| |
| |
|
Advertising Information - YourOnlineClassifieds.com - Home |
|
|
|
If You Lost 70% of Your New Customers, Would You Notice?
Buyers Don't Rely on the Yellow Pages Like They Used to Customers' buying behavior has changed - for good. If your business depends on most categories in the Yellow Pages to attract new customers, you've probably seen a decline. Traditionally, people headed to the Yellow Page directory precisely when they were ready to buy. They'd check the listings to find their options, or "let their finders do the walking." Now they've got more choices. New research by The Kelsey Group in March, 2005 found that 70% of US households now use the Internet as an information source when shopping locally for products and services. These buyers aren't going to the Internet for online purchases, nor to find distant providers. They intend to spend their money in their own community. The Kelsey Group also found that interviewed individuals felt the search engines were a "better source of purchasing information than Yellow Pages, newspapers and magazines." The trend is being driven entirely by Internet users. Related data from other sources show that consumers who search online for purchases spend more than those using the printed directory. Demote the Yellow Page Ad to a Smaller Portion of Your Budget The Yellow Page industry is a Fifteen Billion Dollar industry in the US. While there are more choices of printed Yellow Page directories than ever, the buying habits of the public have moved away from using them. Computer-savvy buyers know the easiest way to find the information they want is through search engines (and since May they can do searches on the run, on their cell phones). But many small or local businesses aren't even listed. The Kelsey Group's data is consistent with other statistics showing that the Internet has overtaken the newspaper for cars and real estate (major purchases). And it's becoming the "go-to" place for information. A study by imedia Connection found it's "second only to spouses for finding referrals." To stay competitive, small and mid-sized businesses will be compelled to make sure they're included in search engine data bases. While it's not necessary to have a website, it helps to be listed on someone's (like a local portal or professional group). Enterprises that can't be found by online searchers risk losing sales to businesses they find instead. Where did the Customers Go? Many factors influence where and what a person decides to buy. Although the Yellow Pages are no longer an automatic part of the loop, many buyers consult both the Internet and the directory, not relying on either one alone. However, many shoppers only call Yellow Page ads that show a website, even it they don't intend to visit it. It goes to the credibility issue. What's different? - Buyers are less trusting and more willing to shop around - Availability of Internet Yellow Pages (IYP) - Expanded options and more ways to find them - Aging population uses the Yellow Pages differently than young people - Development of unique, narrow niches and specialties - More choices for a "better deal" - Increased immigrants and those from other cultures, unaccustomedto Yellow Page use - Larger cities with multiple directories, rather than one large one - Local search, whereby the search engines locate suppliers by zipcode, state, city, region Time for a Reality Check - Can You Find Yourself? The next time you go online (or have a friend walk you through it), see how you rate in some local searches. Conduct a query in Google (then Yahoo, and MSN). Enter your type of business + Your town ("Pet Stores" + Scottsdale, Arizona). Does your business show up? How many of your competitors are on that list? How many are ahead of you? That list is what your "missing customers" are likely to see when they're ready to spend their money. Does that experience motivate you to make a better Local Search showing? Next, check out whether your business appears in various Internet Yellow Pages (IYP). Work your way down the list: http://www.yellowpagesage.com/localsearch.html Start noticing how visible you are to customers researching their local options online. You really can't afford to miss the boat. 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 RESOURCES:
Advertising - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Write Ads that Increase Your Business I caught myself wracking my brain over what kind of article I should write for newspapers that would be useful to business people. It struck me that I was making a solid effort to get into the mind of my target market. Adding Art to Business Spaces Larger companies have learned that collecting art adds something special to its overall corporate image. An art collection may include art on display in waiting, or general areas. Choosing a Print Mail Dealer "Print & Mail is a type of service that is popular among small mail order operators. It is an inexpensive way to get your ad material printed and mailed to people. See How to Advertise and Gain More Money to Blast Another Project We have a Great News that we think that may interest you as a Business owner. It is about a Advertising Agency that are preparing to launch and incredible system to help business to earn constant cashflow. Radio Advertising - Is it for Your Business? - More Small Business Power Tools If you're a typical small business, you've probably been approached by at least several different radio station sales representatives. In most cases, he or she comes armed with all the latest rating information demonstrating, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that his or her station is number one among just the kind of people who would buy your products or services. Marketing Tips For Small Business - Advertising That Works, Part I Have you ever seen an ad on television that was beautiful, slick, and stylish but didn't fit the product? How about a magazine ad that, though gorgeously photographed, didn't make it clear what was being sold? Or have you heard a catchy radio ad that neglected to give contact information? If you pay attention, you'll notice these money-wasting advertisements in all types of media.If a corporation puts out a bad advertisement, the marketing department will have the resources and budget to make a mid-course correction (sometimes). Outdoor Sign Many business organizations that needs to disseminate late-breaking information to a large number of people. Out door sign boards are the perfect solution for them that command the attention of all who pass underneath. Yellow Pages Ads - Buying Secrets Yellow Pages Ads - Buying SecretsOK- let's agree that many businesses can benefit greatly from Yellow Pages advertising. Let's also agree that few businesses enjoy paying for this "necessary evil". The Importance of Your Business Card What are you trying to say with you business card?We have talked about collecting other people's business cards and also about how they are often tough to differentiate from one another. These are things you should avoid for your own business card. 15 Tips for Better Yellow Page Ads Yellow Pages advertising is one of the mostpopular forms of advertising in the country today.Almost every home in America (96. Using Flyers to Advertise Your Online Business Using flyers is one commonly overlooked method of advertising offline. Flyers are extremely easy to create. 11 Ways To Make Your Business Cards Work For You 1. Spend money on decent quality business cards. LED video Displays LED video displays give you the power to communicate, to motivate, and to entertain. Led video displays are seen to be sited for outdoor advertising, in casinos, for events like sporting events in stadium and arena, for staging and mobile display etc. Dont Be a Secret Agent This tactic of the game was hard for me to master and at first I failed many times. I carried my business cards only in my briefcase, because I thought they were only used in business. Customer-Involving Signage and Selling Here's some easy ways to create signage that will attract, not annoy customers (and local government agencies that regulate signage):1. Since movement always attracts attention, any banner, sign set of a pole that might move with the wind or electrically-turned sign will stand out from the static messages around it. Harness the Power of Direct Marketing - More Small Business Power Tools One of the most powerful tools available to small businesses is direct mail. By this I don't mean electronic, Internet-based mail, but the old-fashioned kind that requires a stamp and a trip to the post office. How to Write Ads that Pull Orders If your ads aren't paying off then you need this quick method in writing ads that get orders. Step 1 - Write a headline that will draw attention to your product or service. Creditability In Advertising I recently saw an ad taped to my mailbox, mind you, my mailbox is shared by many residents of my area. The postal real estate is typically reserved for flyers of lost dogs, cats, small children, etc. How to Use the 3 Most Common Direct Marketing Measurements to Increase Your Profits! John Wanamaker, a 19th century entrepreneur, once famously made the statement, "I know that half of my advertising is wasted, I just don't know which half." Fortunately for today's marketers, there are scientific ways to determine which half is wasted, and which half is not, through the use of common direct marketing measurements. Finding Your Target Market Achieving sales is probably the biggest challenge a web business owner has. It requiresa balanced mix of the right products, competitive pricing, optimal web design, aggressive advertising and attracting the right online visitors.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
youronlineclassifieds.com - home | site map
üClick Here to Earn - an ongoing, monthly residual income - a very SUBSTANTIAL monthly income - even if you don't have a website! |
| © 2006 |
