Get with the times
Since welovelocal.com launched a few months ago we have noticed the growing stack of Yellow Pages at the front of our office. Obviously when ours arrived we gave it marching orders to the nearest recycling bin; but what surprised us is how many other people in our block seem to be doing the same. Day after day, the poor forgotten yellow book does nothing but gather dust and cobwebs, while the rest of the modern world searches quickly online, finds recommendations from independent sources, and seeks advice from friends across the city.
We say it a lot, and it sounds a little cheesy, but imagine if the yellow pages was written by your friends. The plumber you saw hadn’t paid the most to be there, it was the one that your next door neighbour had used; the florist was the one used by your flatmate when you were best man at his wedding; and the bar’s were those that you frequent on the post-work Friday pub crawl, that you never could remember the names of for some alcohol induced reason.
Told you it was a bit cheesy, but you sort of get the idea of what we’re trying to do, and we hope you’ll join us for the ride.
6 Responses to “Get with the times”
Ken C says:
July 20th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
A bit elite aren’t you. If you use the most commonly available stats, adults in the US referenced them over 15 billion times last year. And that’s just the print versions. 90% of all adults reference them at least once a year, 75% in a typical month, and 50+% on average month. How about on average 1.4X each week? And let’s remember that not everyone has Internet access to reference those websites you are talking about. One estimate I saw indicated that 40% of small businesses didn’t even have a web site yet.
There is no other directional media that can provide buyers the information they need when they need it about local businesses than the print Yellow Pages. It is truly the original local search engine….
Dave T. says:
July 21st, 2007 at 12:10 am
Have another look at the most commonly available stats and you’ll notice that there has been a steady decline in the use of printed media as a means of locating businesses.
Although you may have a point I would not go as far as to say that there is no other directional media that can provide buyers the information they need when they need it.
I for one have been noticing a steady increase in people using their mobile phones to find businesses in their area whether it be through browsing sites or directories or via SMS services. This marks the slow death of the printed Yellow Pages in my eyes, but hang on to your’s mate… looks like you might find a couple spare on numerous doorsteps too.
David M. says:
July 21st, 2007 at 11:36 am
There has been a decline in usage of printed materials because of how inconvient they end up being for most people. Secondly, most people probably use the Yellow Pages (online) in order to recieve any type of information about contact details and otherwise. Personally, I haven’t had any printed phone books in my flat for well over two years (why? because I can get online - two laptops and a desktop, never a problem looking up a business online). My only problem would be menus; but that’s more incline towards the business I’m looking up (in regards to them having them online or having their own website).
In these times and ages, people can get on Google through their mobile phone - laptops - or even desktops and find the business they want without much regards to having to flip through a huge printed book to find exactly what you want.
Brad W. says:
July 21st, 2007 at 3:13 pm
I think one of the points of online media is that not all businesses *need* their own website any more. With the ability to “claim” businesses and services on sites like welovelocal, mum and pop stores don’t need a full time web developer to promote them. Their loyal customers can do it for them.
This represents a more interesting paradigm shift than just new vs old media: it means people can be more focused on quality and word of mouth than the “first in/most paid” nature of the Yellow Pages.
Daniel Bower says:
July 23rd, 2007 at 10:20 am
Wow. What a great response to a Friday afternoon post.
@ Ken C. It’s a fair point. Being a heavy Internet user it is easy to forget that it is not yet as ubiquitous as you would like it to be. That said, I’m sure you would agree that the swing is towards the net? The value added services it can offer far outweigh those that a book can offer.
@ Brad W. We couldn’t agree more with you.
Almanca tercüman says:
January 15th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I for one have been noticing a steady increase in people using their mobile phones to find businesses in their area whether it be through browsing sites or directories or via SMS services…