diploma in Technology Commercialisation and is a Certified Management Consultant. He is a Fellow and Past President of the Institute of Management Consultants and Advisers, a Member of the Institute of Directors, the Information Systems Auditing and Control Association and Engineers Ireland. He is a non-executive Director of Granite Consulting, South West Regional Consultant for InterTradeIreland's Fusion programme, and Business Development Director for NineSigma in Ireland.
AN UPDATE ON OUR PREVIOUS MAILSHOT - AGAIN IT'S IMPORTANT AND ONLY SHORT SO PLEASE READ
This is further to our last mailshot regarding a UK company inferring they are Google and targeting our directory promising first page listings on Google.
We have had a huge response to our previous mailshot - over 100 companies have contacted us already saying they have been called by this company and a few others. Thank you so much for taking the time to email or phone us with the information.
Wicklowdirectory.ie are very frustrated with this situation as we feel it is a misrepresentation to Irish businesses
Google are investigating this further and we have received the following response which they have allowed us to copy here:-
Hi Barbara & Sian,
Thanks for the complaint and we can understand your frustration. It's been forwarded to the appropriate team, which will investigate.
Essentially, it's up to advertisers to work with agencies they trust. MatchMaker Marketing and Sphere Marketing have no affiliation with Google.
Advertisers can buy AdWords directly at adwords.google.ie, or they can buy a fully-managed fixed-price AdWords package from Yodel.ie who are an authorised Google reseller.
Kind Regards,
Google Europe
Wicklowdirectory.ie will not let this matter drop until it is stopped. We do not condone this type of business behaviour.
Any more information would be much appreciated.
Regards
Barbara & Sian
01 286 5787 & 024 86934
Online directory issues ‘Google rogues’ warning to Irish small businesses
It has recently come to the attention of Irish online business directory, www.wicklowdirectory.ie, that a UK company is aggressively targeting Irish SMEs by falsely offering them improved Google search results.
Over the past week, hundreds of customers of the online directory www.wicklowdirectory.ie have been contacted by this company claiming to be working on Google’s behalf.
They are claiming that by handing over their credit card details, Irish companies can jump ahead in Google search results within 48 hours.
Having been alerted to the situation by www.wicklowdirectory.ie, Google have confirmed this company’s claims are completely false. Google Uk and Ireland have responded with the following statement “We’re extremely concerned to learn of companies without affiliation to Google using our name to mislead or mistreat small businesses who want to advertise online. Our legal team investigates such abuses and we continue to work with the relevant authorities to combat the problems caused. We always urge businesses in the UK and Ireland to work only with agencies they know and trust. We have established a programme of Authorised Google AdWords Resellers whom businesses can trust to manage their advertising on Google. Alternatively, they can do this directly with us at adwords.google.com."
Barbara Gordon, Managing Director of www.wicklowdirectory.ie is warning Irish businesses to be vigilant “we are currently inundated with emails and calls from small Irish businesses who have paid this company over the odds to increase their websites visibility and ranking on Google. Along with misleading consumers into to thinking they are working on behalf of a Google division, we believe they are also claiming to be affiliated to www.wicklowdirectory.ie. We would like to confirm that www.wicklowdirectory.ie have no connection with this or any other UK marketing company.”
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