Archive for the ‘Research & Data’ Category

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Travel Searches Take Off in March

Monday, March 1, 2010

It should come as no surprise that each year in March, the number of travel-related Yellow Pages searches increases as families and students plan their Spring Break trips. However, what I was surprised to discover is that the number of travel searches for “airlines” is actually sky-high in March, receiving more references than any other time of the year. Combined, the “travel agencies” and “airlines” headings receive more than 65.6 million references annually.

What does this mean for our local advertisers? Among the various YP platforms consumers use to search for travel agencies, our data shows local businesses make up nearly two out of every three references. Because nearly 60% of all users do not have just one travel agency in mind when turning to the Yellow Pages, there is a real opportunity to generate qualified leads and establish long-term client relationships. In fact, travel agents that invest in YP advertising are typically seeing a 3-to-1 return on investment.

According to Chris Russo, president and chairman of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), Yellow Pages has been a critical tool in the overall marketing plan of the organization’s members.

For more information – as well as tips from the ASTA on selecting the best travel agency to fit your needs – click here.

March 1, 2010 | 1 Comment
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Don’t Forget The Place Your Customers Call Home

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Last week I wrote an article for Search Engine Land on the latest consumer usage trends and the new opportunities they offer for local search providers and small business customers.

As SuperMedia’s Chief Executive Scott Klein suggests, understanding new online and mobile local search initiatives is key for growth heading into the new year. Also important is ensuring directories and advertisers reflect the quickly changing search patterns of specific communities. Some things to consider include urban vs. rural technology access; age and gender; ethnic demographics; print directory usage patterns; and varying degrees of economic growth by region.

Growth in 2010 will certainly be shaped by our ability to develop innovative online and mobile capabilities. At the same time, a complete portfolio is what will allow us to reach as many of our unique consumers as possible in their specific communities.

You can read my full piece at Search Engine Land here.

January 21, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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Local Search Plays a Role in Healthcare

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

In my “Locals Only” piece on Search Engine Land this week, I take a look at the national healthcare debate and the continued importance of local search to connect individuals and families with the right medical professionals.

Regardless of where national health care is headed, all Americans share the same challenge: finding good healthcare providers. According to a recent study by Knowledge Networks, 14 percent of all Yellow Pages usage, or roughly one out of every seven, is related to healthcare. In 2008, there were 2.4 billion references to healthcare headings.  And in recent years, there has been a proliferation of vertical Web sites that offer local search tools, ranging from Angie’s List and City Search to webMD Physician Finder.

This means that local healthcare professionals or practices wanting to build a clientele of patients will need to take stock of all the tools available to you, from print yellow pages, internet yellow pages, city listings sites and local search verticals to determine which will reach your intended audience.

You can read my full piece at Search Engine Land here.

October 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment
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Nielsen: Social Media Ad Spending up 119% in 2009

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Internet Yellow Pages partnerships with social media was a hot topic at DMS this year, so this caught my eye this week: According to a new study from Nielsen, online advertisers are quickly ramping up spending in social media as consumers devote more time to the space.

The report found that social network and blogging sites accounted for 17% of user time spent on the Internet in August 2009, three-times the percentage of time spent on the sector a year ago. The spike generated a 119% increase in ad spending on top social media sites, from approximately $49 million in August 2008 to about $108 million in August 2009. The share of ad spending for social media with regards to total online spending has more than doubled, from 7% in 2008 to 15% in 2009.

While overall online ad spending dropped year-over-year in many sectors, social media ad spending increased in every industry in August 2009. Top sectors included:

  • Entertainment – up 812% on social network sites vs. up 40% on all sites
  • Travel – up 364% on social network sites vs. down 11 percent on all sites
  • B2B – up 184% on all social network sites vs. down 8% on all sites
  • Automotive – up 178% on social network sites vs. down 26% on all sites.

“In the past, advertisers had significant concerns with social media advertising,” said Jon Gibs, vice president, media and agency insights, Nielsen’s online division. “The considerable increases we’ve seen in ad spending over the past year suggest that many of these concerns have subsided or been addressed.”

October 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment
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Americans Kick Off Fall With a Trip to Local Pharmacy

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Every month we take a look at interesting headings data.  Since cold and flu season begins as early as October, we thought it would be appropriate to look at the  ”Pharmacies” heading this month.

As it turns out, “Pharmacies” ranks 17th out of more than 4,000 headings and generates 129 million references annually, with the highest frequency coming in October and November. Yellow Pages are one of the primary resources for consumers, in fact, 90 percent of Yellow Pages users who refer to the Pharmacies heading followed up with a purchase with 19 percent of sales generated from new customers.

In addition to October being the highest usage for the Pharmacy heading, it is also American Pharmacist Month, as stated by the (APhA). The month-long observance is a time to recognize pharmacist’s significant contributions to health care and the commitment to patient care in all practice settings from around the country.

Pharmacies know that Yellow Pages advertising will reach the local consumer at the precise moment they are ready to make a purchase, thus generating qualified leads. These purchases, based on local Yellow Pages display ads, result in more than 175 sales per year and over $38,000 in sales revenue for pharmacies. In addition, the average return on investment received from these local display ads at the pharmacies heading is $11 of sales revenue for every $1 spent.

October 13, 2009 | 2 Comments
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Simmons Findings Show Value in Print Directories for Hotel Guests

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

While a number of hotel chains have discontinued the practice of providing Yellow Pages directories in each room, a newly released report from CRM Associates would indicate that this might be the wrong move.  Data from Simmons Spring, 2009, suggests that frequent hotel guests are significantly more likely to use print directories than the average consumer.

Some of the findings from the Simmons data include:

  • Those who have stayed at a hotel/motel in the past 12 months are 30% more likely to be print yellow pages users than those who have not and 54% more likely to have used print yellow pages for business or travel purposes in the past 12 months.
  • Members of hotel frequent guest programs are 20% more likely to be print yellow pages users than those who are not and 22% more likely to have used print yellow pages for business or travel purposes in the past month.
  • Those who stay at hotels three or more times per year are 40% more likely to be print yellow pages users than those who do not stay at hotels and 84% more likely to have used print yellow pages for business or travel purposes in the past month.
  • 42% of those that stay at hotels 11 or more nights per year have used print yellow pages directories in the past month at home; 20% have used print yellow pages while traveling or for business.

The message is clear: hotel guests, particularly frequent hotel guests, are above average users of print directories both personally and for business travel purposes.  Not providing access to print directories in the hotels is likely to be a disservice to the hotel’s best customers.  And who can afford poor customer service when business is slow?

October 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment
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Simmons Findings Show Value in Print and Internet Yellow Pages Ads

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Some advertisers believe that advertising in both print and Internet Yellow Pages is redundant. The thinking is that they will reach their target audience by advertising in either one or the other. But according to the Simmons, Spring, 2009 data, that is not the case. Print and Internet Yellow Pages are in fact complementary products. Therefore, advertising in both products expands the reach for advertisers.

According to Simmons data, only about 7 percent of those that sought out a heading in the print directory also looked at that same heading on the Internet Yellow Pages. The data show that advertisers reach different sets of customers through print than through Internet Yellow Pages. Consequently, the benefits of being in each product are additive – there is virtually no overlap.

On the other hand, 21 percent of those that sought out a heading in the Internet Yellow Pages also looked at that same heading in the print directory. This suggests that advertisers that place ads only in the Internet Yellow Pages may lose potential customers by not being in both print and Internet.

The bottom line is that these results suggest that businesses can generate more leads by advertising in both and could miss out on sales opportunities if they choose not to.  Print remains the “dominant” medium of the two products based on user behaviors, but Internet Yellow Pages usage is growing quickly.  Businesses should consider how they can best leverage both into their marketing mix.

September 8, 2009 | Leave a Comment
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Back-to-School Puts ‘Child/Day Care’ Heading to the Test

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

More than 12 million children under the age of six in the United States are in some type of child care arrangement every week while their parents work, according to The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA). The organization reports that, on average, children of working mothers spend 36 hours every week in child care.

As the nation heads back to school, parents of newborns, toddlers and younger siblings are learning a valuable lesson: The expense of full-time child care can cost twice the national average for in-state college tuition at a public university, estimated at $6,585 per year by Trends in College Pricing, 2008. And finding the right child care can be well worth the effort, not just the expense.

YPA data indicates, the “Child/Day Care” heading, receives 51 million annual references. The heading receives the most usage in September by 18-to-34 year-old women who have lived at their current address for less than five years and the majority of heading users (71 percent) are “first time purchasers” or new to the facility that they choose.

Sixty-seven percent of parents are in a search mode when they utilize the heading, meaning that they have not yet made up their mind on a child care facility. YPA research also tells us that 92 percent of users with a decision to make, and no name in mind, consider 6.6 ads on average.

September 2, 2009 | 1 Comment
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Telmetrics: Pay for Performance Advertising Shows Dramatic Growth

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

I invited Bill Dinan, president of Telmetrics Inc., to author a guest blog today about the growth of pay for performance advertising:

This year we have seen explosive growth in the number of pay per call programs we are tracking and noted three driving trends in a press release last week. While the increase is from both print and online worlds, the most dramatic growth is with Yellow Pages.

Yellow Pages embraced call tracking and the importance of performance early on. But in today’s economic environment, advertisers are demanding even greater performance visibility. Enter pay per call. The growth we are seeing echoes what AT&T’s Frank Jules and The Berry Company’s Scott Pomeroy shared in the recent Simba webinar on the state of the yellow pages – pay per call is on the rise.

Yellow Pages usage is not dead, as many would like to report, and pay per call growth, especially among heading strongholds like “Attorneys” and “Dentists” is proof. These advertisers value the high-quality leads that Yellow Pages deliver and are happy to pay for calls.

To help publishers more easily monetize this growing trend, we have added new pay per call features – a billing ceiling rollover which can cap advertising spend and bank unused funds to ensure the full cost of the ad.

Stay tuned – we expect pay per call to continue as a high-growth revenue reality.

August 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment
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Report Suggests Different Usage of Companion Directories

Friday, August 7, 2009

A just released report on companion directories from CRM Associates has some rather interesting results. Like most people out there, when companions were first introduced I thought the purpose was to extend the reach of the core directory by having additional copies, albeit smaller ones, that could be placed in other locations, i.e., the car, another room in the house, etc. I also surmised that these books would be used in a similar, if not identical, fashion to the core mother book. Well think again.

With the exception of three headings: Auto Parts-Used, Pizza, and Auto Rentals, the top 15 call-volume headings are different for the Companion/Plus directories than for the primary directories. See the table below.

The fact that the heading rankings are so different suggests a different pattern of usage and shopping applications for companion/plus directories than for the primary directories.

Top Headings – Primary Directories

1 Auto Parts & Supplies Used & Rebuilt
2 Appliances Major Supplies Parts
3 Junk Dealers
4 Auto Wrecking & Used Parts
5 Casinos
6 Credit Unions
7 Pizza
8 Ladders
9 Auto Renting & Leasing
10 License Services
11 Taxicabs
12 Tire Dealers
13 Bakers
14 Tourism
15 Hobby Model Shops

Top Headings – Companion/Plus Directories

1 Auto Parts & Supplies Used & Rebuilt
2 Pawnbrokers
3 Oils Fuel
4 Auto Renting & Leasing
5 Loans
6 Internet Services
7 Pizza
8 Physicians & Surgeons Gynecology & Obstetrics
9 Cellular & Wireless Phones & Service
10 Appliances Household Major Dealers
11 Chimney & Fireplace Cleaning & Repair
12 Glass Auto Plate Window Etc
13 Health Clubs
14 Auto Parts & Supplies New
15 Optical Goods

August 7, 2009 | 1 Comment

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