[Sprtman]

Every single one of my competitors is still listed in the Yellow pages - the book. Most have 1/4 page ads. They are also listed at YP.com, the paid listings. I have been talking with a YP sales person getting some prices and I just don't see it. I have not been listed in the Yellow pages for at least 6 or 7 years, and have never been listed on the YP.com. I am interested seeing which of you are still listed and do you think it works for your business. Do you analyze data or track calls? Do my competitors know something I don't?

 

[MarkJames]

While I rarely use the book, I would probably use it for fencing. I recall looking up fence supplies that way a couple years ago. Sometimes it's just easier. Many times I've tried to use the online listings for other stuff and they strangely seem more limited that the book.

Put it to the test by asking some friends & neighbors how they would locate contractors in your area.

 

[TNTRenovate]

Nope I am not on either one.

 

[Metro M & L]

Yp is worthless. They went through a big spree calling people in 2009 2010. The they stopped.

Six months later i started getting seo and google first page listing calls twice a day. Hasnt stopped yet.

 

[JBM]

People do search on yp . com, but the YP sales tactic is similar to PPC. They charge you, or promise you a certain amount of clicks or something. How could you trust it?

They also used to package a postcard edm that goes out to a certain number of houses. Of coarse it isnt sent all by itself, its in a package with a bunch of other stuff. We have all tossed those in the trash before....

They dont have cheap packages either for what you get. An adwords campaign would more the likely drive more qualified traffic to your landing page then the yp. people claim.

 

[LeeFowler]

Yp is worthless. They went through a big spree calling people in 2009 2010. The they stopped. Six months later i started getting seo and google first page listing calls twice a day. Hasnt stopped yet.

After the third call today I wanted to pull my hair out. I wish there was a way to make it stop.

 

[concretemasonry]

How many people even use a telephone book, let alone the yellow pages? - Apretty smal percenatge of buyers.

 

[Tech Dawg]

Every single one of my competitors is still listed in the Yellow pages - the book. Most have 1/4 page ads. They are also listed at YP.com, the paid listings. I have been talking with a YP sales person getting some prices and I just don't see it. I have not been listed in the Yellow pages for at least 6 or 7 years, and have never been listed on the YP.com. I am interested seeing which of you are still listed and do you think it works for your business. Do you analyze data or track calls? Do my competitors know something I don't?

I haven't heard from them in quite a few years until a couple months back... they were trying to sell me a package for a phonebook and internet listing so that's probably why you see your competes in the book.

 

[TRMolnar]

Ive always heard that the older members of the community use the physical phone book. That and households without the internet. That might just be hearsay but those groups aren't within my target market.

I don't think we've even had phonebook in our house in years. it goes right in the recycling.

 

[ProLectric]

I have not been in the Yellow pages going on 2 years now. Take that money and spend it on pay per click or your web site. Yellow pages are dead. It's a total waste of money.

 

[rando1201]

FYI, I just had a client in the pest control niche that we pitched on marketing, and I found Yellow pages will hold the domain name the created for you. You have to pay them to actually own it. I think that is such a crappy business model. "If you stop paying for our crappy services then we are going to charge you a butt load for your website." I would have been pissed if that was happening to me.

 

[JBM]

Wow, thats bullsh!t business right there.

Rule 1, own your own domain name.

 

[rando1201]

You would be surprised how many other companies do it, reachlocal makes you a clone site. Doesn't even do the work on your own website, also could effect your rankings, because of the duplicate content. They send you data from the reach local dashboard, not your adwords data, which is HUGE.

Ever since I started getting out there and talking to people. Business owners get screwed over hard. The term seo, is freakin ruined.

 

[huggytree]

when the phone books come to my house they go right in the garbage.....

I do alright from a local mini phone book...my area has a large buy local attitude

the large phone books only brought me more price shoppers, but customers

I got out of all of them years ago

a friend owns his own electrical company...he does a full page ad...he pays $500 for every new customer from it.....it would been $750+, but the phone book company tracks the calls and he demanded a better deal for lack of calls

when he goes into houses he does a 'free' checkup....he find problems and makes his $500 back fixing the problems....he also is a installer of home depot ceiling fans...he does it for less than cost to get in the house and once again do the 'free' electrical checkup......I disagree strongly of his tactics, but he's a large company and im still a 1 man shop....so who's smarter I guess

in order to be seen in the phone book you need a large ad......expect to pay $500-$750 per new customer for it...