@extends('layouts.public')
@section('title','About PLOCAL')
@section('description','Learn how PLOCAL evaluates local businesses and helps customers make more informed decisions nationwide.')
@section('canonical',config('plocal.public_url').'/about.html')
@section('image',config('plocal.public_url').'/assets/img/og-meta/plocal-about.png')
@push('styles')<link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/css/pages/about-public.css">@endpush
@section('content')
@include('public.partials.site-header')
<main id="main-content" class="plocal-about-page">
    <section class="plocal-about-hero" aria-labelledby="about-title">
        <div class="container plocal-about-container">
            <nav class="plocal-about-breadcrumb" aria-label="Breadcrumb"><ol><li><a href="{{ url('/') }}">Home</a></li><li aria-current="page">About PLOCAL</li></ol></nav>
            <div class="plocal-about-hero-content"><p class="plocal-about-eyebrow">About PLOCAL</p><h1>Helping people find local businesses they can trust.</h1><p>PLOCAL is a nationwide platform that evaluates how professional, credible, visible, and customer-ready a local business appears online.</p><a class="plocal-about-button" href="{{ url('/find-businesses') }}">Find evaluated businesses <i class="far fa-arrow-right" aria-hidden="true"></i></a></div>
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    </section>

    <section class="plocal-about-section" aria-labelledby="about-purpose-title"><div class="container plocal-about-container plocal-about-split"><div><p class="plocal-about-eyebrow">Why PLOCAL exists</p><h2 id="about-purpose-title">A clearer starting point for local decisions.</h2><p>Directories can tell you that a business exists. PLOCAL adds structured evaluation context so customers can explore public information before reaching out.</p><p>For business owners, the process offers a consistent view of how their online presence appears to a prospective customer.</p></div><div class="plocal-about-visual"><img src="/assets/img/home/customer-finding-evaluated-local-business.webp" alt="Customer exploring an evaluated local business" loading="lazy"></div></div></section>

    <section class="plocal-about-section plocal-about-section--soft" aria-labelledby="about-process-title"><div class="container plocal-about-container"><div class="plocal-about-heading"><p class="plocal-about-eyebrow">The PLOCAL evaluation</p><h2 id="about-process-title">A defined process, from submission to result.</h2><p>Each current evaluation follows the same product lifecycle and uses the published, public-safe outcome when it becomes authoritative.</p></div><ol class="plocal-about-process"><li><span>01</span><div><h3>Business submission</h3><p>A business provides its public information for a PLOCAL Evaluation.</p></div></li><li><span>02</span><div><h3>Structured evaluation</h3><p>Digital, Service, and Trust are assessed on the current 0–10 scale during the exact 96-hour Evaluation window.</p></div></li><li><span>03</span><div><h3>Public result</h3><p>When the final disposition is stable, the public Profile presents the safe result and any official recognition.</p></div></li></ol></div></section>

    <section class="plocal-about-section" aria-labelledby="about-independence-title"><div class="container plocal-about-container"><div class="plocal-about-heading"><p class="plocal-about-eyebrow">Built on separation</p><h2 id="about-independence-title">An evaluation is not a promise of recognition.</h2><p class="plocal-about-callout">Businesses pay for the Evaluation service. Payment never determines score, votes, qualification, Award eligibility, ranking, or placement.</p></div><div class="plocal-about-principles"><article><i class="far fa-balance-scale" aria-hidden="true"></i><h3>Independent outcomes</h3><p>The commercial transaction and the evaluation result remain separate.</p></article><article><i class="far fa-chart-line" aria-hidden="true"></i><h3>Public-safe clarity</h3><p>Customers see finalized information appropriate for a public Profile.</p></article><article><i class="far fa-map-marker-alt" aria-hidden="true"></i><h3>Nationwide by design</h3><p>Businesses can participate across the United States using the same core process.</p></article></div></div></section>

    <section class="plocal-about-section plocal-about-section--navy" aria-labelledby="about-next-title"><div class="container plocal-about-container plocal-about-next"><div><p class="plocal-about-eyebrow">Explore PLOCAL</p><h2 id="about-next-title">Start with a category, city, or state.</h2><p>Browse the directory to compare evaluated local businesses, or learn more about the safeguards behind the platform.</p></div><div class="plocal-about-actions"><a class="plocal-about-button" href="{{ url('/categories.html') }}">Browse categories <i class="far fa-arrow-right" aria-hidden="true"></i></a><a class="plocal-about-button plocal-about-button--quiet" href="{{ url('/trust-and-safety.html') }}">Trust &amp; Safety <i class="far fa-arrow-right" aria-hidden="true"></i></a></div></div></section>
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