On Blogging Australia

Andrew: I’m talking today with Meg Tsiamis of Dipping into the Blogpond. Apart from running a successful blog, Meg runs the Top 100 Australian Blogs Index and the BUMPzee Australian Blogs Community.

Meg, thanks for taking the time for the interview.

Meg: Thanks for asking me!

Andrew: How important is community to bloggers?

Meg: I suppose it depends on the purpose of the blog. Some bloggers don’t really desire an audience or seek to connect with others. Their blog is merely a release for themselves, or to keep family and friends up to date with what’s happening in their life. But for bloggers who are looking to connect with other bloggers, or who seek a wider audience for their writing, then community is vitally important.

The need to belong is a pretty basic human need. I think people are more frequently turning to the internet to satisfy that need. No matter what your interest, there’s bound to be a community for you, and a place where you feel you belong.

Blogging is no different. We are “bloggers” - each with our own community, and part of the larger blogging community. In a sense it is a series of smaller communities which interact to make a whole. To a degree I believe the success of all our blogs relies on the strength of our (larger blogging) community, which is why I think it’s important for us to foster and support the larger community.

Andrew: Are Australian bloggers different than their counterparts in other countries?

Meg: That’s a tough question! I really haven’t really studied the geographic/cultural differences all that closely. A vast majority of the blogs I read are Australian. I’ve found my focus has gradually become more localised, as that’s where my interest lies. Of course Australia has a much smaller population than many other countries, so perhaps that makes us a more tightly knit community.

Andrew: If you could pass one tip on to new Australian bloggers, what would it be?

Meg: Again, it depends on the purpose. If you intend to blog seriously, and you want a local presence, my tip would be to get a .com.au domain, or else host your .com in Australia. Other than that, write good content, read ProBlogger and start socialising.

Andrew: One of your projects is the dLook business directory. How does dLook work?

Meg: dLook is an online business directory that lists over 1.3 million businesses. Businesses can be found via a search for business name or keyword. We also have filtering functions that enable you to search in just one postcode graduating to the whole nation. When the results are displayed, you can refine the results to display only businesses contained in the area you are searching, or pick from related categories.

We also have our unique QuoteMe!® system, which allows a user to send up to ten quote requests at one time anonymously to businesses that have registered an email address with us. Other significant features are maps, more information pages (even for free listings), our popular discount coupons, local business reviews and our mobile search site.

Andrew: What is dLook’s business model? Can you see it evolving over time?

Meg: dLook earns revenue via paid listings and banner advertising. We offer a more competitive pricing model than the other major directories, and offer more features for that price.

More businesses are coming to realise the importance of having a strong online presence. Consequently, Australia has seen substantial growth in online advertising, where it is now worth over $1 billion annually. Growth in the local and directories sector is predicted to continue to rise, so I see dLook well placed to capture a worthwhile amount of this revenue.

Andrew: The Obits site is an interesting concept - a search engine for obituaries. Do you cross-list funeral directors on dLook and Obits?

Meg: Obits came about because Australia is so far behind other countries in the way we announce funerals. It’s extremely difficult to find a funeral announcement online, and many aren’t listed. Additionally, the announcements are only displayed online for a very short period of time.

Unfortunately, despite the website being popular with searchers, it has been perceived as being “ahead of its time” by many funeral directors. The industry, as a whole, is quite traditional in the way it conducts business, so it’s a big leap for many. I do see Obits as being well positioned for the future, however.

In terms of cross listing, the data base was initially provided by dLook, but the two directories display different information.

Andrew: Thank you once again for your time.

Meg: Thanks again for the invitation