Finding Business Addresses Online

If you've ever tried to find a business address online to get directions or send something through the mail, you know that it can often be a frustrating experience. Fortunately, plenty of Web sites are designed to help you find business addresses online.
 

Web sites for Finding a Business by Address

The online Yellow Pages are much more convenient than that big yellow book you've got collecting dust on a shelf somewhere. The online version makes it possible to search more extensively and more quickly. Yellowpages.com allows you to find a business by address, simply by typing in the name or type of business you're searching for, the zip code or the city and state. Then, it brings up a list of matching businesses.
 
Yelp.com works similarly to the Yellow Pages in that you can type in relevant information to find a business address. Using Yelp you can search by:
  • address
  • city
  • neighborhood
  • state
  • zip code.
For instance, if you're on vacation in Orlando, Florida and looking for a Chinese Restaurant, you can type "Chinese" or "Chinese restaurant" and "Orlando, Florida" into the search engine and get several matches.
 
Another Web site that makes finding business addresses easier and more efficient is Hoovers.com. It is a very convenient site for looking up a business address when you don't know the location. For instance, if you want to write to Hasbro, Inc. (the board game company), simply type in "Hasbro," then select "by name/ticker." Within moments, the company's address in the United States and two subsidiaries, including the United Kingdom address, will come up.

Beyond Finding Business Addresses

Most Web sites that offer business-listing searches also offer other information. For example, Yellowpages.com also provides:
  • a map with directions
  • a short review of the business
  • official or related Web sites
  • phone numbers.

Yelp.com supplies similar information, as well as detailed information, such as:

  • dress code
  • if a restaurant delivers
  • if a business accepts credit cards
  • price range of services or food provided
  • whether a restaurant is take-out or sit-down.
These features are a plus if you're going somewhere you've never been to before. Yelp.com also provides a map and allows you to submit your own review. Whether you're the first or tenth submission, you might help someone have a good experience or save them from a bad one.
 
Hoovers.com works differently than the other two Web sites in that it is primarily for business purposes. Although finding business addresses is the site's primary purpose, it also makes available additional information, such as:
  • a description of the company
  • a list of the business' executives
  • news and press releases
  • sales information
  • stock market information.
These features are useful when you have a particularly good or bad experience somewhere and want to thank someone or ask for a refund. Hoovers.com may also provide the official Web site for a company.
 
Not all of the information provided by these Web sites is useful to everyone, and you may never need it all. Sometimes, when trying to find a business by address, the address is all you need.
 
Other times, knowing something about the business could prevent a mistake, like bringing your six dogs to a hotel that doesn't allow pets, or bringing your son, who refuses to eat anything but pasta, to a restaurant that only serves sandwiches. In any case, having a solid list of places for finding business addresses is always convenient.
 
Resources
 
Hoover's Inc. (2008). Hoovers. Retrieved March 19, 2008, from the Hoover's Inc. Web site.
 
Yellow Pages.com, LLC (2008). Yellowpages.com. Retrieved March 19, 2008, from the Yellow Pages.com Web site.
 
Yelp (2008). Yelp. Retrieved March 19, 2008, from the Yelp Web site.