Still using Yellow Pages?

[Ihavenoname]

I quit using the yellow pages about 4 years ago. Anymore when a new book comes out it goes right to the recycle bin.

There seems to be a trend in more off line marketing now. I was wondering if anyone is still using the yellow pages anymore and if I should go back to it?

It's expensive in my mind and in testing my response over the years, I was only getting a few jobs a year from a listing and maybe 5 or 6 jobs a year from an ad. Mainly I was just getting more "how much" calls. 

My website pulls 100 times what my yellow page ad did plus it's $180 a year not $220 a month.  Plus my website has videos, Do It Yourself guides, and tons of photos of my work. The yellow page ad was 2x2 header that was my business name and phone number. But I did add my family photo as well.

So do you still have a yellowpage ad and does it pull?

Thank you

[kodydog]

Most of our work still comes from the YP. Second only to word of mouth. We advertise in three books (three different cities). We always ask new customers how they found us and most say the YP but more and more their saying on the internet.

Most of our customers are retired or near retired and don't spend a lot of time browsing the net. But I do think on line marketing is great and look forward to the day when I won't have to advertise in the YP. That day just isn't here yet.

You say, there seems to be a trend in more off line marketing now. I thought the trend was more toward on line marketing.

You also said, I was only getting a few jobs a year from a listing and maybe 5 or 6 jobs a year from an ad. That's not much but you have to consider each customer from the YP is a new customer. Who then tell their friends and family. Starting a small snow ball, word of mouth, effect.

[sofadoc]

We've discussed this before. I still can't understand why you guys have such ridiculous Yellow Page rates.
My local Yellow Pages phone book serves a town of 27,000, as well as the surrounding county.
My 2 X 2 ad costs me $35 a month. My land-line business phone costs around $55 a month. And because I have a land-line business phone, my listing appears for free (listing only...no ad) in the off-brand phone books of the surrounding area.
While more and more of my customers find me through web searches, the Yellow Pages is still responsible for the bulk of my business.
But yeah, if my YP ad were to cost $220 a month, I would've dropped them a long time ago. I don't see how any one-man shop could see a proper return on that investment.
But since most furniture customers are over 50, there are still a lot of them that aren't yet all that tech savvy. They still look me up in the phone book.
I can envision a day when I'll no longer need the YP's, but like Kody, it ain't today.

Just a thought....but it's kinda always been my assumption that home-based shops would have to spend a little more on advertising, since they don't have retail storefront exposure. Right? Wrong?

What drives me crazy, is when people tell me that they couldn't find me in the YP's.
I'll ask "Did you already know the name of my business?"
They say "Well....yeah".
Then I say "Why didn't you look in the WHITE PAGES???????"

[byhammerandhand]

My business card sized yellow pages ad was running over $500 a month when I dropped it.  I figured for the business it pulled in, I'd be ahead knocking off every day at 3 and watching Oprah.  I just can't imagine what the full color back page ad costs those ambulance chasing attorneys.

[kodydog]

Just a thought....but it's kinda always been my assumption that home-based shops would have to spend a little more on advertising, since they don't have retail storefront exposure. Right? Wrong?

Depends how you look at it. A brick and mortar on a busy highway will definitly bring more customers. Some good and some bad. With that comes more overhead. Also a lot of customers like to know where your shop is. They like to know where your taking their furniture.

On the other hand a home based shop, off the beaten path, will have to advertise more if they want to stay busy. Is it a wash? Hard to say. Depends where you are.

When we had a shop on US 17 in Charleston we were often booked 4 or 5 months out. Now were so far in the woods there are times we wonder if we will ever get busy again.

I think a home based business near a big city would do good without a lot of advertising.

One other problem with a home based business is finding a nice neighborhood where you can have both your home and business. A lot of neighbors would frown on a typical upholstery shop opening next door.

[Ihavenoname]

It was a few years ago, maybe as many as 6, but yep about $220 a month was what my bill was. I remember thinking I have to do 3 or 4 chairs or a sofa or two to cover my yellow page cost. I figured it was not worth the cost. $2640 is a lot of money for a small shop. I'll be happy when the phone book is finally dead. Rot in Heck you b***s

As for my "free Listing" I got almost no calls from that, and it was always someone price shopping. Maybe one job a year.

For me, it's web site(s) and referrals from other upholstery shop, fabric stores, and antique dealer and some customer referrals that get me my work.

It would be hard to sign up for the phone book again. To save money I don't even have a listing anymore. I have an home phone and a cell phone that is pay as you go. We have a tight ship here. No frills and no expenses that don't count. 

This business is so very tight on profits, I can't give anything away to every joker that comes my way. It's not easy.

Thank you to everyone who replayed to my post.

Side Note:
The 80/20 rule in practice. It's always the same people who are active on this board. Thank you for your help.

[timtheboatguy]

I haven't used the yellow pages in years. My business line is a cell phone, I advertise in the local paper that is distributed to every home in my community- cost me $30 a month and has been well worth it. Also, I get more and more calls from people that found me online.

I don't use the book anymore either, if I need a phone number I google it.

[Ihavenoname]

I heard the other day that yellow page ads have really draped in price.

I may call up the "Book" and see if they can give me a really good price to try them one more time.

[bobbin]

I now use the internet for a quickie search.  If the power was out for a couple of days I might use the Yellow Pages.  And I'm pretty "low-tech.". 

For my own business needs?  I have a cheapie Trac Fone, the crappiest, cheapest Staples business card you can imagine/buy for the least amount of money, a lot of professional skill, and I work hard at returning calls.  I'm struggling with getting the basics of computer "control" under control.

[jojo]

Bobbin, returning calls is such a basic idea, but I'm constantly amazed by people who say, "Thank you for calling me back!" That in itself seems to be marketing.

[sofadoc]

Bobbin, returning calls is such a basic idea, but I'm constantly amazed by people who say, "Thank you for calling me back!" That in itself seems to be marketing.

I hate when I get a recording that says "Your call is very important to us", and then they don't call you back. They shouldn't say it if they don't mean it.

[chrisberry12]

I USED YELLOW PAGES for my first business back in 1998 and closed in 2001 due to divorce. The ad was cancelled in '01 but the ad is still there. I reopened under another Name in 06 and dropped the ad in 07 and it is still in the book, now in 12. So in my opinion it is good to advertise the first year and then drop it. This way I might still get some calls. However, I closed up shop and I am moving to Martha's Vineyard, Mass..

[byhammerandhand]

Somehow, some dopey drone listed my business number under "Watch and Clock Repair" in a couple of the also-ran online yellow pages.   I get about a call a week asking for watch or clock repair.  Really, you'd go to a company called, "By Hammer and Hand" for watch repair?

[sofadoc]

In addition to my ad under "Upholstery", the YP's also gives me a free listing under "Furniture repair and REFINISHING.
Some days I get more inquiries about refinishing than the refinisher down the street. And the refinisher spends a lot of time fielding inquiries about repair of upholstered furniture.

Refinishing, boat/auto, slip covers, drapes/bedspreads, and telemarketers account for well over half of the phone calls I get every day.