Get Your Business Name Out There for FREE

According to True Local over 90% of the Australian Internet audience are using online directories to find a local business, service or product. Not all micro business can afford an expensive yellow pages ad - particularly those which are home-based. Many small local traders have no online presence or offline listings at all. Don't let an impossibly tight budget hold you back. Make the most of the free resources which are available to you.

Free Directory Listings

For an investment of a little time, you can get your business name out there by submitting your details to online business directories.

I've sourced several sites which provide a FREE listing in their directory.

Hot Frog (http://www.hotfrog.com.au/) gives you a free basic listing, including a clickable link direct to your own website. Another cool feature is the 'latest news' button you can use to include more information and add current business promotions. The listing includes all your contact details aswell as space to add your own business description or blurb. Listing was quick and simple and, to my amazement, Google picked our Hot Frog listing up almost immediately and ranked it high in search results according to the search criteria I used.

Web Find (http://www.webfind.com.au/) was one of the most generous free listing providers I located. Your basic listing has the option of including a logo graphic, hours of operation, a lengthy blurb about your business, bulleted unique selling points and the products and services you provide. It all comes together under a cute little “contact card� complete with a clickable link to your own website.

Local.com.au (www.local.com.au) offers a free listing with plenty of room to add your business description. It includes a direct link to your website and email, aswell as other contact details. Adding a listing was pretty fast. Although the site says it may take up to 2 days to add the listing, we had ours up within 2 hours (pretty impressive for a Sunday night).

Rave About It (www.raveaboutit.com.au) deserves raving about. Submitting a listing was painlessly simple and allowed plenty of great options such as including pictures and adding promotions. A free listing allowed me to add all my details, link directly to our site, include a lengthy description and manage opening hours.

Aussie Local (http://www.aussielocal.com.au/) allows you to submit a basic free listing in up to five different categories.

The Ozebiz Index (http://www.ozebiz.com.au/) allows you to include either your web address OR your contact details.

Business Search (http://www.businesssearch.com.au/) offer a free listing which does not include a web link, but does include your name, address, phone and region serviced. Adding a link to this site was quick, simple and almost instant. The locality search worked a treat to quickly find the listing again.

For something specifically local, go to Oomah.com From there you can access www.thecentralcoast.org, www.gosford.org, www.wyongshire.org and a host of other Central Coast regional directories. A basic listing is free but you'll have to pay if you want an active link to your site or other bells and whistles.

Other sites offering a free listing include:
dLook (www.dlook.com.au)
hhh Services.Com.Au (www.hhhservices.com.au)
Australia Map Guide (www.street-directory.com.au)
Aussie Web Local Search (www.aussieweb.com.au)
True Local (www.truelocal.com.au)
NSW Central Business Directory (www.nsw.australiancbd.com.au)
Come on Aussie (www.comeonaussie.com)
Laton Australian Business Directory (www.laton.com.au)
Local Biz Online Shopping and Services Directory (www.localbiz.com.au). This last site requires a reciprocal link to maintain a free listing so you must have a website. Alternatively, a basic listing with no reciprocal link is $2.50.

Okay, so it's not a full page colour advertisement in the Yellow Pages but it is a start. From experience, I can say that these "free" directory listings do generate some business (not always a lot, but some). For zero financial outlay they are not a bad investment at all for small business on a shoestring budget.

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Christie Lewis is a business partner with Alan Lewis Accounting & Taxation Services. Located on the NSW Central Coast. More than just a tax time necessity... we remain at your service for the entire year. Visit us online today at www.lewistaxation.com.au

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