I always use the Internet first. I Google my city and the service I am looking for.

We receive numerous yellow pages books each year, so many that they go directly into the recycle bin.

ML

For local things, definitely the Yellow pages, but we only keep the 'real' yellow pages and we toss those others. I have been very disappointed in internet searches for local business, unless I know the company I am looking for. So, I searched for "family entertainment" and got some of the same results as the phone book, but the phone book had twice as many. Some companies have just a two-line listing (not a ad) saying see us at www.companyname.com).

I've gotten nothing but flakes when I tried to find a gardener or a repairman in my local area just using Craig's List or the internet. Best way to find those services were at the local bulletin board near the grocery store!

I would use both, but perhaps more likely to use The Internet, because a website may exist with photos, testimonials, things that wouldn't be in a phone book. Also never forget the power of good will and word of mouth.

I don't even know where the actual phone book is anymore. It seems that we go to the internet for just about everything. Even while we're out, my daughter just uses her phone to check the internet for places we are looking for, etc.

As a small business owner (graphic and sign shop) we made an effort to ask each of our new clients where or how they heard about us. Word of mouth accounted for some and so did internet. The only thing we got from the yellow pages were people looking for employment. So we made the decision to better spend those dollars we were spending on the yellow page ad.

I never look at the phone book, I lways search online.

Depends on the area. Here in ND (near Minot) I use the yellow pages and local papers as the Internet does not seem to have local businesses--or word or mouth. Maybe you could put a small ad in the yellow papers with a cross reference to your web site. Do you have a catchy name--logo that will stand out? You mentioned several Verizon books--are you near large cities that have several books? Have you talked to your Verizon rep to see what they recommend. How about local TV --here they are very good with working with small business. Also the businesses have a place to let them know how I found them and very short evaluation list.
Could you put out flayers occasionally to different youth groups--offer special discounts when it is a new customer--or discount when one group/leader recommends you, etc.
Hope this gives you some ideas.
Good luck

Debi, as another small business owner I struggle with this each year as well. Most folks have no idea what those yellow page ads cost, it about kills me to write those checks. I am still in the yellow pages but went to the smallest, in-column ad that I could have. This year I am going to listing only. Would that work for you?

I have the radio tuned to a local station and keep it on most mornings and early evenings. I hear a lot of commercials for small local businesses. Some of those ads are in the voice of the business owner.

I have no idea how expensive that would be, but have you considered radio?

Sue

Paper phone book first and then the online Yellow Pages. If there's a link in the Yellow Pages to the business, I'll follow it to their website.

I don't use the yellow pages or any paper phone book, and haven't for years.

If I want a service in my area, I generally look in our local paper, online. I also use Google.

Thanks everyone...food for thought. Your replies are helpful.

Lynn d: The rates are astronomical even for those in-column listings. I agree that many people aren't aware of the costs unless they write checks to the phone company for this purpose. I advertise under 2 headings in 4 books because both headings are what people would look under for such services.

Upon talking with the rep today I was told if I were to downsize my ads to just a listing (name, website, phone #), it would cost more than my current in-column, box ad. He said I get alot of discounts for my ads, and discounts won't apply if I downsize, hence the higher cost. Personally, I think it's a Verizon intimidation tactic so people feel like they can't/shouldn't downsize. I think I have to take this one with w/ a Verizon manager tomorrow.

Upon calling some local Internet advertisers today, I learned that Superpages.com is a waste of money (reps are trying to sell that big time, but I won't bite). If I'm able to get a lower rate for a small, in-column listing, I'll go that route so I don't loose that business, then obtimize my webiste to the fullest so I'm more prominent when people do keyword searches.

What's a business owner to do? It's always a catch 22 with advertising.

The internet was young when I had my store so internet vs. yellow pages experience from then wouldn't apply now. Personally, when phone books arrive here, they go directly into the recycle bin. I did order a yellow pages CD from Qwest and installed it but never really used it since you need to update it so often.

When I needed a plumber, I looked on the internet. Same with looking for appliances and someone to seal my driveway. I found a van to buy on the internet. When I'm looking for a certain business I look for their website and when they don't have one or I can't find it (and I'm pretty good at searching!) it's a black mark in my book. A basic website at least is as much of a requirement these days as a business card.

Don't overlook advertising with the local Chamber of Commerce or local organizations. Restaurants that have advertisements on the menus or placemats can be good. Search for review places that apply to your business to get your name in there with info and even some reviews and opinions. That many more hits with the crawlers.

TV & radio are possibilities. We got some good rates through the local cable company if that would work for you. They'd target the channels that we chose and worked with their suggestions too. We used local papers for successful advertising. Word of mouth was of course best and having a storefront in a high traffic area helped.

Other ideas: Sometimes the back of taxi cabs can be reasonable, depending on the area. Some still put signs on. Local "free" papers, giveaways, can be good. If you're targeting a bargain hunting clientele there's "saver" type magazines and publications that might be an option.

I should say that we got a lot of response from cable. People saying "saw your commercial", but frankly I'm not sure how much we sold from that group. Whether it helped to bring them back for repairs or something, that's possible.

I know what you're going through. We had the same problems. Good luck. It's the small businesses that built the country and the ones people run to for local support. Yet, all too often, the ones people neglect when it comes time to spend their dollars!

Strictly a phone book/yellow pages person when looking for something here in my small town, or surrounding towns.

I have and keep the books for about the southern 1/3 of IN, and always reference them as opposed to the net.

Don't you imagine fewer folks use the net if they are on dial-up?

Sue

Debi, for the past 15 years we were part of a chain, so we had an ad agency that weeded thru the yellow page solicitations and sent me a proposal, they also got a rate for placing all the ads. I left that group last year so now it is me weeding thru them all. What a pain!

Each area is so different, as are target markets. Our town has only 2 major phone books, Verizon and EZ. I need to be in both of them, I know that. Surprisingly tho a lot of people look for me in the white pages, a good thing, that means they know the name. But the reason I know this is that I moved last summer and Verizon did not update the white pages! So those that looked there thought we were at the old address, which is only a block away.

I'm half afraid that I am going to be left out of the Verizon book this year, I cancelled my Verizon service went to my cable company for phone service.

I use the internet for everything - Google or a yellow or white pages site if Google offers nothing. I can usually at least find a phone number online however I expect a website from businesses to be honest, even if it's rudimentary.

I'm not one to make a phone call if I don't have to so I like to get as much information as I can online - pricing, (even if it's approximate), services offered, photos, etc.

I work for a yellow page company and came across this question from debi. restaurants is the number 1 most used heading in yellow pages. The problem in advertising now is that there are so many places to put an ad. You should have a great web site cause a web site is where everything gets funneled into. Many people go to the book and go directly to your site from the ad.

Also keep in mind that you are posting this question on line and most of these people are on line type of people so their opinions are not always correct. Everyone is different and there is a reason for a restaurant to be in the book, on line and on Internet yellow page sites.

The book is not flashy but it is effective to have all that information in a book of all local businesses not just businesses that know how to put themselves on the internet. If you do a search for pizza do you get all the local pizza places or just some of them?

Anyways I seen this and thought you may need help from someone who actually understands the business and helps local businesses everyday. I was happy to see how many of the responses said yellow pages though even though we are on line with this discussion.

Good luck with your business.