Investing Time and Money in Business Directories

We have all heard of the yellow pages and other publications listing businesses. In networking we normally advocate the ‘go-get-them’ approach; however it is also important to enable the ‘let-them-find-you’ route.

A question to ask yourself before spending money on subscription fees is whether your target audience will be able to find you through this channel. If you are an online business, it is highly unlikely you will receive referrals from a location based directory.

If your company is a specialised retailer or manufacturer, then it is important to place your business in a category where your potential clients would look for you. If you have several products or lines of business, then you might consider listing your business under different categories within the same business directory, as this will double the chances of your name being found. Once you are listed and start to get referrals make sure you ask all new customers or enquirers “How did you find out about us?” This is a very useful way to identify what works and what doesn't.