Yellow pages - a good route to market?

[RogerS]

or a waste of time?

Coming at this from the point of view trying to raise visibility for the new business.

Roger

 

[Mike.C]

Hi Roger, Not being in business I cannot say how good they are, or if it is worth the cost, but I must say that when I am looking for a company I reach for either the big yellow book or my laptop, which ever is closer to hand, and I always find what I want.

It is probably pretty obvious, but if you do advertise with them try and come up with a name which puts you at the top or as near as you can get to the beginning of the section (AAA RogerS and Co), and I always look at the big adverts, rather than the ordinary small line of numbers such as in the phone book.

I am sure that others will be along with much more knowledge than me.

Cheers

Mike

 

[chris_d]

Hi Roger,

I always start with yell.co.uk to help make a shortlist within an acceptable travel radius and then go on to check out the website of each supplier on the list.

I really like it when the suppliers advertise their web presence with yell.co.uk directly.

HTH,
C

 

[David111s]

Hi Roger,

As a fairly new business myself I'll be interested to see others opinions on the yellow pages. I personaly haven't realy done much in the way of advertising yet. My website is still waiting for me to write it... I have however signed up to googles local business thing and spent 1/2 hour creating a map listing for my business it was free and simple, and with careful wording you can get quite high up in the list. So far I have had quite a few people contacting me via it and it's resulted in some work

good luck in your venture!

Regards David

 

[big soft moose]

roger - as you know i'm not in the woodworking business - but from my experience of other business such as photography i'd say not - I think yellow pages has had its day and is now largely surplanted by tinternet.

my advice would be to register your website in as many different categories as feasible with google map - that will bring in more biz than yp

also see if you can get any editorial coverage of what you do in the local press ( who are usually gagging for stories - particularly if you provide the copy and pictures)

 

[maltrout512]

Many years ago yellow pages phoned to see if I would like to take out an advert. After all the spill, I took out an advert the size of a cigarette packet. Total cost over £400.00. Total replies (calls) from the ad None, nill, sweet nothing. Well from that response I will not be giving them any more money.

 

[RogerS]

Hi Roger,

I always start with yell.co.uk to help make a shortlist within an acceptable travel radius and then go on to check out the website of each supplier on the list.

I really like it when the suppliers advertise their web presence with yell.co.uk directly.

HTH,
C

Do you only look at the top few in the listing or do you look at the ones lower down? They run a couple of tiers depending on how much you pay. Pay more and you feature in the top three. Pay a bit less and you're in the next group. And then you come to the free listing.

 

[RogerS]

......
also see if you can get any editorial coverage of what you do in the local press ( who are usually gagging for stories - particularly if you provide the copy and pictures)

That is on my TUIT list although in my experience it's usually tied in with advertorial ie you have to pay for an advert at the same time. Which I'm not against in principle.

 

[petermillard]

When I first set up this business I advertised in just about everything I could, including a box ad in Yellow Pages. It generated one job over the year, and just about paid for itself. I found during that year I generally had more interest from my (free) line ad on Yell.com than Yellow Pages.

The other thing that really bugged me about YP was that they sold my details to telemarketing people and I was inundated with phone calls from people trying to flog me insurance or offering me special rates to join their 'cowboy free' organisation, build and maintain a 'web presence' for my business etc.. etc... Infuriating when you're just trying to crack on and get some work done.

So personally, I'd steer well clear; as someone else further up the thread said, it's a bit of a relic these days - you'd be better off trying to get your website ranked higher up Google searches than advertising in YP - all IMO, of course.

HTH, Pete

 

[9fingers]

I think the paper YP directory has had its day.

I invariably look online at Yell.com if I want a research a local service these days.

I don't know what the cost is though.

Getting a prominent position on Google has got to be worth trying for.

Good Luck Roger

Regards

Bob

 

[big soft moose]

......
also see if you can get any editorial coverage of what you do in the local press ( who are usually gagging for stories - particularly if you provide the copy and pictures)

That is on my TUIT list although in my experience it's usually tied in with advertorial ie you have to pay for an advert at the same time. Which I'm not against in principle.

it depends on how much of a newsworthy angle you can offer - if its just a "hey i'm great" article then yes you will have to pay for an advert - but if you have done something genuinely newsworthy then you can get in anyway

for example a donation of craft/time to a local old peoples home/ day care centre/ orphanage / nursery etc

or an exhibition of your work

or winning an award or competition - or donating a prize for one of their competitions

or raising money for a local good cause

etc

The other possibility if you are a good writer is to get a monthly column - If you are willing to forgoe payment the average editor of a small local paper will jump at that so long as what you've got to say is interesting to their readership.

Also dont neglect your local parish newsletter which may well run a "local face" type article each issue - and which will be available for people to read in doctors surgeries, hair dressers etc etc

 

[RogerS]

.....you'd be better off trying to get your website ranked higher up Google searches than advertising in YP - all IMO, of course.

HTH, Pete

Thereby hangs a tale as I guess it all depends on what search terms people use!

 

[chris_d]

Do you only look at the top few in the listing or do you look at the ones lower down? They run a couple of tiers depending on how much you pay. Pay more and you feature in the top three. Pay a bit less and you're in the next group. And then you come to the free listing.

I ignore the sponsored listings since they are usually national suppliers which I loathe. I go straight to 'map view' and click the 'only show suppliers covering postcode XXX XXX' and then down select based on distance, but I always go through all of the results.

This is just my particular search style so keep canvassing opinion since I doubt everyone searches in the same way. Furthermore, I'm always keen to use local small-time suppliers based on ethical and green principles.

FYI - I find google local/maps a bit hit and miss (excuse the pun) since I believe their business database is still rather immature compared with yell although this will undoubtedly continue to improve as google busily data-mine our searches and personal data stored in the 'cloud'.

HTH,
C

 

[JWF]

When we started our business some 5 years ago we invested in YP and Yell.com and have not been disappointed. When we receive an inquiry we always ask where they got our details from and invariably it is one or other. It works for us.
John

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi,

My personal experience has been positive of Yellow Pages. If you have an "advertising budget" (which I think is a bit of a big business phrase) then you'd do well to ignore all of the fancy glossy mags with limited circulation and go straight for the YP. Remember every house in the UK gets one!!

To an extent it depends on the kind of business you want, as has been pointed out already, many folk use internet based searches but the older generations (and less computer friendly folk - or those in crappy broadband areas) will always turn to the YP first.

Yell is worth the advert, if for no other reason than to get another link to your website, remember links add up to boost your site!! They also have a new option (which costs a little more :roll: ) which gives you a kind of "Mini site" within Yell, this includes a whole load of pictures and a good bit of text and a map. If you yell for "Woodturners in Leicester" mine comes up top (or it did last time I looked!!) where there is a link to my actual site and a "Photos, Map and More" button.

I only advertise in the Yellow pages (40mm black box add), Yell.com (with the new upgraded package) and on my website and it seems to do me pretty well. The cost of the YP and Yell package is about £50 per month (so not cheap) but you really don't need that many jobs to make that money back.

I hope this helps you. If you need any more info just ask.

Cheers,

Richard

 

[Russ]

Personally, I think we put our faith and set our sights too high when it comes to advertising with the likes of Yellow Pages etc... may work for some but not for me..

When I lived in London I had 1000 A4 3-fold brochures and cards made, kept the design clean and simple, bought some quality envelopes and addressed each one to the homeowner and stamped my details on the back, then drove round and targeted nice residential areas and started popping them through doors, took a few weeks for the phone to start ringing, but it worked.. At a guess I had a response of around 3-4% which was fantastic even though much of the work never really interested me it was still a result.

I have done the same here in France and now I don't even advertise, my website is old and in urgent need of an update? I have no passing trade as the workshop is well hidden and it has all evolved from a simple mail-shot that cost me next to nothing.

Websites are great for showing your work but you need to attract peoples attention, you have to go out and find customers, give them a brochure and they will read through it and put it aside, throw it in the bin or even pass it on to one of their friends or colleagues that may be looking for someone skilled like yourself...

We spend far too much getting websites tip top, heres an example, my wife felt that it was essential for her business to have a company design, host and work on it's ranking on a monthly basis, it's now within the top 20 of her field which is great as her market is extremely competitive, the site is very smart and well thought out but it's not cheap, and still 99% of her new clients are found through networking or by word of mouth.

Keep it simple, it's always worked for me.

Russ

 

[crazylilting]

I advertised in the BT phone book last year well this year still and i've had three calls that have amounted to £300 in revenue. The ad cost me just over a thousand...

I'd say it was a waste of money. All of my work has been word of mouth other then the 3 calls, and i haven't gone belly up yet so i'd say i'm doing something right. This doesn't mean that i'm successful by any means but am keeping my head above water and i think that is pretty good for only a year and a half in business and from a different country with no contacts to begin with.

My advice would be to start small and keep overhead down to the bare bones minimum. Only buy the tools you need and build your business and your tools in the direction of the jobs requested. It is a hard way to build a business but debt and overhead are the killers of any business. I've had to go into a bit of debt due to several thefts but if it weren't for those i'd be doing well in my opinion.

Advertising is an overhead that can generate business but it is a gamble. Advertising is keeping yourself in the consciousness of possible customers, being known, a false sense of relationship. Big advertisers know the power of instant report and they do this with very simple ads that keep them in the consciousness of the masses. They use memetics and consistency to achieve their goal, to secure a percentage of your future income.

A simple logo that is memorable, a catch phrase that plays on the memetic set of your target audience and constantly keeping it in their view will do the trick, but it is a long term plan that takes vast amounts of money.

 

[Mrs Oryx]

A lot of the success of the YP is dependent on the market you are trying to reach and the product you are offering. We have never advertised in directories, the vast majority of our work is from recommendation of previous customers and designers we have worked with. However, the last time I needed to hire a skip I reached for the paper version as I find it easier than yell.com.

We have advertised using Google Adwords and just got our first enquiry (I only spend max £2 per day) as we were really just playing in readiness for something else.

We feel our website plays a similar role to our (non-existant) brochure. We never have a brochure as most of our customers pride themselves on having something very personal to them.

I think what I'm trying to say is match your advertising strategy (including schmoozing) to the market that you are trying to reach. Be clear about who that is but also be prepared to change. Be realistic about how many jobs you need to create from outlay to really be making money.

My gut feel is as above, YP paper has pretty much had its day but you do need to reach those who aren't so comfortable with the internet.

 

[Marky]

Just my two penneth.

I get a lot through my website. Although I have spent a long time, years in fact (but no money) getting to the top of google in my area.

Im usually very poor with typing (few posts since joining, But I visit every day) but if you google, say 'carpenter bishops stortford' in the google.co.uk I should apear either first or second every time.

You can rate my website if you like, but it does work well and I get about 3 to 5 requests via the quick quote form every week.

My site is not very good (in my opponion) but I do put a lot of pic's on it and I find people do like that.

I joined the 'GMC' some years ago, it really is not worth much and they do just take your money, however I do get a big bit in yell.com and a box advert in the yellow pages. You know the ones, like the old 'corgi' or 'niceic' adverts for there local members. The benifit to me is that im the only one in the area so I get a big box to myself. Total cost £250 per year.

I get about 3 calls a week from that, people do think the 'guild' means something.... and also the older people do use it rather than the internet.

I did start locally some years ago (I come from Whitechapel originally, and when I moved to the area I wanted to stop going back into London) with posting out leaflets and that worked too, I just made sure that it advertised my website for people to look at before phoning me...

It has to be said that this approach has worked for me, together with personal reconmendations, although I dont do huge amounts in the workshop and more just general carpentry for the local community.

The mix of work is split about 3 ways, web / recomendation / yellow pages and I make a good living from it. I think it just depends on what you do, what your community wants and getting you name out there.


Mark

 

[Philton]

When I first started my business a few years ago I put a full colour business card size ad in the YP at a cost of over £1000 and found it didn't generate enough business over the year to pay for itself. I've now reduced it to the basic bold ad for about £40 which is still the biggest ad in the Cabinet Makers category because everyone else just has free line ads. I think it depends a lot on the category you are going into, for instance the 'Kitchen' cats have a lot of large colour ads so small free one line ads just get lost.

I get the best response from ads in local ad directory pamphlets that go out bi-monthly. I also found flyers delivered to targeted areas good but don't have the time to go round delivering these days.