Ask yourself, “When was the last time I needed a product or service & looked for a magazine to find a Plumber, Attorney, Electrician, Physician etc.   I think you get the point.  Magazines are a form of Creative Advertising designed to keep your name in front of your potential customer.  However, without effective Directional Advertising, in the form of a “local” business directory, you are wasting your money.  This type of advertising is what folks use at the exact time that they need a product or service.  When you do Creative Advertising, you are going after customers.  In Directional Advertising, the customer is looking for you!

   There are others out there that think  just because they use the Internet exclusively, the rest of the population does the same. When a child is ill or a toilet is overflowing, most people don’t take the time to search online for a business. In order for your marketing to be successful you need both Print & Online exposure.  Most importantly,  you need to track it!

    I have run into quite a few business owners lately whom I have challenged  to track where they are getting their customers, but they don’t seem to want to do that. There are only 2 effective ways of tracking.  One option is asking your potential customers, “Where did you get my number?” at the point of the first phone call (NOT “How did you hear about us?”).  The other is by using a Call Tracking Number.  This is a distinct phone number, placed in a publication, that call-forwards to your business line.  You are able to track all the calls you receive from that particular media.

    The bottom line is that money is getting tighter & customers are getting fewer, so we need to market our companies smarter. We are very fortunate to have a direct-mailed print product that actually stays in the homes & businesses for at least a year.  Along with our print product is  a “Google Friendly” product that is less expensive than any other out there, our own iPhone App, driven by National search results & a “Look & Feel” online product that is just fun to use.

   We now offer Call Tracking Numbers, not only for our product, but for your other media as well for as little as $25 per month.  I challenge you to invest in a proven tracking method to find out just how well your current advertising program is working.  I bet the results will surprise you!

Paul Gray

President/CEO

The only way to know, is by proper tracking. I have been helping people market their businesses for over 15 years & only about 1% of businesses are tracking properly.

Most business owners ask their customers, clients or patients at the point of sale,”How did you hear about us?” This will not give you accurate results, as they might have heard about you through a 3rd party or seen your name in a magazine, newspaper, billboard, etc.  The truth of the matter is that the “3rd party referral” probably didn’t have your phone number readily available & chances are the customer doesn’t have that magazine or newspaper anymore as they have a very short shelf life in any home. Folks generally will not drive to a billboard they’ve seen to get your phone number either. 

All of these advertising mediums are GOOD – but must be done in conjunction with local directory advertising to reap the full benefit of that campaign.  It has been proven statistically that people will look for you in a community directory to find out how to get in touch with you. Other studies have shown  that if your competitor has what I call their “Resume,” i.e. an ad, in the directory & you do not, you have a very good chance of losing that potential customer, client or patient.

The BEST way to track your marketing is to get  the person answering the phone to ask, “IF YOU DON’T MIND ME ASKING, WHERE DID YOU GET OUR PHONE NUMBER?”  You will get a very different response and have a better picture of where folks go to call your company!  This must be done consistently on every single call, however, to be completely accurate.

We are now offering call tracking numbers that can help you find out what is really working for you!  The bottom line is,  we all  like to think we have spent our marketing dollars wisely, but the truth is most of us really don’t know if that is the case. We are able to help you make good decisions by implementing a PROVEN tracking method that eliminates ALL questions & concerns.  Call us today to find out how we can help you track ALL of your advertising by the use of this system!

Paul Gray    

 President/CEO        

 Business Directories of Texas

Paul Gray

President/CEO

For every referral you give us that we can actually sit down & visit with, your name will be entered into a drawing for each book in which you advertise. We draw one name before we go to print on each book. The lucky business that is drawn will get the ad that they purchased doubled in size. So not only do you get a chance to help your fellow business owners succeed, but you can get rewarded for doing so!

Call for details
Houston 281-332-5800
Dallas 972-722-6614
Maximum Value $4,000

PREVIOUS WINNERS:
Forney/Sunnyvale – Shine Cleaning Company
Royse City/Fate – Ginger Stephens, CPA
Rockwall/Heath – Eagle Tire & Wheel
Rowlett – Catalyst Church

Lozano & Sons – Manvel

D & C House Leveling – Santa Fe –

 Agency Managers Insurance Group, LLC – Texas City – www.agencymanagers.com

South Texas Glass & Mirror – Santa Fe – www.southtexasglass.com

Baylor Medical Center at Garland – www.BaylorHealth.com

CM Grossman Plumbing – Hitchcock, TX

HomeTown Bank of Alvin – www.htbna.com

Ameriglass – Dickinson, Texas

Lohman Glass Co. – LaPorte, Texas – www.lohmannglass.com

Express Business Services – Alvin – www.expbussvc.com

Poodles & Pals – Alvin

Texas Carpet Care – Santa Fe – www.TexasCarpetCare.com

PC Cable Connexion, Inc. – League City – www.pc-cable.com

Schlitzberger & Daughters Monuments – LaMarque – www.schlitzbergers.com

Alvin Chiropractic Center – Alvin

Alvin Skate-N-Party – Alvin – www.alvinskateparty.com

The Fence Company – Houston – www.fencesdecksandpatios.com

Master Electrical Service – Santa Fe

Salvador Colon – Attorney at Law – Alvin – www.scolon.net

Bayou City Plumbing – Santa Fe – www.bayoucityplumbing.com

Gaskill General Contractors – Forney

AAA Bail Bonds – Terrell

Platinum Collision Center – Terrell – www.platinumcollisioncenter.com

Smith Bookkeeping & Tax Service – Forney

Mitchell and Bourland, Inc. – Terrell – www.mitchellandbourland.com

SC Signs – Mesquite

Renaissance Hospital – Terrell – www.terrell-hospital.com

Vision Source! – Mesquite – www.visionsource-mesquite.com

Trinity Valley Oral Surgery & Dental – Forney – www.trinityvalleyoms.com

Melton’s Custom Fencing & Welding – Terrell – www.meltonsfencingandwelding.com

Simply Great Catering & Event Company – Forney – www.simplygreatcatering.com

Heritage Christian Day Care & Learning Center – Alvin – www.heritagedaycare.com

NASA Wholesale Barkyard & Landscaping – Webster – www.nasawholesalebarkyard.com

Primary Eye Care Center – Alvin

Bay Area Movers – Pearland – www.bayareamoversinc.com

Texas Ink Marketing & Promotions – Santa Fe – www.officialtexasink.com

Dwyane’s Automotive – Hitchcock

Snider Transmission – Alvin