Get your business on the map

Adapting to change and embracing technology has been key to the ongoing success of Wises which is now into its 125th year of business in New Zealand. Wises recently launched a free service to businesses, allowing them to put themselves on the map using a self-service advert builder. The company, which started out mapping the Otago gold fields, now attracts over 300,000 visitors a month to its website.Dwayne Alexander, Wises CEO, has been at the helm for 18-months and says when he joined it was still a very traditional paper-based company. Alexander describes having a light-bulb moment which led to Wises upgrading to a business search engine and allowing businesses to create, host and market their own online advert or microsite. “This sort of innovation is really putting business on the map – so to speak - and helps them get to their target audience in a cost-effective way,” he says. Those businesses wanting to go the extra mile can upgrade to Gold, Silver or Platinum HTML packages with prices ranging from $500 to $2000 depending on the package and Alexander says Wises is looking at introducing a monthly payment option. “New Zealand is a nation of small businesses so being able to remove the production costs from an ad is a big attraction. The feedback we’re getting shows advertisers appreciate the ability to update their advertising when it suits them.” Now, he says, anyone looking for a business, product or service can find it, click onto the company’s website and print out a map of how to get there. “Wises has grown its assets and developed a unique proposition. We’re not resting on our laurels however and are looking to reinvent every quarter,” he says.