Having your business listed on an online yellow pages website is a valuable way to reach new customers. Millions of businesses are listed in the online business pages, and you should make sure your business is one of them. After all, an online yellow pages phone book listing can do more than provide customers with the name, address and phone number of your business. It can also map your store's location and drive customers to your website.

When a customer goes to search online yellow pages, you want to make sure he or she can quickly find information about your business. So you should take the following steps:

1. List your business in the yellow pages online.

2. Purchase online yellow pages advertising.

3. Find online yellow pages listings for your competition.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get your business listed for free in the online yellow pages

If your business isn't listed in the online yellow pages, customers can't find you. So it is worth it to take the time to make sure your business is in the yellow pages online and that the listing is accurate.

I recommend: You can list your business for free on YELLOWPAGES.COM, which will give you exposure to more than 100 million monthly searches. Yellow Book USA also provides free online business listings.

Place an ad in the online yellow pages

When customers are searching the online yellow pages for business names, you want to make sure they see the name of your business. So an advertisement or priority listing in the online local yellow pages could be a good place to spend some of your marketing dollars.

I recommend: Check out Marchex's Yellow.com. The company offers a series of basic and pay-per-click advertising options. Idearc Media has a range of advertising packages available for its online business sites and yellow pages.

Use online yellow pages to scope out your competition

It is always a good idea to know what your competition is up to, and a search of the online yellow pages phone book is a quick and free way to do some research. Type in your competitor's name as if you were a customer and see what types of ads and listings show up.

I recommend: LiveDeal's YP.com contains millions of listings across the country. The site is different from a traditional online yellow pages because it combines business listings with classified ads. OnlineYellowPages.com allows you to search for businesses in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Listings are searchable by business name, category or distance.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You may want to hire a professional agency to place your online yellow pages advertisements. An advertising expert can help you place ads in all the right spots and generate the most new business for your marketing dollars.

An online Yellow Pages phone book is an online directory of businesses listed by phone number, address and industry. Your phone company probably gives you a large bulky phone book with a printed Yellow Pages directory annually with your phone subscription.

The online version includes all the same information but adds more information, such as website addresses, banner advertisements, maps and links to local pages. Consider using an online Yellow Pages directory the next time you need to find a children's clothing store, a graphic designer or a new favorite restaurant in your area.

Search online Yellow Pages to:

1. Find businesses or people listings in your local area.

2. Look up a specific business to find the exact address, phone number and website using online business pages.

3. Buy online Yellow Pages advertising to boost your brand awareness and loyalty and ultimately profits.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find a specific business or person using Yellow Pages online

If you already know the name of the business but need a current address, phone number or website, consult an online Yellow Pages phone book to find the missing information. Many searches give you extra information such as menus, store hours, directions or customer ratings.

I recommend: Input the business name and city into the search fields to find exact listings for the things you need. MSN Yellow Pages, Dex and YP.com give straightforward listings to help you find the closest Dairy Queen or Wells Fargo branch, plus some user reviews. Search onlineyellow.com for ratings of popular restaurants and services.

Search for businesses near a specific area with a Yellow Pages website

Look for products and services without knowing a specific business name by searching for the industry keyword in Yellow Pages online. Search 'bakery' or 'automotive' in a particular city or zip code to find all possible listings within the area.

I recommend: Browse Yellow.com to find listings for multiple online business sites. Internet Yellow Pages, BrightPages and AOL Yellow Pages all allow you to search by keyword to compare area listings.

Use online Yellow Pages to search reverse listing

Often we write down phone numbers for businesses and think we'll remember the name and address later, only to realize all we have is a phone number. Or we miss a phone call from a number we don't recognize. Use the reverse listings from online Yellow Pages phone numbers directories to find the business.

I recommend: Input the phone number into the search bar to find the business name and address that goes with the phone number. YELLOWPAGES.COM, yellowbook, CenturyTel and Dex all offer this reverse listing service.

Search online local Yellow Pages to find city information

Online local Yellow Pages do so much more than just list contact information. You can search for a local pizza place and find directions, reviews and even daily specials all from the Yellow Pages website. Find traffic patterns, weather alerts and local happenings.

I recommend: Find online Yellow Pages that give you more than just a name, address and phone number. Directories like superpages.com, Yahoo! Local Yellow Pages, YellowUSA and gomylocal.com give you access to entertainment information, maps and directions, weather information and city history to help you plan vacations or keep in touch with local news.

Advertise with an online Yellow Pages website to increase traffic

Advertising allows you to build online Yellow Pages for your business, using banners, links, higher placement and video advertisements. Make sure online searchers find you before they find your competition.

I recommend: Read the Work.com Guide to Maximizing Your Yellow Pages Advertising for more information on the subject. Advertise around the Internet with OnlineYellowPages.com, One World, MagicYellow, Dex, YELLOWPAGES.COM and Yellow.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Look in your phone book to see whether your area has a special Yellow Pages website designed for your local business listings. Many towns have their own Yellow Pages directory websites with pertinent news and information customized for your city.