An online directory collects vital contact details for a variety of businesses and displays them in industry-specific listings. This allows anyone looking for a service like a plumber in Sydney to access this directory and choose from any number of plumbers in their chosen search area. Alternatively, they are also a good resource for accessing a company’s contact details if you know the name of the company. Often when you type a business name into a search engine like Google, the first mention of that business will be in an online directory.

So what is an ‘Online Business Directory’?
A business directory is a website or print media listing of information that lists all businesses within some category. Companies can be categorized by business, location, activity or size. Businesses can be collected manually or through automated online search software. Wikipedia.

Adding a business to an online business directory is now an essential way to create new business for any business. In today’s modern world, the public generally turns to the Internet to locate a particular service, the number of people using a local business number book at home is rapidly declining.

With the increasing popularity of online directories, the ease of use and convenience of accessing relevant information improves every year. The internet is getting faster, functionality is getting better and instead of having to spend 15 minutes looking for a merchant in Sydney, any service provider in any city can be found in just moments. The directory can search all of your listings and provide the precise details required, such as web address, contact number, contact name, and often email address.

With this growing trend and the popularity of the online business directory, the options are getting better. It pays to register a business in free non-Australian directories such as hot frog; however, the public will often use industry-specific directories, which are often a great resource as they only contain companies relevant to a given search. Tradesmen such as handymen, plumbers and builders often do not have their own websites and benefit greatly from these directories.

Lastly, using the thousands of directories available online is a great way to get free one-way links to your website. Many of these directories are well designed and highly supported by Google with a high PR ranking (Google Page Rank). These Directories can be a great way to improve your company’s presence on the web. Using a business directory allows you to let someone else optimize your website; all you have to do is add your business to the directory.

Add your business now to a relevant industry online directory and watch your sales increase in the months to come. Since your business is easily found on the web, it’s becoming easier for important customers to find you.