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Internet Yellow Page Ads Are
They Worth A Try
by Neil Street
Most small businesses do not yet advertise on the
internet. But with the undeniable growth in internet
traffic, it’s only a matter of time before
many businesses will need to consider online advertising.
Everyone is familiar with the traditional Yellow
Pages phone book. Less familiar is the internet
extension of the print book – the hodgepodge
of advertising options that can loosely be termed
Internet Yellow Pages (IYP). A range of companies
are jumping on the IYP bandwagon, all chasing the
elusive, and thus far unmaterialized, local advertising
dollars. Companies like Verizon, with their SuperPages
directory, or like Yahoo!, with their Yahoo! “Get
Local” directory, and assorted publishers of
print telephone directories, are all players in
the IYP field. Basically, they all offer variations
on a basic theme: the structured, directory-like
indexing of information on the internet, with added
features unknown in the print books, such as mapping,
keyword searching, and website links.
The most compelling reason for a website owner to
advertise on IYP is the increasing consumer usage
of the internet for finding local products and services.
Actual figures vary widely, but well-known analysts
such as the Kelsey Group have noted the growing
boom in “local search.” Given this growth,
IYP becomes an advertising opportunity worthy of
consideration.
Where does a local business begin? The best place
to start is with your local phone company –
investigating what online options are available
from the print yellow pages companies. In many regions,
the local phone company yellow book will not be
the only player in town – one or several print
yellow page books may serve an area. All are worth
checking out for their options and pricing. In addition
to local phone or yellow page companies, a business
can consider some of the biggest names in the world
of directories and information. Yahoo! Get Local,
Verizon SuperPages, SmartPages.com, Switchboard.com,
and YellowPages.com are some of the major players,
and can be contacted by a business directly. Be
forewarned – they each have their own unique
systems, and figuring it all out takes some time.
My own experience with Verizon SuperPages, for example,
indicates that they are “rushing to market”
with their online advertiser sign up – to date,
I have been unable to get their program to work
as it is supposed to, and customer service doesn’t
seem to know how to help.
One of the best aspects of IYP at this time is that
it can be accessed in a relatively inexpensive way
by many small businesses. So it’s feasible
for even the smallest business to check out the
various IYP options, and try them out for a while
to see which works best. A business can buy into
several programs, because IYP plans come in a variety
of configurations, from national to very local.
At the present time, much about the phenomenon of
“local search” is new, and relatively
untested. But given that online browsing and shopping
by consumers is growing, it is clear that some channels
of local online promotion will turn out to be winners.
Business owners seeking to stay abreast of developments
in this fast-changing field should give adequate
consideration to the IYPs.
Neil Street is co-founder of Small Business Online,
based in Wilton, CT., a website design, management,
and promotion company dedicated to the Internet
needs of the small business. His website is at http://www.smallbusinessonline.net
Send email to neil@smallbusinessonline.net He can
also be reached at (203)761-7992.
About the Author
Neil Street is co-founder of Small Business Online,
based in Wilton, CT., a website design, management,
and promotion company dedicated to the Internet
needs of the small business. His website is at http://www.smallbusinessonline.net
Send email to neil@smallbusinessonline.net He can
also be reached at (203)761-7992. |
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