Local Internet Marketing and the Yellow Pages

How good of a resource is my local Yellow Pages?

Most of the available evidence, statistical, anecdotal and otherwise points to one thing: the return on investment for yellow pages advertising is decreasing. Even if overall Yellow Pages usage is staying the same (despite population growth), there are so many new books that your advertising in the YP is becoming diluted unless you advertise in all of the books-which probably will cost you significantly more. In 2007, more and more businesses that I work with either cut out their Yellow Pages completely, or are planning on doing so the next time the YP salesman comes around. In most cases this is because their Internet Marketing program is outperforming their Yellow Pages.

There are at least two ways in which Internet Marketing outperforms the Yellow Pages:
1-Internet marketing, if done strategically usually has a lower cost per customer acquisition and/or return on investment. Bottom Line: A well implemente Pay Per Click marketing program, Search Engine Optimization program, or other Internet marketing program has a better ROI than the yellow pages.

(I know that many of the Internet marketing programs out there are NOT working very well-which is why you need to call Dan Stratford for a free 15 minute consultation at 720-985-7945 if you are considering Internet marketing or looking to improve your program. In 15 minutes Dan can point you in the right direction.)

2-The quality of the customers is higher online. On average, the income and education of an Internet user is higher than that of a yellow pages user. Of course, all demographics use both to some degree, but on average the Internet is higher.

3-In most cases the Internet is outperforming the yellow pages advertising when a business is spending the same amount on both (provided their Internet marketing is legit)

If you spend the amount of money it takes to dominate the Yellow pages (which, for an attorney in a metro area the size of Denver can easily be over $150K/year) this can result in a higher quantity of calls than what you might get from Internet marketing. However, you will have to do a lot of sifting to get to the diamonds in the ruff. So if you have the time or resources to advertise aggressively in the phone book and you are aggressively growing your business, then the yellow page might be at least a break even proposition in the short run. However, my Internet marketing customers consistently increase their Internet marketing budgets and many are cutting out their yellow pages advertising completely.

Come back tomorrow for advice on Internet marketing with the yellow pages-what works what to look out for.

Local Search Engine Marketing

I hear one of three stories when talking to someone about their experience with local search engine marketing, search engine optimization and pay-per-click marketing-when they are being honest with me:

1-"We tried that before from this guy who promised us the world, but it never worked, and that guy is out of business."

2-"We have someone doing that for us, butwe aren't sure how it's working for us."

3-"We have that taken care of, and we are getting great results from our ______ program."

Of course, it's no wonder that the majority of businesses are doing very little to strategically and successfully market their business online in such a way that matches their needs, while providing a solid return on investment (ROI)

What are your best options for local search engine marketing?

First thing you need to ask-is selling your product or service online going to be profitable?

If you are selling a product that is a commodity and that people think they can get anywhere-like a 250 gig hard drive, you are going to have a hard time selling it online successfully, unless you have some kind of unique differentiator, because you are competing against hundreds if not thousands of companies selling the same thing on the Internet. There is a gentleman named Chip Roepke who owns a computer store by Park Meadows Mall south of Denver who offers superior service for local businesses and good prices, but my experience is that he cannot compete online against Gateway, Dell, Best Buy, etc. on price alone. I still have friends who buy from Chip because they know him and trust him, they know they will get a good deal, and his service is impeccable. His advantage is great local service, but he is not the price leader.

If you have a service that someone wants and needs to use locally like a landscaping contractor, a massage therapist, or a beauty salon, you can likely and easily profit very well from local Internet marketing.

That doesn't hold true for local insurance brokers, real estate agents, and attorneys. They CAN profit from local search engine marketing strategies, but not without a strong solutions provider, the right strategy, or a lot of luck. You can find a strong solutions provider, you can implement the right strategy, but you cannot depend on luck.

If you are unsure of what will work for you, call me-Dan Stratford at 720-985-7945 for a FREE 15 minute Internet Marketing Consultation. I will give you honest answers to your questions and within 15 minutes help you pick a direction to go that will help you succeed. If you get my voicemail, just leave a message and I will call you back.

You can also come back tomorrow for some FREE online advice, and answers to the question:

Where should I invest my time and money in Internet marketing?