Yellow Pages And Directories

 
 Yellow Pages refers to a telephone directory of businesses, categorized according to the product or
service provided. As the name suggests, such directories were originally printed on yellow paper, as
opposed to white pages for non-commercial listings. The traditional term Yellow Pages is now also
applied to online directories of businesses.
The name and concept of "Yellow Pages" came about in 1883, when a printer in Cheyenne,
Wyoming working on a regular telephone directory ran out of white paper and used yellow paper
instead. In 1886 Reuben H. Donnelley created the first official yellow pages directory, inventing an
industry.[1][2]
Today, the expression Yellow Pages is used globally, in both English-speaking and non-English
speaking countries. In the United States, it refers to the category, while in some other countries it is
a registered name and therefore a proper noun. The term Yellow Pages is not a registered name
within the United States and is freely used by many companies.
In Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, and Romania, the
"Yellow Pages" are known as theGolden Pages.
In Japan, the "Yellow Pages" are known as Town Page.
In Sri Lanka, the "Yellow Pages" are known as the Rainbow Pages, or the silver page.

 1 In general
 2 Logo
 3 Internet Yellow Pages
 
In general
A particular Yellow Pages (YP) is a print directory which provides an alphabetical listing of businesses
within a specific geographical area (e.g., Greater Chicago), which are segregated under headings for
similar types of businesses (e.g., Plumbers). Traditionally these directories have been published by
the local phone company, but due to the highly profitable nature of the business there are
numerous independent directory publishers. Some YP publishers focus on a particular demographic
(e.g., Christian Yellow Pages or Business Pages).
Yellow Pages directories are usually published annually, and distributed for free to all residences
and businesses within a given coverage area. The majority of listings are plain and in small black
text, usually in the Bell Gothic or Bell Centennial typefaces. The YP publishers generate profit by
selling advertising space or listings under each heading. Advertising may be sold by a direct sales
force or by approved agencies (CMR's). Available advertising space varies among publishers and
ranges from bold names up to four color twin page ads ("double trucks"). Advertising rates typically
increase every year regardless of distribution or usage fluctuations.
In the United States, the predominant yellow pages are the Dex One Corporation's DEX, the AT&T
Real Yellow Pages, Yellowbook, and the Verizon Superpages.
 
 
Yellowbook Logo used in the United States. Note the resemblance to the "Walking Fingers" logo.
Business listings used for publication are obtained by several methods. Local phone companies that
publish YP directories rely on their own customer lists and include business listings that are
provided by phone service providers (ILEC's). Business owners that utilize phone services other than
the local phone company (typically a Bell Company) should make certain that their information has
been sent to the publisher for printing in upcoming directories.
Advertising in YP directories requires payment in full prior to printing or may be billed monthly over
the life of the contract, which is usually 12 months. Typically, a sales representative will assist the
customer in creating their ad design and provides a Proof Copy for review and approval. Advertisers
should be aware that many contracts have automatic renewal clauses and require action on the
part of the advertiser to end future billing.
Yellow Pages print usage is reported to be declining with both advertisers and shoppers increasingly
turning to Internet search engines and online directories. According to a study by Knowledge
Networks/SRI, in 2007, print Yellow Pages were referenced 13.4 billion times, while Internet Yellow
Pages references increased to 3.8 billion, up from 2006’s 3.3 billion online searches.[3] As a result
most YP publishers have attempted to create online versions of their print directories. These online
versions are referred to as IYP or Internet Yellow Pages. Independent ad agencies or Internet
marketing consultants can assist business owners in determining sound opportunities for YP
advertising and provide objective information on usage, possession and preferences.
 
Logo
Current Canadian Yellow Pages logo.
 
The "Walking Fingers" logo was created by Henry
Alexander[citation needed], a well known New England artist.
Upon graduation from the Swain School of Design in
New Bedford, Massachusetts, Mr. Alexander began a
successful free-lance career as an illustrator and
commercial designer. He formed a long association with
the New England Telephone Company lasting thirty-one
years. In 1962 he designed the "Walking Fingers" logo
and within a year it became the national trademark for
the "Yellow Pages".
AT&T, the creator and owner of the most famous three-
fingered version of the "Walking Fingers" logo, never applied for a trademark on the logo. While
they eventually received a trademark on a different version of the logo, the version with the three
fingers was not considered by AT&T to be proprietary and they in fact allowed any telephone
directory to use it. [4]
Bell Systems later applied for a trademark on the logo but had their trademark denied on the
grounds that it "had become a generic indicator of the yellow pages without regard to any particular
source." [5] Shortly thereafter, Bell began using a trademarkable logo with a lightbulb instead of the
walking fingers, but returned to the walking fingers two years later. [6]
 
Internet Yellow Pages
Online Yellow Pages are known as IYP or Internet Yellow Pages. On a broader scale they are known
as vertical directories. There are consumer oriented and business oriented varieties. All providers of
IYP offer online advertising.
IYP offers listings differently than standard search engines. Where search engines return results
based on relevancy to the true search term, IYP returns results based on a geographic area.[9]
Studies by independent companies such as Nielson and comScore have shown that Internet Yellow
Pages have a very slim percentage of total Internet searches. The majority, over 85% of all Internet
searches, occur on the major search engines Google, Yahoo and Bing. These search engines also
provide yellow page business listings as a part of their search results.
Advertising on IYP is typically available with numerous a la carte choices. These choices become
small "individual sales presentations" which makes it easier for sales reps to sell large advertising
packages.
The new version of IYP is classified as a local search directory which provides content with the
added ability to refine the search to find the needed service. The new search engine now prioritizes
local businesses in its results rather than the results being dominated by regional or national
companies. All services offer paid advertising options which typically offer preferred placement on
search results pages.
 
 
 
 Electronic Yellow Pages
 
Electronic Yellow Pages are online versions of traditional printed business directories
produced by telephone companies around the world. Typical functionalities of online
yellow pages include the alphabetical listings of businesses and search functionality of the
business database by name, business or location. Since Electronic Yellow Pages are not
limited by space considerations, they often contain far more comprehensive business
information such as vicinity maps, company profiles, product information, and more.
An advantage of Electronic Yellow Pages is that they can be updated in real time; therefore,
listed businesses are not constrained by once-a-year publishing of the printed version which
leads to greater accuracy of the listings since contact information may change at any time.
Before the popularity of the internet, business telephone numbers in the United
Kingdom could be searched by accessing a remote computer terminal by modem.
This dialup service was discontinued (as was a similar system called Phonebase for
published residential phone numbers) in the 1990s, being superseded a web-based search
interface.

 1 History
 2 Search Engines
 
History
Among the first to place their listings on the Web was Pacific Bell's now-defunct “At Hand”
online yellow pages that was officially launched on August 30, 1996. At Hand debuted with
approximately 1.2 million merchant listings from across California. At the time, the service
was competing with BigBook.com, a nationwide Web directory has since been absorbed
bySuperPages.
Although it is “old hat” now, At Hand allowed an online visitor to look for a French
restaurant in a given town and get an interactive map. If the restaurant has paid for an
enhanced listing, the visitor could also find out other information, such as whether it
took American Express or if it served bouillabaise. At Hand showcased editorial content
from 14 publishers, includingHarperCollins, the Hearst Corporation, the New York Times
Company and American Express.
Another early entrant into the then-$11 billion yellow pages industry occurred in 1997
when four Baby Bells banded together to create a co-branded Web site and initiated a $1
millionmarketing campaign to drive more traffic to their regional yellow pages sites. That
"original yellow pages" site was simply a map of the U.S., where users could click on any
state and be linked to the appropriate online directory, as published
by Ameritech, BellSouth, Pacific Bell, or US West. The site experienced stiff competition
from Big Yellow (now part of SuperPages) and SuperPages itself.
On Nov. 4, 2004 SBC Communications Inc (now AT&T) and BellSouth announced a joint
venture to acquire Yellowpages.com. The venture utilized the highly recognized brand
name to become the market leader in local search (Internet). At the time of acquisitions, it
was expected that the YellowPages.com site would receive more than 50
million consumer searches per month.
In 2005, Amazon.com elbowed its way into the online yellow pages business, with a new
service from its A9.com search engine, featuring photo-rich listings that allow an online
visitor to “wander around” near a given destination.
According to market research company the Kelsey Group, advertising in online yellow pages
is rapidly expanding but still only retain less than 7% of the total market,
including onlineand print. The reason for this is that traditional yellow pages publishers,
such as the phone companies, have big sales forces to approach local businesses.
MarketWatch, an online financial newsletter, carried an article on Dec. 18, 2006 detailing
how mobile online yellow pages were enhancing small business lead generation. The article
noted that Internet-based yellow pages, local search and wireless was growing by an
estimated 30.5% versus print advertising, and that a company could only benefit from this
online growth by being listed in an Internet-based directory.
 
Search Engines
Search engines such as Google Maps carry a significant number of business listings, often
rivaling and sometimes exceeding the number of listings found in the traditional online
yellow pages. These search engine results are a very effective way to reach new customers.
Search engine listings can often be edited by users, not just business owners. It is therefore
important for business owners to verify and register their business address with all the
major search engines.