Grampian Business Finder

Grampian Business Finder is a large, bespoke digital platform built to help people discover trustworthy local businesses across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and the wider Grampian region. Rather than presenting a simple list of companies, the platform brings together the full journey from finding a provider to making contact, while giving verified businesses a richer way to promote their services, experience and expertise.

MCT Web designed and developed the platform around a Nuxt and Vue frontend with a Go backend. The architecture was created to support a substantial, data-driven service with multiple user journeys, structured content and ongoing activity from businesses, customers and administrators. The result is a responsive application that feels approachable for consumers while giving members the tools they need to manage and grow their presence online.

At the centre of the site is a searchable business directory. Visitors can browse businesses by category, search for specific services and use location information to find relevant providers nearby. Individual business profiles include descriptions, contact details, websites, social links, opening hours, images, services, qualifications and areas of expertise, giving customers the information they need to make an informed decision without leaving the platform.

Trust is a key part of the experience. Member businesses are independently verified as real and insured, with verification information and membership status forming part of the wider platform workflow. Reviews and star ratings allow customers to share their experiences, while business owners can build a credible public profile around the quality of their work. The system also supports review images, replies and the moderation controls needed to keep user-generated content useful and appropriate.

The application includes interactive location features using map data and Leaflet, with Google Maps services supporting location search and business addresses. Directory results can be explored geographically, and map markers connect the physical location of a business with its profile in the interface. This is particularly valuable for a regional directory where proximity and service area are often as important as the business category itself.

The platform extends beyond business listings. Members can publish special offers and events alongside their main profile, allowing the directory to act as an active local marketplace rather than a static catalogue. Offers have their own dates, descriptions and links back to the responsible business, while events provide a structured way to promote local activity. Businesses can also share profiles, reviews, offers and events to social channels, helping useful content travel beyond the website.

Alongside the public experience, the bespoke application provides account, membership and administration workflows. Businesses can register, manage their profiles and promote their services, while authenticated users can interact with reviews and other platform content. Membership and payments are supported through Stripe, with PocketBase-backed data management supporting the directory, users, reviews, events, offers, categories and related records.

The frontend was built with a strong focus on responsive interaction, clear calls to action and reusable components across the directory, search, profile, map, membership and dashboard experiences. Nuxt server functionality handles application concerns such as sitemap generation and form protection, while the Go backend provides the dedicated service layer required by a platform of this scale. Sentry monitoring, structured metadata and JSON-LD help support the reliability, discoverability and long-term maintainability of the application.

The finished platform gives Grampian Business Finder a durable digital home for its community: a place where customers can find local providers, businesses can generate enquiries, and verified recommendations, events and offers can be shared throughout the region.