The Internet has greatly changed  marketing and communication in just a matter of a decade. This includes the yellow pages. Small online businesses are quickly learning that their customers and potential customers and/or clients will google their names rather than look in the telephone books. 

Does this mean that you should drop the yellow page ad for your brick-and-mortar or your service business? No.

Unless you have only an online presence, you do not have to think about other media. If you have both an offline and online presence or just an offline business or service, you need to spread the wealth of your marketing budget. You should be in the print yellow pages, have a Web site online with your business information. It does not have to be an expensive site with millions of bells and whistles. Just something clear and information with the right information. 

You cannot second guess where people will go 100 percent of the time to find you.  Small businesses have to be creative. In order to keep competitive, you have to put your eggs in multiple baskets. That means, you cannot reach most of your target audience with one marketing vehicle.

Where you list your services or products also depends on what you sell. Local items, such as car repair shops or jewelry stores will definitely want to be online and in print. Other services, such as travel, you may want to put more of an emphasis with the Internet.

Also, you know your customers best. If you live in a small town, and most of your customers are word of mouth or see you driving by, then you will want more visibility in the traditional yellow pages. Similarly, where are your hottest competitors listed? You need to be there, as well.

When people call you or come into your store or contact you online, ask  how they found out about you. Keep track of these marketing statistics, and review them when it is time to establish your annual marketing plan.

Use the Internet marketing to your advantage. Make sure you come up on the Google map. Also, keep abreast of new services, such as the Google “enhanced listings” service, which lets businesses call attention to themselves with a special feature, such as a sale, free giveaway or monthly menu items.