Is Yellow Pages advertising any good?

Thats is twice more than what the research is allegedly showing the average person does. My previous and cuurent copy of the Yellow Pages are still in the wrappers that they were delivered in.

Same in Australia; but its not as good a source as what it was. The future is Google and Bing local search ....

 

My ad in the yellow pages has brought in 211 new patients so far this year. In this market, where 89% of people use the internet, the good old yellow pages still works.

 

I completely agree

 

For how much longer will it continue to work? I don't use them any more to find things.

 

Wow, you're ad will at least pay for itself then!! Maybe it is my location that is the problem, not the ad!

 

I do work with optometrists and other health professionals and the results can vary by location certainly. The quality of ads makes a big difference as does placement on the page influence how it it read. Word of mouth referrals from existing patients will always be important.
Marketing for a practice requires a wholistic approach. There is no magic wand, but several well designed tactics coordinated in a plan will yield results. A bit like buying shares. You need a portfolio to get the best results. Some marketing is expensive and other options cost nothing. It doesn't matter how much you spend. It matters what you spend it on. It also has to suit your practice. No point trying to be something you aren't.

 

A new podiatrist to the area last year went to town with advertising by puting A4 flyers in the local paper for 2 weeks and leaflets through the post too!

I think local media is a good place to advertise, radio for example.

 

All,
I get 80% of my new business via Yellow pages and as I advertise in the corporate box with other SCP members it isn't too expensive. I would recommend it every time !
One important advantage is that they do check you are HPC reg before running the ad.


Regards
CF

 

Here is what I have found to be true. From speaking with hundreds of different businesses across the country the answer to whether the yellow pages works is "it depends."

In cities located outside of major metro areas where folks tend to be less tech savy and less likely to follow the latest and greatest, as well as not having 24 access to the internet, then the yellow pages seems to work well for these business located in these areas. I am sure this also has something to do with affluence as well.

In addition, the demographic you target will change your results. Senior citizens still use the yellow pages. Maybe not in the droves they did 5 years ago, but they still do. More and more seniors are getting on the internet.

All this being said, the yellow pages probably is not a good place to be because so many competitors are there as well. If someone opens a yellow page they are going to find several dozen competitors, and that hurts your chances of getting the call. And if you have to run a larger ad, many people assume they are paying more because everyone knows how expensive it is to advertise in the yellow pages.

I personally feel that the internet is great, but it poses the same probelm as the yellow pages....there is too much likelihood that someone will bump into your competitor along the way.

I focus on generating as many referrals as possible and making my direct lines of communication as unforgettable as I can. That way anyone who encounters my advertising, a satisfied patient or my office front will know how to reach me without having to go online or to the phone. And if they do go online, i make sure i put my contact information at the top and very large, so if they close out of their browser and do not call me at that moment, they can still remember how to reach me without having to go back online.

 

That is interesting - how does that work, with putting the phone number at the top and it still being available offline. (sorry if I am missing something obvious here!!)

 

Peace,
I think it's what they call a toll-free number in USA, and I'm not sure I understand it either. It's not available in UK so I wouldn't worry about it !


CF

 

I am based in the US and we do utilize toll-free numbers. The idea is that on your web site you obviously have your contact information but many physicians have it at the bottom of thier site or buried in a tab somewhere. I make sure it is largely displayed on the top of every single webpage so if a person views my site and then exits it, if i have an easy way to contact me, they will remember and not have to go back on line.

 

Hi 1-888-NO-FOOT-PAIN,
I've just seen your address in Beverly Hills - wow! You must have an exclusive clientelle there?
Does Nicholas Cage have any corns and would he let me to treat one? I'll split the fee with you ........

Catfoot

 

Thanks for your reply. I am interested in the contact details being available offline. Do you put the phone number in the title part of the metatags so that it can be viewed offline in 'favourites' or 'histiory' - thats the only way I can think of. Then it would also be visable at the very top of the browser when its open.

Thanks

 

Please let me clarify......

Pretend someone finds your website somehow, maybe they found it via google or through a PPC ad. THe person clicks the link and hten goes to your site. From here they look around but they are not ready to pick up the phone and call for whatever reason. They close thier browser and leave thier computer space.

If you don't have a memorable way for them to reach you then they are forced have to go back online and figure out how they found if they did not write down your URL. They also run the risk of bumping into a competitor along the way. Now, pretend you put an unforgettable phone number at the top of your website on every page so that when they leave your website, they can stil reach you without having to log back on. Thats why i put 1-888-NO-FOOT-PAIN at the top of every single webpage i have. This lets customers know my number and helps them remember it at all times.

 

I am with you!! Sorry, I thought it was like something technical to do with the website.

kind regards

 

Getting back to the topic of the thread.

Was having a look at the new stats section of the webhotel (?) that I use.

98% yes 98% of the people who use a search engine to find me came from Google.

So is yellow pages type advertising any good - not in Sweden

 

I actually dropped Yellow Pages advertising this year and so far it hasnt affected my new referrals. I find Word of mouth and google searches are my main source. Yellow pages seems expensive too.

 

Isn't that a bit like me saying that 100% of the people that used the yellow pages to find me used the yellow pages to find me and thus other sources are no good?

 

We just got our Yellow Pages delivered today .... they a lot thinner than last year.

 

As pointed out earlier. It largely depends where you live. Our Yellow Pages are much the same size as they have ever been.

Then again, not many of the local businesses in our rural area have a web presence, so the yellow pages remains the definitive source for local business information.

If you're in a higher population area I would suspect that this is different.

The key is to track where your patients get their information from. That would give a far better idea of whether Yellow Pages is worthwhile for you or not.