One of the most popular forms of local business advertising is to place a display ad in the yellow pages. Advertising in the yellow pages has been one of the easiest ways to promote and advertise a business. You simply meet with your advertising rep once a year – draft your ad and – VIOLA – your advertising is set in stone for the next 12 months.
Things did start to get more complicated when more than one yellow page advertising rep started calling on your company -but even if it got expensive – at least you knew your business would get a shot at the people who turned to the yellow pages for information.
It was important for every local business to have a listing in the yellow pages because in the old days – you know – the days before smart cell phones and the internet – the yellow pages is where “now buyers” turned to make their final decision about where to purchase products and services.
Ah -“now buyers” – they were the bread and butter of the traditional printed yellow page directory. Back in the 20th century – when a customer needed information about a business -he or she would turn to the yellow pages for answers. Whether it was a phone number – an address – or other basic information – the traditional printed yellow page directory was the first and last place people turned.
That was then – this is now.
According to a report (links to pdf file – right click and save before opening) released in 2004 by Nielsen Online, nearly 3 out of 4 Americans have access to the internet. In this six year old report, Kenneth Cassar, director of strategic analysis at Neilsen/Net Ratings reports that “In just a handful of years, online access has managed to gain the type of traction that it took other media decades to achieve.”
Today – with online access increasing at a remarkable rate – people are turning from advertising in the yellow pages and shifting those advertising dollars to other methods of adverting. This shift has not gone unnoticed by the very smart people in charge of the various search engines which index those results and provide web surfers a quick and easy way to find what they’re looking for online.
As a result, the search engines and other directories are offering business owners a free and effective means of advertising their business online. This free online advertising is called “Local Search Listings”. As more and more people pick up smart cell phones -the value of these listings will increase exponentially. Business owners who are smart enough to claim their listings now will gain an incredible advantage for years to come.
If you’re concerned about how your business will survive when the yellow page directories stop running their presses – start claiming your online business listings. Check out our Guide to Local Search to find many places to claim your online business listing.
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