How It Works

The District Atlas: Greater Manchester Locality Atlas

Our homepage uses a district atlas layout for Greater Manchester, clustering nearby neighbourhoods together with no placeholder gaps. Pick any tile to dive straight into that district and start exploring businesses.

How the Atlas Works

The district atlas is colour-coded by distance from Manchester City Centre, mirroring the orbit styling on the homepage. Each district tile shows the number of businesses currently listed, so you know exactly what to expect before clicking.

Click any district to view all businesses in that area
Colour coding shows distance from the city centre (darker = closer)
Business counts displayed on each tile help you explore
New additions are marked with a red dot indicator

Why This Approach?

Traditional directories overwhelm users with thousands of results. Our district-first approach lets users browse locally, discovering businesses they might never have found through a standard search. It's like walking down your local high street, but online.

District Pages: Browse by Area

When you click on a district, you're taken to a dedicated page showing all businesses in that area. This is where the browsing experience really shines.

1

Choose Your District

Click any area on the homepage map to explore

2

Browse Listings

See all businesses in that district, ordered by join number

3

Apply Filters

Sort by name, category, or other criteria if you prefer

4

View Details

Click a listing to see full business information

The Join Number System

Every business that joins AroundManchester.com receives a unique join number. This number is assigned in the order businesses sign up, and it plays an important role in how listings are displayed.

Default Ordering: By Join Number

By default, business listings are ordered by their join number, not alphabetically. This means businesses that joined earlier appear higher in the listing. It's our way of rewarding early supporters who believed in our directory from the start.

Founder Spots: Reserved for Unique Businesses

Our first 1,000 join numbers (Founder Spots) are reserved for unique businesses only. If your business already holds a Founder Spot and you wish to add a second location, that additional location will be assigned a join number above 1,000 at the standard Service Fee.

This policy ensures the limited Founder Spots benefit as many different businesses as possible, rather than being consumed by multiple branches of the same company. Your first location keeps its Founder pricing and ranking – additional locations simply join the standard queue.

Why Join Numbers Feel Prestigious

Your join number is a visible badge of commitment. Businesses with numbers below 1001 lock in their discount tier for as long as membership never lapses, and that same uninterrupted membership keeps their default listing priority fixed in district and regional views.

Search results and filter lists start with join number ordering by default. That means a business that joined early sits ahead in the standard view across districts until a user switches to another sort (A–Z, newest, or category). Keep your membership continuous and your number keeps working for you year after year.

Why Join Number Ordering?

Rewards Early Adopters: Businesses that join early get lasting visibility benefits
Fair and Transparent: Everyone knows the rules – earlier means higher placement
No Pay-to-Play: You can't buy a better position; it's purely based on when you joined, and how the user filters the list
Encourages Growth: Creates an incentive for businesses to join sooner rather than later
Prevents Gaming: Unlike alphabetical ordering, you can't change your business name to "AAA Plumbers" to rank first

User Control

While join number ordering is the default, users always have control. Every district page includes filter options that allow users to:

Sort alphabetically by business name (A-Z or Z-A)
Filter by business category
Search for specific businesses
View newest additions first

This ensures that while early-joining businesses get default visibility, users can always find exactly what they're looking for using their preferred sorting method.

Business Listing Pages

Each business has its own dedicated page with comprehensive information to help users make informed decisions.

What's Included

Business Details: Name, description, contact information, and address
Opening Hours: Clear display of when the business is open
360 Degree Virtual Tours: Immersive views of the business (where available)
Photo Gallery: Images showcasing the business and its offerings
Accessibility Information: Details about wheelchair access and disability-friendly facilities
Google Maps Link: Direct link to the business location on Google Maps for easy directions
Categories: Business type and services offered

Share Once, Answer Everything

When customers contact you through social media, phone, or email, and ask what facilities you have, what is the layout of the premises, or what types of wares you carry, you can simply direct them to your listing on AroundManchester.com and that answers all the questions for you.

Why 360 Degree Tours?

We believe in helping users make confident decisions before visiting. Our 360 degree virtual tours let you explore a business as if you were there. Check out the layout, see the atmosphere, and even verify accessibility features – all from the comfort of your home.

Benefits for Everyone

For Businesses

Fair visibility based on when you joined, not how much you pay
Permanent join number means lasting benefits
360 degree tours showcase your premises professionally
District-based browsing brings local customers to you
No invasive tracking means privacy-conscious customers trust listings
Clean, professional presentation alongside other quality businesses
Accessibility features highlighted to reach more customers

For Users

Discover local businesses you might never have found
Browse by district like walking down a local high street
Filter and sort however you prefer
360 degree tours help you decide before visiting
No cookies or tracking – your privacy is protected
Accessibility information helps plan accessible visits
Support local businesses in your community

The Hook: Your Customer Loyalty Strategy

Every successful business needs a way to encourage customers to return regularly and spend more. We call this The Hook – your unique incentive that keeps customers coming back and builds lasting loyalty.

Accept Card Payments

Before implementing any loyalty scheme, we strongly advise all businesses to accept card payments. This ensures you never miss a sale because a customer doesn't have cash. In today's world, card payment capability is essential for maximising every customer opportunity.

What is The Hook?

The Hook is essentially your individual store's discount or reward scheme. It's a simple, compelling offer that gives customers a reason to choose you over competitors and to keep coming back. The best hooks are easy to understand, genuinely valuable, and encourage slightly higher spending.

Example Hooks by Business Type

Local Mini Mart / Convenience Store

The Hook: "Spend £25 and get free milk or bread"

This encourages customers to consolidate their shopping with you rather than splitting purchases across multiple stores. A customer who might normally spend £18 will often add a few extra items to reach the £25 threshold, increasing your average transaction value while they feel rewarded.

Coffee Shop / Café

The Hook: "Spend £10 and get a free pastry or biscuit with your order"

This encourages customers to add an extra drink or upgrade their order during their current visit. A customer buying a single coffee might add a second drink for a friend, or choose a pricier specialty drink, to hit the £10 threshold. No stamp cards needed – instant reward, instant satisfaction.

Hair Salon / Barber

The Hook: "Book your next appointment today and receive 10% off that booked visit"

This secures future business immediately and reduces no-shows. You could also offer "Refer a friend who books, and you both get £5 off your next visit" – turning satisfied customers into active promoters of your business.

Takeaway / Restaurant

The Hook: "Spend £30 or more per person and receive a free side dish or dessert for that diner"

Food businesses thrive on larger orders. This hook encourages customers to add that extra main course or upgrade their order to hit the threshold. A table of four might add an extra starter or round of drinks to qualify, increasing your revenue while giving them a sweet bonus at the end of their meal.

Cross-Promotions: Coming Soon

We're actively developing exciting new features to help nearby businesses work together. Imagine a customer visiting your café and receiving a discount voucher for the bookshop next door – and vice versa. These cross-promotions will encourage customers to explore multiple local businesses in one trip, benefiting everyone in the area.

We're also exploring:

District Loyalty Schemes: Rewards for shopping at multiple businesses within the same district
Local High Street Trails: Curated walking routes that guide customers to participating businesses
Seasonal Collaborative Events: Joint promotions during holidays and local events
Bundle Deals: Combined offers across complementary businesses (e.g., restaurant + cinema discounts)

Stay tuned as we roll out these features – early-joining businesses will be first to access these powerful new tools.

Big Budget Advertising: Your Business on the Big Screen

When funds allow, we plan to market AroundManchester.com through television commercials, radio spots, billboards, online advertising, and local event sponsorships. Here's the exciting part: your business could be featured.

With each advertising campaign, we'll invite member businesses to participate. To keep things fair, we may use a raffle or rotation system – ensuring everyone benefits over time. Your membership helps spread the cost of professional advertising, giving you access to big-budget exposure that would otherwise be out of reach for most small businesses.

Our goal: get you seen by everyone, everywhere – not just on our website.

Future Tech: Your Listing Grows With Us

Technology moves fast, and so do we. When you join AroundManchester.com, you're not just getting a static listing – you're getting a platform that continuously improves over time.

Automatic Upgrades

As we enhance our technology and introduce new features, your business listing benefits automatically. We upgrade imagery quality, add new content capabilities, and improve the user experience across the entire service – bringing the quality of every listing up to par without requiring action from you.

Those upgrades are scheduled for your renewal window: everything included in the Service Fee (core imagery, accessibility coverage, structured data) is refreshed as part of that renewal, while any new or additional 360 scenes or gallery items beyond the included set are charged at the prevailing add-on rates and are not carried forward year to year to keep the presentation consistent.

If you renew the Service Fee but choose not to use the upgrade window, your existing listing simply continues as-is. You retain your original join number and visibility, you just skip that cycle’s content refresh until you opt in at a future renewal.

What This Means for Your Business

Latest Imagery Standards: When we adopt new photography techniques or virtual tour technology, existing listings are upgraded to match
Enhanced Features: New listing capabilities are rolled out to all businesses, not just new sign-ups
Improved Visibility: Platform-wide SEO and performance improvements benefit everyone
Modern Presentation: Your listing always looks current and professional as design standards evolve
Hosting Included: Your Service Fee already covers hosting and delivery of every asset on AroundManchester.com, keeping everything live without separate infrastructure conversations. If you want the 360 degree tour embedded on your own website, we provide an extra-fee licensing and embed service that streams the content without transferring the original files.

Pricing Protection for Early Adopters

We believe in rewarding businesses that support us early. The current Service Fee is £250 + VAT per year and includes the core imagery + accessibility package. Discounts follow your join number and remain active only with continuous membership and on-time renewals.

Joins 1–100: Founding Rate

50% off the Service Fee for life while your membership stays uninterrupted. That’s currently £125 + VAT per year; the 50% discount stays locked even if future pricing rises.

Joins 101–500: Six Years at Half Rate

Pay £125 + VAT per year for six full years while active; from year seven you move to the standard Service Fee (currently £250 + VAT) with a permanent 20% loyalty discount for the lifetime of your uninterrupted membership.

Joins 501–1000: 25% Intro Rate

£187.50 + VAT per year for your first ten continuous renewals. After ten years or any lapse, renewals revert to the prevailing Service Fee.

Joins 1001+ and Bespoke

For most businesses at join 1001+, the standard Service Fee is currently £250 + VAT per year. Medium and large companies are scoped on a bespoke plan – those organisations should call or email the team before onboarding.

Renewals, Prepay, and Eligibility

You can prepay up to 30 years of Service Fees from your original join date; invoices arrive up to 30 business days before renewal, and any Service Fee left unpaid seven days after your anniversary counts as lapsed membership and forfeits discounts and ranking. Full eligibility requirements are listed on our Join Us page.

Join numbers stay with the original legal entity and trading name. Rebrands, new ownership, or new incorporations need a fresh listing and join number under the then-current Service Fee and discount tier. Extra 360 scenes or gallery items beyond the included set follow prevailing add-on rates and are refreshed during your renewal window.

No Commission, No Hidden Fees

Very important to note: we do not take a percentage of your sales. Just a once-a-year membership fee based on the service level required. Your revenue stays exactly where it belongs – in your pocket.

Any optional extras are clearly itemised on our Service Fees page, and bespoke services are scoped and priced individually so you always know the total cost before giving approval.

When Do Upgrades Apply?

Technology upgrades to your listing are activated at your renewal time, not during your current subscription year. This gives you predictability and control over your listing content throughout your active period.

At renewal time, you will be offered the opportunity to allocate time to update the content for your listing. This means:

No Mid-Year Surprises: Your current listing remains stable throughout your subscription period
Scheduled Refresh: Renewal is the perfect time to update photos, descriptions, and take advantage of new features
Professional Support: We'll work with you to refresh your 360 degree imagery and content using our latest technology
Your Choice: You decide what gets updated – we simply make the latest tools available to you

The Bottom Line

Join now, and as AroundManchester.com evolves into an even more powerful platform, your listing evolves with it. Better technology, better presentation, better results – all while your costs remain predictable and fair. It's more value for your business in the long term.

Why This System Works

Fairness First

Unlike directories where the highest bidder wins, our system rewards commitment. Join early, stay visible – it's that simple.

Community Focused

The district-based approach celebrates Manchester's diverse neighbourhoods and helps users discover their local community.

Privacy Respecting

We don't track users or use cookies. This builds trust with privacy-conscious users who are more likely to engage with listed businesses.

Transparency Always

Every business knows exactly where they stand and why. No hidden algorithms, no mysterious ranking factors – just clear, fair rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my join number?

No. Join numbers are permanent and assigned in the order businesses sign up. This ensures the system remains fair for everyone.

What if I want to appear first?

The best way to appear higher in default listings is to join early. However, users can always use filters to find businesses by name or category, so being discoverable isn't just about position.

Do you offer paid placements?

We believe in fair representation. Our core listing positions are determined by join number, not payment. This keeps the directory honest and trustworthy. However, we will have a dedicated page for promotions which has costs associated. We believe in more dynamic advertising which highlights your business and more – more on this in future.

How do users find my specific business?

Users can search by business name, filter by category, or browse your district. Even if you're not at the top of the default list, engaged users will find you through these tools.

Do I have to provide all parts of the listing such as contact details or emails?

No, you can omit some details. However, we believe customers should always have some form of communication option. At minimum, you must provide an address for the business. You can omit either a phone number or email, but not both – at least one contact method is required.

What are 360 degree tours?

These are immersive virtual tours that let users explore your premises online. They're created using specialist photography equipment and give potential customers a real feel for your business before they visit.

Is my business information private?

The information you provide for your listing is publicly visible (that's the point of a directory!). However, we don't track how users interact with your listing or sell data about your business. Internal data such as administrative contact details is kept private. We clarify these details with you before your listing goes live – we will be working through a joining form with you in person, and you will always have full information at every step of the process.

Refund Policy – AroundManchester.com

Completed Services: Once photography and hosting services have been delivered, refunds are not available unless the service has not been provided with reasonable care and skill or does not match the description agreed at the time of booking.
Partial Refunds: If you cancel before the service is fully delivered, any refund is reduced proportionately to reflect the value of work already completed. Where the value of completed work exceeds the refundable amount, no refund will be due. Once a listing is live, refunds are not available. If we have visited the premises to shoot, any partial refund is at our discretion, capped at 50% of the total price. A refund charge fee of approximately 5% of the total price is invoiced separately and must be paid before any partial refund is released.
Statutory Rights: This policy does not affect your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Customers are entitled to remedies if services are not delivered with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time, or as described. See Accepting returns and giving refunds: the law (GOV.UK) and the full legislation text at Consumer Rights Act 2015 (Legislation.gov.uk).

VAT handling: Refund calculations apply to the total price including VAT. Any refundable VAT is returned only on the refunded portion. The separate refund charge fee is invoiced plus VAT (where applicable) and is not refundable.
Example A (50% partial refund): Total price £1,000. Partial refund at 50% = £500. Refund charge fee at 5% of total = £50, invoiced separately before the refund is initiated (VAT added where applicable). Net effect: you pay the £50 refund fee (+VAT), and £500 is returned; total cost retained for completed work = £500.
Example B (30% partial refund): Total price £1,000. Partial refund at 30% = £300. Refund charge fee at 5% of total = £50, invoiced separately before the refund is initiated (VAT added where applicable). Net effect: we retain £700 for completed work, you pay the £50 refund fee (+VAT), and £300 is returned.

Questions?

If you have any questions about how AroundManchester.com works, we're happy to help:

Contact Us – Get in touch with our team
Join Us – Start your listing application
About Us – Learn more about our mission

Built Different, On Purpose