Business Directory Analysis & The Future

A Business Directory is normally published free of charge for users. Businesses get a free listing which is usually a name, address and phone number. If they want more information displayed they have to pay a fee.

Businesses and householders can now ask for a private number which means that their number is no longer listed. This has the advantage of reducing unsolicited calls but can harm the ability of a business to generate sales.

The size of the advertisement determines the price. Business names are listed in alphabetical order. This means that if a business name begins with the letter "a" it invariably has an advantage over a business that starts with the letter "t".

Now many countries are creating opt out rules which mean they businesses can still be listed in a telephone directory but can not be contacted by companies who wish to sell them products. This has totally changed the landscape for telemarketing companies and businesses which have been burdened by new regulation.

The Yellow Pages generally refer to business listings whilst others refer to personal phone numbers and addresses. The main logo that is used is world famous and is a static image of two fingers walking on a yellow background.

At the beginning of existing directories you can usually find information for the emergency services, transport information as well as international dialling codes.

Now business directories are moving online. In the old days these were limited and barley used due to the low download speeds and the time it took to find a phone number.

Now many people no longer use the paper version as they have access to high speed broadband. This makes searching for a phone number much easier utilising the internet and keyboard then relying on a printed version which is probably out of date.

This is the real value of an internet directory. Information that is updated is available to all and sundry the minute it has been modified. Meanwhile most paper directories are six months out of date by the time they land on your door step.

Many people also use internet directories to enhance the ratings of their websites online. It is important that there is a live weblink in your business listing and you focus only on the well known and reputable directories.

Search engines love inbound links from quality sources but dislike link farms which just sell links. Generally speaking the more inbound links a website has the higher it appears for its search terms.

Many websites have disappeared of the search engines radar primarily because they bough cheap and nasty links from the link farms. It is far better to have a few quality inbound links than hundreds from pages that are not rated by the search engines.

What is going to happen with the advent of internet facilities for the mobile phone? Business Directories are now being created that are dedicated specifically for mobile phone user1! Technology is improving so rapidly now that even the business directories are struggling to keep pace!

A Business Directory Just Isn't Enough Anymore!

you own a business directory? Are you having a tough time beating your competition? This article will help you towards leaving your competition far behind.

The idea here isn't about getting as many business directory listings as possible. The idea we need to create is about more community within your directory.

I always like using a "saying" I learned from network marketing: "I would rather utilize 1% of a hundred people's effort, then utilize 100% of my own to market my business." If you keep this in mind, there is nothing you can't be successful at.

With that in mind let me be quick to point out that, I am not talking about creating an affiliate program. Those come a dime a dozen and can be bought. What we need to do is create something larger than ourselves. I am talking about taking our directory and improving everything involving people.

GENERAL DIRECTORIES ONLINE:

For these types of directories, it gets a little harder to create a community people can relate to. This is only true simply because the more broad your audience/visitors are, the harder it is to target your resources.

Here are some ideas you can use for a general directory:

- Create a blog and use it to feature some new listings within your directory. Maybe even offer a review of some kind.

- Offer the ability to add a logo or image attached with the listing in order to personalize it more.

- Give people the ability to submit more information than most of your competing directories out there.

- Make sure to include a detailed search function.

- Create an online questionnaire on tips to improve the directory. Use these tips right away.

- Email everyone within your directory maybe once a month outlining all of the new listings posted online for that month.

- Make sure to have a "news" page so that visitors can see what's new.

I think you get the idea now. The whole point is, there is no limit as to how you can expand "around" your directory listings in order to increase the value of your directory online. The more you give back to people, the more they might tell their friends about your directory.

TARGETED TOPIC RELATED DIRECTORIES:

Whether your directory is targeting the local business community or you are targeting the international health community, having a directory that is more content specific will make it a lot easier to create a community based website.

Here are some ways to better your targeted directory:

- Create a forum detailing all of the topics within your directory so that people can discuss issues or tips within those categories. For ex. If you own a local business directory, create a forum to allow local business owners to discuss business related issues, hot commercial real estate properties, special deals on office equipment, etc.

- Create a news section that outlines some local news & events within your community. This will especially help to bring more local visitors to your directory and expose your listings further.

- Offer weather & traffic reports within local community directories.

- Add a feature page where you actually interview one directory member (maybe once a month). This will help people to get more familiar with the members of your directory and it will also help promote your directory. People who are submitting to your directory may only submit just for the chance to get interviewed about their service/product/expertise.

- Add a blog with your experiences related to the topics of your directory. This will help in two ways:

1) People will be able to relate to you and feel more connected with you.
2) People will begin to respect what you are doing and may tell more people about your directory since they are starting to feel that your directory is more people oriented instead of just simply getting the most listings in the world.

- Add related tips to the industry. The internet is full of reprint articles for your website. I am 99.9% sure you can find articles related to your industry. Maybe start a newsletter for members of your directory and send them tips on their industry. Who doesn't want to learn more about their industry!?

In Conclusion:

As you can see from above, by simply taking some ideas here, and implementing them within your directory, you will be well on your way towards creating a more community-based directory. This is very important these days as more and more directories like yours are popping up everywhere.

Let's not forget about search engines. They too are increasingly rewarding communities more than they are rewarding simple directories online. The more resources and content you add around your directory listings, the more valuable they become in the end and the more traffic you will get.

The more valuable your listings are, the more visitors will be willing to come back from time to time and possibly tell their friends about it. You never know what will make it or break it but, all we can do is try our best to increase the value of our increasingly popular online community.

Business Directory Moves From Paper to Computer Screen

A business directory helps buyers to find businesses that sell what they want. The directories used to come printed, often on yellow pages. A buyer went to the relevant category, looked through the listings, and phoned promising suppliers.

These days, the directories are more likely to come in an online form. Online business directories have several advantages. Businesses can keep their information up to date so that a prospective buyer won't find a wrong person at the other end of the phone, for example.

Business directories not only serve consumers but also businesses. They can get their businesses listed in the directories and attract the attention of buyers who browse the directories. Much business can come in this way, particularly if the directories are online directories.

Advantages of Online Business Directories

Online business directories have several advantages compared to paper-based print directories. These include:

DIRECTORY USERS:

• Users can find what they want much more easily and quickly using search and other facilities. Instead of thumbing through pages of an unwieldy volume, they just click the mouse a few times.






• Much more information can be accommodated in the online directories. This includes not only information about the listed businesses but also other relevant and helpful information. Direction maps and informative topical notes are examples of such add-ons.






• Information in online directories are likely to be more up to date, as listed businesses can edit their details.






• Users can quickly click through to the business website and get more details. They can also contact the businesses if the details meet their expectations, or look promising.

LISTED BUSINESSES:

• In addition to providing more information about themselves in the directories, businesses can provide full details at their websites to which directory users typically click through. This is much better than conveying information over the phone when a print directory user phones in.






• Users are much more likely to check out websites anonymously than phone in. This means that more users are likely to become aware of your offers.






• A listing in an online directory has the incidental advantage of providing in-pointing links to the websites of listed businesses. Many businesses list their businesses in many directories to gain link popularity that boosts the search engine visibility of their web sites.

Organizing Business Directories

Making it easy to find information in different ways is one of the prime objectives while deciding on how to arrange the content, layout and navigation of the business directory.

A search facility with advanced features is a standard feature now. You can typically search by business name, category, location or product. The use of clearly visible tabs to direct visitor to major sections, and links in each section to sub-sections, etc are also standard.

The look and feel of a directory can determine whether it would become popular, provided it has an adequate number of listings to become known as a good resource.

Many directories seek a niche approach, focusing on a particular business category, such as agriculture or plastics.

Conclusion

A business directory helps both buyers and sellers. Online business directories offer several advantages over print directories, which tend to become unwieldy and even obsolete quickly.

Online business directories offer speedier finding and more information. For listed businesses, they also provide some link popularity.

To be successful, a business directory has to attract both businesses and directory users. They try to do this using different techniques and approaches.