DO YOU DO FREE DIRECTORIES, LISTING SERVICES OR CLASSIFIED WORK?

2 March 2013 - Heidi Stassen

We all know the importance of brand awareness. No matter what business or trade you are in, Word of mouth has been, still is and will always be the strongest marketing tool in the existence of mankind! Advertising and  marketing activities are here to stay, all in the quest to promote your business.

We are living in increasingly fast changing times, broadcasters and media content providers are responding and positioning themselves best to exploit opportunities brought by these changes in technology and regulation. Social media and internet platforms shook the world and brought along significant changes to the world of marketing as we once knew it.

Communication has changed forever and where reaching your target market once was a time consuming and costly affair, driving your message and reaching thousands now became a free-for-all possibility.

But don’t be fooled. The misconception exists that if you have a website or social media profile, you will get the results you desire. Sadly so, those who hold the technological knowledge and understand abbreviations like SEO, CRM activities, as well as terms like VIRAL & ORGANIC, only use it for own gain, be it financial or for gathering of information. They sell promises and deliver only what you failed to read in the small-print. All across the globe but more so in developing countries like South Africa, this latest trend is making millions.

Spam messages like ‘After getting more than 10000 visitors/day to my website I thought your website also need  unstoppable flow of traffic...’ and  ‘Use this BRAND NEW software and get all the traffic to your website you will ever need ‘ now clutters your inbox.  Ever wondered where companies get their database for newsletters, viral campaigns, text messages or emails from?  It is all perfectly legal and we, the unsuspected public, are feeding these hungry wolfs willingly and freely either by trying to do it ourselves or paying sharks.

Today there are so many FREE listing directories, claiming to cater to business' marketing needs. But do these platforms work? How many of these platforms provide the listing company’s details direct to the public? Do they promote your business? Does the public need to register or log in first in order to get the relevant business’ contact numbers? Can you contact them directly or do you need to leave your own contact details before a service is provided?

IS THIS WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR IN A FREE TRADE DIRECTORY OR CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENT? 

 

Leaving a review, comments or simply rating a business you had dealings with is a simple concept, but how many companies are prepared to expose themselves to being rated?

Indeed a very noble concept at first, however, these platforms can do irrevocable damage to a business. Sometimes unreasonable claims and unwarranted issues are published on live sites which are open to public scrutiny, and might create wrongful impressions. Often, these complaints are non-factual and leave little room for negotiation.

Companies register at a cost to these platforms globally in order to be notified of any complaints against their businesses, and the consumer end up footing the bill. 

Do free directory listing sites exist? 

Reliabuild.co.za is a new innovative online trade directory with a small listing fee and absolutely FREE to the public.

They simply provide traders with an affordable listing option without interfering with their line of business and expertise. The approach is exactly the OPPOSITE to a complaints website with the aim to promote honest hard working tradesmen and to provide positive and constructive feedback rather than negative and destructive commentary.

The 'Leave a Review' facility allows the consumer, to rate the work of the tradesperson or business listed. The concept is pretty simple with the aim to provide the public with an easy to use, no strings attached web platform where they can find RELIABLE tradesmen. A platform that lists contact details of reliably rated tradesmen in their area BUT more so, a platform that offers the consumer the opportunity to rate their experience and allow them to leave a review. IS THIS NOT MORE LIKE IT?

The power of the masses is real. It most certainly will take some time for the public to actively engage with a trade directory of this kind, but in the near future tradesmen will need to enlist on a directory like RELIABUILD.co.za, to ensure a professional reputation.

The power of the World Wide Web (www) holds a certain danger to the uninformed and certainly fills the wallet of those who holds the knowledge to abuse the uninitiated in cyber-space. On what trade directory will you place the future of your business?