The WSJ reported in an article, R.H. Donnelley Uses Debt Grace Period by Tess Stynes that the Yellow Pages giant is struggling with debt. The story does not mention why but smart retailers know it is because no one uses them anymore. If you are, get out! And beware, with their sales in trouble their salespeople will be even more aggressive to tell you why you have to pony-up again. Don’t do it!
The Yellow Pages was a smart marketing move when it was the sole book from the monopoly of AT&T before it was broken up. The Yellow Pages slogan, “let your fingers do the walking” was brilliant when it came out in 1962.
A 2004 survey by Opinion Research Corporation found that 55% of people used the Yellow Pages to seek out local merchants, compared to 12% who used Internet search.
That’s of course when using a FAX was cutting edge technology.
Nowadays, who uses the Yellow Pages? Maybe your grandmother looking for a plumber. Maybe.
Forget the out-dated information and demand – who wants to lug one of those 5 pound books up the stairs to the kitchen? Mine are always tossed into the recycle bin. Not to mention the number of dead trees per listing.
You want to be where customers are looking for immediate answers – that’s the Internet. While I could go into all the ways you should be on the Internet, today I want you to visit Google Local. 
Google Local is a feature of their maps and using GPS-like tracking of a customer’s logon location, delivers local results for their search. While you can do a Google Local search and find your business, many times that information is minimal. Go to Google Local and register your business now.
Take the money you were giving Donnelley and use it on the Internet. Customers are still going to let their fingers do the walking, it is just on a keyboard, not thumbing through pages.
