ChocoLocate : The Chocolate Lovers' Page : Business FAQ

Business FAQ

People in the chocolate business frequently ask questions about this site. Here are some of the most frequently asked ones, and their answers.

What business runs ChocoLocate?: ChocoLocate: The Chocolate Lovers' Page is not run by a business, but by an individual, Dan Birchall, who created it in 1994 and has developed it since then. It is run as a hobby and as a way of giving something back to the Internet.

Where's the money come from?: Financial gifts, and those text ads from Google.

How popular is ChocoLocate?: Specific site statistics are confidential, but visitor counts, page impressions, and the number of visitors who link to other chocolate sites through ChocoLocate are all at least in the "hundreds of thousands" range annually.

How can I let your users know about my site?: Submit your site for inclusion in listings on ChocoLocate. It will be reviewed and added to listings.

Why is my site review taking so long?: Dan has to put food on the table, and what people give him out of appreciation for this site doesn't cover the bills, so finding the time to keep up with site changes and email can be hard sometimes. A small gift is a great way to get his attention and expedite matters, though! :)

Can I make my site #1 in the listings?: The order in which sites are listed is determined by a combination of several factors, including when listings were added or updated, user ratings of sites, presence or absence of affiliate relationships, and gifts made on behalf of sites. The most effective ways of improving your site's ranking in listings on ChocoLocate are persuading other people to vote for you site (by having a really great site and great customer service) and of course gifts. Having an affiliate program doesn't hurt, either - contact Dan if you'd like ChocoLocate to join yours!

Can I sponsor ChocoLocate?: Not yet... but maybe soon. It'd basically involve making a gift large enough that Dan could devote some period of time to improving the site and keeping it current. This would benefit everyone who uses the site, and appreciation for that would definitely be shown for the duration of that period by having your site identified as a sponsor, with a link, at the top of a whole lot of pages.

Can I send you a product sample?: Product samples don't usually count toward site rankings, but they do help to provide a more informed opinion of your products. Contact Dan for a shipping address.

Why do you say "gift?" instead of "donation" or "payment?": "Payment" is too business-like, and "Donation" sounds too much like a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. ChocoLocate falls into neither category. Dan runs this site, indexes other site, ranks them based on various factors and sends visitors to them, whether you give him money or not. Giving him money doesn't get you a tax break, nor does it guarantee you anything of tangible value in return. If someone is doing something for free, and you give them money, that's a gift, right?