Are Offline Business Directories Still Worth Advertising In?

Business directories can be a worthwhile place to promote any business, because a lot of people still rely on them to find a local business which appeals to their needs. But are offline directories still worth the effort it takes to get your details included in them?There is no doubt that website promotion in any form is a good thing, since it will always bring businesses into contact with people who may not have been previously aware of them. But in these internet fuelled times many businesses that exist purely online and do not have an offline store at all don’t tend to think beyond the internet very often when it comes to finding new customers.They might use pay per click advertising on a regular basis to attract new customers but the thought of checking out forms of advertising and promotion which do not involve the internet at all may not even enter their heads.But should they really be forgotten completely? It is true to say that the vast majority of business directories that are created in book format for distributing door to door don’t contain that many internet based businesses in them – if any at all. You would certainly be hard pushed to find them on every page.The truth is that as the internet evolved, a whole new type of business directory evolved with it – the directory that only exists online. In reality it isn’t that different from the offline version, except that many more internet businesses are included in it, and when you think about it the reason why is quite obvious.If you want to find a bricks and mortar business your natural response would be to search through a traditional directory to get the details of the one you want. And if you wanted a website, you would go online to find it in an online business directory.This seems to be one area where the divide is obvious, and while there is no real reason why the two areas should not overlap, it doesn’t seem very likely that they will do so in any great way in the near future.But does that mean you should forget about traditional business directories altogether?In some cases the answer would have to be yes. These directories list the address and phone number of the business concerned; very rarely will you see a website address – unless the business takes out a display ad in that publication and has room to add it. If your business is run from home and does not accept visitors, you may not want your address listed in this manner as it could be misleading to people. But if you use an online directory it is geared more towards internet businesses. A clickable link pointing towards the company’s website will often be included, and it will be very attractive for anyone searching the site to use.So think carefully when you start listing your business in different directories and be sure to develop a strategy that best suits your type of business.