Local.com Boosts Local Sales Staff

Local.com, which has previously relied on third-party sales, is going direct in a big way. The company has outsourced contracts for 50 salespeople, up from 10. “We plan to ramp sales staff to several hundred this year,” says CEO Heath Clarke in an earnings-related announcement, which noted the sales effort is the company’s “most important project.”

Clarke said the sales effort, along with other initiatives, should move the company into the black “no later than 4Q 2008.” Revenues for the fourth quarter were $5.9 million, and $21.5 million for the year — a 51 percent increase over $14.2 million for 2006. But the company suffered a net loss of $18.2 million.

Among the company’s major initiatives is a strategic partnership with IAC’s Citysearch, which calls for it to display Citysearch business profile data, including its reviews, ratings, business coupons and photos.