No matter what industry you’re in, you should be listed in a business directory. In fact, you should probably be listed on multiple sites. Business directories are great for helping small businesses get recognised and attract more customers. They’re generally free to join, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be using oneto grow your business.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about business directories in South Africa.
What is a Business Directory?
A business directory is a list of local businesses within a certain area. Traditionally, business directories were printed lists which revealed information about companies, organised into different categories. Remember those old, thick phone books? That’s a business directory.</p>
These days, they are typically found online. People use a business directory to discover relevant companies in their area, access information about these firms and get into contact with them. The most basic details involved in a listing include the name, what the business does, where it is located, and the contact details.
However, business directories can include a lot more information, such as customer reviews or details like whether the company is wheelchair-friendly, whether it offers free Wi-Fi, its opening hours, and so on.
Popular online listings like Google My Business or Apple Maps add a searchable location to an interactive map. This makes it easier for customers to discover and navigate to businesses near them.
Why You Need to List Your Company in a Business Directory
Listing your business in a directory is important for helping any kind of enterprise grow. Here are some of the main reasons why.
Makes Your Business More Visible
The more places your business is listed, the more opportunities you have to attract customers to your business.
If you only rely on your website to draw in customers, you’ll miss out on a lot of opportunities. This is because many customers go straight to directories that they trust in order to discover relevant businesses. By listing your business across many such sites, you’ll be able to increase your visibility significantly.
Helps With SEO
If you are a plumber, your potential customers will probably go straight to Google and search for something like “plumber near me”. There’s a good chance a local business directory will appear in the top results. You want your business to be listed there if you’re going to get more traffic to your site.
Having a profile on a business directory like Google My Business also helps with local SEO. This is because you can add a location to your business listing, which is revealed on search results. This makes your business more visible to people searching for services like yours in your local area.
Share Important Information
A business directory shares all of the important information that people need to know about your company. This information is easy to find, which is why so many people head straight to these sites when they need to find these things out. By having all of your important business information available in directories, it will be easier for customers to contact, find, and support your business.</p>
Establishes Trust
If your business is listed in trustworthy directories, it can help new customers to trust you. This could help you attract more new people to your venture who otherwise might have scrolled straight past your website.
Where Can I List My Enterprise in South Africa?
There are many business directories available in South Africa. Some of the best places to list your company are:
- Serv (for South African B2Bs)
- Google My Business
- Bing
- Tripadvisor
- Hotfrog
- YelloSA
- saYello
- Yalwa
- Brabys
And many more.
A good strategy is to simply search for “business directory [your area]” or “[your business niche] directory [your area]” to find relevant listings that you can add your business to. You might also find blog posts that list local businesses. Feel free to contact the owner of these posts to see if they would be interested in adding your business.
Using business directories can help you attract a lot more customers. It’s important that you only use consistent, up-to-date information across any listing that you use. You also need to ensure you only use relevant sites based on your location and business type. Once you’ve created profiles on these sites, you will be able to significantly improve your reach.
