A 27-year-old BahamasLocal staff member has become the first Bahamian to earn an Internet Marketing Association certification.
Patrick Deveaux said the comprehensive course leading to certification helped prepare him for the marketing arm that is increasingly driving how business is done. Deaveaux, who has served as information officer and website manager for the local search engine BahamasLocal.com for three years, said Internet marketing is no longer the wave of the future - it's already lapping at Bahamian shores.
"There is no question that Internet marketing is the engine driving business," said Deveaux, who also holds a B.A. in English Language and Literature. "If we just look at how fast BahamasLocal has grown, it gives you some idea of the power of Internet marketing."
Launched in 2009, BahamasLocal has exploded with more than 1 million views. Often called the Google of The Bahamas, it contains information on 15,000-plus businesses, a directory of telephone numbers, calendar of events, classified ads from jobs to goods for sale, up-to-the-hour weather reports and news updates every two hours. Viewers can read movie reviews and reserve tickets, see which companies are recommended, sign up for activities, follow links to thousands of sites, get weather alerts and check restaurant menus and reviews."
Deveaux's advanced training is expected to be especially useful for the increasing mobile app market segment.
"We have seen research showing people are so connected to their mobile devices now that 75 percent admit to taking their smart phone into the bathroom with them," he said. "We live in a world where the thirst for information is great, but people want it instantly."
According to BahamasLocal.com CEO/President Jason McDowall, what keeps the site relevant is not just its vastness as a repository of information but its dynamic nature and constant updating.
"It's the constantly flexing morning newspaper that changes headlines as news breaks," said McDowall. "So, for us, keeping up with trends and technology is as critical as keeping up with what's important in the community."
One year after it launched its computer site, BahamasLocal launched its mobile site; last year, McDowall was invited to join a delegation of board members and marketing professionals from top companies around the world for a series of meetings and networking opportunities in Dublin, Ireland - the home to the international and European headquarters for innovators such as Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Yahoo!, Apple, PayPal, Cisco Systems and Dropbox.
"I'm very excited and fortunate to be part of something that is making history in the way that The Bahamas and Bahamians approach business, Internet and online advertising in years to come," said Deveaux.

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