A NEW online business directory has been launched – and users in Huddersfield are already digging it!

LocalMole.co.uk allows businesses to market their services to thousands of Examiner customers – and millions more people across parent company Trinity Mirror’s north-west region.

The new service enables businesses to benefit from the group’s online and in-print promotional power – via brands they know and trust.

The site is accessed under the LocalMole.co.uk brand – which features cartoon character Doug – and through Trinity Mirror’s regional network of 200 local websites, enabling businesses listed to reach 5m regional users.

The new service, launched at the end of March, offers additional benefits to current directories such as Yell and Thomson at a more competitive rate.

At launch, LocalMole.co.uk contains a database of more than 1.8m business listings featuring business names, addresses, contact information and maps.

Even prior to launch, the Examiner team had one client who had cancelled their listing with a competitor because they preferred a brand they knew and trusted.

Users of the directory can search for businesses based on a range of criteria – who, what and where – and can also rate and review their experiences.

Businesses can enhance their LocalMole.co.uk listing with a fully-featured microsite – offering up to six photos, two special offers and additional information. They can include a 1,250-word description and be listed in five different categories for no extra charge. Advertisers can also see their listings appear as text links across relevant Trinity Mirror websites.

Chris Bunyan, digital director of Trinity Mirror Regionals said: “Increasingly, consumers turn to the internet as the place to find information on local businesses and services.

“By combining detailed business information with user ratings and reviews – supported by powerful online and in-paper promotion – we aim to develop LocalMole.co.uk into an indispensable service for local audiences and advertisers.”

The site has been developed with leading business data provider Central Index and web design agency StormID.