Back in the day if you wanted your business to be seen, you made sure it was listed in the yellow pages. Their ads encouraged would-be customers to “let your fingers do the walking” to find the business they needed. But today, over 54% of American consumers have abandoned their phone books and use online and local search instead.

So do you still need a yellow page ad? The answer may surprise you. Take a look at how businesses are using yellow pages and other business directories to get seen by consumers.

Now Your Electronics Do The Walking

The Real Yellow Pages (YP) is still available in print form and can be an effective part of a multichannel marketing strategy, especially if your market is age 50 or older. This video will show you why. YP reports businesses get these results from their print ads:

• 71% contact or visit a business from the ad; 84% of them intend to purchase.
• 46% of purchases are from new customers; 54% are from repeat customers.

To reach broader markets, YP also offers an easy-to-use online platform—YP.com and a mobile app. That’s where a business can create their own online listing— for free. YP reports nearly 60 million visit their site each month with 94% of users contacting a business within 24 hours.

Consumers search the site for products or services and get a list of local businesses offering them. In addition, there are interactive features where users can review a business, ask questions and get coupons.

How to get your free listing. Watch this video to learn how to create or “claim” a free listing on the YP website. Your profile can include items like a geolocator, contact information, business hours, a link to your website and your BBB rating.

Like other search engines, you can also pay a fee to get a Priority Listing at the top of a YP search for a specific category or keyword.

Other Free Directory Options

Business directories like YP.com are a great source of free promotion for small businesses. They raise your visibility among people who are active buyers. But to get the maximum benefit, it’s important to take advantage of multiple directories. One research study reports you can earn 36% more revenue than average by claiming free listings on at least three directory sites.

Womply and Vendasta have each identified free directory websites every small business should be on in 2020. Some are specific to certain industries. For example, TripAdvisor focuses on the hospitality industry while Angie’s List specializes in home service businesses.

Here’s more information on some of the largest directories:

• Google My Business – Probably the most-used search engine, this free tool lets you promote your business profile on Google Search and Maps. Here’s a video showing you how to sign up for it. Google reports half of mobile consumers searching for local businesses will visit that business within 24 hours.
• Facebook – 68% of Americans are on Facebook each day so having a listing here is important. Entrepreneur.com offers this easy 7-step process for creating one. With the listing, you can invite users to follow you to access ongoing content you post.
• Yelp – According to Nielsen, 98% of users who found a business here made a purchase—90% did it within a week.  Here’s how to claim your Yelp business page (there’s a tollfree number if you get stuck and need help).

Whether their fingers or electronic devices do the walking, consumers use business directories to find businesses like yours. Taking advantage of these free resources assures you have the visibility to get their business when they’re ready to buy.