Introduction

Applegate Directory^[2075], often shortened to simply "Applegate", is an online business to business directory covering the UK and Ireland, notable for being one of only a very few directories that provide users with usage information based on page impressions rather than hits^[2076]. It is similar to directories such as Yell.com and Kelly's Directory.

The Directory stores details and contact information for more than 250,000 companies, and by basing usage statistics on page impressions rather than hits, arguably provides a more accurate representation of advertising reach for those wishing to purchase text adverts or banners on the directory.

Applegate claims a yearly reach of around 60,000,000 page impressions, and is audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) twice a year. The most recent audit (May 2006 at time of writing) puts the monthly reach at around 6,849,048 of which 1.6 million are unique users^[2077].

Like all directories in the B2B market, the directory makes money by selling advertising on the directory for keywords, enhancements and text and image-based banner adverts. Companies are encouraged to sign-up on a "standard" account, which offers limited functionality at no cost, and are then added to a database of businesses to which upgrades are sold, offering enhanced functionality, greater visibility on the directory pages and more products and information on company-specific pages.

History of Applegate

Applegate Directory was started in 1995 as a personal project by Andrew Tweedie to index the FTSE Top 100 companies. As the internet emerged as an effective medium on which to advertise, companies outside the FTSE Top 100 began requesting that they be included in the Directory, which at the time did not feature advertising and was not as complex as it is today.

The Applegate Directory as we know it today launched in 1998 with two sections (as opposed to the 12 it presently updates), for Electronics and Plastics and Rubber Companies^[2078], before expanding in April 1999 to 4 sections, and so on. The current version, which operates 12 different sections, has been running since 2005.

The Applegate Directory started as a family-run business and continues to be so. Initially conceived, developed and managed by Andrew and Pauline Tweedie and operated from their house in North Devon, the company now employs approximately 100 staff at various locations throughout the UK, including 5 members of the Tweedie family.

Sections & Perceived Transparency

Applegate currently features the following sections:

All Industry

Business Service

Chemical, Oil & Gas

Construction

Electronics

Engineering

Food & Agribusiness

IT for Industry

Packaging & Transport

Plastics & Rubber

Recruitment Services

Textiles & Clothing

The Directory bases much of its appeal on the concept of transparency, and goes so far as to list usage statistics (in page impressions) on publicly accessible pages of its site, dating back to January 2002. By making such figures accessible to all users of the site, potential advertisers can compare the cost of a link, banner or upgraded company profile with the amount of users they are potentially reaching; whereas other sites may offer vague, out of date or un-audited statistics.

Upkeep and Maintenance

Applegate Directory proved such a popular and high maintenance project that it spawned a stand-alone company dedicated to maintaining and monitoring the many critical components of the directory that go into its publication. The sister company, initially called Applegate Media but now trading under Abacus Tree Ltd, once more proved popular and today operates as a web solutions company, as well as undertaking full-time maintenance and development work for the Directory.

Initially, due to technical limitations, the site was updated monthly and had deadlines for publication, much like a traditional paper-based directory. However, as the technology powering the site has grown more advanced, most if not all aspects of the site are updated in real-time.

The site is generated from a mixture of 2,799 files and the application running it runs to 732,653 lines of code.

External links

Applegate Directory

Applegate Directory Public Statistics

Example Company Listing