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Yellow Page Advertisers Need to Show Up
Copyright 2005 Off the Page
Many Buyers Never Consult the Yellow Pages Before They Buy
Customers purchase most goods and services from local
merchants. In the past, they relied on the Yellow Page
directory to research their choices when they were ready to
buy.
The Yellow Pages connected them to providers at the
perfect moment in the sales process. They were referred to
as "now" buyers, because they were motivated to buy right
away. Although most people still spend their money close to
home, more and more of them ignore the Yellow Pages. They
acquire desired information elsewhere.
Computer-savvy customers go online to find what they need
to know about where to do business. A large percentage of
young adults or business buyers never consult the directory
at all. And they control an expanding chunk of dollars
spent.
The Internet Changed the Way People Locate Products and
Services
Many buyers find it faster and easier to enter a query into
a search engine than to dig through out-of-date phone
books. If your primary or sole exposure to buyers is
through your Yellow Page ad, you won't even be in the
running when online searchers decide where to buy. It's
time to get your Yellow Page directory exposure to mesh
with your Internet visibility.
Places Where Customers Look for Online Information
1. Websites, Portals and Directories
Even a simple site can provide the information that
customers want to find about you: location (including maps
or directions to find it), hours, products and brands
carried, specialties, payment methods, staff, services,
prices, credentials, or special sales. Add to it to suit
your customer's desires.
But if you're not inclined to take the plunge to its own
site, your business can still be found through listings in
a local portal (a site maintained to showcase community
businesses) or in professional membership directories. The
search engines can still locate you when queried.
2. Local Search
Local Search combines a search engine query word or phrase
with a specific geographic term, like city or zip code.
Such search results only include enterprises in that local
area. Instead of information about a small enterprise being
lost among millions of pages of search results, it shows up
in a small pool of local providers. That works for the
merchant as well as the person looking for what they
provide.
Over 36% of all search-engine queries request Local Search
results; and that percentage is growing quickly. Last year,
both Google and Yahoo committed to expanding the value of
Local Search results they deliver. People want them and are
driving the trend. Small businesses that don't get aboard
risk being left behind (and unfound).
3. Local Search on Cell Phones
Google recently offered the local search option on cell
phones. Given the widespread use of cell phones, that new
feature will create an immediate impact. People on the go
(and who isn't, anymore?) will have less reason than ever
to look in the printed Yellow Page directory. They can
conduct Internet searches from their car.
Picture this. A person enters their desired business
destination (Thai restaurant) plus their town into their
cell phone as a search query. Within seconds, the options
appear, and the customer can select the best or most
convenient choice. They can even click on their preference
to dial for any questions.
4. Internet Yellow Pages (IYP)
These are kept up to date (unlike print directories) and
can be searched from anywhere. There are a variety of
suppliers, so some checking around is required. Some are
free or provide a link to your Website. Their usage is
growing 25% a year.
Rethink how much you can realistically rely on your Yellow
Page listing to provide a steady flow of new business.
Merchants who don't want their enterprise to lose ground
also need to provide a combination of web-based promotion
methods that potential customers can use to find them. If
you want to be considered, you need to appear in the places
where customers visit when they're making buying decisions.
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- Dr. Lynella Grant Author, Yellow Page Smarts: Make more
money from your directory ad in tandem with your website
http://www.yellowpagesage.com Smarter ways to attract more
YP customers. Local Search resources Off the Page Press
(719) 395-9450
More articles by Lynella Grant - http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Lynella-Grant-378/
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