HELP & FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) FOR BUSINESS SEARCH
SEARCHING BUSINESSES AT XO.GR
What information can I search for and find at xo.gr?
Xo.gr is the on-line version of the Greek Yellow Pages. It is a Business Directory, that promotes businesses and professionals operating in Greece. It is available both in Greek and English.
To its end users, xo.gr provides the following information:
- Search for Businesses and Professionals
- Search for an address and routing guidelines by using the Greek Yellow Pages' Maps service.
- Search for dynamic information (that change frequently) to specific business categories such as: Pharmacies on Duty, Hospitals on Duty, Ferry Schedules, Fuel Prices (available in Greek only)
- Search for other really usefull info such as: Greek Postal (Zip) Codes
How can I find a business or professional?
There are the following three basic ways to find one or more businesses:
- Whether by using the search form at the top of each page
- Either by browsing through the following directories: a) Business Categories, b) Popular Searches and c) Local Yellow Pages.
Through the search form, you can search with the following three alternative ways: 1) simple search, 2) search near me and 3) advanced search
With the simple search:
In the form field 'what, who?' you can enter: a) a business category-activity, b) the name of a company or the name of a professional, c) a product or service, and d) a telephone number of a business-professional. And all these, you can enter them either individually (eg: Removals and Transport) or in combination (eg: Removals and Transport Papadopoulos).
Also, in the 'who' field you can enter: a) 'Greece' or leave the field blank (in this case, search will be accomplished at the national level), b) region (eg: Thessaly), c) area (eg: Trikala), d) town or village (eg: Trikala or Palaiochori Trikala), e) the wider region (eg: mountainous Arcadia), f) island (eg: Kastelorizo), g ) district (eg: Neos Kosmos, Pagrati), h) Postal Code (ZIP) and i) municipality (eg: Municipality of Trikala) based on Kallikrates' system.
So, if for example, you want to find all the companies involved in removals in Trikala, you were looking for: removals (in what field, what) Trikala (in the field).
With search near me:
Selecting the 'Near me' search mode, which is located after the field: 'who' you are able to find a business-professional near an address and selecting a specific range (from 2.5 to 50 km).
If there are more than one points with the address entered, a list (in alphabetical order) will appear with all the available options in order for you to determine the preferred address.
Please, note that by creating your own personal account at xo.gr, you can use a default address, such as your home, office, etc.
With advanced search:
With this search mode, you can search combined. And this can be done by entering: a) in the 'what?' field a business category-activity, a product or service, b) in the 'Town / village' field a city, village, island, district, c) into the 'who' field a company name or the name of a professional, d) in the field 'street name' the name of a street, avenue etc. (eg: Syggrou, Aristotelous), e) into the 'phone' field the phone of a business/professional, f) in the 'prefecture' field a prefecture and g) in the 'P.C.' field a zip code.
How to express/write what I want to find?
We recommend to use as simple and targeted keywords as possible and to write them as a whole, not being cut. Eg., it is better to write 'relocation' instead of 'reloc.'.
It will be also easier if you combine more than one attributes. Eg, If you know the name of a transportation company and its location and you want to find the address, phone, or other related info, you can write:
In the 'what, who' field: 'VATISTAS transports' and in the 'who' field: Agia Varvara.
When typing, you do not have to employ such issues as (please, notice that some of the following options do not apply in the English language):
- The spelling of the words.
Write the words as you hear them. The search engine will understand that when, for example: a) you write Thesalonniki, you mean Thessaloniki, b) you write 'ανακένηση' you mean ανακαίνιση etc. - The inflectional form words.
Write the words in any fall or number. For example, the words: car, cars lead to the same results. - The case-sensitive, accented-insipid.
Write the words in lowercase or uppercase characters with tone or without tone. For example, the words FLORISTS, Florists or florists lead to the same results. - The active language of your PC.
Write the words either in Greek or Latin (greeklish) characters. Eg. by writing either 'μετακομίσεις μεταφορές' or 'metakomiseis metafores', you will be directed to the same results.
When I type in the 'who' field eg 'Thessaloniki' or 'Paros' I get proposed more than one option. Why does this happen?
As long as you enter a location name, the search engine of xo.gr is trying to 'guess' the best of your intention. This is mainly based on the spelling of location names.
In some cases, especially in the capitals of prefectures and in the main towns of islands, you will be presented with more than one option related to what you write.
Eg. through the auto-suggest, when you type 'Thessaloni...' you are presented with the options: a) Thessaloniki and b) Thessaloniki (Center - Municipality) and when you type 'Paros...' you are presented with the options: a) Paros (island) and b) Paros (Town). This is because in the case of Thessaloniki there is the broader urban area of Thessaloniki and its center, while in the case of Paros there is both the island Paros and the main town of Paros.
This separation is for purely usage reasons.
How are the results being displayed-presented?
Search results are sorted and presented in two ways: a) by priority - relevance and b) alphabetically (based on the business name or the professional's name).The first way, which is the default mode of classification, is based on: a) the relevance of your search criteria with the business listings' content and b) the economic value of each business listing.The order of appearance of business listings having equal value is random. The paid listings always precede of the free ones.
How can I improve-enhance the search results? Are there any aids that I can use?
In terms of functionality on the entries in the results page you can:
- See the results sorted in alphabetical order
- Filter the results based on a number of attributes, both general (eg: profession, locality, if the listing has website etc.) and custom by business category (eg: the cuisine in restaurants)
- Add the listings you want in a virtual list via the 'Add to My List' located at each listing.
The listings you add to this list, you can find them at the bottom of the page (see 'MY LIST').
In fact, the listings you add to this list, you can save them to your own Yellow Pages account, after you log-in.
Besides the above functionalities, the searches you make, are being temporarily stored in your own History, which also is accessible from the bottom of the page.
Some business listings are not been located in the place-location I searched for. What can I do;
By default, when you search for something in a specific location, the search engine of xo.gr returns business listings, who: a) may be the sponsor of the first business category and location, b) may serve the searched location and c) may be located in the searched location.
In the first case, the sponsors appear on the top of each category, have a blue border and are marked as a 'SPONSOR'.
In the second case (eg. an insulation company based in Athens, but which also serves Corinth, Halkida etc.), these listings always are marked with a 'SERVES' indication.
For your convenience, when you only want to find companies located in a specific location, you can use the relevant filter 'Serving - Located in the search area'.
The search results are not the desired ones. What can I do;
In the case when the results do not satisfy you or you believe they are wrong, please:
- Check the spelling of words
- Try with more generic or synonymous keywords
- Try with a fewer keywords
- Try a wider area
- Try without a location
If the above tips will not help you, you can use the following sources:
- Send an e-mail to: online@xo.gr describing briefly what you searched for, what results you got and what was reasonably being expected
- Alternatively, call the 11811 , the Directory Assistance (DA) service of Greek Yellow Pages
Call Cost: Calling 11811 from a landline costs 0.98 € per minute and from a mobile phone costs 1,19 € per minute (VAT included).
I do not find the phone of a known company. What can I do;
Not finding the phone of your known company meets the following possible reasons:
- The company or the professional is not on the customers' list or the entire index of xo.gr.
In this case, you can:- Add the business-professional by using the free business listing form
- Please let us know the problem by sending us an e-mail at: online@xo.gr
- The company or professional has chosen to add her business with a different name than the one you know
In this case, please try to search using all possible names (one at a time).
INFORMATION OF A BUSINESS LISTING
What types of business listings do exist at xo.gr and how are they distinguished?
The business listings at xo.gr divided into three main categories: a) advertisers-sponsors, b) advertisers and c) the free listings.
On the results page, these three types are shown with their respective colors: a) blue b) yellow and c) gray.
In the profile pages of these listings, there is visual discrimination, but rather a difference in the content volume where the above two first types have more content than the free listings.
What information is contained in a business listing? And what options do I have to communicate with the business owner?
The information inside a business listing vary depending on its type (see related 'What types of business listings do exist at xo.gr and how are they distinguished?').
Thus, the free listings have the majority of the basic content information, namely: business name or professional's name, address, phone, business category in which are classified and other basic information. Sometimes, in critical business categories, such as pharmacies, you will find other dynamic information such as the hours on duty.
Conversely, the information in the advertisers' listings contain mostly much greater volume of information and communication options.
I noticed that the information of a business listing are incorrect. Can I do something about it?
In any free listing, there is the option to correct the basic data. You can do this by selecting the option 'Suggest an Update' and filling-in the related form.
In some business listings, I noticed that there are user comments. What are these and how they affect a listing?
In all business listings of xo.gr, whether they belong to advertisers or they are free, the end-users have the possibility (after they register and get their own Yellow Pages account) to review and rate (on a scale of one to five) a business point. An exception to this are the listings in the healthcare industry.
Also, in business listings, mainly related with business categories in the tourism sector (hotels, rooms to let, restaurants, etc.) and in partnership with TripAdvisor you will find reviews and ratings for these companies from TripAdvisor's registered users.
Reviews and ratings can offer similar 'value' to the word of mouth advertising!
For the management of reviews-rating:
The reviews, supplied by xo.gr users, at first they are evaluated by Greek Yellow Pages' moderators and then they are published. The reviews from TripAdvisor are being published automatically, as provided by tripadvisor.com and agree to the relevant quality assurance guidelines.
Note that for both the reviews supplied by xo.gr users, and the reviews from TripAdvisor, there is the possibility of deleting them from the business listings of xo.gr. This can be done by contacting the Customer Service of Greek Yellow Pages at: 800 110 1888 (free of charge inside Greece), 0030 210 9204200 or at customerservice@xo.gr.
How often are the business listings' information provided by xo.gr renewed?
The business listings' information we provide you is renewed every day.
FOR BUSINESS OWNERS
How can I get a free business listing?
You can fill out the related free business listing form. By submitting your data, your application will be tested. If all your data are certified, your free listing will be published at xo.gr within ten (10) working days.
As the owner of a business, how can I enrich the details of a free listing?
In the main area of each free listing, there is the message-option: 'Are you the owner of this business? Enrich your listing!', which prompts you to an appropriate request form.
Since you are the owner or legal representative of this business, by completing your information, an advertising consultant of Greek Yellow Pages will contact you to consult you of how you can enrich the listing's content with the ultimate goal of attracting more customers.
Alternatively, you can contact the Customer Service of Greek Yellow Pages at: 800 110 1888 (free of charge inside Greece), 0030 210 9204200 or at customerservice@xo.gr.
Is it possible that I may already be listed at xo.gr;
Yes, it is possible that you or your business is already listed at xo.gr. You can check it by searching your activities in combination with your location. We recommend to use the advanced search for this reason.
The details of my business listing have changed or they are incorrect. What can I do;
If your business listing is a free one, please go the its profile page, select the option 'Suggest an Update' and fill-in the related form.
In any case, you can call the Customer Service of Greek Yellow Pages at: 800 110 1888 (free of charge inside Greece) and 0030 210 9204200.
Where I can read more about all the products and services of Greek Yellow Pages?
If you wish to be informed about all of our products and services, please visit the corporate, specially designed micro-site: adsolutions.xo.gr (available only in greek).