Yellow Pages

[rocketdesigns]

I've got a yellow pages guy all over my ass about how I need to be advertising in the yellow book listings. Prices are as follows:

1/4 page $309 per month

dallar bill sized ad $241 per month

business card size $163 per month

small box ad $88 per month

I'm not all that stoked on being tied up for a monthly fee for an entire year, but maybe its a necessity. I've been busy over the past few months, but typically do have some slow periods throughout the year, and could use a bit of a boost in consistent business. My concern is that I'll get too many people looking for the cheapest price (eg real estate agents), along with non-business entities looking for signage and who don't see the value in paying market price for signs. Not that I'm looking to jack anyone, or exclude anyone, just don't want too many time wasters. I'm in a networking group (BNI) and have had great results since I joined, which makes that well worth the $300 I spent to join.

That being said, what works for you guys? Who has experience with yellow page ads? Good? Bad? Worth it? Not at all? I'm especially interested in those on the west coast region. Anyone do online advertising? Lets hear it! Thanks.

Guido

[Travis]

We have a nice sized yellow page add (1/4 page) allthough I dont know the cost. We have three people that generally answer the phones, myself included, that take several calls of folks that let their fingers do the walking. I would think even the box advertisement to be a good investment. I guess it could depend on the competition in your area as to what you decide.

[Freddy@NDS]

You may consider this synical but when was the last time any of you picked up the Yellow pages and took a gander? $300 a month could be spent on Direct Mail, Internet Advertising, or other means. A small add in the YP may be beneficial but noot a quarter of a page. Just one person's thoughts.

[Erik Sine]

$300 a month and $3,708 a year. I think I could spend that in other ways. Printing up some nice marketing material and hitting up property managements, or other face to face marketing. I've had a 1/4 page advert before and I got more tire kickers than ever, or my competition calling to see what my prices were. Internet is a very good medium, I get most of my non referrals from online rather than the yellow pages these days.

lmao at real estate agents, the residential ones anyway.

I like spending money on promtional type goodies on my existing clients, that way they spread the word for me. In turn I'm doing fewer jobs for more money and not more jobs for less money.

These days I got rid of all my advert in the yellow and just stuck to simple plain ol listings

Websites these days are more valuable, I can't see not having one. Flash sites are the worst though for search engines

[derf]

A Yellow page add will get your phone to ring off the hook!... "How Much is a Sign" How cheap can you make a 6"x24" sign for" "do you make Happy birthday Banners?" If this is what you want all day then get the add.

Now if you want "I need 12 box trucks done we will ship in the graphics in" or "Can you change over our store signage in your local metro area" then invest in a Web Page and web advertisement.

I only work from a "Referral System" developed for Real Estate professionals and Mortgage Brokers. "By Referral Only" is one the other is "Brian Buffini" These two Referral systems are the best I have found. 90% of my customers are from referrals and 90% of them would never uses anyone other than us. I develop a relationship and become an important part of their business. This makes it very difficult from them to use another vender.

Don't do the book man!

[SignSource1]

Never had much luck with large YP ad. The one year I decided to spend money, I could count on one hand the jobs I recieved from the ad. On the other hand I cannot even count the referrals from satisfied customers who send me more work. I'm with Derf I'm not going to spend all day answering the phone for price checks. There are signs to be made and Profits to squandered

If we take care of the customer, then the customer will take care of us. Sometimes we forget

[rocketdesigns]

Thanks everyone for your input. Pretty much what I thought. Being a one man operation, I don't have time to run appointments for those who are looking for signs on the cheap, or answering calls from those who aren't serious in the first place.

As some of you advised, I am going to focus on developing my website, and continue to build solid relationships with existing customers and the network of business owners that I currently know. Of course I've been saying I'll have a website up for 5 years now

Anyhow, thanks again!

Guido