Berks Connect

Last Updated: December 14, 2025

At Berks Connect, we believe in complete transparency about how our business operates. This page explains how we generate revenue, what's free versus paid on our platform, and how we ensure that our editorial content remains independent from our business interests.

Our Mission Comes First

Our primary mission is to help residents of Berks County and the surrounding region discover and connect with local businesses. This mission guides all of our decisions. We are committed to providing accurate, helpful information about local businesses—regardless of whether those businesses pay us anything.

We believe that maintaining user trust is essential to our long-term success. For this reason, we are transparent about how we make money and ensure that paid features never compromise the integrity of our content.

What's Free

The foundation of Berks Connect is free and always will be:

Basic business listings: Every legitimate local business can have a free listing on Berks Connect. This includes business name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, categories, and a description.
Claiming your listing: Business owners can claim and verify their listing at no cost, giving them control over their business information.
Updating information: Claimed businesses can update their hours, contact information, description, and other details for free.
Searching and browsing: Users can search for businesses, browse categories, and access business information completely free.
Basic analytics: Claimed businesses receive basic visibility into how their listing is performing.

How We Make Money

Berks Connect generates revenue through optional premium services for businesses. These paid features provide enhanced visibility and additional tools, but they never affect the accuracy or objectivity of business information.

Premium Listing Subscriptions

Businesses can upgrade to premium listings (such as "Plus" or "Premium" tiers) that include:

Enhanced visibility in search results and category pages
Priority placement in relevant listings
Additional photos and media
Verified badges and trust indicators
Detailed analytics and insights
Special promotional features
Deals and offers functionality

Featured Placements

Businesses may pay for featured placement in specific sections of our website, such as:

Homepage featured business sections
Category page highlights
Location-specific featured listings

How We Identify Paid Content

We clearly distinguish between organic content and paid promotional content:

Premium badges: Businesses with premium subscriptions display badges (such as "Plus" or "Premium") on their listings.
Featured labels: Content that appears in a featured position due to payment is labeled as "Featured" or "Sponsored."
Visual distinction: Promoted content is visually distinguished from organic listings.

We do not disguise paid promotional content as organic editorial content. If a business appears prominently because they paid for that placement, it will be clear to users.

What Payment Does NOT Buy

To maintain trust and integrity, we do not accept payment for:

Favorable reviews or ratings: We do not sell positive reviews, improved ratings, or sentiment manipulation. Business ratings and reviews are based on actual customer experiences.
Removal of negative information: We do not remove accurate negative information in exchange for payment. Businesses cannot pay to hide unfavorable (but truthful) content.
Biased editorial content: Our descriptions and editorial content are based on facts, not payments. Premium businesses do not receive more favorable descriptions.
Manipulation of organic search results: While premium businesses may appear in featured sections, our organic search algorithm is not influenced by payment.
Removal of competitors: Businesses cannot pay to have competitors removed or demoted.

Our Editorial Independence

Our editorial team operates independently from our business and sales operations:

Business information is presented accurately regardless of payment status
AI-generated descriptions are based on publicly available information, not payment
Category assignments and search rankings are based on relevance, not revenue
We apply the same content standards to free and premium listings

For more details on our editorial standards, please see our Editorial Policy.

Affiliate Relationships

Currently, Berks Connect does not participate in affiliate marketing programs. If this changes in the future, we will update this disclosure and clearly identify any affiliate relationships.

Third-Party Advertising

We may display advertisements from third-party businesses or advertising networks in designated areas of our website. These advertisements are:

Clearly marked as advertisements
Visually separated from our directory content
Subject to our content guidelines

The presence of an advertisement does not constitute an endorsement of the advertised product or service.

Why We Charge for Premium Features

Running a comprehensive local business directory requires significant resources:

Technology infrastructure and hosting
Data collection and verification
Content moderation and quality control
Customer support
Ongoing development and improvements

Premium subscriptions allow us to maintain the free tier for all businesses while building a sustainable business that can serve our community for the long term. We believe this model aligns our interests with those of our users—we succeed when local businesses and residents find value in our platform.

Questions About Our Business Model

We welcome questions about how we operate. If you have questions about our advertising practices, business model, or anything covered in this disclosure, please contact us:

Berks Connect
4712 Penn Ave, Unit 7090
Sinking Spring, PA 19608
Email: hello@berksconnect.com
Phone: +1-484-650-3808

Updates to This Disclosure

We may update this Advertising Disclosure from time to time as our business model evolves. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page indicates when this disclosure was last revised. We encourage you to review this page periodically.