Not long ago, the big yellow phone book was the only key to finding that new hairdresser, a reliable window repair service or perhaps a restaurant which delivered pizza. Sifting through listings, dialing phone numbers, and slogging through choices was all you needed to locate a nearby business or service.

But this was before Google, the internet and smartphones became part of our daily lives. Now that we rely on those for information, it’s safe to say that phone books are obsolete…

Today, when looking for a local dry cleaner, doctor, plumber or attorney, where is you research conducted? I bet your answer is as good as mine. Most of us dash online and ‘Google’ (it’s a verb now) up whatever we need, then click on suitable service providers’ sites that rank in the top of the search results. Your quick and easy research is complete! Google Is The New Phone Book.

Of course, the convenience and speed with which we find everything we’re looking for did not exist at one point. Indeed, Yellow Pages has become a thing of the past, and that includes YP advertising service; both physical (phone books) and digital (business listings).

In fact, if a company still invests heavily in YP advertising in this time and age, then they should simply fire their head of marketing—seriously! To be definite, YP still has some strength, notably in sales and marketing. Customers who rely on them are actually pursued aggressively by a sales team that coerces them into purchasing advertising, while upselling to website creation.

Sadly, technology isn’t one of its strengths. This is especially evident to users who try to create a website using YP’s website building tool. Even though YP does provide website design and creation for small businesses, this service is outsourced, and their customers do not get direct or personalized attention. So just like most large corporations, it’s evident that they just care about numbers and not the individual client nor their business goals.

​What’s more, the websites created are simply a generic sign or storefront, lacking crucial business tools or functionalities to enhance customer engagement. Ultimately, customers find themselves stuck in one or two-year agreements that can’t be easily terminated. Yet there’s no way the site created could ever rank and even if it did, how useful could a potential customer possibly find it?

Now, I am in no way trying to bad mouth or slander another company especially one that’s been around as long as Yellow Pages. I’m just sharing from a business perspective, what I personally encounter with other business owners and clients, which of whom have or currently use YP Marketing Solutions.

Why should you believe me over them? Go over to Google and search for “YP.com reviews” and watch the number of complaints come pouring in.

Unfortunately, it’s the same story time and time again; business owners are sold false hopes of getting a lead generating website that ranks high in the search engines and end up getting stuck in a contract. While most business owners I’ve spoken with anxiously anticipate for that day the contract ends, others have been ‘burned’ so badly that they are afraid to invest their money into any form of digital marketing service.

Obviously, you wouldn’t hire an electrician to fix your blocked sewer, would you? As such, why spend your hard-earned money on dead-end advertising or hiring a company that doesn’t specialize in creating websites to build yours?

As a small business looking to thrive in the market of your choice, you can’t risk establishing your online presence using an expensive company that doesn’t understand and address your unique business goals and also lacks in customer service.

There should be no reason why a business owner should accept that quality of work, or lack thereof, especially if it’s supposed to represent their company, more so if they are stuck in monthly contracts just like with phone book advertising.

In today’s world, your website is the first point of contact for your potential clients and thus critical for generating new sales leads and conversions, besides helping build strong relationships with current customers.