RIP Yellow Pages

[BradNaylor]

I gave up advertising in Yellow Pages a couple of years ago. From it being my main source of new business its effectiveness had dwindled to the point that it just wasn't viable any more to spend money on it.

Evidently I'm not alone...

Today I received a copy of our new book. It is now not only a quarter of the thickness it used to be but also about half the size - more like A5 than A4. A quick check inside reveals that all the 'free line entries' have disappeared and only paid ads remain. It now no longer has even any pretence of being a comprehensive reference book but instead is about as useful as the crappy little local directories that people are always trying to sell me space in.

I find it rather sad - I have spend tens of thousands with YP over the years and it has brought me many hundreds of new customers. It clearly is now in its death throws and cannot possible be expected to be around in any form for more than another year or two.

The exclusion of free line entries renders it almost entirely useless IMO.

Brad

 

[matt]

Mine always went straight in the recycling. Absolutely no benefit to keeping it. Yell.com is better suited to their business model these days, altho no idea how profitable that is.

 

[wizer]

The Yellow What?

 

[Hitch]

The phone book has more busness listing than it used too, i am sure....?

I can't remember last time i looked in the yellow pages for anything. :?

 

[oddsocks]

I've just realised the last yellow pages is still in the plastic bag to the side of the porch - looks like its been there since last winter!

I do use yell.com but even that is not as good as other searches

 

[BradNaylor]

Yet only a few years ago Yellow Pages was by far the biggest generator of business for most small companies - particularly retail and service based ones. Not to have a prominent position in your local Yellow Pages was tantamount to commercial suicide.

BT obviously knew what they were doing when they sold it for £2.1 billion in 2001 to a private equity group. :shock:

Current value? About nil, I would think!

 

[tom owens]

Alot of the self employed lads around where i am quit advertising in the yelllow pages due to not getting any custom from it. Plus the price was a bit ott. Ours is an inch thinner than it used to be.