payday advances…

Now, for me as a consumer? I want both. Not only can I support a local business, but if immediate access is available and when local cannot provide my wants and needs, I still have access through internet. Best of both worlds.

But as a child of the ‘information age,’ I long for a time when ALL businesses will make themselves available online with informative local listings, maps with directions and the works.

Right now, when I search for a business online, whether it’s a tire shop, or to get my ink cartridges refilled, or buy a new pair of shoes; if I can’t find you online, you’re not getting my business.

Not that I mean to purposely alienate businesses that haven’t invested in a web presence, it’s just that a quick Google search is my preferred method of finding what I’m looking for.

The truth is, I know that people still turn to the book to find listings. In fact, I’m familiar with the massive growth, especially of independant listings books that are thriving and growing even as we speak.

Obviously the bulk of the population right now feels quite comfortable with the yellow pages, even if they do have to guess the correct category first, and hope that the listing they’re looking for is in the first place they look. I’ve had a few too many instances lately where that hasn’t been the case, which might explain why I make such sweeping statements about things I’m not altogether familiar with.

If the yellow pages were interactive, and gave me exactly what I wanted on every search the first time, I’d still use it too. I appreciate your input, and your evangelism for the industry (I visited the site, and I’ll admit I didn’t know such a thing existed). Keep up the good work.

Perhaps you missed the Yahoo release yesterday (http://www.cheaphostingdirectory.com/news-yahoo-e-commerce-study-shows-internet-research-influences-purchases-2496.html) from a joint study conducted with the Consumer Electronics Association. The study was fielded in June of this year and surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. adults who were pre-qualified as intending to make consumer electronics (CE) purchases.

The study looked at five CE categories: cell phones, computers, digital cameras, MP3 players and televisions. The study examined the differences between “searchers” and “non-searchers, based on self-reported search engine usage during their research and purchase process.”

The key point in the research is that while undeniably the Internet is a medium which has substantial influence on buying behavior, once people have done their research, they look locally for a place to buy the desired product/service.

And where do they go to find that information?? Right now some 15 billion plus references each year are still in print Yellow Pages. Yes, the Internet Yellow Pages are growing and will become even more important over time. But the book is not dead. Not by a long shot….