SMEs are saying no to advertising in print directories according to a poll commissioned by online directory 192.com from business research company Redshift.
The advance in digital marketing is taking its toll on the traditional directory. Redshift found 73 per cent of SMEs prefer to advertise themselves online with search engines and company homepages being cited as the most popular marketing tools.
The main reason given for the shift online was expense. Twenty three per cent of businesses said print directories didn’t offer value for money and 19 per cent said they didn’t think printed directories would give positive ROI.
192.com says the trend is evident in Yell Group’s annual report for 2010 which saw its revenue for its printed directory fall 19 per cent – loosing them nearly £100 million.