Will An Online Yellow Pages Directory Ad Really Work For My Small Business?

If you own a small business, then you know the difficulties of bringing new customers into your store. Combine that with the stress of trying to build and market a website as part of your overall markeing plan, and you can see why so many small business owners turn to the "easy" solution of just buying an ad in an online yellow pages directory. The question is, is your target audience reading the ad?

According to one study conducted by WebVisible, in partnership with Nielsen Online, 92% of Internet users have researced products or services online, before ultimately buying from a local business. With those kind of numbers, it's easy to see that you want your business featured front and center when your customer goes searching.

But there's a problem. According to that same study, while 66% of searchers find the information they're looking for, 39% have trouble finding specific businesses, even when they know those businesses exist.

The culprit seems to be inadequate representation on the web by small businesses. No surprise there, since only 44% of small businesses even have a website for their customers to find.

Internet Yellow Pages Bridge the Gap

Imagine your ideal customer. She's surfing the Internet, researching that new laptop she wants to buy. She knows the size of the hard drive, how much RAM is on board, and what software comes pre-installed. She's ready to buy.

She's probably driven past your computer store a thousand times, and she's heard good things about your service and pricing from her friends. It's 5:30. She wonders if you're still open. She reaches for the phone to call, and realizes she can't remember the name of your store. She Googles you, but no luck. She turns to the yellow page directory. Does she find you, or Best Big Box store instead?

Online Yellow Page Directory Advertising is a Viable Way to be Found on the Internet

Consumers are used to turning to the yellow pages to find a local business. After all, they've been doing it since Reuben H. Donnelley printed the first yellow pages directory in 1886. Today, 10% of consumers turn to Internet yellow page directories over any other source, and 50% turn to search engines first. Your business' listing in an online yellow page directory will capture both those searches, without even having to worry about optimizing your own site for search engines.

Good online yellow page directories put all the work into building their site to ensure placement at the top of the search engine rankings. They make sure their site is properly structured, that keywords are used effectively, and they spend the money on pay per click and other advertising campaigns, so small business owners don't have to.

By: James Belt

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

At InAreaCode.com, we take online yellow pages directory advertising to the next level by allowing our advertisers unlimited space to post ads, articles, press releases, or anything else of value to their customers. We're the only Internet yellow pages to offer more value for a lower cost.