A Global Yellow-Pages Ad That You Can Edit
Perhaps the greatest lesson the business world has to offer is that it isn’t the steak that sells – it’s the sizzle. All marketing and advertising ventures are just the sizzle, and many business owners can explain the frustration at not selling the best steak in town. The solution is and has always been good advertising, but the world of advertisement can easily be seen as an arms race. When one group gets a sign, another adds lights to theirs.
The business across town takes out a newspaper ad, and their competitor buys time on a radio station. This has pushed advertising and marketing into the realm of the internet: all companies these days must have a web-page to survive.
However, in order to get the most out of every advertising dollar, companies should also join a business web directory.
What is a business web directory?
A business web directory is like the yellow pages for the internet. Companies can register their domain names with some open directories, which allow search engines to “find” the website, but a good business web directory will have a limited scope based on what a customer may be looking for.
There are shopping directories, service directories, local and national directories, entertainment directors and more for use.
Search engines often display these directories early in their responses, given their amount of traffic and optimization tools, giving associated businesses quicker access to their customers.
A great side effect of joining a business web directory is that it gives a chance to link to and communicate with organizations that can benefit from partnership. While one business gets the sizzle of its steak to a wider audience, another gets the fizz of its drinks ready across the street.
It isn’t just good luck, it’s good business, as now companies within a business web directory can link to each other from their individual websites. After registering with a business web directory, avenues can be opened for links and advertisements in more than just one domain.
What if I have the web-address printed on business cards and correspondences?
One large, internet mistake businesses can make is to simply create their website and treat that as the last step.
The greatest design teams can create it, and the web address can be plastered all over a storefront or office, but if a domain is not registered with any kind of business web directory, owners will only be “preaching to the choir.
Advertising is not at its most effective when directed solely at current customers.
Joining a web directory of any kind is the first step to getting a new website visible to the larger world; a business web directory will help get the address to customers who want it.
How is a business web directory different from a normal yellow pages?
As stated before, a business web directory is like an internet yellow pages. The trait that sets it apart from the one distributed around town is that a business web directory is distributed around the world.
Potential customers in New York, New Delhi or the new subdivision in town can access a web page with equal ease and access. The only difference between companies is what business web directory they are registered with.
Which business web directory is right for my business?
The best way to evaluate a business web directory is to look from the customer’s point of view. Trying to find where a specific company would fit in each business web directory can show how many similar businesses are in that directory.
In listings pages, some directories even show the amount of clicks each link has received (either in its entire history or over a stated period of time), giving a good idea of the amount of traffic the business web directory receives in general and what kinds of sites seem to get the most traffic.
In the end, when evaluating a business web directory, advertisers should always question how the directory will make their own site look. Will the web address be one link in a list of dozens or more? Or, will it have site/business information? Can your customers review it? In the end, more perks add to the cost of the business web directory, but well-spent advertising dollars will always return in droves.
How much can I expect to pay for membership in a business web directory?
As with all advertising, the cost will vary. Many businesses are registered with more than one business web directory and benefit from increased traffic. In general, the cost of a business web directory will be relative to the amount of face a business gets to show.