How It Works
A quick tour of the website. Everything here works the same way whether you are on a phone, a tablet, or a computer — "tap" and "click" mean the same thing.
Getting Around
The BLB logo takes you Home
On every page, the BLB logo sits in the upper left corner. Tap or click it at any time to return to the Home page.
The menu button opens the menu
The three stacked lines in the upper right corner are the menu button. Tap it to slide open the side menu, where you will find every page on this website. Tap the × in the menu to close it again.
Inside the side menu
The side menu lists Home, Categories, Calendar, About, and this page. The magnifying glass at the top opens Search, and the Facebook logo at the bottom takes you to our Facebook page.
Searching
Find a business by name or type
Open the side menu and tap the magnifying glass. Start typing a business name (like "Alex's") or a type of business (like "Pizza"). Suggestions appear as you type — a building icon means a business name, a handshake means a main service, and a tag means a category. Tap any suggestion to go straight to it.
If what you typed is not in our directory yet, a small message will let you know.
The Home Page
Spin the wheel of services
The Home page shows a spinning wheel of our nine service groups — Food, Auto, Retail, and more. On a phone or tablet, swipe left or right across it to turn the wheel. On a computer, click just to the left or right of the front picture to turn it.
Open a service group
When the service you want is front and center, tap its picture. That opens a page listing every local business in that group.
The Categories Page
Browse by category
The Categories page groups every kind of business under our nine service headings. Tap a heading to open or close its list. Tap any category button — like "Hair Salons" or "Pizza" — to see the local businesses in that category.
Browsing Businesses
Reading a business card
Each business appears as a card showing its picture, name, what it does, a short description, its phone number, and its address. If the business is on Facebook or Instagram, you will see those logos on the card too — tap one to visit their page.
Call with one tap
On a phone, tap any phone number and your phone will offer to dial it for you. No need to remember or retype the number.
Find similar businesses
The small buttons on a card (like "Auto Repair") are categories. Tap one to see every business in that same category.
Business Details
See the full details
Tap a business's picture to open its details window. There you will find its full description, address, phone number, hours, a map, and more pictures if the business has them. Tap the × in the corner to close the window.
Website, Directions, and Share
The buttons in the details window do the legwork for you: Website opens the business's own website, Directions opens a map with turn-by-turn directions from where you are, and Share lets you send the business's details to a friend or family member.
The Calendar Page
See what's happening
The Calendar page shows upcoming events in and around Belvidere — festivals, markets, fundraisers, and more. Tap an event on the calendar to see its details.
The About Page
Get in touch
The About page tells the story of Belvidere Local Businesses and is the place to reach us. Tap Inquiry to message us on Facebook, or use the email address shown there. Business owners: this is how you ask to be added to the directory or send us a correction.