Using adverts, banners & directories to promote your website and increase your organic search engine listings

The last five years have seen a surge in the number of directories on the web, from the likes of Yell.com to more industry based Applegate. The online directories work in exactly the same way as their offline namesakes but are able to offer features that cannot be replicated offline.

It isn't just directories that offer inward bound links; most high volume sites now feature advertising banners - either on a time based fee or pay per click. There are several advantages in using these - a banner with a clear 'call to action' can be placed alongside directory enquiry listings, so, wherever a user is in the buying cycle, having a listing and a banner advert will increase your exposure.

Often you can get a free listing but usually this excludes your web address being included and as people are using the web to search out suppliers and find out about them before they make contact, free listings aren't that effective.

Measuring the performance of directories & banner adverts and calculating return on investment

If you are paying for a directory listing (or banner advert) then you need to make sure that it is providing you a return on that investment. All Quiet Storm websites come with a free webstats package, which provides you with the number of times the directory has provided you with traffic.

I doubt that you would get the figures on how many people visiting your website as a result of a link from a specific directory have placed an order (unless you have an e-commerce website and have a more sophisticated web stats package). However, you should have an idea of the total number of web enquiries and total web visits. From this, you can calculate the web visits to enquiries and from that the web enquiries to sales. This should be all the information you require to work out just how much business a directory generates and at what cost.

Directory tips

Listings should be refreshed regularly and copy carefully thought through

Link to pages deep in a site rather than home pages

Nearly all directories are online, particularly in the b2b sector where internet access is readily available

Combine directory listings with search advertising. Both offer the chance to convert people identified as prospects into customers (source: IAB).

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