Are Business Directories the Answer to Local Advertising

05/11/2009 - Entertainment Throughout the world, local newspapers are closing as recession hits. In this economic climate companies need to look at other ways to get valuable clients. One option is a web based business directory.

There are numerous business directories around the web; many are no more than a collection of web links, while others do actually offer their clients a little extra. This little extra often includes a space where an article can be written for or about the clients in a way to make the cost for inclusion into the directory seem worth the money.

In effect what the client gets is almost the same as a local newspaper; shared space on a dedicated page for their niche. However is this value for money? That is dependent upon the cost of inclusion into the directory as well as the number of visitors the business directory has. What though, if you are say in 5th place in the directory listings? The page may get hits, however will you get seen?

Like most forms of advertising, web directories, even the business ones that give their clients extra web space for attracting their own clients, are loosing out as the worlds economy falls further. So do they need to change the way they are working, by offering even more value to their clients? If so, what can they do?

One way to offer value to clients is to create a new style business directory; one where greed is replaced by value! What is meant by this statement? Well as the current directories will take money from as many companies as possible, resulting in multiple entries within certain niches, why not take just one client per niche per town?

Imagine if a new style directory emerged that took only one client per niche per town? If they were able to gain valuable search ranking positions within Google, then potential clients will stampede to gain entry. Why? Could these companies afford not to be included if there was a threat, that the new directory would hit the spot with web searchers. After all, there is only one space per niche per town.

By limiting inclusion into the directory as opposed to the standard model of accepting all and sundry, a new style directory could soon fill it pages with willing clients especially if the cost was kept to a minimum.

The result of this new style business directory will be to offer value to small business in any sized town without competition from others within your niche