Advertising is the key element of any business. If the advertisement thrives, it can mean immense traffic that generates thousands of dollars in income. Advertising requires original thinking because conventional advertising mediums are becoming very costly. Advertising is the best method to make sure that customers learn about your products or services. But the real question is; are you getting the proper returns on investment on your advertising dollar and do you feel that your promotion dollars and advertising overheads are giving you the results that you want? Probably you have been wondering where to advertise your business. Stop wondering, just look for a website that has the potential to draw thousands or millions in traffic and your business will surely benefit.
Most advertising sites offer only one of three main categories of directories, that is, classifieds, normal directory or jobs. If you find sites that offer all three probably the traffic generated is greater.
Classifieds usually contains more than 10 categories including houses for sale, rent, apartments for sale, rent, shops for sale rent, and offices for sale, rent, cars for sale and business opportunities.
Directory usually contains more than 2,000 categories of listings. Among the more popular categories are advertising, airlines, banks, beauty salons, bus lines, computers, charities, travel agencies, building contractors, renovators, consultants and interior designers, florists, hospitals, hotels, transportation, car rental, car accessories, office furniture, restaurants and photographs retail centers.
Jobs usually contains more than 60 job categories under the main headings of Accounting, Finance, Human Resource and Admin, Sales, Marketing, Arts, Media, Communication, Services, Hotels, Restaurants, Education and Training, Computer, IT, Engineering, Sciences and Healthcare.
Web Surfers from all over the world can search for and view products and services advertised and do business with the advertisers.
The importance of advertising in a directory is outlined as follows:
1. Supply necessary information
The customer may be looking for more information than just name, address and telephone number. They may need product or service details.
2. Complete directory representation
Sometimes a company may be known by two or more names. They may deal in two or more types of products or services. Therefore, an advertiser may want to advertise in different names and classifications.
3. Supply attention and value
Directory advertisements offer aggressive business a chance to secure a bigger ad space, thus showing itself to be more prominent than its competitors.
4. Trade mark and trade name identification
Customers may be just looking for a company trade name which is better known instead of its company name.
5. Focus attention on a specific product or service
If a product or service can be obtained from several sources an advertiser will benefit if he can point out the advantages of buying from him instead of his competitors. He can do so in a directory.
6. Maintain prestige
Directory advertising is special advertising which differentiates a prestigious business from an ordinary one.
Advertisers must understand the above functions of an online directory. They must be able to differentiate directory advertising from general advertising. When directory advertising is confused with general advertising sales executive from a directory company will face a very serious problem because he will meet with strong resistance and put into a class of media with fierce competition where magazines, television, newspaper, radio, exhibition and dozens of other types of salesmen battle for a place in the businessman advertising budget.
In most businesses all advertising is designed to build a desire for the company products or services. Directory advertising is used after the prospective buyer has already decided to buy. He is just looking for the seller. Therefore, general advertising is concerned with a product looking for a customer. Directory advertising is concerned with a customer looking for a product.
All in one directory are fast becoming popular and are expected to boost traffic to the site and thus improve an advertiser chance of doing more business.
