free online directory of all businesses?
August 18, 2010 5:34 PM Subscribe
Is there an online directory that lists the address of all stores and businesses?
I need something that is a mass list of locations of most, if not all, retail stores and other similar businesses in the U.S. Something like whitepages would be great, but it seems that the online version has you type something in and spits out a result. I need just a list that I can load into a database.
Does anyone know of a free or low cost source? I believe whitepages offer the service for a fee, but I was wondering if there's anything else out there. Where does Google Maps get their information?
I need something that is a mass list of locations of most, if not all, retail stores and other similar businesses in the U.S. Something like whitepages would be great, but it seems that the online version has you type something in and spits out a result. I need just a list that I can load into a database.
Does anyone know of a free or low cost source? I believe whitepages offer the service for a fee, but I was wondering if there's anything else out there. Where does Google Maps get their information?
Yeah, you can't get this for free. Everyone (in the US) who has a yellow pages offering gets the data from one of two places: either they own a yellow pages themselves and display the data people pay them to display (qwest dex, verizon superpages, etc), or they get it from one of the three data providers (Acxiom, InfoUSA, and I forget the third but they're relatively small). Same for white pages data.
posted by inkyz at 6:10 PM on August 18, 2010
posted by inkyz at 6:10 PM on August 18, 2010
As a guy in marketing: no. There isn't. Not for free.
Contact a direct mailing company for rates for buying mailing lists.
Know that 80% of the people who get your mailer with throw it out without looking at it.
posted by carlh at 6:46 PM on August 18, 2010
Contact a direct mailing company for rates for buying mailing lists.
Know that 80% of the people who get your mailer with throw it out without looking at it.
posted by carlh at 6:46 PM on August 18, 2010
InfoUSA has a database called Reference USA. Many public libraries subscribe, so you might be able to get access for free.
It's not complete, though--I routinely have library patrons that can't find businesses in there, and, for whatever reason, none of our closest neighbors--the taqueria, the barbecue, the hair salon, the laundromat, the liquor store--are listed.
posted by box at 7:18 PM on August 18, 2010
It's not complete, though--I routinely have library patrons that can't find businesses in there, and, for whatever reason, none of our closest neighbors--the taqueria, the barbecue, the hair salon, the laundromat, the liquor store--are listed.
posted by box at 7:18 PM on August 18, 2010
(That said, I'm not sure ReferenceUSA offers a way to get a list of every single entry in their database.)
posted by box at 7:19 PM on August 18, 2010
posted by box at 7:19 PM on August 18, 2010
I'm not sure how much this costs since I access the service through my employer, but Selectory sounds like it might offer what you're looking for.
posted by KilgoreTrout at 8:04 PM on August 18, 2010
posted by KilgoreTrout at 8:04 PM on August 18, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jenkinsEar at 5:39 PM on August 18, 2010