Reliable Wholesale Lumber

Google Pages Is the Online Yellow Pages

That’s okay if you realize that every word must be sales copy describing the benefits of using your business. If, on the other hand, you have a larger display ad that has space for a bold headline and a picture, you are now in the realm of putting together a dynamic and compelling story. That’s where we can turn to the final structure.

The “elements” of a creative ad are typically the headline, a picture or photo, the sub-headline, copy, and contact information. This is where it gets interesting. The headline must provoke the viewer to read more. It should make a statement about your business. “We Sell Good Lumber” is not what I mean. “Reliable Moving” is no better. Focus on a feature or benefit that sets you apart from the competition. “Wholesale Lumber Direct to the Public” or “Free Packing Boxes with Every Move” has far more impact. Then explain the headline in a second line. “We buy lumber in huge quantities and pass the savings on to you,” is one idea.

Or try “We offer FREE unlimited packing boxes for any move, local or long distance as our way of saying thanks for choosing us.” Now, doesn’t that make sense? Insure that your picture or photo illustrates the headline. If not, leave it out. Then in detailed bullet form, list a few other reasons to buy from you and add complete contact information. Don’t forget a map for retail stores and your website or email address, Keep the phone number bold and easy to read. Those are the elements of a good ad.

There are several other things to remember that will aid in a better ad that costs less in the long run. I’ve spelled them out in a book I wrote about my experiences in the Yellow Page industry and how to design effective ads. It’s a best-seller on amazon.com and will educate, entertain, and inform.

Following on my previous article, Local Services Businesses: Why You MUST Have a Web Presence, let’s take a few minutes to dig deeper into my assertion that the yellow pages are an unsustainable model for driving leads and business.

This topic applies differently to various business types. Many companies have already made the move to an online-heavy model (e.g. the travel industry). On the other hand, local services businesses can often still generate decent returns from this tactic. While that model has worked to date and may still have some value, the money spent on it could be used much more lucratively.

Massive Shift To Mobile Phone Use

Surely you have noticed the significant pace of adoption of mobile phones. According to Wikipedia, there is an active mobile phone in use for 91% of the US population (286M mobiles, 309M population). In many European and Asian countries, the ratio is even higher, suggesting that a subset of the population uses multiple cell phones. Clearly, you wouldn’t have two mobiles as well as a land line, so this also suggests a shift away from traditional telephone usage overall (or a complete leapfrog to mobile in traditionally technology-lagging markets).

This is not merely speculation, as USA Today reported a similar statistic last month (link to original article included at the end of this article).

About the Author

http://www.cmac.ws/ – over 20,000 listings business listings and reviews Do You Use Yellow Pages Advertising?