Why would someone rummage through the yellow pages? Because they are looking for something they need. Or more precisely, they're looking for something they need to spend money on. So, should you pay attention to this stuff you hear about search engine optimization, making your website more engaging, drawing the customer in. Really? If I need a plumber, I'm not spending time reading your blog about the best toilet friendly toilet paper.
It may be a different way of getting there, but Yellow Cats generally care about one thing. The phone call.
But here's the rub. You can't have a website that says - "Need a Plumber? - Call us." But that's the essence of your message isn't it? Marketing firm: "Need more clients?" - Call us!". Not much has changed really. We've gone from "Need {insert yellow page category here}?, call us. to Need {enter search term here}? - Call us!
Of course you could one-up the message. "Need a plumber now? - Call us, we'll be there in 30 minutes." Can you do better than that? How about "Joe Schmo called us. We got there in 20 minutes and solved his problem. Call us - We'll fix your problem too." A Yellow Cat wants the client to pick up the phone. Please...just call us.
Every person who calls a Yellow Cat does this. First he identifies what he needs. Let's say his basement is flooding. Who does he need? Well he needs a sump pump and someone to install it. So plumber guy - do you have anything on your site about sump pumps? bzzzzzz. Sorry - you lose. But he also needs someone to install it. So his need is refined: sump pump installations. That gets him a bunch of DIY responses. So his need is refined again: sump pump installer. Still a lot of how-to. He scratches his head and finger pecks out sump pump installers dayton ohio. Mind you his basement is flooding. He would have used the yellow pages but they were in the basement. The basements flooding! Remember, he's looking for a phone number. The first listing is Service Magic. The second is Miller and Sons and the phone number is right there in the search! Quick call that guy! Didn't even bother to go to the website.
If you're a Yellow Cat and you don't go through this process, you may be missing the most obvious needs of your clients. Congrats to Miller and Sons. Yellow Cats - you get calls when you're most needed. Make sure your phone number is in your search. If it isn't, pick up the phone and hit your internet marketing guy over the head with it. Don't have an internet marketing guy you say? Call me : ) 937-471-MAPS.