Why You SHOULDN’T Waste Your Money on Directory Listings

So you’ve just started your own lawn care business. You’re mowing a few lawns here and there, and things are going well. Then, out of the blue, you get a call from someone who tells you that you need to be listed in their directory. They promise that it will bring in tons of new customers and help your business grow. But is it worth it? 

Have you ever heard the saying ‘beware of strangers bearing gifts?’ Perhaps they should have said “beware of directories too” 

These guys can charge high fees for listings or require you to sign up for a long-term contract. While it may seem like a good idea to have your name out there in as many places as possible, the truth is that most of these directories are a complete waste of time and money.

Here’s why.

Think about how much easier things were back in the day when all you had to do was flip through the Yellow pages. Nowadays, kids will tell you that directories are so last year. With all of the new technology, they are becoming obsolete. 

Nobody Looks at Directories Anymore, print or online.

In the internet age, people don’t look to directories when they need something done. They’ll either ask for recommendations from friends or family or do a Google search. This means that even if you are listed in a directory, there’s very little chance that anyone is actually going to see it. 

In addition, many of these directories are not well-maintained or well-organized, so even if someone is looking for a lawn mowing service, they may have difficulty finding yours. Worse still, some of these directories are outright scams, and you could find yourself paying for a listing that never materialises. 

Sometimes they will tell you that if you have a website, then they can get you to the top of online search results too. They will want lots of money and they will turn out to be rubbish. 

How do I know that? 

Because I use simple logic. If someone could get a page to show consistently at the top of online searches, they sure as hell wouldn’t be ringing me. 

Why?

Because if they could get their own page in that position they would be so busy, that they would have time to ring strangers and try to sell them online services that they obviously don’t use themselves. 

I wouldn’t mail you a letter telling you how good email is, that just wouldn’t make sense. 

I get calls all the time from people who tell me they have a web page that everyone will visit to find lawn-mowing contractors. This is never going to happen. 

Even Yellow pages (one of the largest directories in the world) struggle to compete with the likes of Google and Facebook. Every year their books get smaller. 

The only places you will find online are sites like Google or Google maps. 

And the best news is that Google Maps is free, so you might want to check that out.

Facebook can work, but I don’t get the best quality leads there. Still, it can pay off if you are prepared to spend a bit of time there. 

Summing up  Why You SHOULDN’T Waste Your Money on Directory Listings

Paying for directory listings is usually a waste of time and money. If you’re looking for ways to market your lawn care business, stick to more effective methods like word-of-mouth referrals and online search advertising. You’ll be glad you did.

And just remember. If anyone ever rings you and tries to sell you advertising online, they must be useless at it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have to resort to using the phone.