Top Practices Blog

Open Your Mind To The Possibilities

Yellow Pages Near Extinction

Yellow-pages industry hit hard by economic downturn

According to an article published by the Wall Street Journal online last month, the yellow pages industry is facing near extinction. Customers have migrated to the Web in recent years and have left print directories like the Yellow Pages behind.  The industry tried to keep up by offering online directories, but that strategy has not worked out for them, mostly because the audience for online directories remains small and traffic growth is slowing.  Print and online ad spending on yellow pages is expected to drop by 6.3% next year, more than double the rate of decline expected for other media.  Within the next four years, ad spending on print directories will decline by 39%. 

It is no longer practical (or economical) to rely solely on the Yellow Pages for your marketing. They are going the way of the dinosaur.  It' s now more important than ever to build a marketing machine that will continue you to provide a steady stream of new patients that need the services you provide!

Marketing Mindsets

Mindset Number ONE: The true purpose of your practice or business is to serve YOU and to fund your IDEAL LIFESTYLE – not the other way around. YOU MUST BEGIN BY PUTTING YOUR PERSONAL LIFE FIRST AND GETTING YOUR PRACTICE PRIORITIZED CORRECTLY.

Database Marketing

Postage increase causes some business owners to cut back on mailings.

According to this survey, the recent postage increase will affect the amount of mailing done by 43% of your competitors.  This is not the time to cut back on your mailing - it's the time to mail more to take advantage of this competitive edge!

August 1, 2008 — infoUSAPoll.com surveyed thousands of small-business executives across the country on June 30th about whether the increase in postage will change business practices, in particular advertising spends.  In the poll, regarding the question, “Will the postage increase affect your advertising?” the results were relatively close, however, 7 percent more of businesses surveyed said the additional costs would impact business versus those who responded the costs would not have an impact.

 The results:

 ·         43  percent (451 respondents) said yes, it would affect advertising. 

·         36 percent (372 respondents) said no it would not affect advertising. 

·         21 percent (214 respondents) said it does not apply. 

 The margin of error for this week’s poll is plus or minus 3 percent.  infoUSAPoll.com emailed the survey question to small business executives across the country.