There’s a pretty good reason that the Yellow Pages and White Pages now have their listings available online — because almost everybody goes to the Internet to seek out goods and services.
Today, there are lots of options for online directories where you can quickly search for whatever it is you’re looking for. And the more of them that have your business listed, the better.
Here are a few that can help you get found!
• Angie’s List
For accurate and reliable reviews of services, Angie’s List is one of the best. With real testimonials from real customers, businesses can read and respond to reviews and find additional business tools as well. Click to list your business on Angie’s List.
• Bing Places for Business
After Google, Bing is a close second. This search engine is also crucial for businesses, especially since Bing has Microsoft behind it. It’s quick, easy and free to register, and you can add multiple locations at one time, as well as post additional content in your listing (such as photos, videos, etc.). Click to list your business on Bing Places for Business.
• Citysearch
For restaurants, bars, spas, hotels, restaurants and more, Citysearch is a must. Also available through a popular mobile app, the network’s listings are free and easy to update. Plus, Citysearch has guides available for many major U.S. cities. Their extensive network of partners includes Expedia, MerchantCircle (see below), and Urbanspoon. Click to list your business on Citysearch.
• DexKnows
Listings on DexKnows help you track how people interact with your profile — a unique feature that allows businesses to gauge their online reputation. The site also helps to identify online and print opportunities and provides detailed lead information through reporting tools. Click to list your business on DexKnows.
• Foursquare
Because it’s both a business directory and a social networking site, Foursquare has unique features and benefits. The site allows customers to check in and comment on your business — potentially leading to more customers. Also available as a mobile app, Foursquare lets people Tweet messages to you directly. Click to list your business on Foursquare.
• Google Places for Business
Well, it’s Google — clearly, a “must-be-listed” for any business. With nearly 6 billion searches a day, Google outpaces every other search engine by miles. Signing up for a listing is easy and free, and your listing appears in Google Maps as well. Plus, satisfied customers can provide their reviews on your Google+ page. Click to list your business on Google Places for Business.
• Hotfrog
In less than 5 minutes, you can have a free listing on Hotfrog — and start adding as many details as you want, with the goal of getting your site listed in Google search results. You can even create coupons to offer your customers. Click to list your business on Hotfrog.
• Kudzu
If you offer home improvement services, Kudzu is a great site for you. More than 90% of Kudzu users are homeowners; almost 75% of them are interested in home renovation projects. If you get an enhanced profile, they provide you with a dedicated account manager. Click to list your business on Kudzu.
• Local.com
Powered by Yext.com, this free business directory gives searchers detailed information with current events, deals and information on popular businesses in their city. Local.com offers you resources to ensure your business is listed accurately throughout the Internet, as well as additional advertising options. You can also add a coupon to your listing. Click to list your business on Local.com.
• Manta
With more than 30 million unique visitors every month, Manta is one of the fastest-growing business sites online. You can get set up within minutes, highlight your products and brands, and increase your site traffic with business optimization packages (for an additional fee). Click to list your business on Manta.
• MapQuest
To bring nearby customers right to your location, there’s MapQuest. This web mapping service (just $3/week) is built for businesses that are trying to increase foot traffic, offering detailed driving directions and a central dashboard to manage your listings across multiple sites (extra fee). Click to list your business on MapQuest.
• MerchantCircle
To connect with local customers and other small businesses, MerchantCircle offers geographic localization to your target audience, as well as free marketing tools and the ability to boost your listing with advertising. You can even host a business blog on the site. Click to list your business on MerchantCircle.
• Superpages.com
This user-friendly online directory provides unique features such as “cars for sale” listings, lottery results, and helpful tips for finding business-related services. Visitors will find popular search categories and even local weather listings right on the home page. There’s even a Facebook sign-in option. Click to list your business on Superpages.
• The Business Journals
Featuring 8 million monthly searches — with an average income of nearly $100,000 — The Business Journals offer four levels of service options: free, bronze, silver, and gold. Each of these options will display your listing in the directory; but the higher-level options provide more opportunities to receive targeted traffic to your website. Click to list your business on Business Journals.
• White Pages
Basically, this is the online version of the classic White Pages phone book. With this directory, you can list your business among 30 million businesses and reach more than 200 million people. It also offers a premium text message service for your mobile marketing efforts, as well as sponsored advertising opportunities. Click to list your business on White Pages.
• Yahoo! Local Listing
Millions of searches take place on Yahoo every day — it’s the 3rd most popular search engine. Yahoo’s Local Basic listing is free, but you can include photos, company description and more for $9.95/month, or get maximum views and listings on 40+ additional directories for $29.99/month. Click to list your business on Yahoo Local.
• Yellowbook
A subsidiary of Hibu Business — a multinational directories and internet services company — Yellowbook lets you create an easily searchable business listing on their network. With your listing comes a complete profile for your business information, a link to your website, product descriptions, and even an innovative map feature. This information is distributed across their network and partner sites. Plus, display and video ads are also available. Click to list your business on Yellowbook.
• YellowBot
Also similar to the Yellow Pages, this online directory provides basic contact and location information about your businesses, and also allows customers to post reviews. You can easily sign in with Facebook, Google, Twitter, Windows Live or Yahoo, and add searchable tags to your listing. A Premium Listing is also available for enhanced account management. Click to list your business on YellowBot.
• Yellow Pages
The online version of the classic Yellow Pages gets millions of searches every day. Featuring a well-organized structure, the directory offers advertising, detailed ad performance data, lead generation services, and online payment options. Click to list your business on Yellow Pages.
• Yelp
A highly popular online review site, Yelp is a great place to seek out word-of-mouth advertising. You can create exclusive deals for loyal customers, send public and private messages to them, and even view business trends in the site’s reporting tool. Click to list your business on Yelp.
So go get your listings — and get ready for lots of new interest in your business! If this list seems a bit overwhelming, Envision Works Marketing is here to help you in an efficient and cost effective way!
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Have you had success with listings on these sites? Any others we might have missed? Please share in the Comments below!