Frequently Asked Questions
About Us
Q. Who are Wollongong Search?
Wollongong Search is a division of Davela Holdings Pty Ltd and is an Illawarra owned & run business.
Q. What is wollongongsearch.com.au?
wollongongsearch.com.au is a local online business directory that helps to connect customers with relevant businesses that service the local Wollongong region. It’s also a great way for business owners that service the Wollongong region to reach their target customers via the internet.
Types of Advertisements
Q. What types of advertising opportunities are there for my business on this directory?
There are several different types of advertisements available. Currently there are banner ads, two types of priority ads and two types of alphabetically placed listings. There’s sure to be an ad that suits your business and your budget. Please note – Your business must service the Wollongong region to advertise in this directory. To see the different types of advertisements available please use the ad examples tab.
Q. What are priority ads and how do they work?
“Priority” merely refers to the order in which certain ads are placed. On this directory, amongst others, there are ads called Gold ads & there are also Silver ads. The first thing to know about these ads is that ALL GOLD ADS ARE GROUPED TOGETHER AND ARE POSITIONED ON TOP OF ALL SILVER ADS WHICH ARE ALSO GROUPED TOGETHER. The second thing to know is that within each group (Gold & Silver) the ads are prioritised according to a date and time order – for example, in the “Plumbers” category, the first Gold advert booked will be positioned first within the Gold group, the second booked will be positioned second and so on. The same applies for Silver adverts within that group.
Ad Features
Q. What features do the ads offer?
Adverts vary in regards to their features depending on which advert you choose. To find out exactly what each ad offers use the ad examples tab. As an example of some of the features available are your business name, address (you can use a partial address if security is a concern) business telephone number, logo, photo gallery, a YouTube video, SEO copywriting / story about your business, opening hours, payment methods, website link, email link / form to receive quote requests and enquiries, Social Media link options which include Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram & Twitter, a .PDF attachment for your brochure, menu, special promotion or catalogue. You can even upload your own banner advert/s.
Q. Why is the “quote request” function set up this way and not like “get three quotes” websites?
The quote request field has been set up this way to benefit both customers and advertisers. The advantage to the customer is that they can choose how many quotes they wish to receive and which businesses they wish to receive them from. The benefit to an advertiser is that you are able to receive an unlimited amount of qualified leads from customers that have chosen to get a quote specifically from you, at no additional cost to your advertising package.
Q. How do I request more than one quote for the same job?
Simply type all of the information about the job you’d like to have quoted into the “Quote request” field of the business of your choice. When you have sent the request you can select another business to obtain a quote from. The information you typed into the previous quote request will automatically populate into the next quote request. You can repeat this process until you get the number of quotes you require.
Advertisement Costs & Payment
Q. Can I try Wollongong Search advertising for FREE?
Most clients will be offered a FREE 30 Day Trial* Subject to conditions. Simply click the "Ad example" tab and choose the ad you'd like to try out.
Q. What is the cost of the advertisements?
Advertising on wollongongsearch.com.au is very affordable. The advertisements will allow you to showcase your business in a professional and innovative yet inexpensive way. To view the price for each of the advertisements available please use the ad examples tab.
Q. How do I pay for my advert/s?
Wollongong Search uses the speed, ease and safety of Paypal for you to be able to pay your account. Choose the convenience of Visa or MasterCard payment options – with no surcharge on credit card payments.
You may also pay by Direct deposit, Cash or Cheque (Please note that ads will only be published once payment has been received & cleared, so these payment options will slightly delay your ad being posted online, and may also affect the ads' priority)
Q. Are my credit card details secure when paying for my advert/s?
Wollongong Search does not collect or retain any credit card details. As the payments are accepted through PayPal your credit card details are protected by the security protocols and standards that PayPal have implemented. To familiarise yourself with PayPal security & encryption practises please use this link.
Q. Am I able to pay for my advertisement/s in instalments?
Yes, at the check out choose the PayPal option, then Pay-in-4 you can then pay in 4 installments. Alternatively, we can invoice you to pay in 1 installment.
Advertisement Creation & Management
Q. Can I upgrade my current ad while it's still running?
Yes, simply go to your account area, select the ad you want to upgrade, click the green "Upgrade" or "Renew" button & select the new ad type you'd like. The remaining days from your previous ad will also transfer to your new ad.
Q. Can I upload and design my own advert/s?
After creating your account, with the help of our ad wizard, you are able to create your own advertisement. You can insert your business name, address (you can use a partial address if security is a concern) telephone number, logo, photo gallery, a YouTube video, SEO Copywriting / story about your business, opening hours, payment methods, website link, email link / form to receive quote requests and enquiries, Social Media link options which include Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter & Instagram, a .PDF attachment for your brochure, menu, special promotion or catalogue. You can even upload your own banner advert/s. If you’re local and need help, we are happy to visit you at your business premises at a time that’s convenient to you or you can call or email us for assistance.
Q. How do I edit my Gold/Silver/Bronze advert/s and listings?
You may edit the content of any of your adverts at any time for free. Simply log into your account, select the advert that you wish to amend, click “edit” and then change the appropriate details of your advert.
Q. What if I want to change my banner advert/s?
As the banner ads used for this directory are a single fixed image they can’t be edited by the software on this directory, however if you wish to change your banner ad - simply replace your current banner with another, by logging into your account and selecting the banner that you wish to change, click “edit” and upload another banner to replace your current one. (Be careful not to click “delete” or your banner will be removed entirely)
Q. I have a current ad. Can I move this advert into a different category?
No. You cannot move adverts from one category to another. You may however choose to purchase a new advert in an additional category.
Q. How do I delete my advert from the directory entirely?
If you wish to delete your advert from the directory, log into your account then select the advert you wish to delete and then select the “delete” option. Please be aware that any priority held by this advert will be lost when it is deleted and there is no pro rata refund for any advertisements deleted prior to the 365 days.
Advertisement Time Frames & Renewals
Q. How long will my ad appear on the directory for?
All adverts, once activated will appear on the directory for 365 days (unless otherwise stated). You can renew your advert/s if you wish to keep it/them longer than 365 days - so you may keep your ad on the directory for as long as you like.
Q. Can I buy an advert for a shorter time frame than 365 days, say 6 months?
No. All adverts will have a life of 365 days from the time it appears on the directory. You may choose to buy an advert for the 365 days and then delete it after some time e.g. 6 months, however any priority held by this advert will be lost when it is deleted and there is no pro rata refund for any advertisements deleted prior to the 365 days.
Q. I want to keep my advert/s for another year & I don’t want it to expire. How do I renew my advert?
Log into your account and choose the advert that you wish to renew. Click the renew advert button, if it’s a paid ad -pay your money and your advert will be renewed for an additional 365 days. If you have multiple adverts that you wish to renew then this process will need to be repeated for each advert. You will be emailed your new invoice/s. Please be aware that ad/s will not be automatically renewed by us and that it is the advertisers’ responsibility to manage and renew their own ad/s. Ads that have “0 days remaining” may be deleted by us at any time at our discretion.
Q. Will my ad/s be automatically renewed when the “days remaining” counter reaches 0 days remaining?
No. Please be aware that ad/s will not be automatically renewed by us and that it is the advertisers’ responsibility to manage and renew their own ad/s. Ads that have “0 days remaining” may be deleted by us at any time at our discretion.
Q. Should I wait until there is 0 “days remaining” on my counter before I renew my ad/s?
No. In fact it is recommended that you renew your advert well before you get to 0 days remaining. You are in danger of having your advert deleted and the priority of your advert lost if the “days remaining” reaches 0 days remaining and you haven’t renewed your ad/s.
Q. If I renew my advert but there is (for example) 10 days remaining on the advert, will I lose those 10 days?
No. When you renew your advert it is credited with an additional 365 days. The 365 days will be added to any days you have remaining. So, for example, in the event you renew your advert with 10 days remaining, the 365 days will be added to the 10 days and so the advert will now have 375 days remaining.
Q. When can I renew my ad?
You can renew your ad when the days remaining counter shows 90 days or less.
Who Can Advertise in Which Categories
Q. Which categories can I advertise in?
All adverts including Banner ads must be placed within categories that accurately reflect the product or service being sold. As a general example: A Wedding Car company may advertise in the “Wedding Cars & Transport” category. They may also advertise in “Limousine Hire” if they provide Limousine Services. However they MAY NOT advertise in the “Wedding Reception Venues” category if they don’t operate a Wedding Reception Venue.
Q. Can I advertise in a category that is “related” to my business? For example I operate a Wedding Car business, can I advertise in the “Wedding Reception Venues” category?
No. Not unless you own a Wedding Reception Venue as well.
Q. Can I buy more than one advert?
Yes. You can purchase multiple adverts in the one category &/or multiple adverts in multiple categories – as long as your business provides the product or service described by the category name.
In Your Account Area
Q. What can I do in my account area?
In your account area you can update your profile and review your ads. You can buy new advertisements and also upgrade, edit or delete your existing ones. You can see how many days your current ads have remaining on the directory and also renew them if you’d like your ad/s to run for another 365 days. You can also see how much traffic your ads have received on the “visits” counters so you can estimate your return on investment.
Q. What is the difference between business “Listing Visits” and “Advert Visits”?
The important thing to know here is that both mean that your details have been viewed by your potential customers on the directory. “Listing Visits” means the amount of times your smaller listing has been viewed by a potential customer. Here they have been able obtain much information about your business, including your business name, address, phone number, website address and more. “Advert Visits” means the amount of times a potential customer has clicked through to your main advertisement to read all of the available information about your business.
Q. What is the “days remaining” counter for?
This counter indicates the number of days that your advertisement has left to run on the directory. All adverts, once activated will appear on the directory for 365 days (unless otherwise stated). You can renew your advert/s if you wish to keep it/them longer than 365 days.
Q. I’ve forgotten my password. Can you help me?
Don’t panic most people at some time or other will forget their password. You can reset your password by clicking the “Forgotten your password?” link on the login screen.
Q. Who can see my account information?
Information contained within your account’s user profile is not available to be viewed by the general public.
Q. What does Wollongong Search do with my personal details?
Wollongong Search respects your privacy. We customarily disclose personal information only to our service providers who assist us in operating our business. We will only disclose personal information to a third party with your consent or if required to do so under law. We will ensure the third party deals with the information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australia National Privacy Principles. View our Privacy Policy.
Media Specifications
Q. What are the ad specs for Banner adverts?
488 Pixels (w) x 104 Pixels (h) image, in jpg, png or gif format.
Q. What are the specs for the logo?
190 Pixels (w) x 143 Pixels (h) image, in jpg, png or gif format.
Q. What is the size of the photos I can attach?
No larger than 600 Pixels (w) x 400 Pixels (h) image, in jpg, png or gif format.
Q. What do I need to know about the PDF attachment?
The PDF attachment can be used to display various items, for example a menu, special promotional offer, brochure, flyer or catalogue. You may display single or multiple pages on the one attachment - 3MB Maximum.
As silly as it sounds, a .pdf attachment is just that - a .pdf - so therefore a Word document, image (jpg/png/gif), or other file types cannot be used.