Yellowbook.com vs Dexknows.com

What site do you use to look up numbers?

Google Voice on my cell and plain ol Google on the desktop.

If it’s a personal number, I generally use…

1-800-411-DEAN

Works for most cell phone numbers I need too.

Good call BK it’s for business numbers. Im trying to cut advertising costs and wondering if it’s necessary to advertise on both sites. 411-dean now that sounds affordable

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Google Voice on my cell and plain ol Google on the desktop.

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Same here. I’ve never used either of the other sites listed.

I’m not sure what your business is, but with the folks I’ve talked to (Ido Advertisers) most have cut out or at least cut back on that type of advertising.

The businesses that track it say it’s almost a total waste of advertising dollars.

Google Places seems to be on the rise…that’s all I know about that.

I don’t recall the name, but it was something like “Gracies List” (?) that’s been working well for construction businesses. Customers of companies give reviews of work done for them. If I recall, there’s a fee attached to this somehow. I’ve never personally been there.

Web sites that are focused on what your business does sure seem to be a fantastic avenue as long as there’s some effort put into getting to know the people that frequent the sites.

PS a google search never (that I recall) brings up an advertisement or contact info from the two directories that you’ve listed.

PS if you think Dex and Yellow Pages are expensive…

check out 1-800-411-DEAN

My check might as well be direct deposited.

What type of business are you trying to advertise for? Here is my take on these site and this comes from running my plumbing business. When someone goes on line for a local search most times our business comes up on google maps and in the organic results. If we are running our adwords at the time it also comes up there. So does Dex, Yellowbook and a few other local and national companies. What I dont understand is why someone would click on dex or yellow book looking to continue looking for a plumber when a direct link to a local plumber is right in front of them? We even go as far as having our phone numbers on our listings so customers dont even have to click to our web site.

Link showing our google places listing.

take the money you are looking into spending with Yellow book or dex and either put into your own website or on line advertising. If those are in good order maybe just take the money to vegas. At least there you will enjoy loosing it.

I have dealt with both yellow book and dex and currently we do not spend money with either one. The last time we spent $1500 with one of these companies it generated $249 in sales. If they are really pushing you to sign, which Im sure they are, tell them it sounds great. How about a free trial run. If its even half as good as you are saying Im sure Ill be happy and will be a life long customer. You can also add “Come on. Even the car dealer lets me take a free test drive.”

Well I stand corrected somewhat.

I just googled your email ad and the 3rd listing was a Yellowbook ad.

Batzel Builders Inc

Googling Rochester Construction comes up with a wad of companies…but not yours.

Mike have you or anybody else calculated what percentage of your business is coming from on-line?

I know everybody here is on-line but I’m wondering if we all are missing business because we aren’t going the traditional ways? It’s 2011 but not for everybody!

Fow what it’s worth I’m also trying to figure this advertising game out.

Yeah I feel like the phonebook and site’s never really worked out. Get about a dozen price shoppers each yr. The best advertising is word of mouth. Thanks guys for your input.

The last 2 months 65% of our sales came from the internet and Im sure that number would hold true over the last 2 years. Almost most of this has been coming from google places (free). This doesnt mean we are swimming in loads of work. It just means we are taking full advantage of our best and cheapest source of leads.

Our yellow page ads generate on average 2 sales a month. This is 1/3rd pages ads in 5 local directories. I think yellow pages are working for some but you need to be very smart on what you are doing in them. Make sure you can afford to totally lose your investment. My goal was to generate 9 sales a month from this and bottom line 4. We are not even hitting that.

As a consumer I use mainly google maps on my cell phone only second to google on my desktop or cell phone. I can safely say I NEVER use a yellowpage/dex anything anymore.

My brother experinced similar results with the yellow pages, he wouldn’t listen to me when I said I though it was a waste, I know he didn’t do anything near what he spent.

IMHO yellow pages are a thing of the past.

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IMHO yellow pages are a thing of the past.

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Every year when they drop them on my stoop I walk them directly from the steps to the recycling bin. Thump. That’s my interaction with Dex / Yellowpages for the year.

Dustin. Maybe look at putting that money into your web site. I think there are some improvements you could make.

If you havent claimed you google places listing get that done. Maybe look at local trade shows, or networking groups like BNI. They can be good lead sources. Our local Chamber of commerce is very active and offers great networking opportunities. Maybe there is something like that in your area. Lions clubs, Rotary Club, ect. We do offers in many local charity events to help get our name out there. School auction, Church fund drives ect. Getting very active in your community is a good resource for leads.

Lastly maybe try throwing a advertisement out in SW MN. Ive heard rumor of construction work going on out there similar to the Dakotas. I was thinking about places some inexpensive ads in local town papers just for feelers on work going on in the area.

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IMHO yellow pages are a thing of the past.

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Every year when they drop them on my stoop I walk them directly from the steps to the recycling bin. Thump. That’s my interaction with Dex / Yellowpages for the year.

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Just read a article a few weeks back about San Francisco trying to ban phone books in their city due to the cost of disposal of them. Guess some place up in Washington also tried this a year or 2 ago.

Are the people that are still using phone books in your target age bracket?

54 years old…thump. My mom’s in her 80’s…thump.

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IMHO yellow pages are a thing of the past.

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Every year when they drop them on my stoop I walk them directly from the steps to the recycling bin. Thump. That’s my interaction with Dex / Yellowpages for the year.

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Just read a article a few weeks back about San Francisco trying to ban phone books in their city due to the cost of disposal of them. Guess some place up in Washington also tried this a year or 2 ago.

Are the people that are still using phone books in your target age bracket?

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Most of the disposal cost is due to over printing. They print wayyyyyyyyyyy more then they have people who use them. Your ad costs are based on circulation (same as newspapers) if they “circulate” more then they can charge more.

I’ll bet I get 6 different books a year at the shop. AND I don’t buy a ad in any of them!! Soooo, some poor smuck is paying big time to have them printed and delivered. But, it’s the world we live in.

Is google voice an app. you can download??

It came with my T-mobil Google phone.

I would Google it.

On android phones there is an app.