My name is Matthew Bredel and as of March, 2007, I am a full-time, work-at-home internet marketer.
For close to 10 years, I worked for a defense company which was an OK job, but I was so uninspired in life and frankly, I needed some more money. That is when I first discovered internet marketing! Now I admit that I didn't start making thousands in my first couple of months (in fact, I lost my shirt!), but I finally saw the "internet light"...
I hate to do it, I really do!
I am not a wasteful person, either. I recycle. I conserve water. I try not to drive too much. Heck, we even have a compost bin.
But every year I get these stupid yellow and white books dropped off on my front door steps. And [...]
I hate to do it, I really do!
I am not a wasteful person, either. I recycle. I conserve water. I try not to drive too much. Heck, we even have a compost bin.
But every year I get these stupid yellow and white books dropped off on my front door steps. And for some reason, one Yellow pages is not enough. There is the New Yellow pages, the Business Yellow Pages, the San Diego Yellow Pages, the AT&T Yellow Page, and the plethora of white pages to go with them.
For years now I have stored them on my bookshelf and every year when the new ones come, I pull them off, throw them in the recycle bin and make room for the new ones.
I haven’t opened one of these books in over 3 years. And they take up close to a foot of valuable bookshelf space.
So this year, I did what I should have done years before…Thrown them straight in the recycle bin.
Yes, if feels so wasteful and it has been that guilt that has prompted me to put them on my shelf, but not this time.
Story: About a year ago, I had a painter/dry wall repairman in my house asking me what I do. I told him I was an internet marketer and he made that golden comment: “I’ve been planning on putting up a website myself. I spent hundreds of dollars last year with a big Yellow pages ad, but I don’t get much business from it.”
This guy was sent by the insurance company and therefore, was already chosen for me. But this is where over 90% of this guy’s business came from.
He is missing a boat here!
Now, I don’t hate the yellow pages and it is still important for those people who do not live in this wasteful internet existence that many of us seem to reside in. I personally go first to the internet for any type of service inquiry or local direction that I need.
Having a Yellow Pages ad is fine, but if you are ignoring the internet like this guy did, you are missing a bit opportunity!
And having your listings on Yellowpages.com does not count as being listed on the internet, either. (Have you ever found anything on that stupid site?)
- Pay-Per-Click Ads: Local Ones at that!
- Search Engine Optimization! (Do you really think that getting ranked for “San Diego Drywall Repair” would be THAT tough?)
- Banner Ads on local sites
- What about a simple blog?
Yes, there is an investment here, but I guarantee that the ROI would be MUCH better than placing a big ad in the yellow pages, sending a flier to everyone in town, or even worse (gosh, these people annoy me!): Cold-calling neighbors asking if they need their house painted.
This blog is aimed at those of you with brick-n-mortar stores! Even though your business is physical and real does not mean your marketing has to reside in a fat yellow book or in a letter. The internet caters to you, too!
|
Don't Buy Another Money Making Product Until You Watch These FREE Videos! |
Yes! Thank you for easing my guilt and allowing me to give myself the gift of three feet of premium bookshelf space
June 30th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I’m definitely in the same boat here i keep them until a new one comes and then i throw it away. I can’t remember the last time i used one. I guess my wife does every once in awhile to stand on when she can’t reach something in the cabinet. That’s about all there good for these days. that is, if you have heard of this new thing the kids are calling the internet.
June 30th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
FYI, last year US consumers referenced the print YP over 13.4 billion times and combined with an online YP ad, advertisers get a great return. If you don’t want to receive a particular directory, check that book for a number to call to discontinue delivery. Over 86% of people who use the print directory make a purchase, and we can provide ad tracking to show advertisers that their customers found them in the YP, print or online. Full disclosure, I’m the VP of Communications for the Yellow Pages Association and you can find us at http://www.ypassociation.org.
July 1st, 2008 at 4:38 am
There is a great deal of conversation going on right now about why no one wants to receive the Yellow Pages books any longer. They don’t use them, they’re a waste of resources. No one uses print anymore. Half the world can’t get online and what happens when the power goes out, blah, blah, blah. Some folks are pretty mellow about it and others are down right nasty.
IMHO, what the Yellow Pages publishers as well as the Yellow Pages industry groups really should spend their time brainstorming is how to make both the print and online Yellow Pages better. More useful as a resource. For both the consumer looking for a local business to do business with and the advertiser who’s trying to reach consumers in their local community.
It’s great that the Yellow Pages were referenced 13.4 billion times last year. That’s a big number…a REALLY BIG number. And that BIG NUMBER produced LOTS of good leads for local businesses. It also means that many, many businesses saw absolutely zippo from their YP advertising investment. You only need to do the very simple math and this becomes blindingly obvious. No matter what the research shows.
The online Yellow Pages is a complete joke. Not going into the details here but it’s a nightmare. I’ve been helping companies do business on the Internet for 13+ years and all I can say is I hope local businesses are NOT paying a whole lot for what they get in the online Yellow Pages. Let’s put it this way - it’s pretty obvious that publishers that live and die by print…are responsible for what’s currently available as the online Yellow Pages. And it’s REALLY scary.
Then, once the Yellow Pages print or online become the valuable resources that they SHOULD be for BOTH consumers and advertisers - the industry associations should take the reins and get out there and tell us consumers and constantly remind us consumers about how GREAT the Yellow Pages really is. That can’t be that difficult…can it?
July 1st, 2008 at 5:26 am
Both of my points are made here! I really don’t have anything against the yellow pages except for the fact that I NEVER USE IT (as shown by others here). I know my parents still have one, but they use it about 50-50 with the internet these days. Then there are plenty of people who just aren’t that into the internet and use it like I once did about 10 years ago. (and what does this say when the only people I know that use it are my older parents!)
STILL, as I mentioned in my “story” above, an advertiser relying just on this book and their website is missing a big boat! Localized niche marketing your brick-n-mortar store on the internet is not that difficult and can provide perspective clients details that the phone book cannot offer:
More information (in a website)
Social Feedback (and Social Proof!…How big is this one?)
Pay-Per-Click features (like the one comment says, one company may do well while another gets nothing…and they pay the same thing)
More control over content
And yes, I know that people put their URL in the Phone Pages (I think that is a great idea, too!), but do you really think your “click-rate” from the yellow pages to the computer is higher than if someone clicks it directly on their computer.
Recent computer queries I have recently made WITHOUT a phone book (and the advantages):
1) My CPA - great website, good testimonials, lots of information about his service (His ad in the Yellow pages, about 1/4 of a page that looked like everyone else’s with no real information about what he does…I would never have chosen it either)
2) Sears Automotive - what time did they open? (I would have used a phone book in the past, would have to pick up a phone and call…now, the time is sitting right there)
3) Housecleaner - Went to Craigslist - had 5 postings in the last 10 minutes, 3 of which where within my zip code with plenty of information including references, price and availability. (The yellow pages mostly have housecleaning services that cost a whole lot more, but they have to pay for it!)
4) Thai Restaurant - Went looking for a Thai restaurant, something in my neighborhood that would be good. I go SignOnSanDiego.com, search by area and restaurant type and then check out the reviews and choose the closest, best priced, and most liked. (Yellow pages gives me a section of Thai restaurants, scattered throughout the town with no info on price or quality).
5) Round Table Pizza - I needed the phone number for delivery…went online to Roundtablepizza.com, find the number and a big fat coupon to print right next to it. (Limited time offers appear on websites, not in the Yellow pages). Also, I know a number of pizza places now that allow you to order your pizza online.
6) Torrey Highlands Park - Getting the address and directions. Simple search brought me right to the site with a fat MapQuest button to give me driving directions immediately. (Have you ever trying finding a park in the phone book, first? It is in some weird government section that I can never find. And, of course, the book does not offer directions.
As for Yellowpages.com, they do offer more of this detailed information like directions and links to websites, but I rarely ever see the listing when I do a search for what I am looking for. And once upon a time, I tried to even use their search tool but it sends back either too much or not enough stuff and the information still looks like the phone book…I still get better searches from Google.
I could do this for hours (and when I just sat to think about it, it makes SENSE to go online first). I think that is why I do it because I never get disappointed. I cannot remember ever going online and NOT finding what I need (and usually I get the right result the first time).
July 1st, 2008 at 7:13 am
I just wanted to say that I use both. It depends on what I’m looking for, where I am, etc.. etc.. etc…
I know people that advertise in the books still and swear by it and some do online stuff as well.
As far as my personal experience I have to say that I am finding that even when I do a search on Yahoo or Google I some how end up at an online yellow page company. I have found that Yellowbook.com (the company with the funny commercials) is by far the easiest to use. Yellowpages.com and superpages.com are so all over the place like you said and I can’t seem to find a local answer. It seems like they are just selling ads and only care about the bottom line. I do have to say that yellowbook.com actually did give me local info and I remembered that and even went to them to look up a friends home number and got it no problem.
It does make sense to me that a company like yellow book for example would have more local content since I know they are local to my area. Until EVERY business has a website and does a PPC or SEO program I believe that I will go to yellowbook.com to get my stuff since they are in my area and update it (I assume) frequently. If I’m going to search on Yahoo (only because I have my email with them) and the top result (usually) sends me to yellowbook.com or yellowpages.com or superpages.com I might as well go to them first and skip a step and save even more time!
I don’t think they should stop sending the books. Obviously if they are sending them out they must be making money and they wouldn’t make money if they aren’t being used…. Yes I wish only one book would come and not 3 but it is what it is and I wouldn’t be surprised in the next few years if it ends up to be only 1 company standing.
Anyways I just figured I would chime in. Like I said… I use both…. I’m 26…. not 67. Yellowpages.com does suck…. yellowbook.com is much better and can look up people as well, get mapquest right from there… etc. etc.. etc… and there comercials are pretty funny.
Thanks,
J
July 20th, 2008 at 3:06 am
J - I think you make a LOT of valid points here and it goes to show that it is not a book for those set in their ways. And yes, some of these yellow pages websites (like yellowbook.com) will come up in search engines, but to rely on it for your SEO efforts is not good enough anymore (plus there is no real control, other than creating backlinks, but wouldn’t you rather send backlinks back to your own website?).
My main point is that there still is a large audience for yellow page-style books, but it is getting smaller and for businesses thinking that getting an ad in these books (with their website posted online) is not enough for the future.
Great Comment! cheers…matt
July 25th, 2008 at 8:45 am