Meet Sarah and Ness, the team behind The List
Welcome to The List, Illawarra. We’re Sarah and Ness – two local gals who are proud to be a part of the awesome Illawarra community. We run a local digital marketing agency as well as being full time professional firefighters and mums to teenage triplets.
We both love dining out in and around Wollongong, hitting the beach and bushwalking our beautiful escarpment. This website came about as a bit of an experiment when we were trying to offer an affordable online marketing option for local businesses who relied on social media.
An Illawarra online marketing service with a difference
The List was born out of a sleepless night, where Sarah was wondering how to make online marketing more accessible to small business owners. After visiting the Crown St Mall markets in Wollongong, there was more than one stall holder who we were keen to purchase from again. The problem was that many of them had absolutely no online visibility. Some had a Facebook Page… but not everyone is on Facebook. Lots had a business card, but let’s face it – a business card would probably stay tucked away in her wallet until it got used to prop up a wobbly table at a cafe next month!
Why we love local business stories
Our favourite part of running The List is the people. Behind every local business is a story: the moment someone decided to back themselves and go out on their own, the early starts and late nights, the wins worth celebrating and the tough times they pushed through. We love sitting down with Illawarra business owners and hearing why they started, what keeps them going and what they’re most proud of.
The List is our way of giving back to the local business community that has given us so much. It’s a place for small businesses to shine, and a place for locals to get to know the people behind the businesses they support. That might be the café that knows your order, the tradie who turned up when they said they would, or the little shop doing things its own way.
The Illawarra really is one of the best places in the world to live. It’s grown into one of Australia’s biggest cities, but it still has that country-town feel, where you bump into someone you know every time you step out. We hope The List helps create a few more of those connections between local businesses and the people who live here.
No website? No worries!
You don’t need a website to be on The List. Whether your business runs on a Facebook page, an Instagram account or good old word of mouth, a listing gives you a home online where locals can find you, see what you do and get in touch.
Listings start free. Enhanced and Premium listings add photos, more detail and a full business page set up to be found on Google. See all the options on our List your business page.
How can The List help your business?
Through our agency, Top Gong Digital Marketing, Sarah has spent years helping Illawarra businesses get found on Google, specialising in local SEO. Ness is the detail person behind the scenes, looking after research, writing and editing. Together we’ve built The List so every listing and article is set up to be found by locals searching for what you do.
- A local directory listing, organised by category and suburb so customers in your area can find you.
- Feature articles that share your story, perfect if you’ve just opened your doors or launched something new.
- Local guides and round-ups that put Illawarra businesses in front of readers looking for recommendations.
Get our “As featured on The List” badge
Businesses with an Enhanced or Premium listing, and every business we write a feature article about, get our As featured on The List Illawarra badge to display on their own website, linking back to their listing or story. It shows customers you’re a trusted part of the local business community, and a link from a local website also helps your business show up on Google.
Got a story to share, or know a local business we should feature? We’d love to hear from you.
Acknowledgement of Country
The List acknowledges the traditional custodians of this beautiful land, Dharawal Country, and we pay respect to their elders, both past and present. We are privileged to be able to live and work on these lands.
Always was, and always will be.
