Posts Tagged ‘Internet Yellow Pages’

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AT&T Interactive Expands YP.com Rebranding

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Back in April, we blogged about AT&T Interactive’s introduction of YP.com as the new name of its flagship YELLOWPAGES.COM web property and brand.

Now the company is debuting a new logo, tagline, and homepage for the popular Internet Yellow Pages destination. YP.com’s new tagline, “Click Less. Live More”—as well as its new vibrant, image-based homepage focused on encouraging users to “eat, play, and live” within their local communities—reflect the site’s goal “to help consumers easily discover ways to live locally.”

While users can still take advantage of YP.com’s popular search tools to find and browse local businesses, the new graphics on its homepage encourage visitors to discover places as well:

  • Eat: One-click access to local restaurants and dining categories, with the option to book reservations at select restaurants through Opentable.com.
  • Play: Ability to check local event listings and movie times, and buy tickets for select theaters. Can also search for hotel availability and book rooms.
  • Live: Options to search for a new or used car, find a florist, or browse YP’s extensive list of service business listings.

Additionally, YP.com features a variety of other useful tools, including money-saving coupons, the ability to share businesses and events via social networks and mobile, and 16,000+ local business videos.

I’m excited about AT&T’s ongoing efforts to expand and improve YP.com, which with more than 36 million unique monthly users, plays an extremely important role in representing our industry’s successful embrace of the digital space. Be sure to check out the new YP.com by clicking here.  Then Eat, Play, Live!

August 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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IYPs Among comScore’s List of Top 50 U.S. Web Properties

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

I’ve been catching up on my blog reading, and came across an interesting mention on BIA/Kelsey’s Global Yellow Pages blog about several Yellow Pages companies ranking well on comScore’s June list of top 50 U.S. web properties.

With all the innovation taking place on our online properties—everything from the revamping of Internet Yellow Pages directories to new vertical websites—it came as no surprise to me that not only are three IYP networks ranked among the top properties on the web, but that these networks alone attract nearly one hundred million unique monthly visitors.

These top performers include:

For years, our industry has benefited from being the leading provider of local business information through its print directories. Now, we’re continuing our legacy by expanding our presence online and venturing into new platforms like mobile and the iPad. Along the way, we’ll continue to attract consumers because of the high trust they place in our listings and the innovative services we provide.

August 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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BIA/Kelsey’s DMS ’10 Conference Just Weeks Away: Sept. 14-16 in Dallas

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

This year, Yellow Pages Association is proud to once again partner with BIA/Kelsey to present Directional Media Strategies (DMS), one of the most important industry conferences of the year, scheduled for Sept. 14-16, 2010, at the InterContinental Hotel in Dallas.

For those of you who haven’t yet signed up for DMS ‘10, be sure to check out the latest version of the agenda and list of speakers to get a better sense of the exciting lineup we have in store for this year’s conference:

Several highlights include:

  • Bruce Cortterill, CEO of Yellow Pages Group in New Zealand, will provide an inside look at how one incumbent operator has successfully focused on increasing value in the short-term while preparing the organization for long-term success.
  • Paul Dawalibi, President and CEO, Praized Media; Michael Francesconi, Director, Content and Community, CityGrid Media; and Andrew Shotland, Proprietor, LocalSEOGuide.com, will discuss how Yellow Pages publishers can realistically make the shift from traditional to social media.
  • The future of Digital Yellow Pages will be debated by top minds in the industry, including Eitan Ackerman, Executive Director of Marketing and Sales Engineering, Amdocs; Gianluca Carerra, VP New Media, Truvo; Sivan Metzger, GM, Kenshoo Local; Neil Salvage, Executive VP Advertising, CityGrid Media; and Gregg Stewart, President, 15Miles.

We’re really looking forward to DMS ‘10 and the great exchange of ideas and building of business relationships that will take place. To register, visit the conference registration page today to benefit from reduced pricing. See you in Dallas!

August 4, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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More People Go Mobile for Local

Thursday, July 29, 2010

One trend that we’ve all been watching closely is mobile, and today we’re releasing new data from comScore that shows more people are turning to their mobile devices to access business information.

This is good news for Internet Yellow Pages because it essentially helps extend the reach of those resources for consumers, and helps advertisers access a desirable demographic – the ready-to-buy shopper.

comScore found that the number of mobile subscribers accessing business directories on a mobile phone increased 14 percent year-over-year to 17.3 million users in March 2010, extending the reach of Internet Yellow Pages beyond just the personal computer. This increase outpaces the10 percent growth in the number of mobile media users who browsed the mobile web, used applications or downloaded content during the same time period.

Additionally, the number of people accessing business directories on a mobile device at least once per week increased more than 16 percent year-over-year to nearly five million in March 2010.

Much of this growth is due to the rapid growth in smartphone users combined with the adoption of 3G technology, better search offerings, and higher advertiser engagement.

As I point out in a column on Search Engine Land this morning, this high growth illustrates that as more consumers use mobile devices to search and access content, they are continuing to rely on Yellow Pages’ convenient and reliable business listings to help them find local businesses on-the-go.

It’s also great news for advertisers. In addition to the benefits of advertising with IYPs to attract those searching for business information on their personal computers, local businesses are receiving added value in online listings being accessible to a growing number of mobile users.

Other interesting mobile-related data points from the study include:

  • The mobile browser was the most common access method for users, with 10.8 million subscribers in March 2010 and 21 percent year-over-year growth.
  • Apps are hot, with 42 percent year-over-year growth in the number of mobile subscribers using apps to access business directories.
  • Mobile unlocks a desirable user for the advertise: 58% are 34 or younger; over half have a household income in excess of $75,000; and they are three and half times more likely as the average mobile media user to access women’s magazine content, health information, real estate listings, and job listings via their mobile devices.

IYP Local Search on Personal Computers

comScore also found that local searches on personal computers saw year-over-year growth.  Searches on IYPs and portal sites increased 4 percent to 444 million in March 2010, or 5.3 billion annually—indicating that more consumers are coming to rely on Yellow Pages when searching from their computer.

Additionally, the report showed that people access IYPs and local online sites in a number of ways:

  • Traffic to IYPs from web search sites increased three points from the first quarter of 2009 to the first quarter of 2010, to 44 percent of visits.
  • Direct traffic also increased over the same time period, up four points to 32 percent.
  • Referrals from affiliate sites (advertisements, e-mail marketing, and other partner sites) decreased six points to 25 percent.

comScore’s data illustrate how in today’s changing media environment, IYPs are attracting growing audiences online and via mobile—giving advertisers new opportunities to reach consumers wherever they are.

This is a testament to our industry’s strong emphasis on building our digital and mobile platforms this past year. Whether its rebranding our companies, creating new iPhone, iPad, and Google Android apps, or launching new IYP concepts like buzz.com, Yellow Pages companies are building on decades of experience to deliver the highest-quality directories for advertisers and consumers to connect.

July 29, 2010 | 4 Comments
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Sensis: ‘Traditional and Digital Together is Far More Powerful Than Digital Alone’

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Earlier this week, I shared an article I wrote for Search Engine Land that talked about the importance of multi-platform advertising in generating new leads for local businesses.

Today, I’m happy to see that our Australian member Sensis—which I cited in the article—also shares my view that generating local business visibility across various channels increases the opportunity for meaningful results.

In a post on the company’s blog, Speaking Sensis, Wayne Aspland discusses two recent studies which show that despite common perceptions, both digital and traditional media usage are up recently. As he explains, increases in online usage have not come at the expense of traditional usage – instead, digital and traditional usage have grown together.

Given this data, Wayne argues that “we should put an end to these phony media wars and start realizing we’re all in this together…because, clearly, that’s what consumers (and advertisers) want.”

I couldn’t agree more. Here’s the link to Wayne’s post.

May 5, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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YPA Launches YPA ELITE IYP and Share of Voice Offerings

Monday, April 19, 2010

YPA announced today at its annual conference the addition of two new YPA offerings that will help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Yellow Pages advertising:

  • YPA ELITE IYP®, a new proprietary industry system created with MediaTraks that allows publishers and Certified Marketing Representatives (CMRs) to facilitate national orders, graphics and artwork transmittal transactions for Internet Yellow Pages and other digital products. YPA ELITE IYP® is the Internet Yellow Pages extension of YPA ELITE®, the sole processing system for national print Yellow Pages orders, which currently executes close to 4 million transactions each year.
  • Share of Voice®, an interface that will enable publishers and CMRs to conduct detailed directory analyses for client and marketing purposes faster and more cost effectively.  This new system will assist local and national sales channels in efficiently assessing the competitiveness of their clients and providing a high quality media planning tool to help defend and grow Yellow Pages revenue.  YPA is uniquely positioned to provide this tool due to its Directories Online system, which encompasses more than 7,000 Yellow Pages directories.

As the Yellow Pages industry continues to transform, YPA is doing its part to help facilitate continued growth by creating new, innovative systems that will deliver quality advertising opportunities and results for our national clients. We believe publishers and CMRs across the country will benefit from using these best-in-class services.

For more information, read our press release here.

April 19, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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Study: 8 Out of 10 Print and Internet Yellow Pages Users Ready to Buy

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Last month, we released the results of our first Local Media Tracking Survey, which showed that Yellow Pages continued to perform well in local search in 2009.

In addition to capturing the greatest reach across media platforms for consumers searching for local businesses, results of the study—which cites data from Burke and comScore—indicated that print and Internet Yellow Pages generated approximately 16.9 billion combined references during the year. The study also found that Yellow Pages maintained high levels of consumer trust in its listings.

While reach and trust are both important indicators for evaluating Yellow Pages’ continued success as a visibility platform for local businesses in their communities, an additional key factor to consider has to do with what kinds of consumers Yellow Pages attract. Are these consumers who are interested in locating local businesses to make a purchase—and do they actually end up making purchases? Do they already know which businesses they’re looking for when they consult Yellow Pages, or are they using directories to find new businesses?

Today, we have new data from the study which show that the vast majority of consumers who consult print and Internet Yellow Pages sites for local business information are “ready to buy” after their search:

  • 8 out of 10 Internet Yellow Pages searches were from people who said they were ready to buy, with 36% reporting they had made a purchase after finding a local business at an Internet Yellow Pages site, and an additional 44% saying they intended to make a purchase.
  • Approximately 8 out of 10 print Yellow Pages searches were from people who said they were ready to buy, with 39% reporting they had made a purchase after finding local business in a print Yellow Pages directory, and an additional 39% saying they intended to make a purchase.

Additionally, new data show that Yellow Pages platforms continue to attract new customers for local businesses:

  • 40% of those who made a purchase said they found and made that purchase from a new company after reviewing local information on an Internet Yellow Pages site.
  • 35% of those who made a purchase said they found and made a purchase from a new company after reviewing local information in a print Yellow Pages directory.
  • Of searches made by people who used Internet Yellow Pages, 37% said they had no company name in mind when they started their search.
  • Of references made by people who used print Yellow Pages, 34% said they had no company name in mind when they started their search.

For years, local businesses have relied on Yellow Pages to help them generate qualified new leads from consumers who are ready to buy products or services. These new data show that Yellow Pages’ print and online platforms continue to deliver on that promise. By implementing Yellow Pages’ hybrid approach, local businesses benefit from its unparalleled reach, trust, and ability to attract new customers who are willing to make purchases.

April 13, 2010 | 1 Comment
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Spanish-Speaking Consumers Indicate High Print Yellow Pages Usage

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Last week I discussed the important role that age demographics play in determining which platform consumers use to search for local business information, according to the results of YPA’s recently released Local Media Tracking Study. Today I’d like to discuss additional results from our study which show above-average print Yellow Pages usage among Spanish-speaking consumers in the U.S.

Our study found that print Yellow Pages is the top individual source for Spanish-speaking consumers, when asked which media sources they used to search for local business information within the past year or past month. The results also showed that Spanish-speaking consumers said that print and Internet Yellow Pages were the source they last used, most used, and most preferred to search for local businesses.

Additionally, the report found that Spanish-speaking consumers are:

  • More likely than their English-speaking counterparts to indicate traditional media sources (newspapers, magazines, flyer/coupons) as the sources they last used, use most often, and prefer to use when searching for local businesses.
  • Significantly more likely to have no company in mind when searching for local business information.
  • More likely than their English-speaking counterparts (one-half vs. one-third, respectively) to indicate that when they made a purchase through Yellow Pages, they did so with a new company .
  • Twice as likely than their English-speaking consumers to view ads while using print Yellow Pages.

Back in January, I wrote a column for Search Engine Land which noted that marketers should always remember that media trends vary among different demographics. The data from our study shows that the growing Hispanic market in the U.S. lends itself to the print Yellow Pages product and that publishers who are not tapping into this market are missing a significant opportunity to attract new customers.

April 13, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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The Role of Age Demographics in Local Business Search

Friday, April 9, 2010

It seems that our recent press release detailing the results of YPA’s Local Media Tracking Study created some buzz in the blogosphere—most notably about age demographics.

We all know that younger people are more likely to use search engines to find local businesses than their older counterparts. Here are the monthly reach numbers comparing use of search engines and print and Internet Yellow Pages:

Age 18-24 25-34 35-54 55-64 65+
Search Engines 87% 80% 70% 53% 32%
PYP/IYP 56% 69% 68% 66% 58%

That said, here’s an important point to take into consideration: according to data collected by Burke for the Local Media Tracking Study, one-half to two-thirds of those aged 18-34 used either print or Internet Yellow Pages in the past month to find local business information.

That is significantly lower than search engines for these age cohorts, but considerably higher than what many might expect. The 35-54 age cohort is pretty much neck in neck—70% vs. 68% in the past month, and the print and Internet Yellow Pages combo is significantly higher for those aged 55 and above.

One other metric to keep in mind is disposable income. The Yellow Pages industry has positioned itself as the best source for generating qualified leads. By definition, a qualified lead is one where people are ready to make a purchase – in other words, they have the need and the resources to complete the sale.

Here is another chart from CNNMoney.com that takes a look at the median net worth of individuals by age group:

Age <25 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Net Worth $1,475 $8,525 $51,575 $98,350 $180,125 $232,000

As you can see, the people in the print and Internet Yellow Pages “sweet spot” may not be the youngest consumers, but they have lots of disposable income.  In other words—they’re the demographics that many local advertisers want to reach most.

Of course, we need to think about the industry’s long-term viability as today’s users age and gain more disposable income – and that’s why Yellow Pages companies are repositioning into a multi-platform approach for long-term viability.

April 9, 2010 | 1 Comment
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