Whew! You've just opened your new business, your ads are
working, the web site is up, and the signage is done. But, wait! What
about a listing in the phone book? Yes, people still use the phone book,
but they're more apt to call directory assistance from their cell phone
when they're motoring down the road. Are you listed? Better call 411 and
find out, Oh, and better call from your friend's cell phone directory,
too, as they have another service, and don't forget to call Cingular, nope
AT&T bought them out? get the picture? If you aren't listed in every
directory you don't exist to a bunch of consumers who are trying to do
business with you. You need to fix that!Back in the day it was basically
automatic -- there was one phone company and they put your business in the
book. It's not so fast and easy today. In a perfect world they're supposed
to all work together and populate on another's books and databases, but
that's not happening. This whole problem came to light when a close
friend tried to get his home number OFF the phone list of all the
directories since they were all giving his home number out for the Meijer
Thrifty Acres store. He got 20 calls a day for months on end and could not
make them stop. He even put a message on an answering machine that said:
Hi, this is not Meijer's. My friend made dozens of attempts to correct the
situation. He eventually located all the directories with his name in it
and notified them. So, with that in mind, to help you get your company
listed I've compiled a comprehensive list of places to call, email or
submit your business so you can get your business listed in the Phone
Book. AT&T Real Yellow Pages and yellowpages.com. For Real Yellow Pages
call 866-620-6000. The online yellowpages.com is a combined operation of
AT&T, BellSouth and Cingular. Call 800-479-2977 or visit
www.nationalyp.com. YELLOWBOOK USA Call 800-373-2324 or visit:
www.yellowbook.com Verizon print directories and www.superpages.com online
option. Call 800-789-5756 or visit
www.directorystore.comproduct/index.jsp. R.H. Donnelley is one of the
nation's leading Yellow Pages and online local commercial search
companies. The company operates in 28 states. Visit their web site to
check if they handle your state. www.rhd.com Nextel, and other wireless
and online ventures, use the yellow pages service of go2 System of Irvine,
California. Call: 949-553-0800. Yellow Pages Nationwide, Inc. Call
888-935-5698 or visit: http://www.yellowpagesnationwide.com Enlace
Spanish Yellow Pages by Cobalt Publishing LLC, the largest Spanish phone
directory in nation in 22 markets. Call 502-585-0640 or visit:
www.superpaginas.com. Your Community Phone Book, independent telephone
directory publishers in 150 markets in mid-Atlantic and southern U.S. Call
677-3839 or visit:: www.communitybook.com Internet Yellow Pages online
yellow pages. Call 800-300-3209 or visit: www.up.com MobileGates, wireless
yellow pages. Call 714-464-8000. The online Yellow Pages owned by AT&T
projects 1.8 billion searches this year. Get a free listing which
unfortunately has to be renewed manually every year at www.yellowpages.com
Here's an interesting tidbit, nearly 50% of all internet searches are for
business phone numbers or addresses. So if you are not listed in all of
the major search engines you really don't exist. For a comprehensive list
of places to list your business visit:
http://www.locallytype.com/pages/submit.htm This is a terrific resource
for getting your business listed. One more thing. There are many
independent Yellow Pages publishers throughout the country. Be sure to
contact the major phone company in your local area to get listed. They are
usually the most complete and up-to-date resource since they are mandated
by the FCC to maintain that information. You can then go to the website
of your phone company and see who they have contracted with to provide
their yellow pages, and make the connection. For instance, if you live in
Florida, depending on your area, you may have either AT&T, Sprint or
Verizon phone service. All three provide their own yellow pages. If you go
to the phone company website, it will give you all the contact information
for that area. Do it now and get listed.