Yellow Pages – Not Quite Dead Yet – And Can Still Help You Increase Your Business Profits..

In the Business Section of The Australian Newspaper of March 30th – is a simple little chart that shows exactly how Sensis [ie Yellow Pages] has been smashed by the internet.   The first chart shows the drop in Sensis revenue from almost 2 billion dollars in 2010 to predicted $700 million in 2011.  Ouch.

50% of Yellow Pages Search is Now Online

Then another little chart which is not mentioned in the text, probably put there by a bored editor:  It shows that in 2011, Sensis is predicting that the Monthly Unique Visits to their lists will be 50:50 digital to print.  ie one half of people using the Yellow Pages will be using the web to do it.  (And obviously the number of people using the print phone books is the other 50%)

In 2010, only 19.9% of the people visiting Yellow Pages used the web.  And 2009 was 17.5%.  Then BLAMMO, 50% of the claimed 120,000 unique visits are using the web.  Hmmm – that does sound like exponential growth.  If so – it will shorten the time to when the once all-powerful Yellow Pages goes the way of the floppy disk.

Sensis is rolling out a plan that bundles their print phone books with their online directory.  They believe this will appeal to the small to medium business owners who they believe do not want to mess around with their own web presence management.  Ie you buy some YP space in the book, and you get some bonus online listings.

Whether that strategy will work for Sensis – I don’t care.

Print Yellow Pages Can Still Be a Great Marketing Investment

My point today is that for the next year, and maybe for a year or two after that – the printed Yellow Pages WILL be the place that between 50% and 10% of the buyers of goods and services from businesses go.   It is still a great place to make get leads for your business.  In fact – as more businesses give up the YP Print too early – it may make it even more attractive as an advertising option.

And – you may find that your Yellow Pages rep will now negotiate, where before the price was fixed by the seller.  Yes – I am suggesting that you don’t pay full asking price for your next print YP advert – or at least demand size upgrades and bonus listings in other sections.  Just as you would with any other seller of advertising.  Sensis is no longer the 500 kg gorilla that did not have to  negotiate.

The side to this chart that shows the end of the era – is that 50% of what is called “local search” is now done on the internet.  So for your business – just having a Yellow Pages print advert – means you are missing half of the potential leads – unless you have a web presence.

And is the Sensis web presence worth more than having an optimised website (or ten sites)?  Frankly – no.  It is better than having nothing, and can help add a bit more to your internet marketing arsenal.  Would I swap having a website that is set for my keywords, supported by quality backlinks, and some basic SEO for a Yellow Pages Online listing?  Not a chance.

The New 500kg Gorilla

Yellow Pages Online is just one of dozens of online directories.  The new 500kg gorilla is Google.  Google gets the vast majority of online search – just list the Yellow Pages did 10 years ago.  So when your potential customers type what they want to buy eg “Townsville New Home Builders” or “Accountants in Townsville” – it is Google that decides if your business shows up on the results page.  (Not Sensis – although Sensis is working hard to do deals with G).

Here are some tips to get the most out of your advertising dollar

• Advertise in the print Yellow Pages – but negotiate hard on price and bonuses.  Less competition for the still very large market share is worth.  BUT – you MUST measure your leads and calculate your ROI.
• Yes – take the deal with the Online Yellow Pages – but compare the additional cost of this to paying a marketing oriented person to build you some web sites that rank for your keywords.  If you don’t know the search terms that people type into search engines that relate to your business – find out or go the way of the triceratops.  [It is simple].
• Get your own web presence regardless of what you do with Yellow Pages online or print.  Figure it out yourself or pay for results in the search engines.
• Get on Google Places and register your business.  It is free.  And Google now looks for geographic terms like “Townsville” when people search – and then puts LOCAL businesses near the top of the results page in the ‘places’ section.  It is the most valuable advertising real estate now – much like being the first or second full page Yellow Page Advert used to be – remember?
• Youtube has nearly as much power as Google in terms of searches.  You need your web presence to include one or several Youtube “Channels”.  Videos these days are easy and cheap to make – and if you add value for your potential clients – you get rewarded with traffic.
• Facebook users are heading over the billion mark in the next year.  Even if you don’t join the whole social media bandwagon – it is a great place to do do paid advertising.
• You need to have a person check your stats to ensure your online presence is working.  This can be done easily using google analytics and webmaster tools.
• And a final tip – use online press release services to increase the depth of your web presence.

The way to be productive with your web management is to get a plan and then apply it on a weekly basis.

Welcome again Post Yellow Pages Domination Era.

Have a great weekend

James Hooper

(Business Coach with a Special Interest in Local Search Marketing)