A good hybrid idea?

bkthom · Jun 14, 2013

Hey guys, I have been debating for awhile a good hybrid campaign to launch. I have a few people that are going to help me get started. The idea we have been kicking around is something similar to the yellowpages online, however, our campaign will target an individual county rather than the whole United States like the yellow pages.

Online Goal:

To design a website that breaks local businesses down in to categories, and research several keywords per category
Attempt to get my website top of local searches for things like "restaurants in xxx" and "car dealers in xxx"

Offline Goal:

Compile database of local businesses, ranking them in categories
Use database to make a mailing list, use the dice or pen trick I learned from others here on BHW
Show them how my website ranks high in searches and how it could greatly benefit their business, use some random stats =)
Follow up email around a week later

I have a quite long and extensive letter drafted up, but do not want to hit everyone with a wall of text. I have a few twist in my plan to differentiate my website from a website like the yellowpages.

My questions:

Is it possible to take the top of many local searches? Or would I always lose to the yellowpages?
Would businesses be willing to pay to be listed on my website? I was looking at charging $25/month base price, so nothing extravagent
Is this idea even possible or am I looking at the wrong way to market a hybrid campaign?

bkthom · Jun 14, 2013

To further a little bit more of my research - the local research (with the town name) is roughly 1500 local searches per month per category. If that clarifies anything.

igniteimages · Jun 14, 2013

I've been thinking of a directory for a while (in a UK niche market) rather than a general directory.

I've seen many directories that are very poorly populated and I doubt people would return.

If I were you I'd probably let everyone have a free listing but with differing tiers for extra payment for say a featured listing (you could check out Freeindex . co . uk as an example.

Of course if you have a business and are in that county you could be the only listing in the section of the directory!!!

bkthom · Jun 15, 2013

I don't own a business, but that is quite a good idea if I did =)

And yes, I agree some of the directories are very poorly designed, dead, low traffic, etc, which scares me some as well.

Qai88 · Jun 15, 2013

Your idea is sound but businesses would need more than just a being listed. They would need a way to convert your existing traffic to actual buyers. So in a way, you gotta do a lot of benefit talking with them like:
"By buying a listing fee of $25/mo, you can expect to have 150 new customers out of the 1,500 visitors/mo to the website (Believing in the 1 in 10 Sale ratio). So imagine, 1 customer have a LifeTime Value of $250 (or however you value them), and getting 150 new customers equates to $37,500. And all this is possible for only $25/mo."

But the question is, how do you help them get more customers with a just a local directory site? Gotta help the business sell rather than just promoting these days.

bkthom · Jun 15, 2013

Qai88 said:
Your idea is sound but businesses would need more than just a being listed. They would need a way to convert your existing traffic to actual buyers. So in a way, you gotta do a lot of benefit talking with them like:
"By buying a listing fee of $25/mo, you can expect to have 150 new customers out of the 1,500 visitors/mo to the website (Believing in the 1 in 10 Sale ratio). So imagine, 1 customer have a LifeTime Value of $250 (or however you value them), and getting 150 new customers equates to $37,500. And all this is possible for only $25/mo."

But the question is, how do you help them get more customers with a just a local directory site? Gotta help the business sell rather than just promoting these days.

This is indeed in my plan that I didnt want to hit everyone with a wall of text =)

Short and sweet is I want to link back to their website (if they have one) and offer a package to create a simple (easy WP theme) website for them at a very low charge to get their initial business. I want to make sure my website out ranks theirs for the most commonly searched keywords in order to (hopefully) gain their business.

I really like your selling line, may add that to my plan =) Thank you for the reply!

A good hybrid idea?

bkthom

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bkthom

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igniteimages

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bkthom

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Qai88

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bkthom

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