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Most businesses now have at least an online business directory listing or web site. For those that have a business directory listing, the question is whether it is doing any good. I would think that the answer is that most online business directory listings are about as effective as a “For Sale” sign in the middle of the Mojave desert. The problem typically with online business directories is that most internet users never visit the business directory web site where your business is listed.

Typical Business Directory Listing - No Traffic, No Sales

A better approach to getting your local business listed online is to register it with the search engines, specifically Google. Google Maps may already have your local business listed, and all you have to do is claim your free business listing. To claim your free Google Maps business directory listing, all you need to do is the following:

1. Sign in to the Google Local Business Center. If you don’t have a Google Account, click Sign up for an account now and follow the instructions.
2. Return to Google Maps by clicking on the icon in the upper corner of the Local Business Center.
3. Search for your listing.
4. Click on the more info link next to your listing. This will expand the information window.
5. Click Edit under the address and phone number.
6. Click Claim your business, and follow the instructions.

For detail instructions for claiming your business listing on Google Maps, Click Here.

Note: Claiming your business directory listing on Google Maps is really only the first step in marketing your business online. There are still a lot more opportunities to increase traffic to your web site and increase phone inquires about your product and services as well as increase traffic to your local store. Other ways to increase sales through internet marketing include enhancing your business directory listings, start search engine marketing, and enhance your web site with search engine optimization (SEO).

I keep asking myself - are Google and Microsoft in the same industry and are they really competitors. With the latest Microsoft and Yahoo merger talks, I would conclude that Google is a successful conglomerate transcending several industries while Microsoft is mostly a software company attempting to become a successful conglomerate.

Google is a conglomerate because it dominates several, seemingly unrelated industries to include software services and advertising media. They have used their unparalleled technology innovations to enable them to focus on profitable enterprises that transcend traditional boundaries. Previously, conglomerates were made possible by unique geographic circumstances (East-India company), leveraging capital through buyouts (ITT, Litton), and branching into financial services (GE, Sears) - see Wikipedia - Conglomerates for more information on the history of conglomerates. Now, Google has shown us a new conglomerate business model based on innovative software.

If Microsoft is desiring to merge with Yahoo to dominate the Small-Medium Business (SMB) internet space, this is good because Microsoft and Yahoo! are strong in supporting small and medium size businesses. If Microsoft is merging with Yahoo! to be like Google (a successful conglomerate), this seems to be an ill-fated purpose. If Microsoft and Yahoo! want to be like Google, they need to focus on innovations versus acquisitions. Is Microsoft missing their SMB opportunity chasing after Google? See Joshua Greenbaum’s article, Can Microsoft and Yahoo Do More Than Sell Ads? The SMB Opportunity