Small Business Commando News

Superpages announced a serious upgrade to their ad serving that takes a lesson from Google.

Basically, Superpages is now positioning advertisers based on a score that evaluates relevancy, performance and their bidding structure.

Superpages, which was recently spun off from Verizon, is the hands-down leader in Internet Yellow Pages. Having been an IYP publisher myself of Worldpages.com, I have long admired the progressive movement of Superpages.

I can’t say that I agree with the ads they show that often seem unrelated to the search, but they continually challenge the status quo.

Superpages was an innovator in performance-based IYP advertising, and this is a step in the right direction. Their challenge, as many local sites have found, is remaining relevant in a world where Google is the source for so much of their traffic.

This is a bizarre story of a New Zealand Yellow Pages ad that was placed for a business as a prank (or worse).

Ray Parker was shocked to open the Auckland Yellow Pages to find an ad for his gym tagging it as a homosexual fitness center.

There was a bogus phone number placed in the ad.

I don’t see how this could have been perpretrated without the cooperation of someone inside the Yellow Pages publisher.

Either the sales rep knew it was a scam, or someone in publishing was playing around and forgot to remove the ad before the directory went to the press.

On the bright side, Ray might have stumbled onto an unmet market demand for a gay friendly health club.

There are several “gay friendly” Yellow Pages published that identify businesses that are committed to providing high levels of service to gay and lesbian clients.

Several times a week, I receive email questions from small businesses around the US who ask my opinion if it’s time for them to drop their print Yellow Pages advertising.

Many of these advertisers are experiencing success with Internet advertising and other direct marketing techniques, but rarely have these channels totally replaced the value delivered by print Yellow Pages.

Here’s the simple decision point.

If your advertising (in any media) is generating more business than it costs, you should keep doing it.

When pressed, these advertisers usually still receive some benefit from print Yellow Pages, although there is a perception that the performance and return on investment has decreased.

Folks, if it’s dropping, make alterations to your program, hire a real ad designer, read a good book on Yellow Pages advertising, but don’t be stupid.

That being said, it’s important to pay attention to your customers. If they’re using the Internet, then you owe it to your business to market your business there.

Perry Evans, CEO of Local Matters (and one of the most knowledgeable guys regarding local online advertising) has begun blogging and putting his insights online.

Perry pioneered online maps and directions with the creation of MapQuest.

Check out his blog at www.evansink.com

evans ink:

I recorded an interview with Bobby Kalili, CEO of TollFreeYellowPages.com who owns a couple of interesting pieces of intellectual property.

Last week, TFYP announced that they had received an investment of $32.5 million from a Saudi Prince. Given that the company is a pure start up, this is a bold and audacious punch into the already crowded toll free directory asistance business.

One twist is that they also own comparison shopping sites of BidSell.com and DiscountMore.com. Bobby imagines the day that the voice activated shopping engine will put TFYP in the sweet spot between actively shopping consumers and online merchants.

Also, they own two numbers 1-877-YELLOW PAGES and 1-866-YELLOWPAGES as well as the trademark to “Toll Free Yellow Pages” which could be valuable to AT&T as they begin marketing their 1-800-YELLOW PAGES service.

Telephone services is a very tough business with many deep pocketed competitors (ever hear of Google?).

Nonetheless, raising this amount gives TFYP some oxygen to develop their niche.

Spend the money wisely, Bobby.

 Toll Free Yellow Pages Interview: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Kelsey Group Blogs – Yellow Pages and Local Media:

One of the really interesting things I saw at the Drilling Down on Local 2007 conference was a private presentation of Yellowbot.com by Erron Silverstein.

Erron is justifiably exhuberent about his approach toward Internet Yellow Pages , social networking and web 2.0 (how’s that for a trifecta of buzzwords?)

I am one of the most jaded users of Internet Yellow pages (having run WorldPages.com for half a decade).

However, Yellowbot.com showed one of the most seamless integrations of easy consumer input with structured directory content.

Erron is (and I say this with much respect) a mega-geek.  He’s nitpicked pieces of various properties and layered the most interesting features on top of the Localeze enhanced local business database.

In a way, it reminds me of MojoPages.com, a San Diego based start up that hopes to accomplish much of the same. (fabulous user generated content with structured data).

YellowBot is more likely to be a technology provider to an existing sales force or media publisher.  Erron’s strength is not in creating a local sales force.

But if you want to see the future of IYP, take a look at yellowbot and mojopages.

This eMarketer survey looks at the multiple ways people communicate when they do more than email.

People who only used email were excluded.

According to the survey,

Response rates for marketers who do connect are compelling. A Dunkin’ Donuts-sponsored mobile campaign in downtown Boston used SMS mobile coupons for new latte drinks. Consumers got coupons through a geographically targeted WAP campaign on various Boston mobile Web sites. The campaign generated a 4% click-through rate that converted into a 21% increase in store traffic from customers redeeming their coupons.

I believe there is a future for text message advertising, but it will be a long while before it is embraced by local merchants.

eMarketer.com - Mobile Ads Crawling Along: